Enhance your haircare routine.
A haircare routine - something a lot of us Muslim women tend to fall behind in. (Because who's going to see our hair, right?)
As someone who has been practising the physical hijab for over 3 years now, I have trialled different methods to maintain the health of my hair. Naturally and regrettably, my haircare reached the bottom of my priorities as I began my journey of wearing the headscarf. However, over the past 2 years (thank you covid), I have had more time on my hands to get myself back into the rhythm of looking after my hair and maintaining a better haircare routine.
A few of my very basic and easy to follow tips for better haircare are as below:
Give yourself a gentle head massage every night before bed. Roughly, 10-15 minutes to ensure you are stimulating your hair follicles
Hair Oil Massage, preferably twice a week, but once is also fine. Warm up an oil of your choice (Olive oil, Coconut Oil, or whichever suits you best) and rub it into your scalp and through the strands of your hair. Wrap your hair in a satin/silk bonnet to stop the oil from staining other surfaces or if you plan on keeping it in overnight.
Washing your hair - depending on your hair type, your hair will require different shampoos and conditioners. Personally, I use Maui Moisture Shampoos and Conditioners as I find it to be moisturising for my hair. Just a little bonus, it's also vegan friendly and free from sulfates and mineral oils.
Vitamins and Minerals - It is essential that you are not deficient in Vitamin D and Iron as these two are key for maintaining hair health from within. If you live in a not-very-sunny country, I would suggest taking a supplement for Vitamin D to maintain your levels.
Lastly, this is one thing I have only started to do throughout 2021; a sister I met mentioned how much her hair had improved after using a silk undercap, which led me to buying my first one. Unfortunately, I had purchased it from abroad which was very costly, albeit very useful. I saw significant changes to the appearance of my hair after I started wearing one. My hair's softness returned and there was a huge reduction in frizz.
This was the driving force behind bringing affordable satin-lined hijab undercaps to sisters in the UK as well as ensuring it was tie back to keep it secure as possible. The benefits are exceptional and it does not take away the benefits of your haircare routine unlike a standard jersey hijab undercap.
I hope that if you implement any of these tips into your haircare routine, they are as beneficial for you as they have been for me.
TheSatinCap x