For transitioners the idea of big chopping can be quite daunting. You’re leaving the world you knew behind for a completely new one, at least that’s how it felt for me. But that fear was short-lived as I was fortunate to have found the best advice from popular natural hair care YouTuber, Naptural85. In a video geared at transitioners and new naturals, she told her viewers that it would be helpful to continue using the products they previously used on their relaxed hair for their natural hair. That way you would use up your old products and learn what products work and don’t work for your hair without spending a dime.

That bit of advice helped me to settle into a simple and effective natural hair care regimen with ease soon after my big chop.
Now with that said here are the core ingredients in a simple and effective natural hair regimen:
Shampoo or some clarifying agent
My personal favourite shampoo is the Crème of Nature Sulfate free shampoo but I have tried all natural alternatives such as the African Black soap which also works well. Clarifying your hair is important because just like your body your hair gets dirty and needs to be cleansed of all the gunk from product buildup and just plain dirt.
Rinse out conditioner
This is a simple conditioner like the Suave Naturals, VO5 and Tresemme brands carry that you apply to your hair and rinse it out in a minute or two. These conditioners are perfect for co-washing or detangling prior to clarifying and they are really affordable.
Oils

The most popular oils tend to be olive oil and coconut oil and these are the ones I would recommend since they not only seal in moisture but are also moisturizing by itself. But of course you can any oil that your hair reacts best to. Oils are important to your regimen because it seals in moisture, can be used for hot oil and pre-poo treatments and adds a healthy lustre and shine to your hair.
Styling product of choice
Now here is where it gets a little tricky since there are a zillion styling products on the market for you to choose from. So how do you decide? If you are a college student like me I imagine cost is very important when shopping for hair products so I would suggest starting with shea butter. It’s affordable and a lot of people seem to like it.

Plus it has numerous benefits for not only the hair but the skin as well. You can check out my previous blog post about shea butter here.
Deep Conditioner
After you’ve clarified your hair you’ll need to restore the moisture you lost and that’s where the deep conditioner comes in. This ingredient is especially important for those with color treated hair like myself since the hair is more prone to damage. Deep conditioning with protein is also helpful in strengthening fine hair but remember to do a moisturizing treatment after the protein treatment to give you hair back its elasticity. For deep conditioners there are plenty DIY videos and recipes available on the internet but if you’re not into that a store bought one is just as good. To help choose a deep conditioner I consider what my hair seems to like. My hair likes thick and heavy products with slip so I selected a deep conditioner that had all of that, the Moisturizing Milk Masque from Crème of Nature. P.S. I’m currently using a local brand of deep conditioner but I just might revisit the Moisturizing Milk Masque.
I hope this helps you get your hair care regimen off to a winning start. May all your styles be a success and all your wash days easy.
Have a great week!
Peace and blessings.