We spent the past week in Houston, TX and I must say, I’ve learned quite a bit about traveling while natural. With all things learned, I walked away with a better understanding for my hair, and I’m super excited for my next trip so I can redeem myself.
Here are my top 5 tips for traveling with natural hair:
1. Keep it simple. In the future, I can’t see myself packing more than 3 hair products for a trip. Condish. Leave in. Styler. Done and done. All-in-one products are a bonus! Oh wait, gel. Gotta have gel for those edges. Ok… 4. Four hair products max.
2. Now is not the time to try something new. I failed at this rule on days two through five of my trip. I used castor oil on my hair, I tried a new style (a coil-out which I actually loved but didn’t have the right products to maintain it), I even tried a different leave in conditioner and styling cream. Why in the world would I do this to myself? Your guess is just as good as mine.
3. Plan ahead! Afraid of the carry on guidelines for the trip, I didn’t bring my usual products, and made the decision to only take my Giovanni Direct leave in and Camille Rose Natural’s Moisture Butter. I then stopped to purchase Shea Moisture’s Curl Enhancing Smoothie (why?) and travel sizes of the Herbal Essences Hello Hydration condish for my co-wash session. I only use ONE of these products in my usual regimen. Here is where I reinforce #2.
4. Scarves (or in my case, turbans) are your friend! When I’m away from home, the last thing I want to do it spend my morning styling my hair when I can be out seeking adventures or spending time with friends and family. That’s what #wraplife is all about. I love wearing my turbans for sneaking in a deep conditioning treatment, pre-poo, or giving my hair a break from the sun. Not to mention, they are oh so fly.
5. Don’t forget your mirror! This was a HUGE lesson learned for me. I’m so used to using our side medicine cabinet or the spare mirrors in our bathroom, that I didn’t even think to bring one on the trip. I was left to rely on confirmation from others that the back of my hair was in check- and that is too large a role for the non-hair obsessed to take on.
By the end of my trip, I felt like I could write a book on “HOW NOT TO TRAVEL WITH NATURAL HAIR”, but any mistakes I made can somehow be grouped into the tips above. The biggest takeaway is to keep your hair healthy, but as simply as possible. And of course, if you’re plagued by a bad hair day or are short on time… wrap it up!
What are your tips and tricks for traveling while natural?
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