NIGHTTIME ROUTINE

Today’s post is on a very important topic: sleeping! Having a good nighttime routine is absolutely essential for keeping your hair moisturised, preserving your style and making sure you don’t wake up the next day looking like you’ve been dragged through a hedge. So here are some nighttime tips:

1) SLEEP ON A SATIN/SILK PILLOWCASE (or if you can’t find one, lay a satin/silk scarf over your pillow) – this one is actually non-negotiable. Sleeping on satin/silk is probably one of the best things you can do for your hair: natural, transitioning or relaxed. The reason being that cotton pillowcases will literally suck the moisture out of your hair (it has something to do with the way the cotton fibres are). There is nothing worse than spending hours styling and moisturising your hair only to wake up with a dry, disheveled mess on your head. With the satin/silk, your hair can easily glide over the pillow without getting caught on the cotton fibres AND the smooth material doesn’t absorb the moisture in your hair. BONUS TIP: it’s great for your skin too – it prevents your skin from drying out.

Satin pillowcases – they’re not the nicest-looking things but they’re very beneficial

2) Moisturise and seal – you guys already know you should be doing this regularly! Now, how often I do this depends on what style I have going on. If it’s a stretched style (e.g. a twist out, a braid out), I will do this every other day. If it’s a wash and go, everyday (my wash and go’s tend to get a lot drier than stretched styles). To moisturise, I’ll use a homemade spritz – that’s either water and a leave in mixed together OR water, aloe vera juice and a bit of leave in (I mix these together in a spray bottle and spray all over my hair). And, let me tell you, aloe vera juice is HEAVEN SENT!! It is an excellent moisturiser (more on that in another post). I then apply a light oil (e.g. almond oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil) to my hair. Of course, the moisturising and sealing process is focused on the ends of my hair.

N.B. This differs slightly when your hair is straight. If you add a water-based moisturiser to straight hair, your hair will start to revert back to it’s curly/kinky state so when it’s straight, just add an oil to seal the moisture in.

3) Try not to sleep with your hair out and wild – I know there are some naturals out there who do this (and it may work for them) but, for most of us, this is a great way to increase tangles and therefore breakage. Avoid it!!! I tend to sleep with my hair in a pineapple (a very high ponytail with all the hair piled at the top of your head). You may also choose to sleep with a satin bonnet on. It’s up to you! Also, if your hair is too short to go into a pineapple, you can put your hair into more than one ponytail to preserve your style. In the morning, I just take the ponytail down and fluff my hair until I get the desired look.

My pineapple

So I hope the nighttime routine is clear! Obviously, you may want to tweak some things to suit your lifestyle but this is generally something that has worked for me. But PLEASE make sure to get that satin/silk pillowcase – it is definitely one of the best things you can do for your hair!

Email me if you have any questions and follow on Instagram for more tips!

Tara xXx