Harmattan came out of nowhere right when we thought it would never come this year and I am here to share some harmattan and winter hair care tips for 4c natural hair so your hair doesn’t get so dry and start to break. One important thing I need you to understand is that dust from harmattan settles on the hair and cause buildup and when it comes in contact with the scalp cause itchiness and dryness. This post will also be helpful for you if you stay in parts of the world where winter happens. So here are some tips to avoid dryness, product buildup and itchy scalp during any of these seasons. Let’s dig in.

• Tuck Your Hair Properly Into Protective Styles: Emphasis is ‘tuck’ because we often forget that protective styles are meant to protect and actually keep our hair tucked away. I always advise going to a hairstylist that will tuck your hair properly in such a way it doesn’t even pop out or show in the extension/attachment. It can be daunting at first to explain to the stylist what you mean by this but I recommend showing him/her this video by ‘Glam By Merry’ on YouTube for proper understanding especially if you are getting braids done. HERE is the link to the video on YouTube or you can watch it below. . This way your natural hair stays moisturised in the braids away from the harsh weather.

• HeadWraps Are Pretty Good: If you are like me that is always so lazy to sit down for hours just to get braids, try wearing headwraps especially when you want to leave the house. They are super easy to wear and do not dry out your hair. One tip I always use to make sure the headwrap material doesn’t dry out my hair is to wear a wig cap if my hair is in cornrows before throwing on the headwrap. Here are some headwrap style ideas for you whether you are on braids or not.

Related:  Five headwrap styles that will transform your bad hair days.

• Step Up Your Moisturizing Game: If you are the type that leaves your hair so thirsty and dry for ages, this weather will help make your hair drier. Be sure to moisturise more in-between weeks using the LOC or LCO method. Never let your hair get dry. I recommend sealing with heavy butters like shea butter or cupuacu butter. You can also use grease if it works for you. HERE is a video on how I use it to achieve healthy twists on my hair.

• Do Not Forget Your Scalp: This is so important. A lot of us tend to experience itchiness and dryness of the scalp in this weather. On your wash day, right after you shampoo, deep condition, moisturise and seal your hair, do not forget to moisturise your scalp. Do not forget, please. Always use a clean, vegan, light and penetrating oil like the Reina Hair and Scalp serum which is my current favourite because of how penetrating and light it is. HERE is a video of me using the serum for you to see what the oil feels like. Also, re-moisturise and seal within weekdays depending on how often your scalp tends to get dry. Do this by first sectioning your hair into workable sections so you can access your scalp clearly, spritz warm water to open up the scalp pores (Do not spritz in such a way it runs down your face. A little goes a long way), massage the water into your scalp as your spritz and then apply the oil while massaging it in as well. Here are other good oils I recommend for keeping your scalp moisturised.

You can also find the above oils on Jumia by clicking any of them below. You’re welcome!

Wild Hair Growth Oil

Mielle Rosemary Mint scalp and hair oil 

Mane Choice Growth Oil

• Deep Condition Regularly:  If you’ve been slacking with your deep conditioning routine on wash days, this is not the time sis! Deep conditioning restores moisture balance to your natural hair and should be done at least two times a month on your wash days. Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor oil Strengthen and Repair Deep Conditioner and the Kera Care Humecto Creme Conditioner are my absolute favourites. They leave my hair feeling so soft and moisturized and I recommend you use any of them if you’ve been looking for a very good deep conditioner that actually works on 4c hair. For best results, always use a Heat Cap while deep conditioning to enable the product to penetrate deeply into your hair shaft and leave your hair deeply moisturised.

You can find any of the deep conditioners on Jumia through the links below.

Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor oil Strengthen and Repair Deep Conditioner

Deep Conditioning Heat Cap

• Invest In A Good Spray Bottle: Having a spray bottle enables you to moisturise your hair effectively without having water running down all over your face. I used to have the regular one until I decided to invest in this one pictured and linked below and sis! The spritz is different and so much better. The water comes out in a mist form and I don’t need to spritz so much to get my hair moisturized. I love the clear bottle one so I can always see the quantity of water inside. Lol! If you’d love to know what should be inside a spray bottle, click HERE to read a detailed post on it.

You can purchase the spray bottle on Jumia HERE.

• Eat and Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle: Even if you buy all the products or implement all these strategies without a healthy lifestyle, you are wasting your time. Please eat healthily. Junk and beverages aren’t food. Eat actual healthy balanced foods, drink water, don’t forget your vegetables and fruits, exercise and take care of your mental health. They are super important.

I hope this was helpful. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section. To see and purchase a collection of all the products and tools I use for my natural hair, work and podcast, click HERE to check them out on Amazon. Stay fabulous!