Natural Hair Care Journey

1. Must-knows

Introduction Video

Meet Sane Igboanugo, a natural hair enthusiast and your personal hairstyling guru. Throughout this fabulous journey, Sane promises to share top secrets, tips and tricks for maintaining and styling natural African hair, as well as exploring versatile hairstyles and natural haircare products. Get ready to embrace your natural beauty like a queen!

Determining Your Hair Porosity

KEEP IN MIND: Knowing what type of hair porosity you have can help you better understand how to manage, treat and care for your hair, helping it to become stronger and healthier. This is important, as your porosity levels might vary around different areas of your head. Requirements: - 1 x glass of room-temperature water (for float test) - 1 x moisturising cream (for moisturising product test)

Determining Your Hair Density

KEEP IN MIND: While hair thickness does have to do with the width of an actual strand, density refers to how many strands you have on your head as a whole. Requirements: - 1 x mirror (for Test Two) - 1 x tape measure (for Test Three)

Caring For Your Hair Density

KEEP IN MIND: Look for products that will restore moisture, fight frizz and define curls: Low-Density Hair: Avoid heavy products that weigh your hair down like heavy oils, creams, butters and thick conditioner. Instead, opt for lightweight, volumising products that will create body and movement in your hair while also boosting volume. Medium-Density Hair: To add volume, I recommend using mousses. To decrease volume, I suggest hair butters and hair masks. High-Density Hair: If you’re looking to reduce the volume of their hair, you should focus on products with heavier holds like gels, creams and styling butters.

Discovering Your Curl Type: Part 1

KEEP IN MIND: Several different textures can exist on one head of curly hair, as not all hair necessarily contains the same type of curl consistently throughout. PRO TIP: If your hair has been heat- or chemically-damaged, you likely won't be seeing your true curl pattern. Type 1A hair is straight and as flat as a pin. There is no hint of curl pattern or wave. It’s soft to the touch, frizz-free and can't hold a curl at all. Type 1B hair is mostly straight, but with more body than type 1A. Type 1C hair is generally straight, but with body and a bit of bend. Type 2A hair is fine and thin with a loose S-pattern, and it’s generally easy to manage. Type 2B hair has a medium density with a more defined S-shape, it’s prone to frizz and harder to manage. Type 2C hair is coarse, thick with a prominent S-pattern, and is almost curly.

Discovering Your Curl Type: Part 2

KEEP IN MIND: Type 3A hair has loose spiral curls without a lot of shrinkage. The loop of your curl can fit around a large permanent marker. This hair type is usually not coarse to the touch, and its springs are bouncy and full of life. Type 3B hair has tighter curls, with a spring back. A pencil can fit into your curls, which create fullness by bouncing off each other, plus they’re vulnerable to breakage and frizz. Type 3C hair has curls like tight corkscrews with the circumference of a thin straw. These densely-packed curls create a lot of volume. Use a detangling comb from tip to root to help reduce damage. Type 4A is prone to experience about 20% shrinkage as they tend to wrap around themselves. Type 4B is also quite fragile and often has a high porosity, meaning it loses moisture very quickly. This hair type experiences about 50% shrinkage. Type 4C experiences the greatest amount of shrinkage, about 75% or more than other textures.

2. How-to's

Benny & Betty

KEEP IN MIND: PRO TIP: For short hair, do three sections on each side to get six rows in total. For long hair. stick to one or two central lines for two rows. Then, section the blocks on each row to your preferred size, then twist out each block to keep them separate. Complete the first block and join it to the second block. Repeat the same process, joining the second block to your third block, etc., until you've finished all the blocks in one row. Repeat these steps until styling is complete. Requirements: - Liquid, such as water or a water-based leave-in conditioner - 1 x hair oil that adheres to your hair porosity - 1 x hair cream, eg. shea butter or curling cream - 1 x 100cm woollen thread or yarn - 1 x wide-tooth comb - 1 x satin bonnet / cap

Two-Strand Twists

KEEP IN MIND: Two-strand twists can be parted in various shapes and sizes, and can be left in for days or weeks. Plus, you can cleanse and condition your hair while in twists. For low-density hair, use a foaming lotion; for high-density hair, use a setting lotion or a gel. To prevent twists from unravelling, twist the first strand inwards before passing it under the second strand. Requirements: - Liquid, such as water or a water-based leave-in conditioner - 1 x hair oil that adheres to your hair porosity - 1 x foaming lotion (for low density hair) - 1 x setting lotion or gel (for high density hair) - 1 x detangling brush or comb - Hair elastics

Bantu Knots

KEEP IN MIND: Bantu knots help to retain your hair length as much as possible, plus they keep your hair locked in and moisturised. Apply a light gel to make the knots look sleeker and neater, and to reduce the number of flyaways after your styling is done. PRO TIPS: - Twist tightened knots in the opposite direction until they loosen up. - Make sure your hair is moisturised properly from the ends to the roots before styling. Requirements: - 1 x wide-tooth comb - 1 x moisturising cream - 1 x light styling gel - 1 x spiking glue gel (Optional)

Heat-Free Stretch on 4C Hair

KEEP IN MIND: Banding Method: When banding, hold your hair tight as you’re wrapping the band tie around to stretch it as much as possible. Threading Method: The tighter your threading, the more stretch you’ll get. The more spaces you leave in between your hair while threading, the less stretch you’ll get. Requirements: - Liquid, such as water or a water-based leave-in conditioner - 1 x hair oil that adheres to your hair porosity - Hair elastics (for the banding method) - 1 x woollen thread or yarn (for the threading method)

3. Fun Hairstyles

Sleek Low Ponytail

KEEP IN MIND: Use a wet gel that has conditioning ingredients in it. Stretch your hair before doing this style to make sleeking your hair easier. To reduce flyaways that emerge while sleeking your hair, use a strong freezing hairspray. Use an edge control brush or an old toothbrush to shape your edges. Gently brush out the ponytail using a wide tooth comb to fluff it out. Requirements: - Hair elastics - 1 x conditioning gel - 1 x hard- or medium-bristle brush - 1 x freezing hairspray - 1 x maximum hold styling gel - 1 x edge control brush (or toothbrush) - 1 x satin bonnet / cap - 1 x wide-tooth comb - 1 x curly ponytail drawstring extension

A Look For a Special Occasion

KEEP IN MIND: Do not secure the back of your hair during Step 4, as you will need to lift it up later. Cut off the excess hair during Step 6 to make it look neat and sleek. PRO TIP: Go underneath your hair with your bobby pins so that you don’t have any pins showing. Experiment with plaiting your ponytail to turn it into a gorgeous braided bun. Requirements: - Hair elastics or scrunchies - 1 x spiking glue gel - 1 x bristle brush - Bobby pins - 1 x satin bonnet / cap - 1 x doughnut bun hair extension - 3 x packets textured hair extensions

A Look For Any Occasion

KEEP IN MIND: It is always easier to work with stretched hair before styling, but this is completely optional. Continue the same sectioning, styling and sleeking steps for the other two back sections so that you end up with three neatly slicked ponytails at the back of your head, while also leaving a large section in the front. PRO TIP: Use gel or leave-conditioner to sleek and twist your ponytails to better secure your extensions. Requirements: - Liquid, such as water or a water-based leave-in conditioner - 1 x styling gel - Hair elastics - 1 x satin bonnet / cap - 3 x packets hair extensions - Bobby pins

Transform Your Hairstyle

KEEP IN MIND: To achieve this stunning hairstyle, be sure to check out our “Benny & Betty” video! Requirements: - Bobby pins - Accessories of your choice

Hair Care Journey Wrap-Up

All journeys must come to an end – even the fabulous ones! Hairstyling guru Sane Igboanugo reflects on the glamorous path you’ve taken to level up your natural hair care game from root to tip. With her know-how in mind, you’re now ready to embrace, style and slay the world like the royal you are!