When she’s not dropping sneaker reviews, she’s dropping much needed hair care tips on her IG TV. Yes, you guessed it. Felicia Gustavo is here to share her winter hair care routine with us and thought it would be helpful to you too.
Happy read!
What does your hair mean to you?
My hair and hair journey play quite a significant role in my life. It is because of my hair that I started my content creator journey. I have a very interesting relationship with my hair because it’s ever changing. I enjoy experimenting with my hair, which includes dying it (neutral colours since I’ve grown it back), trying out different hairstyles and various hair products. I’m a lot more knowledgeable about how to take care of my hair, what works, what doesn’t and what my hair actually enjoys. Hair is so fascinating because everyone has a unique set of hair, so what may work for some won’t necessarily work for me.
However, I’ve stopped equating my hair to my beauty and how people see me.
Are you natural? Have you always been? Why/how did you decide to?
I’ve been a natural all my life but the last two years I’ve been a much more knowledgeable natural. I never relaxed my hair, but I did braid it one too many times and I straightened it quite a bit. I cut my hair in 2018 because I wanted to get rid of all the heat damage I caused as well as try something totally new.
So many people preferred my straightened hair and I got tired of that and wanted to embrace my hair in its entirety without being made to feel like I can only be beautiful or presentable with straight hair.
What’s the hardest part of your hair routine?
Definitely wash day. I have a big head full of hair so it takes about 1-2 hours to wash and get it properly clean, so that’s a bit of a schlep.
Favourite part?
When I moisturize and style it, because that’s when I get to try different hairstyles which is a lot of fun especially when it comes out the way I want it to.
Hair care product you are loving right now?
L’Oreal’s Elvive leave-in cream and the creamy conditioner from The Perfect Hair.
A product everyone should use/try out for their hair?
Garnier’s ultimate blends coconut oil and cocoa butter shampoo (this does contain sulfates though) and conditioner. I say this because it’s one of those hair products that work for various hair types very well and that I’ve gotten so much positive feedback about. Also, my ultimate favourite range- Palmers conditioner and shampoo from their olive oil range are two products I’d also highly recommend.
Your number one hair care tip?
MOISTURISE and invest in a satin/silk pillowcase or bonnet. Water is your best moisturizer. The leave-ins, oils and creams we use in our LOC (liquid oil and cream) method only seal in the moisture from the water. Moisturizing your hair only to go sleep on a cotton pillow case will result in you waking up with dry hair. Satin and silk retain your hair’s moisture whereas cotton absorbs the moisture from your hair.
Walk us through your winter hair care routine….
- Make sure my satin bonnets and scarves are clean before my wash day.
- My wash days are every Tuesday and look a little like this:
- Section my hair into 3 or 4 parts and then pre-poo my hair for an hour with coconut oil or aunt Jackie’s Grapeseed and Avocado oil. “Pre-pooing is the process of applying a treatment to your hair before the actual shampoo process. The treatment provides your hair with a protective layer. This is helpful because shampooing can strip moisture from hair” (Higuera, 2019).
- Shampoo with a sulfate free shampoo (I’m currently using the Garnier ultimate blends coconut oil and cocoa butter shampoo and the Aunt Jackie’s Power Wash shampoo)
- Condition (I use the creamy conditioner from The Perfect Hair).
- Deep condition (I use the Originals by africa’s best olive oil deep conditioner or the Palmer’s deep conditioner olive oil packet)
- Scalp treatment (using the scalp stimulant from Pure Royals).
- Moisturize using the the LOC method:
L (Liquid/Leave-in): L’Oreal Elvive leave-in creamO (Oil): Aunt Jackie’s Repair my Hair Argan oil or Crème of Nature’s Argan oil mist
C (Cream): ORS Hair lotion or Shea Butter
- I wet my hair every day for moisture and I moisturize my hair every second day using the LOC method because my hair losing more moisture in winter.
- I always sleep with a silk or satin bonnet or scarf on my hair.
All products listed above are available at Clicks or Dischem with the exception of The Perfect Hair’s Creamy conditioner, which is available on their IG: theperfecthairofficial
Watch her hair content here:
https://www.instagram.com/felcious/channel/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYsoJUU4ixx9S9Ax2zgRvkA?sub_confirmation=1
