Tabitha's Blog
Curly Hair Rituals
Throughout my hairdressing career I have always loved curls and enjoyed working with curls to embrace their amazing hair and focus on enjoying what they have been gifted by going natural. I was working this way long before the ‘Curly Girl Method’ became a thing. For me curls are beautiful and enviable, they need to be celebrated! Curly hair types just need the right knowledge and products to get the best out of their hair, it is wonderful that this is now a global phenomenon.
I know that using organic hair care can make a huge difference to the behaviour of the hair and that pure natural ingredients are the best way to really absorb into the hair and truly nourish curls. Here are some tips, outlining ideas on how to use Tabitha James Kraan organic hair care to enhance curls and waves using the curly method as a diagnostic tool. It is important to play with the variations and amounts of the products to achieve perfection, humidity will affect porosity so different days require variations.
Note: It is normal to have a variety of different curl types on one head of hair and the following will help direct a starting point with achieving beautiful curls Organically.
Your Curly Hair Essentials...
Oiling - My scented organic hair oil is designed to mimic the acid mantle and seal the hair strands, enabling them to receive moisture better and keep it in place for longer. It is a ‘less is more’ product so little and often is best.
Washing - Correct cleansing is a big part of my hair care regime, I advocate gentle cleansing of the hair for all hair types and curly people need this advice the most. Correct cleansing for curls can happen with 3 of my products and they can be mixed up depending on what the hair needs as none of them will dehydrate thirsty curls.
1. Volumising wash - Clean shampoo, its non- detergent formulation is nourishing and not stripping.
2. Moisturising cleanse- Organic hair cleanser, delivers oil with every wash and cleans the oil in the hair without removing it.
3. Co-wash - With the 4-1 Conditioner is the most moisturising wash using this masterful multi tasker to richly moisturise as it cleans and revives curls.
The conditioners - My 4-1 conditioner is light on purpose as it is designed to be layered, my Clean conditioner is the opposite and is deep and very rich. The two products therefore give curls a full spectrum of moisturising gradients from very light to full weight and everything in-between. The two products blend together well and can be applied together as well as separately.
Your Curly Hair Ritual...
Curl Type 2:
2A Wavy (low porosity)
If you have 2A waves or soft curls your hair is good at doing its own thing and looking great. Your suggested care routine with Tabitha JK organic hair care is as follows:
2A Wash with Clean shampoo, it is full of aloe vera and will leave the hair feeling light and bouncy, alternate with co-washing with the 4-1 conditioner to balance the moisturising.
2A Condition - With 4-1 in the shower - 2 pumps to style, for best results dry in with a diffuser - 1 pump to dress in-between washes as regularly as you need too.
2A Oil - Use Scented organic hair oil as a pre wash treatment once a week, it will super boost your hair nourishment, don’t forget to enjoy the aromatherapy scent of Amber Rose for your warm loving hug in a bottle.
2B- Waves that can go frizzy. (porous)
2B Wash- 2B’s Can choose between hair cleanser or Clean shampoo, hair cleanser if you like a fuller feel in the hair and clean shampoo if you like a lighter bouncier feel. Both products should be used 1-2 times a week depending on your current washing cycle, this might be something to aim for over time. To learn how to extend your washing period, meet your current routine and let your hair tell you when you can go longer between washes as it will. If you are feeling dry alternate with co-washing with the 4-1 conditioner to balance the moisturising.
2B Condition - 4-1 Is the dream organic conditioner for this curl type, use 4-8 pumps in the shower depending on your hair density. 3 plus pumps for styling and diffuse dry. 2 pumps to dry style between washes.
2B Oil - Use my Scented organic hair oil, just two small drops alone or added to your 4-1 conditioner will boost up the hair and prevent frizz. Use my hair oil as a pre-wash treatment at least once a week and more in summer and in dry heat conditions in the home. Play with mixing it up between wearing and pre-wash oiling to find your best results.
2C- Waves that are dense, thick and potentially very dry and frizzy. (high porosity)
2C Wash - Hair cleanser will cleanse the hair really well without leaving if feeling dry, it will clean the oil in your hair without removing it helping with frizz prevention by building up the moisture levels in the hair.
I recommend this once a week (or as often as you need to) co-wash with 4-1 conditioner, it is a fantastic way to wash and nourish when dehydrated.
2C Condition - Use my clean conditioner mid-lengths to ends only, not at the roots. Do this in the shower and rake it through with your fingers or a wide tooth rake or comb. Rinse really well to fully remove this rich, deep conditioner, it will leave the hair really moisturised. Leave in for the duration of your shower.
2C Styling - Take 4 plus pumps of 4-1 conditioner as a leave-in, rake through the hair allowing it to form small clumps or sections. Take another 3 plus pumps for styling but this time add 2 tiny drops of scented organic hair oil and mix in your hand before applying to the hair. Scrunch in small clumps together in your hand to warm the products deeper into the hair, this will be defining without being sticky. Squeeze dry with a microfiber towel then dress as required and diffuse dry.
Finishing - Use a small drop of oil warmed in your hand to finish and repeat daily applications of one drop of SOH oil and 1-2 pumps of 4-1 conditioner to dry hair in-between washes.
2C Condition - Use my clean conditioner mid-lengths to ends only, not at the roots. Do this in the shower and rake it through with your fingers or a wide tooth rake or comb. Rinse really well to fully remove this rich, deep conditioner, it will leave the hair really moisturised. Leave in for the duration of your shower.
2C Styling - Take 4 plus pumps of 4-1 conditioner as a leave-in, rake through the hair allowing it to form small clumps or sections. Take another 3 plus pumps for styling but this time add 2 tiny drops of scented organic hair oil and mix in your hand before applying to the hair. Scrunch in small clumps together in your hand to warm the products deeper into the hair, this will be defining without being sticky. Squeeze dry with a microfiber towel then dress as required and diffuse dry.
Finishing - Use a small drop of oil warmed in your hand to finish and repeat daily applications of one drop of SOH oil and 1-2 pumps of 4-1 conditioner to dry hair in-between washes.
3A - Curls (lower porosity)
3A Washing - Maximum 1x weekly with Organic hair cleanser, this will clean the oil in your hair and not remove it. You will only need to use it in the roots and scalp area and then rinsing it off through your curls will refresh the length of the hair really well. It is important not to cleanse the hair itself as we want to build up as much moisture as possible in the curls and co-washing with my 4-1 is the way to do your main cleaning of the hair itself. This can be done as often as you need to wet wash to style your curls, depending on climate, weather, porosity of the hair etc. You may want to do a deep clean from time to time (once a month), to remove styling products etc that you may have played with. I highly recommend my clean shampoo for this, it is a deep cleansing shampoo that is non detergent based and really nourishing. It contains lots of pure organic aloe vera to moisturise while it cleans, it is a revolutionary formulation that feels like traditional shampoo.
3A Condition - 4-1 Conditioner is the best for 3A curls, it is lightweight and designed to be layered. You can use more on dry days and a little on the well moisturised days. It won’t weigh the curls down or make them dry slower. The hair cleanser and 4-1 conditioner both contain my signature hair oil which will help this curl type to dry a little faster as the water will evaporate quicker. I recommend using the 4-1 conditioner in the shower as a detangler, applied as a styling product on finger raked hair, scrunched in to start to form the curls. Diffuse dry or air dry and add more 4-1 as required to define and dress.
3A Oil - Scented organic hair oil is ideal as a pre wash treatment, it should be applied and left in overnight for fabulous results as it will have maximum time to be absorbed in. Wash and condition the following morning as normal. You can wear the oil too but only in very small amounts, 1x tiny drop at a time warmed into the palms of the hands and smoothed into the ends with warm hands. Both of these methods will seal the ends and enable them to stay moisturised for longer.
3A Condition - 4-1 Conditioner is the best for 3A curls, it is lightweight and designed to be layered. You can use more on dry days and a little on the well moisturised days. It won’t weigh the curls down or make them dry slower. The hair cleanser and 4-1 conditioner both contain my signature hair oil which will help this curl type to dry a little faster as the water will evaporate quicker. I recommend using the 4-1 conditioner in the shower as a detangler, applied as a styling product on finger raked hair, scrunched in to start to form the curls. Diffuse dry or air dry and add more 4-1 as required to define and dress.
3A Oil - Scented organic hair oil is ideal as a pre wash treatment, it should be applied and left in overnight for fabulous results as it will have maximum time to be absorbed in. Wash and condition the following morning as normal. You can wear the oil too but only in very small amounts, 1x tiny drop at a time warmed into the palms of the hands and smoothed into the ends with warm hands. Both of these methods will seal the ends and enable them to stay moisturised for longer.
3B curls (porous)
3B Wash - Co-wash with 4-1 conditioner Wash with 4-1 as this is a really effective cleaning method that will soothe and nourish the scalp as well as
3B Condition - Condition with Clean conditioner - This conditioner will go deep into the hair without leaving a coating, it contains pure organic aloe vera gel, it is the deepest way to condition without any synthetics as all, this product contains our complex green chemistry & clean preservative system and is Certified by the Soil association to evidence it’s purity,
3B - Style - Blend 1-pump of scented organic hair oil to the 4-1 conditioner then apply roots to tips and use your finger to create your curls or coils. You could also add some pure aloe gel to this blend if you have thick or dry hair for extra natural support without weight.
3B Finish - with our clean conditioner to dress your curls - this conditioner is only wearable on B&C curl types as it is so intense but the effects are amazing.
3C curls (high porosity)
3C-Co-wash with 4-1 conditioner Wash with 4-1 as this is a really effective cleaning method that will soothe and nourish the scalp as well.
3C Condition - with Clean conditioner - This conditioner will go deep into the hair without leaving a coating, it contains pure organic aloe vera gel, it is the deepest way to condition without any synthetics at all. This product contains our complex green chemistry & clean preservative system and is Certified by the Soil association to evidence its purity.
3C Style 4-1 & oil Blend 1-pump of scented organic hair oil to the 4-1 conditioner then apply roots to tips and use your finger to create your curls or coils. You could also add some pure aloe gel to this blend if you have thick or dry hair for extra natural support without weight.
3C-Finish with a clean conditioner to dress your curls - this conditioner is only wearable on B&C curl types as it is so intense but the effects are amazing.
3C Condition - with Clean conditioner - This conditioner will go deep into the hair without leaving a coating, it contains pure organic aloe vera gel, it is the deepest way to condition without any synthetics at all. This product contains our complex green chemistry & clean preservative system and is Certified by the Soil association to evidence its purity.
3C Style 4-1 & oil Blend 1-pump of scented organic hair oil to the 4-1 conditioner then apply roots to tips and use your finger to create your curls or coils. You could also add some pure aloe gel to this blend if you have thick or dry hair for extra natural support without weight.
3C-Finish with a clean conditioner to dress your curls - this conditioner is only wearable on B&C curl types as it is so intense but the effects are amazing.
4A coils (low porosity)
4A Wash - clean shampoo to clarify and add nourishment, it is loaded with pure certified organic aloe vera gel, It will not weigh the hair down and will deeply clean and remove any styling products.
4A Condition - with 4-1 conditioner, this is your multifunctional dream conditioner as it can be used in so many ways on wet or dry to smooth, detangle and nourish and moisturise the hair. Use more layers for higher porosity hair types wear it as a leave-in, applying extra to the weaker ends of your hair. You cannot put too much on.
4A Styling - low-density hair uses this lightweight product again to style adding another layer (one very multi-functional product) if you want to increase volume, layer it to create plumping without weight. It will deliver moisture ideal for the higher porosity hair types, you can add a few drops of the scented organic hair oil to give it even more richness for this hair type. This conditioner is rich and light which is why it is so special, the more you put on the more it nourishes but it won’t weigh the hair down it will only enhance and plump the strands
4A Oiling - Use 1 x pump (which may seem like a small amount but less is more effective) of my oil to seal the moisture into the hair. A scalp application will also help to nourish an out of balance scalp. Use for both areas as a pre wash treatment every time you wash, a regular routine will really make a difference with the oiling as little and often are what will really achieve results.
4A Condition - with 4-1 conditioner, this is your multifunctional dream conditioner as it can be used in so many ways on wet or dry to smooth, detangle and nourish and moisturise the hair. Use more layers for higher porosity hair types wear it as a leave-in, applying extra to the weaker ends of your hair. You cannot put too much on.
4A Styling - low-density hair uses this lightweight product again to style adding another layer (one very multi-functional product) if you want to increase volume, layer it to create plumping without weight. It will deliver moisture ideal for the higher porosity hair types, you can add a few drops of the scented organic hair oil to give it even more richness for this hair type. This conditioner is rich and light which is why it is so special, the more you put on the more it nourishes but it won’t weigh the hair down it will only enhance and plump the strands
4A Oiling - Use 1 x pump (which may seem like a small amount but less is more effective) of my oil to seal the moisture into the hair. A scalp application will also help to nourish an out of balance scalp. Use for both areas as a pre wash treatment every time you wash, a regular routine will really make a difference with the oiling as little and often are what will really achieve results.
4B/C coils (high porosity)
4B/C- If you have medium density play with the spectrum of weight between the deeper clean conditioner and the light protein & moisture infused 4-1 conditioner, high density use more Clean conditioner.
4B/C Wash - co wash with 4-1 conditioner, it has a perfect protein/moisture balance and will detangle as it cleans the hair.
Use our Aloe vera infused Clean shampoo once a month to clarify the hair.
Use our Aloe vera infused Clean shampoo once a month to clarify the hair.
4B/C- Condition & styling - play with deep (yet lightweight) moisturiser versus light protein and moisture infused 4-1 conditioner - If you are experiencing the crunch in your curls then you need more of the
Clean conditioner and less if your hair is soft on the ends. You could add a few drops of oil to soften ends as this will help to seal them and give them more strength to prevent breakage. Play with rinse off and leave-in methods with both of these products and it is ok to rinse off and then leave-in together. The point is that the three products Clean conditioner/ 4-1 conditioner/Scented organic hair oil give you everything you need, the fun is to play with how they work differently in different blends and combinations.
Always finger comb your hair in the shower with plenty of product to detangle gently and prepare the curls for the next stage. When applying leave-in for conditioning and styling don’t apply to the roots directly, always apply to the mid-lengths and ends first and keep going until when you squish the hair together you can feel product throughout. Start with less and build more as you need it.
Styling tips for medium density hair types.
Low porosity Play with 4-1 to dress the hair wet and dry and add some drops of scented organic hair oil on high humidity days.
High porosity use 4-1 and clean conditioner combined and play with the ratio to blend your bespoke amount. Add oil drops to intensify the moisture further if required.
Styling tips for medium density hair types.
Low porosity Play with 4-1 to dress the hair wet and dry and add some drops of scented organic hair oil on high humidity days.
High porosity use 4-1 and clean conditioner combined and play with the ratio to blend your bespoke amount. Add oil drops to intensify the moisture further if required.
4B/C Oiling - My scented organic hair oil is extremely versatile and nourishing, the ingredients are the same as a luxury facial oil (without the price tag) and will really support the hair and skin by replacing the acid mantle. Wear it whenever you need more sealing in of moisture through the mid lengths and ends but remember little and often rather than large amounts.