i have been natural for about 7 years. at this point, my hair is mbl and this is what has worked wonders for me:
-never ever letting my hair shrink up. keeping my hair stretched has led to *far* less tangles and SSKs
-an overnight/several hour pre-poo/dc with oil every week. my preferred oil mix contains mostly coconut oil mixed with a little castor oil + lavender, rosemary and peppermint EOs. Use whatever oil works best for you but be certain to use an oil that can actually penetrate the hair (e.g., coconut oil, palm kernel oil, babbasu oil, and to a somewhat lesser extent castor oil, avocado oil and olive oil)
-i stopped combing my hair. now i only finger detangle. there was a time that i did not think this was possible but that was when i used to allow my hair to shrink up so...
-detangling *before* i hop in the shower to wash my hair, either with diluted ACV (3:1) if medium to high tangles or conditioner (and maybe some oil) if small amount of tangles. this has cut down on my detangling time and the amount of time i spend doing my hair overall.
i've also learned that my hair loves the combination of detangling with diluted ACV then pre-pooing overnight with coconut oil or my oil blend as mentioned above (which is mostly coconut oil anyway). the ACV opens up the cuticles and allows the coconut oil to get maximum penetration. the coconut oil, in turn, helps my hair to hold on to protein better and protects against hygral fatigue.
doing all this i end up with softer, more manageable, less tangly hair that retains moisture better than it ever has. and again, little to no SSKs/split ends. which all = better retention.
three other things i am trying now (too early to tell how well they work) are:
-more frequent incorporation of protein into my regimen-- specifically light-medium protein dc every other week or every 2 weeks
-at home dusting + S&Ds and less frequent salon trims. i love the look of a fresh salon trim but i must admit that my previous quarterly trimming schedule had me losing almost all my progress
-less heat straightening. i used to straighten 4 - 6x/year with 4 of those times being for my quarterly trim. i am going to try to not heat straighten for 6 months and see how my hair reacts.
my goal is WL, though once i make it, i won't stop there.