1.Keep your hair moisturized and protected
I have been enjoying the efficiency of head wraps. Not only are they stylish, but stayer convenient for the on-the-go traveler like myself. While on a 10 day trip across central Europe, I wore mostly head-wraps with my hair braided in a cinnamon bun type braid. I was happy to keep my ends protected, and still to apply oils and leave-in conditioners to stay on top of my moisturizing regimen. My new routine is wearing my hair in twists for 5 days, styling them with wraps or wearing them loose. Then rocking a defined twist out for 2 days.
Coming to Italy, I had my hair in twists and kept them in for about 6 weeks. Arriving to your destination with a long-term protective style is great because you won’t have to worry about styling while also adapting to a new environment. Once my marley twist style came to an end, I saved the hair for future styles. The hair came in handy for my Beyonce Formation Halloween look and the two french braids the total costume required. I still have the hair and will put it to use, for a bun or two.
While in London, I found a plethora of hair stores available and even though I didn’t know when I would use it, I purchased 4 packs of crochet braiding hair. Bundles at a great prices are hard to come buy and I knew London would be the closest place to decent priced hair and products, so I just bought them. I will probably hook up something cute for my last month abroad.
2. Bring your entire hair care system
One thing I wish I brought more of was CONDITIONER. It seemed like I would be doing too much by buying 3 bottles of conditioner as I was leaving the States, but when I really think about it, its totally realistic. Think about how much of each product you use and bring that amount for your trip. I am already savoring my last bit of Cantu leave-in conditioner. I should’ve known to bring at least 2 jars! Even though there is a store here in Milan, it just doesn’t sit well with me to purchase a $12 jar when I know I could get the same thing for half the price back home! Bring enough products to last you or you might have to pay twice as much for literally the same thing!
3. Scope out hair-stores
In an earlier post I talked about finding a hair store randomly in Rome. Coming to find out, there are a few small hair stores near central station in Milan. Ask people who live in the area where they are getting their products, and this will make the search a whole lot easier.
4. DIY with it!
On the note of overpriced natural hair products, a cost efficient solution is utilizing DIY recipes!
- Detangler – Apple Cider Vinegar & olive oil
- Deep Conditioner- 1/4 cup of honey, 1/4 cup of olive oil | Conditioner, water & olive oil
- Leave-In Conditioner- Mix Conditioner, olive oil, coconut oil, water and mix into a spray bottle ( This will be the mixture I use as I am on the last scoops of leave-in conditioner)
- Shampoo – 1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with 2 cups of water. I had to find the right proportions because the first times I used this method earlier this year, I found that my hair felt very dry afterwards. This is because I used WAY too much ACV, as I was thinking “the more the better” and that it would cleanse my hair even more. In this case “less is more” is the way to go.
5. Google Translate is Your Friend When Buying Products
If you do decide to buy hair products at regular stores or grocery stores, be sure to use google translate to read the ingredients. Even if you think you have an idea of what the product does, it is also great to double check! If I were to get the wrong product, its not like I could take it back! Refund policies are a lot different in Italy! I’m so glad I read the ingredients of a Palmer’s shampoo I was about to purchase. Right at the check-out, I translated the description to find out it was a protein based conditioner for fine and limp hair. My hair is neither fine or limp, so that particular product would have probably made my hair very hard. I saved $7 just by checking to make sure I was getting the right thing.
PSA: SHEA BUTTER IS WILL NOT MAKE IT PAST AIRPORT SECURITY IF IT’S OVER 3 OZ
This is a side note to prevent others from the loss and suffering of 2 jars of shea butter. Even if the jar says “solid”, they still won’t let you get on the plane with it. I’ve lived and learned lol.