Hi Tawana,
I am a type 4b transitioner, but I've been transitioning for over a year so a lot of my hair is natural - this is my regimen to keep it soft and looking nice:
I conditioner wash once a week. I use Finesse Heat-Protectant. I don't think it matters at all which you use, but I use that because I have it and I figure that if I ever put any heat on my hair, i'll have a tiny bit of protection.
Essential: I do a combination oil/deep conditioning treatment for about an hour after each wash. I usually wash once a week, but now my hair is in cornrows so I haven't been. Get a good, working deep conditioner and put in in your hair, and a good oil as well. Saturate your hair. I use olive oil. I recommend heating the olive oil first if you aren't lazy. Rinse this out after it has soaked into your hair for an hour. Both the oil AND the deep conditioner are essential.
Essential: Apply leave-in's that *work* for your hair while hair is damp. I use a mix of shea butter (100% natural shea butter) and olive oil. It's about half half. I heat the shea butter to an oil when I first got it and mix in olive oil with it.
It absorbs very easily and very well when the mixture is heated, but I don't recommend heating often because I've heard that too much heat can ruin the properties of the shea butter and olive oil. Shea butter is a nice oil, not too heavy on my hair, great at absorbing rather than sitting on my hair, but it takes a while for me to work it in usually. You've got to rub it between your hands and work it in. I actually recommend using jojoba oil instead, if you can afford it, because jojoba is closer to natural sebum but olive oil works well on my hair.
Sometimes I put in Sta-Sof-Fro, no real difference really.
Keep a spray bottle with water for dampening hair to apply leave-ins.
Comb through well with a K-Cutter, much much better than other wide-toothed combs.
Great combination! My hair doesn't look dry, doesn't feel dry, is nice and soft, easy to comb even when dry. Both my natural and my relaxed hair have all these characteristics.
Clarify when you suspect that there is buildup on your hair.
The ingredients are cheap and the time is not much!
When I'm out of the finesse, I will probably just buy Suave Conditioner for my conditioner wash.
Suave Conditioner - .79 c
Deep Conditioner- 3.50 every two months. I can't remember the name of mine at the minute, but just make sure to get a good one that works even if it is more expensive.
100% Natural Shea Butter - $8.00 (I think) probably every 2 months
Olive oil - not sure the price since I don't buy olive oil specifically only for my hair
Time:
1.5 hours a week for the wash with conditioner and the 1 hour hot oil/deep conditione, but the time doesn't have to be spent twiddling your thumbs.
Probably 15 minutes a day to comb through, moisturize with the water spray bottle, and apply the shea/oil.
I don't care if it LOOKS as if someone dropped an ashtry on my head! I just want it soft! I no-poo once a week with any one of the 50 moisturizing conditioners I have. I do hot oil treatments, clarify when necessary & moisturize daily (spritzes & creams). Maybe I'm just using the wrong stuff. Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated.
