/ Natural Hair

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NATURAL HAIR CARE

Natural hair care and beauty products are formulated differently to traditional products, meaning most of the synthetic ingredients are replaced with natural-origin alternatives. You will find that many beauty products contain a mix of natural and synthetic ingredients. However when we refer to natural hair care, we mean that the products are mostly made with natural origin ingredients and do not contain specific synthetic ingredients such as sulfates or silicones.

When switching to natural cleansing products, you might go through a transitional period for a few days or weeks while your hair and scalp gets used to the change. So, here’s what to expect when switching to a natural hair care routine.

What ingredients are in our natural shampoos?

Natural shampoos are typically milder and gentler than traditional shampoos, protecting the scalp. Traditional shampoos contain sulfates as cleansing agents, whereas natural origin shampoos use gentle cleansing ingredients instead of sulfates.

Some of the natural ingredients used in our shampoos include organic olive oil, bamboo leaf water, red clay and cassava root, which help to nourish the hair. Because the natural shampoos are based on different ingredients vs. conventional ones, they might give you a different kind of beauty experience in terms of product consistency, usage and overall feel. Learn more about what this means in our blog about sulfate-free shampoos.

What can you expect when transitioning to a natural shampoo?

Any change to your hair routine usually comes with a transitioning period before your hair and scalp get used to the new products, so you may experience a difference in how the product feels.

Here’s what to expect when switching from a shampoo with sulfates to one formulated with natural-origin ingredients:

Your shampoo won’t foam as much

When swapping conventional sulfates (SLS, SLES) in our shampoos with natural-origin cleansing ingredients, you will find that the hair does not ‘lather up’ or ‘foam’ in quite the same way or as quickly as your conventional shampoo. This is because the surfactants are busy cleansing the hair and scalp rather than foaming. You will notice this especially if the hair is dirty, so if you shampoo the hair for a second time, more foam will appear – this is a sign of cleanliness!

Due to the milder cleansing power of the sulfate-free shampoo, we recommend washing twice if the hair is dirty. The first wash will remove most of the impurities and the second wash will finish the cleansing process. However, this does not mean that you need to use more shampoo than usual; simply use a smaller amount for each application to get the most out the product.
Apply shampoo by massaging it well all around the scalp, and add water as you massage to increase lather.

Your scalp and hair might feel different

When you switch to a gentler, all-natural origin shampoo, the scalp is no longer being stripped of its protective oil. Because of this change, during the transitioning period you might find that your scalp feels oilier for a short period of time while it gets used to the new routine. This shouldn’t happen for long and will resolve on its own once your scalp gets used to the product and restores its natural balance.

In the beginning it might help if you start by using your natural origin shampoo every other wash, and gradually transition into using it on a regular basis to allow your scalp to get used to the new formula. It’s also important to rinse the hair thoroughly after washing, to make sure that all the product is gone from the scalp and the roots.

If you’re following up with a conditioner or a hair mask, we recommend always applying it to the hair lengths and ends only and not too close to the root area. Natural treatments are richer than traditional ones, so we also recommend using slightly less product than what you would normally. Our Natural Oil is an extremely rich and nourishing hair oil so this should be used sparingly to avoid hair being weighed down – even though it will be hard to resist not to indulge!

Which natural haircare products you should use for your hair type

The transition to natural hair care products may differ depending on your hair type, how often you wash your hair, and your scalps natural level of oiliness or dryness. weDo/ has dedicated product ranges for three different hair types with different needs:

Light & Soft range for fine hair
Moisture & Shine range for normal or damaged hair
Rich & Repair for coarse of very damaged hair

Each line contains a liquid shampoo, conditioner and hair mask, and like all weDo/ products, they are free from sulfates and silicones. The liquid shampoos are designed to condition the hair as they cleanse, however because of their milder cleansing properties, we recommended shampooing twice.

We also have two solid shampoo bars: Light & Soft No Plastic Shampoo for fine hair, and Moisture & Shine No Plastic Shampoo for normal or damaged hair. These have a more powerful cleansing effect and lighter care effect. They are also designed with sustainability in mind, providing low waste, minimal packaging and reduced water consumption. Learn more about how to use them in this guide to shampoo bars.

If you’re unsure which natural hair care products you should be using for your hair type, check out our blog article and complete our hair quiz to discover your personalised natural hair care routine.