If you’ve been following along with our hair journeys, then you’ve probably noticed an underlying theme, “Mother Nature knows best.” At first, this might seem obvious. If you want great hair, then using the best, all-natural products will help you get it… but there’s more to the story than you might think.

As always, the absolute best hair care routines are ones that are customized—not just for your hair and scalp—but also for your lifestyle and beliefs. You want to be able to stick to a healthy routine that supports your hair goals, while still supporting the companies and causes you care about.

That said, we’ve taken some of the top concerns in the beauty industry and created a map that helps you design the perfect, all-natural and completely customizable beauty regimen that will fit your specific needs and hair type.

Educate yourself

The first step is to make sure you’re reading beyond the hype. It’s really easy to glance at headlines and draw conclusions, but they’re rarely the whole story. In fact, they can often be misleading just to get your attention. 

Do your due diligence, and if in that process you decide you want to start avoiding microbeads, sulfates, parabens, and phthalates, then you’ll also be equipped with the knowledge and research to back it up.

Pick your priorities

Once you’ve discovered what’s really in the products you use, you’ll start to see the bigger picture. It’s not only about how they’re made but also the way they’re packaged and manufactured. Is this company or brand using the best standards and practices? If their label says they don’t test on animals, does that still mean they’re cruelty-free?

The next step is to decide what matters most to you and determine how you personally would like to be more “green”—not just for the environment, but for yourself, as well.

Know your ingredients

During this research phase, you’ll probably run across all sorts of long, complicated words recommended by beauty experts. Hopefully, you start to notice those that seem best to avoid and those that are better for your hair type and goals. Then, you’ll be ready to tackle the infamous ingredient lists on those confusing labels. 

Fortunately, technology is your friend in the beauty department, as well. We suggest using a mobile app for product ingredients. There are quite a few out there, so you can find one that works best for you.

Another key thing to remember is what’s on the label might not be everything that’s in the bottle. Just because something calls itself “free and natural” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s “free” from the ingredients you want to avoid. When in doubt, always double-check the ingredients of a new product.

Do it yourself

You’ll quickly discover that all-natural products aren’t cheap. So you might ask yourself, “Do I really need to fork out that much money for a sugar scrub or volumizing sea salt mask when I can make an even better one at home?”

You might find that the key to going natural is as easy as eliminating many of the products you use regularly and focusing on creating a “less is more” environment for your hair. When you rely less on harmful products or styling tools, your hair rewards you with natural bounce, body, and length.

Trial and error

If possible, try to get samples of products or smaller sizes before you fully commit. Changing your beauty routine can be a bit of a shock at first and could potentially cause allergic reactions—especially when a lot of unfamiliar organics are used.

You may even discover that you simply don’t like the way a product smells, feels or looks. The last thing you want to do is spend all your money on products you won’t or can’t use. Plan for a trial and error period, so you can experiment and find what works best for you.

Final thoughts

There really are a lot of truly wonderful natural haircare products on the market and going green is a great way to feel good about your hair and what you’re doing for the environment.

We applaud your determination and efforts, but also want you to take it slowly, so you don’t get discouraged. Making big changes in your beauty routine can be difficult. It takes time and patience and a whole lot of experimentation, but it's worth it!