We all “go natural” for one reason or another. I decided to go natural, because I wanted to have happier and healthier hair. I know firsthand that it’s incredibly hard to find products that work for you. It’s not like you can open any major magazine off a newsstand and find a list of natural hair care products. It can be an overwhelming process because it seems like there is so much talk about natural haircare.  Having been natural for almost a decade now, I have picked up tips, tricks and products over the years.  So if you’re a confused recent natural or a “natural natural,” here’s a list of my top picks.

1. Before picking up any product, the first thing you must do is find out the porosity of your hair. Essentially porosity determines how quickly your hair soaks up moisture. This is incredibly important because you will need to know how much moisture your hair needs to stay perfectly moisturized. A quick way to find out your hair’s porosity is to place a strand of you hair in a glass of water and watch what happens. If the hair floats to the bottom, it has high porosity, meaning it soaks up moisture fast and you’re in danger of having dry hair. If it floats, it has low porosity meaning that it takes awhile to soak up moisture so you’re in danger of over-moisturizing your hair and clogging the pores.

2. Coconut Oil works miracles and can be used for practically everything. Coconut oil is a lighter oil that can do tons of things for your do. If you have low porosity hair, coconut oil is a light moisturizer that won’t clog your roots or weigh down your locks. Coconut oil can be used to deep condition the hair and you can even use it daily at the end of your hair to help prevent split ends.

3. Miss Jessie’s Pillow Soft Curls is a really great styling cream to use overnight to style your curls in the morning. The hold is soft so it allows more movement to your hair, which helps if you’re going with twists.

4. Miss Jessie’s Jelly Soft Curls is just as amazing as pillow soft curl, but if you’re looking for more of a wash and go style. The hold is a bit stronger, more like a gel but without all the gross crunch. It really enhances your curl pattern and leaves for a great almost effortless result.

5. Lush Big Shampoo is a great natural alternative to clarifying shampoo. If you have low porosity hair products will just build on the top of your scalp, causing really greasy hair. So it’s important to get rid of all that access buildup overtime. Lush Big Shampoo is perfect because it isn’t drying or damaging and leaves your hair feeling super clean and soft.

6. Oils are probably the most important part of keeping natural hair good and moisturized. It doesn’t matter which oils you use or if you use a combination of a couple. Jamaican Castor Oil, and  Argon Oil are both incredibly popular because they really help your hair stay healthy and moisturized. Again, the porosity of your hair will determine which oils work best for you and how often and much you should use.

7. An Overhead blow dryer is great for those deep conditioning treatments you should be doing at least twice a month. The heat from the dryer will stimulate your roots and open the pores on top of your head allowing the deep conditioner to really penetrate the hair shaft. It’s also fun to play beauty salon at home.

8. When you dry your hair off with a towel, the friction from the terrycloth causes breakage and frizz. A cotton t-shirt is a lot softer and less abrasive and I find that it dries my hair quicker.