When traveling, many of us opt for protective styles, wigs, or just letting our hair do its thing in its natural state. Even with those options, it’s important to make sure you’re mindful of keeping your hair moisturized so that when the protective styles come down, you aren’t left with tons of shedding or a patch of missing hair (this happened to me with box braids). Here are a few tips for maintaining healthy hair on the go.
Don’t Forget To Moisturize
Moisture is essential for black hair especially for coily hair types and hair in protective styles. One of the best ways to maintain moisture no matter your hairstyle is a leave-in conditioner and oil depending on your hair type. Two of my favorite leave-ins are both sprays that can be misted onto the hair — Mielle Organics’ White Peony Leave-In Conditioner and Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-In Conditioner. If you’re worried about the mist causing frizz, mist the hair at night before bed, and tie it down with a silk scarf or bonnet. Now, let’s talk about oil, and before you say anything, hear me out. The key to using oil on the scalp is using just a little along the way. An oil like this one is light and keeps the scalp healthy.
Wrap It Up
Wrapping your hair up in a silk scarf at night is vital to maintaining healthy hair, but when I say wrap it up — I’m talking about head wraps. It’s one of my favorite ways to wear my hair while on vacation for three reasons: it keeps my hair manipulation to a minimum (which is beneficial for hair growth), I spend zero time worrying about my hair, and I love that they look great with everything. The Wrap Life and Cece Cece’s Closet make beautiful wraps that add style to any outfit.
Keep Up Your Wash Routine
Protective style or not, washing away build-up is key to hair health. If you’re rocking a protective style, you can wash your scalp with the help of an applicator bottle. You’ll add your shampoo and a little water to help dilute your shampoo and apply your mixture directly to the scalp, massage it in, and rinse with warm water. If your hair isn’t in a protective style, be sure to pack your go-to hair products, and give your hair a good wash and deep condition even while on the road.