What is a texturizer for natural hair? Is a texturizer good for natural hair? What is the best texturizer for natural hair? These are some of the questions asked by our readers. This article will explain everything you need to know about texturizers.
What Is a Texturizer for Natural Hair?
There is a huge variety of beauty products available for management of hair style and health and getting the most appropriate one for your hair type and beauty aspirations may not be as straightforward at times. “What is a texturizer for natural hair” is one question that people end up asking all the time not sure how different it is from a relaxer.
Well, a texturizer is a mild relaxer that loosens natural curls patterns unlike a relaxer which straightens curl patterns out completely. In other words, a texturizer is intended to take tightly curled hair and loosen it out by releasing some of the tension in the curls the end-product of which is loose, easier to comb strands of hair as opposed to tightly coiled curls.
Is a Texturizer Good For Natural Hair
And then there are those of our readers who keep asking, “Is a texturizer good for natural hair?”
Well, a texturizer is good for natural hair and is in fact a good way to make your hair easier to manage, but it can be just as damaging. So, if your eventual goal is to stay away from chemicals then you should as well stay away from commercial texturizers.
Just like relaxers, a texturizer contains the same chemicals as relaxers, most notable among them being sodium hydroxide (lye) and calcium hydroxide (no-lye). Textrurizers are perceived to be relatively safer than relaxers, but this is simply because they are left on your hair for a shorter period of time.
Another important fact is that a texturizer will give better results for shorter hair but may not be the best option for longer hair. Trying to achieve the best texture with a texturiser on longer hair is often a hit-and-miss endeavor even with skilled stylists; you may end up with areas of completely straightened out strands of hair and others with complete curls.
All in all, a texturizer may still be a good option for those with damaged hair since it is less harsh on the scalp and hair.
Choosing the Best Texturizer for Natural Hair
With so many brands out there, choosing the best texturizer is not always easy.
One thing you will want to look for is that the texturiser you opt for is formulated with conditioning ingredients to ensure optimum health of your hair even after texturizing it.
A texturiser that comes with a neutralizing shampoo also makes for a good choice. The shampoo will ensure that the chemical straightening process is stopped immediately after washing the texturiser out as this might cause your hair to become porous and end up with exposed cuticles.
It is also advisable to look for a texturiser that features some enriching emollients to help control the porosity of your hair. You will especially want to look for texturiser brands that come with jojoba oil, shea butter, or olive oil.
You might come across texturizers and formulations that don’t feature any active ingredients to loosen the curls; such products will most likely only give you very temporary results if not cause you adverse reactions.
Although you might come across various products that claim to be all natural alternatives to chemical texturizers, such products still have chemicals in most cases and even the few that come close to all-natural tend to hold on for shorter period necessitating more frequent reapplication which might be a worthy sacrifice for some people anyway.
We sough to find out some of the best texturizers for natural hair based on customer reviews and here are a few of the products we came across:
- Linange Shea Butter Texturizer
- Just For Me Texture Softener
- Mazuri Organics Olive Oil
- Luster’s S-Curl Texturizer Styling Gel
Texturizer for Natural Hair before and After
Before and after pictures as we have come to know of them online are always a great way to judge the effectiveness of a product or treatment approach and what a better way to show how texturizers work and the type of results you can apply than featuring a couple “texturiser for natural hair before and after pictures”?
So here we go:
Texturizer 1, 2
Texturizer on Natural Hair – Texturizing Natural Hair or Putting a Texturizer on Natural Hair
Putting a texturizer on natural hair can help to give it enough movement and texture while at the same time eliminating the need to worry about heated styling tools. Regardless of whether your natural hair is totally straight, is a little wavy, or is completely curly, texturizing it will add weight and shape to your hair and make it look styled in just a few minutes.
Here is how to apply a texturizer on natural hair.
- Start by parting your hair to the side first. This gives the middle hair that is regularly parted to the middle additional volume as you apply the texturiser through your hair. If necessary, pin a small section of your hair to the sides as required.
- Apply a small amount of texturizer through your hair beginning with the ends. Use your fingers to work through your hair and ensure even distribution of the cream from root to tip. This is important to prevent getting a greasy look.
- If you relish the idea of having those beachy curls, you may want to mix texturiser with styling crème in the ratio of 1 nickel-size to dime-size styling crème respectively.
- Now heat style your hair using a flat iron or blow dryer. Simply place hot flat iron near the scalp on a small area of hair (about 2 inches) and then flip it upwards before dragging it slowly all the way to the ends. Continue doing this randomly until you have covered the whole hair.
- Turn your down and tousle with your fingers before turning it back up and then misting it with a relaxed hold hairspray.
- Finish by applying a small amount of texturizer to your hair ends using your fingertips.
That is all there is to texturizing natural hair. Keep in mind however that this is just a general guideline and should not used to replace the instructions provided on the packaging of the Texturizing cream.
Tips for Best Texturized Natural Hair Looks and Safety
To ensure maximum chances for great texturized natural hair looks, you will want to observe the following tips:
- Protect your skin with Vaseline petroleum jelly while applying the texturiser. This is especially important for people with sensitive scalps and hairlines.
- Observe the instructions provided on the packaging very closely or look for a professional hair stylist for optimum natural hair looks as well as safety.
- Avoid using combs while and after applying texturiser.
- Use a neutralizing shampoo: It is advisable to use a neutralizer after applying a neutralizer to avoid damage to the hair and scalp as a result of leaving sodium hydroxide on for too long.
- Condition your hair: Most chemical texturizers use sodium hydroxide and although they will not completely straighten your hair like a chemical relaxer, they can be as well damaging. It is on that note a good idea to finish by conditioning your hair.
- Avoid over-styling your hair after Texturizing also to avoid damaging your hair.
- Applying chemical texturizers should not be done more than once every couple months or so since regular usage can cause the curls to straighten out completely or even cause hair loss. That brings us back to the part about consulting with a professional hair stylist.
Is Texturizing Natural Black Hair a Good Idea
“My friend thinks I would look great with texturized hair. I am African-American and was wondering if Texturizing natural black hair is a good idea?” Stella
Whether Texturizing natural black hair is a good idea or not will depend on exactly what you want to achieve. A texturizer is suitable only if you are looking to loosen the curls in your hair without straightening them completely as a relaxer would. This helps to make your hair more manageable. A texturiser is however most effective when applied on short to medium length hair.
It is also absolutely important that you read the instructions provided carefully before applying the texturizer and ensure that you don’t leave the cream longer than is indicated.
As for re-touching, you should make sure that you don’t apply the texturizer to strands of hair that are already texturized, lest they become straightened out, making your hair to look uneven.