bella b's routine

Establishing a hair care routine has been a life saver in our house. At the beginning of this journey Bella B would not sit still for nothing. I would be lucky to be able to comb and detangle her hair after a wash. Styles where rarely done and a lot a tears where shed from the both of us. A lot of the times I would just get so frustrated from her not sitting still that I would just give up.

Since establishing our routine, hair time has completely changed. Bella B is sitting longer then ever and allowing me detangle and style her hair (which I know is a lot to ask from a 2 1/2 yr old). I try to do protective styles that will last 1-2 weeks if possible.

Our current routine is as follows:

Friday: take down day, we remove the style worn for the week and deep condition. Lately I have been applying EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) to damp hair and adding a shower cap then I cover her head with a warm wrap. I leave it in for 1-2 hrs while Bella B plays then I rinse with warm water.

After rinsing her hair I co-wash (wash with only conditioner) and let the conditioner soak in while she plays in the tub. I then rinse with two big cups of cold water, I read this helps close to the hair follicles and retain moisture.

After her bath I section Bella B's hair, detangle with a wide tooth comb and apply a leave in conditioner. Currently we are using Cantu Shea Butter Deep conditioner. Then I apply coconut oil to each section of hair to seal in the moisture.

After adding the coconut oil I either braid, twist or band her hair until the next day. This keeps her hair from getting tangles and  it also helps stretch her curl pattern and make her hair easier to style the next day.

Saturday-Sunday: I usually style on the weekends we have been doing a lot of box braids with beads. Bella B loves beads she enjoys shaking her head and all of the different colored and shaped beads. We usually watch a movie while styling and I am able to get most her her head done. We take lots of potty breaks, dance breaks and snack breaks which helps Bella B stay focused and  sit still while in her chair.

Monday-Thursday: I moisturise as needed and fix any braids or beads or twists that may have come out or loose.

So far this routine is working great for us and we will continue with it untill I see a need for a change.