• Wash hair at least once a week
• Limit the use of shampoo to one use per week
• If there is a need to wash hair more than once within the week, e.g. after exercising, co-wash hair as often as is needed (Conditioner only washing without using shampoo allows hair to be cleaned without the stripping effects of shampoo)
• Clarify hair once a month or when needed with a good clarifying shampoo to remove product build up
• Avoid Sodium Laureth/Lauryl Sulfate in the shampoos you use weekly as this will dry out the hair

Conditioning

• DC (Deep Condition) after every shampoo to restore moisture and oils stripped by the shampoo.
• Do a protein treatment regularly – monthly, fortnightly or as needed. If hair is relaxed or coloured then more protein is necessary to maintain the correct protein balance of the hair
• Follow up with a good leave-in conditioner after every wash. Leave-ins are designed to keep the hair soft and smooth.

Moisturising

• Moisturise hair with WATER in a spray bottle (you can use floral water such as rosewater or aloe vera juice, which is excellent) or a store bought water based lotion/moisturiser. Leave-in conditioners can also be used as your daily moisturiser of choice.
• Seal hair with oil or butter such as Jojoba oil or Shea butter, a mix of your choice or buy a ready made hair oil or butter mix.
• Limit the use of silicones if you don’t like to shampoo regularly, as they can build-up on the hair over time and are hard to remove with gentle cleansers. Clarifying shampoos are best at removing silicone build-up.

Styling And Hair Management

• Try and limit the use of direct heat (such as flat ironing), as direct heat is damaging. Air-dry hair in large twists or braids if you can. The use of a hooded dryer is perfectly fine for deep conditioning and drying your styles.
• Try to detangle hair only when saturated with conditioner as dry combing or brushing can lead to breakage
• Avoid dry combing as much as possible when styling. Using your fingers when styling is much gentler on the hair and minimises breakage.
• Covering hair before bed stops the hair from rubbing against the pillow and breaking off.
• Protective styling, such as buns, braids, twists or any style that tucks away the ends of your hair, is a great way to retain length as it protects your ends from damage and breakage.