If you told me that I would one day cut all of my hair off I probably would have given you the biggest side eye + head shake in disbelief. Fast forward + three big chops later here I am pictured fly + bald headed all at the same time + I love it! Having short hair forces me to fully embrace my face + features all as they are. At first it wasn’t easy for me + I still have my days sometimes where I get this strange feeling to hide behind something, like a hat or a headscarf. But then I am reminded by my husband or some of the beautiful images I see on social media of black women who just slay their hair. Some shaved + some with the same length as mine. These affirming images + uplifting words all inspire me to just embrace myself, wholeheartedly.

Along with cutting my hair I also cut back on a lot of the products I was encouraged to purchase. As women with natural hair we tend to get caught up in all the different brands + products that cater to our tresses. Its normal + I was once a "product junkie" as well. But the issue lies when you have several products that serve no value or purpose to your hairs health. So this time around I am going to keep it real simple + basic. I will remove the pressures to purchase products that are recommend by women who don't share the same hair texture as mine. I will stick to what I know (or do the research to find out), focus on what my hair loves + responds to.

My current hair routine consist of the following:

Prepoo (pre-shampoo) - I spray my hair with 1/2 parts water + 1/2 parts aloe vera juice then condition my hair before shampooing to protect it from drying out during the shampooing process. You can find these products here and here.

Shampoo - When shampooing I make sure to focus on my scalp to avoid product build up. You can find this product here.

Deep Condition - A pro tip: try warming up your deep conditioner or steaming your hair while deep conditioning to increase moisture + moisture retention. You can find this product here.

Style/Set - I set my hair using the lco method (leave in-cream-oil). If I want to style my hair in a wash n go to define my curls I will use eco styler gel. You can find these products here + here.

Oil my hair currently loves. (I also use olive oil + coconut oil)

Finger Detangle - Try it. It allows you to use less tension on your hair + helps develop patience. You are able to feel for the tangles + knots + gently remove them, oppose to using a comb to rake through your hair quickly.

Moral of the story: don't get caught up in the different products + pretty packaging. focus on what your hair is communicating to you + give it exactly what it needs.