Ways to Refresh Your Scalp In Protective Styles
Wash and Go
When it comes to protective styles with individual sections like box braids, kinky twists, and individual locs, I find the easiest way to maintain a clean scalp is to wash it with shampoo. The biggest tip I have on this routine is to dilute the shampoo. Shampoos tend to be very rich and thick, which makes it difficult to thoroughly rinse out when in certain protective styles. So I typically grab a cheap applicator bottle from a local beauty supply store and create a shampoo/water mixture. The nozzle tip makes it easy to get the shampoo mixture right where it needs to be to clean your scalp and the extra water makes it easy to distribute and rinse out the shampoo. Check out my tutorial (circa 2015) showing how I washed my kinky twists. Gosh I look so young. Lol.
Dry Cleansing Products
If you’re on the go and don’t have time to be bothered with wet synthetic hair (because it takes forever to dry) dry cleansing and scalp refreshing products serve as a mean time in between time fix.
Dry shampoo sprays, previously thought to be for straight hair only, are gaining popularity in the natural hair community. You simply spray the product onto your strands as well as your scalp and rub to lift any product buildup that may be on your scalp and brush it away.
There are also scalp refreshing gels that allow you to gain at least week’s worth of wear from your protective style do the same thing. I recently tried Cantu’s Apple Cider Vinegar Root Rinse and you can check that out here.
Hair and Scalp Rinses
Another great option is to refresh your scalp with a root rinse. The most popular rinse is the apple cider vinegar rinse. The antifungal and antibacterial properties in ACV help to cleanse your scalp and keep it in good health until you take down your protective style. When it comes to ACV rinses, you really have to get your water to ACV ration right and you have to be open to the strong scent of ACV itself. If you’re not about that kitchen beautician mixologist life, there are a few ready-to-use root rinses available in stores.
So there you have it, three easy ways to refresh your scalp while in protective styles. No pushing styles to the limit with layers of product build up and no praying that our edges are still intact!
