You may or may not know that Urbanbella has been around for almost 19 years. While I been building this brand I have spent a large portion of my time learning about what really works for natural hair. 

Having a hair salon and meeting a lot of women with different types of natural hair and hair challenges has blessed me with more knowledge that I could have ever dreamed of having.  It has helped me to simplify the process of being natural for the Urbanbella Community.  

I understand our goals and our challenges and they have remained the same  over the years -- we want shiny natural hair styles that look polished and pretty.  And we want it pretty easy to achieve these goals.

I want you to join me on a journey that will show you how to get there.  The next 90 Days are about setting up the right foundation for easy natural hair.  This article is about taking the First Step.

The Challenge

We  all want our hair to be relatively easy to manage and we want the style to last long enough so that we can function with a normal life.  We don't want our hair to take over and become the center of everything...but want to look good now.

But what I have seen is that many of us think the beauty of our hair starts with the styling products.  We ask other naturals what do they use on their hair and what we really want to know is-- what did you style it with? 

Well that is really skipping over a lot of other key factors.  Most naturals that I have met don't have system.   They don't know what products work together to get them results that they need.  There is a lot trial and error- which leads to being a product junkie.  And if there is one area I say you want to be careful it's your hair.  It's hard to bounce back from bad products. The biggest thing is there is no benchmark to help you know if you have achieved your best natural hair.

I found the answer years ago and that was to create a system or routine for natural hair and then teach that to the Urbanbella Community.  I learned what really worked to make it easy to style textured hair and highlight how pretty it is.  I mapped out that system here on this article and you can click here to review the entire system.

The Test

I learned around year 2 or 3 of owning Urbanbella that we were really making natural hair difficult at the start with our cleanser.  The excessive amount of lather just made our hair dry and matted and difficult to comb through.  Not to mention the styles were only lasting about 3-4 days.  I knew we could get better results.

I did a test of this theory by replacing your regular shampoo with a Non Lathering shampoo.  I still offered shampoos that bubbled and lathered but my guidance was for you to use classic lather shampoos just once a month.  The reviews from the Urbanbella Community were exactly what I expected. People loved their hair. Hydration levels skyrocketed and natural hair was finally becoming easier.  

This little test is why I now say that Hydration and Pretty natural hair are built in layers.  It starts with your shampoo and conditioner. But here let's just focus on your shampoo.  If that is not right you will not achieve the ultimate goals. Most classic shampoos are just really dry.  Trust me. I have purchased them and tried them.  My hair felt like a brillo pad for days. This is why I say just trying out various products can really kill your goals.  That first step means more that most of us think it means.  It either sets you on a path for hydrated hair or dry hair that is tough to manage.  

What To Do Next

So for this first full week of the Hydration Challenge we are focusing on what steps help you build  the right foundation for pretty hair and that is your cleanser. Your first goal is to begin washing your hair every week and for the next two washes just use the Urbanbella No.7 Non-Lather Cleanser.  Of course follow with conditioning and styling but this is the most important step.

What Products Do I Need for Week 1 if the Hydration Challenge? 

You will need one of the sets from the Hydration Collection. This set will get you what you need to complete the Hydration Challenge and even the next challenge which is the Moisture Challenge. 

Stay Tuned for More Tips as we spend the next few weeks increasing the hydration level in our natural hair.  Our goal is to be ready for the Wash-N-Go this Summer!