5 Products for a Complete Minimalist Hair Care Regimen

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Last updated on September 3rd, 2017 at 05:04 pm

Bottles and piles of hair products overtake your cabinets and shelf space. When you finally get to a product you purchased last year, you realize it’s begun to spoil. What a waste.

If that’s your story, then you’ve come to realize that being a product junkie is more trouble than it’s worth and you’re ready to move over to a minimalist hair care regimen.

While you may not be ready to give up trying new products from time to time, there’s definitely very few hair products that you need to easily care for your hair thoroughly and completely. In a previous post where I shared my choice of winter hair care products, I explain in great detail the benefits using less products with consistency on fine natural hair. Your choice of products may vary from mine and you may even opt to change your regulars after a duration of time. Just remember that in order to keep with a minimalist hair care regimen, you actually need to keep your products to a minimum. (duh isn’t it obvious?)

If you’re ready to embrace a more minimalist way of caring for your hair, here’s a list of the only products you’ll need to maintain a healthy head of hair:

A Cleanser

It goes without saying that you have to wash your hair. It’s a personal choice if you want to use a shampoo or a cleansing conditioner. You can opt for one of each. If  you want to go au natural, get you some bentonite or rhassoul clay to make your own hair wash. (here’s an easy bentonite clay wash recipe)

A Deep Conditioner

All hair requires some form of deep conditioning on wash day. Deep conditioning imparts moisture to the deepest layers of your hair and should be done after every single wash. Make sure you choose a moisturizing deep conditioner with either no protein in it or one that’s protein/moisture balancing.

A Protein Treatment

Protein is vital to the strength of fine hair, especially fine natural hair. You have to determine what type of protein works best for your hair but you should treat your hair to a protein treatment at least on a monthly basis. As noted above, some deep conditioners contain protein balanced with moisture. If you select one with an adequate amount of protein for strength maintenance, you will get more bang for your buck. In the case of such a product, your hair may not require a separate protein treatment. Consider this alternative only if you don’t heat style or chemically treat your hair.

A Leave in Conditioner

Leave in conditioners assist your hair with moisture retention and can also be applied during mid-week for an additional boost of moisture. Find a light weight leave in that is formulated with botanicals and nutrients designed to condition the hair without chemicals.

Natural Oil of Your Choice

Oils are needed to seal moisture into your hair but they are also beneficial for lubricating your strands to allow for free movement when you regularly wear your hair loose.

Jojoba oil is generally a widely accepted oil and works really well on fine hair as it’s a lightweight oil and is much like the natural sebum produced by your scalp. Other natural oils that work well in fine hair are Almond and Argan oil.

Combine Argan oil with your leave in conditioner for an effective styling product that provides your hair with the moisture needed for natural curl definition.

OPTIONAL PRODUCT #1: Shea or Mango Butter

As an option, both shea butter and mango butter can be used for added protection to your hair during the cold months by supplementing your oil sealing. These butters also work well for setting many of your hair styles when whipped into a cream consistency and lightly distributed throughout the hair. It’s best to limit the amount of butters used in fine hair to prevent limpness.

Optional PRODUCT #2: a Styling Product

If you’re not really keen on using an oil/conditioner combo or butter as a styler, find a styling product that can be used to set curls, twists or braids. Two styling products that work well on fine natural hair are Camille Rose Naturals Style Setter and Shea Moisture Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Weightless Styling Mousse. They also provide a light hold to help maintain your style.

Having one styling product as your go to can be the basis for a minimalist hair styling regimen but that doesn’t mean you can never use another styling product. Feel free to use 2 or 3 products your hair likes. Avoid product hoarding by putting them into rotation and only purchasing a new styling product once you’re done with it’s predecessor.

Choosing to follow a minimalist hair care regimen is less about the number of products you use and more about investing only in products you actually use again and again. If you regularly use 10 products then these are the basis for your minimalist hair regimen. The key is to only buy and consume what your hair needs and not to fall prey to product hoarding. Following these guidelines makes for easy hair care.

What products must you absolutely have in your regimen?

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