How I Grew My Natural Hair to Mid-Back Length and used Minimal Products

This post is not advertisement of some tool or product that will give you miraculous  growth with little effort. This is an honest retelling of part of my haircare journey, and how I was able to grow my hair to mid-back length while using minimal products. 

Whenever I post photo of a style, one of the first things I am asked is, “what products did you use?”
Living in St. Lucia, I am often approached by young ladies who have no income, who figure they may not succeed at this “natural hair thing” because my regimen and natural hair care products are most likely too expensive.

It is at this point that I share an unintentionally hidden secret: YOU DO NOT NEED SPECIFIC PRODUCTS TO GROW YOUR HAIR. As a matter of fact, I recorded majority of my hair growth during the period I was not using store bought products.

 

 

What did I use you ask?

I used herbs and ingredients that were easily accessible to me and could be found in my kitchen, and I supplemented with very basic products. This is what my products stash at the time looked like:

Shea Butter ( This was my holy grail ingredient)

I used Shea Butter in slightly different variations to pre-poo, moisturize, deep condition and style my hair. At the time, my mixology skills were basic at best so there were no emulsions and fancy distinctions between lotions and creams.

Coconut Oil

Of course, this was never store-bought, because my grandmother has passed on the legacy of coconut oil making to me. As with most Caribbean grandparents, coconut oil and its production was commonplace in our household.

I often mixed my coconut oil with my Shea Butter; and later, when I learnt its benefits in preventing hygral fatigue, it became my pre-poo treatment of choice.

READ ALSO: 5 Reasons Why Your Natural Hair May Be Dry

Olive Oil

I used olive oil in all the ways that I would use Shea Butter and coconut oil; and sometimes I would replace the two with it if I wanted a little less weight from my sealant.

Coconut Milk

I absolutely loved using coconut milk to deep condition my hair. The resultant combination of softness and strength always made me happy. Other times I would let my budding mixologist tendencies loose, and mix in oils, honey, shea butter or any food stuff with hair benefits (such as avocados or bananas) into my coconut milk.

Vegetable Glycerin & Honey

At the time I began my natural hair journey, vegetable glycerin and honey were all the rage. They both fall into the category of humectants, and they worked wonders at drawing water from the atmosphere to my hair; and consequently, keeping it moisturized.

Flax Seed Gel

Because I soon realized that humectants were great for moisture but not for definition, I soon incorporated flax seed gel into my routine. I tried my hand at mixing a very rudimentary version of a styling product by adding my flaxseed gel to my shea butter mixtures.

My hair lacked for nothing with these basic ingredients which made up my product stash, and I paid a lot less for the maintenance and care of my hair.

READ ALSO: How to Create A Natural Hair Regimen 

I am not against store-bought products, however, I have seen the results and benefits of using natural and pure ingredients. If results are your goal, and you are unable to meet the cost of the luxury of prepackaged products, fear not! There is much at your disposal that can be used to grow your natural hair.

 
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YOUR TURN: Do you incorporate any of these natural ingredients into your regimen?