1. Embrace curly, coily hair textures with moisture-rich, naturally-derived ingredients.

Renee explains that ingredients that are naturally-derived tend to be best for locking in moisture and enhancing the curl patterns of natural hair. She cautions against using products that have lots of ingredients that end in “-cone,” as this indicates the presence of silicones, which can build a shield over the hair shaft and actually prevent hair from absorbing moisture. Free from sulfate cleansers, and other harsh, overly-drying ingredients, nutriplenish™ products feed 4C hair with gentle yet powerful hydration. Lipid-rich mango butter, lush organic pomegranate oil and decadent coconut oil—the holy grail for hair hydration—all work to help increase moisture, softness, manageability and shine.

2. Don’t overwash—but do remember to co-wash!

Renee is cautious about over-cleansing 4C hair, as it results in the loss of all-important sebum, the natural oil that your scalp produces which hydrates hair. Furthermore, the tightly-coiled structure, often porous nature of 4C hair means it has a harder time retaining moisture than its straighter counterparts, so rigorous cleansing—particularly with sudsy sulfate cleansers—can cause dryness, shrinkage and brittleness. She recommends scaling back wash days and co-washing instead (wash with conditioner only). When you hop in the shower, sulfate cleanser-free products like nutriplenish™ deep moisture shampoo and conditioner deeply and gently cleanse strands without stripping hair.

4. Hydrate while you style, twist and braid.

Whether you’re braiding your coils or twisting your curls, natural hair styling can have stressful physical effects. Renee suggests using natural hair care products that provide all-important moisture during the styling process. For this purpose she loves nutriplenish™ multi-use hair oil, which boasts a concentrated blend of five power oils to envelop hair strands for intense moisturization. “If I am doing a flat twist or a natural set I’ll add more nutriplenish™ oil to my hands with every section I take on and work it into the hair as I style.”