Butters and Oils are supposed to be the foundation of Natural Hair Care we need to LOC or LCO to keep AlLLLLLLLL the moisture in our hair from wash day to wash day….right???? The stylists over at black girl curls said otherwise, and BROKE… THE… INTERNET!
When I first heard stylists telling people to stop using oils and butters, I tuned them out. Back in 2011, I quit professional stylists because I got sick of being told I “need” a relaxer. Fast forward to 2020 when I first heard about the no butter no oil “thing”… Here go these stylists saying natural hair isn’t good enough…again. It turns out that is not what they are saying AT ALL. Turns out they are advocating for Natural Hair…..are you confused?… so was I …stay with me as I untwist this hair detox…no butters no oils “thing”.
What is the 30-Day Hair Detox?
The 30-day hair detox is meant to remove all the heavy products from your hair so that you can feel and see how your hair behaves without them. The challenge started several years ago and has a few simple…yet controversial rules:
- No Raw Oils and Butters
- No Products with Shea Butter, Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Coconut Oil in the first 5 ingredients
- No Ecostyler Gel
- Wash Your Hair (With Shampoo) about once per week
The challenge used to take place via e-mail and social media. It now lives in Black Girl Curls visual library “See Some Curls” you can start the challenge anytime you want. The leap into natural hair care without butters and oils is a big shift for some (It was for me). See Some Curls is a visual library that allows you to take a deeper dive into hair care without butters and oils.
After 30 days you can decide to go back to the butters and oils, or you can continue to use the more lightweight products. There is a directory of stylists who have taken professional training with black girl curls, you can choose to partner with them to continue your natural hair care needs..
What is the Point of the Natural Hair Detox?
For me, not using heavy hair products was a complete paradigm shift. I always thought the heavier the product, the better it would keep moisture in my hair. This is true
What Natural Hair Care Products don’t contain Butters and Oils?
One of my beloved “moisturizers” the As I Am double buttercream, was a no-go for this challenge. Shea butter is definitely in the top 5 ingredients. In the Visual Library see some curls there is a list of products recommended by Aisha and Aelieise.
In See some curls there is a focus on choosing products based on performance. What type of style you are trying to achieve. Gels are the go tos for long-lasting wash and gos. Creams (withhold) and foams are better options for most other styles.
Here are some of the products I will be using during my 30-day hair detox. Some are on the recommended product list in See some Curls and some aren’t but they all meet the rules for the detox.
Clarifying with a Strong Shampoo
The first step in the detox is to clarify with a shampoo…not a clay treatment or alternative cleaning methods. I did not use the one recommended by Black Girl Girls. Clarifying with a strong shampoo is done at the start of the 30 Day Hair Detox and on an AS NEEDED basis which is infrequently for most people. I only clarify once every 6 to 8 weeks at most.
Shampoos & Conditioners
I like AG Boost, it is lighter than most conditioners that I have used but it gets the job done. The shampoo is okay nothing to write home about, Innersense products look alike and there are a few of shampoos in the line. The creme hydrating shampoo gets the job done without stripping the hair
Stylers
My preferred sets are roller sets, and flat twists so I don’t plan on using gel much but I do have Uncle Funky’s Daughter and Innersense I create hold and will experiment with them.
Examples of Products that meet the 30 Day Hair Detox
These products are not endorsed by myself or Black Girl Curls. These are just examples of products from popular hair brands that you may already have on hand that meet the rules of the 30 Day Hair Detox.
Conditioner
Eden Body Works Tea Tree Conditioner
Leave Ins and Styler
The Mane Choice Exotic Coolaid Gel-O
Mielle Pomegranate and Honey Leave-In
Mielle Honey & Ginger Gel
These are products that you may be able to find on the ground for a better price. Just provided amazon links so you can take a look at ingredients and reviews for yourself.
Potential Benefits of 30 Day Hair Detox
In real life, I know plenty of people who tell me the “natural thing” is not for them. They’ve tried it and seems like a lot of maintenance for results that they do not love. So oftentimes people either become perpetual protective styler wearers, get locs, or run back to the creamy crack.
One of the main potential benefits is that you learn how to effectively style your hair for the way you want to show up in the world and that fits your lifestyle. If you’ve ever tried to LOC or LCO it takes FOREVER to dry, and you are stuck in the house unable to go anywhere.
In this reel Aishia shows how she is able to washand set her hair in a wash and go in about an hour. No Oils or butters in site.
With a Wash and go, you can use a hooded dryer to partially dry your hair, and allow it to completely dry as time goes on.
Learn More about the 30 Day Hair Detox
Aishia and Aeleise have See Some Curls as a paid resource where they provide demonstrations, product recommendations, and information about how to choose a styler. They also pop up for live Q&A’s and a 10Q where they pick 10 questions from the community to answer.
Are you a stylist wanting to learn more about working with tightly curled hair? They have a course for stylist called cut it kinky.
Not ready to invest in the paid resource…no problem. They are active on social media as well
instagram: @iamblackgirlcurls