Best Products for 4c Hair

By Tiffany Walker

Caring for your 4c hair is a lot like creating the perfect self-care ritual just for you. To feel totally restored and replenished, you might need a steaming mug of your favorite tea, a cozy pair of sweatpants, a candle that smells like a bakery, and your favorite album playing on repeat. 

All of these pieces together create a nourishing atmosphere for you to feel amazing.   

But without these particular elements, you may not get the full effect of your TLC routine, which is why the products you choose for your 4c hair care are so important.

Your Type 4 hair deserves maximum pampering with products designed to bring out the best of your gorgeous 4c curls. But taking a stroll down the hair care aisle of your local grocery store or browsing pages of natural hair products online can make you want to pull out your hair instead of pampering it. 

So how do you find the best hair products for 4c hair? 

With this guide.

First Steps for Finding the Best Products for 4c Hair

Finding the best products for 4c natural hair starts with understanding your hair and what it takes to make your locks feel positively divine. So if you’re itching to fill up your e-cart with nourishing unguents and elixirs, stop for a quick sec and learn a bit about your locks. 

Step 1: Learn Your Hair’s Density and Porosity

If you’re reading this, you probably already know that you’ve been blessed with goddess-style 4c curly hair. But that’s just one piece of the picture. Finding the products that suit your hair type can help you learn how to enhance curls and how to coil natural Black hair by supporting your hair’s density and porosity.

Density 

Density is just another word for “hair thickness,” or how many strands of hair you have on your head. Good news—you don’t need to count them. Just take a look in the mirror.

• If you can see your scalp without parting your hair, you have thin or low density hair.
  
  
• If you have to really pull at your locks to reveal a bit of scalp, you have thick or high density hair.
  
  
• If you don’t have to work too hard to see your scalp, you probably have medium density hair.
  

The density of your hair can tell you the best moisturizer for curly hair to look for. Heavy creams can weigh down low density hair, making your buoyant locks limp and lifeless. On the other hand, lightweight moisturizers won’t be able to imbue your strands with enough moisture and deep conditioning. This could result in damaged hair in the ways of dryness and breakage. If you're looking how to care for 4c hair, locking in moisture is essential.

So, quick recap:

• For low density hair, look for lightweight moisturizers.
  
  
• For medium density hair, experiment with a combination of lightweight moisturizers and oils.
  
  
• For high density hair, try heavier moisturizers and oils. 

Porosity

Porosity describes how well your hair strands can absorb moisture. Luckily, you won’t need a microscope to check your hair’s porosity. You’ll just need the Float Test.

Here’s how to do the Float Test:

1. Find a clear glass and fill it with water.
   
   
2. Pluck a strand of hair from your head and drop it in the water.
   
   
3. Wait a few minutes and see what your hair does.

There are a few possible results to this experiment:

• Your hair floats – Because your hair didn’t absorb the water around it, it has low porosity. 
• Your hair sinks gradually – Your hair is taking in the moisture around it, increasing its weight and allowing it to sink. This means you have normal porosity.
  
  
• Your hair drops to the bottom soon after you drop it in the water – Your hair drinks up the water like Usain Bolt after a record-breaking race (meaning it’s high porosity).  

Now that you’ve figured out your hair porosity, how can it help you find the best products for your hair? Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Low Porosity – Hair with a low porosity resists moisture. That means your hair might be prone to product buildup and take a while to dry. Which is why you should always include the following in your hair care regimen:
  
• Clarifying shampoos and hair treatments
• Deep conditioning treatments with medium heat
  

Avoid filling up your shower caddy with protein-enhancing products since this can make your hair dry and brittle. Try styling your hair when it’s damp and using minimal products to avoid buildup.

• Normal Porosity – Normal porosity allows plenty of moisture into your locks, so your hair can more easily hold moisture and shine. This variety of porous hair will benefit from more low maintenance routines along with:
  
• Regular deep conditioning
• Consistent moisturizing
  
  
• High Porosity – Highly absorbent, this kind of hair drinks up product and water. It can dry quickly but also feel dry and a bit frizzy. Your secret weapon to stunning highly porous 4c hair is protein. It’s important that you use high porosity hair products that specifically help maintain your natural hair. These types of protein treatments and products can help strengthen your hair. So what are the best products for curly frizzy hair like highly porous 4c hair? A cream or oil will help lock in moisture, protect your hair strands, and reduce frizz.

Step 2: Design Your Hair Routine

Now that you’ve completed your journey of hair care self-discovery, it’s time to build a hair care routine specifically for your hair type. 

First things first? Start with the basics. Once you test out the waters of a simple 4c hair care routine, you can build from there. 

Here’s an example regimen to start with:

Weekly (or Bi-Weekly) Basic Hair Routine

• Pre-poo treatment – Add an extra layer of deep conditioning or a strengthening protein boost with a pre-poo treatment. This will help protect your locks through the cleansing process and prevent your shampoo from stripping your hair.
  
• Cleanse – Lather up with a shampoo that will be gentle to your locks
  
• Moisturizing Conditioner – What can we say? 4c is thirsty! Treat your hair to a delicious moisturizing conditioner.
  
• Seal – Seal the moisture with an oil, cream, or leave-in treatment. 

You can supplement this routine monthly by swapping out your moisturizing conditioner with a double-whammy protein conditioner and deep conditioning treatment. Or, go hard on the moisture if your hair needs it and use a leave-in conditioning hair mask once a month. 

Step 3: Stay Open to Experimentation

Because your hair has its own unique care needs—much like you!—it’s important to approach finding your perfect hair products as an experiment in beauty. Don’t be afraid to try new products and set aside old ones. You may even want to find a 4c hair pal to help you test-drive new products, so you can share your results and expand your research!

True beauty is a state of mind, and part of that mindset is staying open to trying new things and not getting discouraged when the results aren’t precisely what you had in mind.

Give it time, give it patience, and give yourself lots of love. You’ll get there.

Your Shopping List of Natural Hair Products for 4C Hair

Thorough understanding of your hair’s porosity and density? Check!

Framework for a hair care routine that will let your natural beauty shine? Check!

Open mind to try new things? Check!

Natural Gorgeousness? You don’t even have to check. We know you’ve got that in spades. 

Now for the shopping list for your hair products:

#1 Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner

4c girls are blessed with hair that doesn't need constant cleansing. A once a week shampoo is all you need for your ‘do. Depending on your hair’s porosity and density, consider whether you’ll just need a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner or if you should also add a clarifying shampoo.

Here’s how those products break down:

• Moisturizing Shampoo and Deep Conditioner – For normal to highly porous hair, moisturizing shampoo with a moisturizing conditioner can go a long way. Be sure to avoid shampoos with the following ingredients:
  
  
• Ammonium
• Sodium lauryl sulfates
  

These ingredients will leave your hair dry, tangled, or stripped of strength. Instead, check the product label for natural oil and moisturizers like water, aloe, shea butter, or babassu oil.

• Clarifying Shampoo – If your hair has low porosity, or if you typically use a lot of styling products, you probably have a bit of buildup on your scalp. Clear up that buildup with a clarifying shampoo. However, even if you’re prone to plenty of buildup, use clarifying shampoos sparingly. Clarifying shampoos can dry out and weaken your hair if used too often. Start using the product once a month and see how your hair likes it to avoid damaged hair. 

Not sure how your hair will react? When in doubt, start with a moisturizing shampoo. Thanks to the shape of 4c hair strands, your locks will flourish with hydration. 

#2 Moisturizing Deep Conditioner

Shampoo’s job is to cleanse. Conditioner’s job is to imbue healthy fats and nourishing oils into your locks. And deep conditioner pampers your hair by softening the cuticle for long-lasting moisture day and night. 

Look for products with these natural moisturizers:

• Coconut oil
• Almond oil
• Sacha inchi oil
• Mongongo oil
• Olive oil
• Shea butter
• Babassu oil
  

(If you’ve got high density hair, you may benefit from just using an oil specially formulated for hair like this mint almond oil.)

If you notice that your hair feels a bit gummy or stretchy after a moisturizing conditioner, then definitely add a protein-based conditioner to your next hair-cleaning session to balance out the effect. 

#3 Protein-Based Treatments and Conditioners

A protein treatment or conditioner is a must-have for 4c ladies with highly porous or thin hair. Protein treatments can strengthen your hair to prevent breakages, frizzing, and tangling. But use with caution—protein products are best paired with a foundation of moisturization. 

#4 Natural Oil Seals

The hair care fun doesn’t end when you step out of the shower. An oil seal helps lock in all the love and care you put into your hair routine while layering in moisture. Some seal favorites for 4c hair include:

• Olive oil
• Argan oil
• Jojoba oil
• Coconut oil
• Tea tree oil
• Lanolin oil

#5 Protective Styling Products

Have you ever gone from a spa treatment straight to a hectic and stressful day? You go from zen to zero chill in ten seconds or less. In a similar way, you need to protect your beautiful locks before suddenly subjecting them to stressors like heat or styles. We have tips on how to blow dry curly hair without causing damage. Use styling products that provide moisture and protection like:

• An edge gel with softening and moisturizing honey
  
• A hair protectant that shields your hair from heat and locks in your 4c natural hair styles
  
• A curl spray that hydrates and defines every curl.
  
• A heat-protecting pomade that becomes a conditioning hair oil in your hands 

Lock in the Love with MIELLE Organics

Thin or thick, high or low porosity, your hair is uniquely your own. And the more love you give it, the more your natural beauty will shine through. This is why you need the best natural products for your 4c hair—and you’ll find them at MIELLE Organics.

MIELLE Organics offers hair products designed for your curls. We use only the highest quality ingredients in our products without the upped prices of other brands.

It’s the high-end hair care you deserve without the exorbitant price tag.

So what are you waiting for? Start feeling the self-love today.

Sources: 

1. Curl Centric. The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Best Natural Hair Products for Your Regimen. 
2. Healthline. How and Why to Pre-Poo Your Hair.