The Under-$20 Moisturizing Products a Derm Swears By For Keeping Her Natural Hair Healthy

Healthy hair and a healthy scalp go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other, and it’s important to tend to both with proper love and care. “Your scalp is like a farm bed: If you want to grow plants or fruits, you have to make sure you have adequate nutrients and irrigation, and it’s the same thing with your scalp. You have to give it all the elements that it needs to grow healthy hair,” says Adeline Kikam, DO, the board-certified dermatologist behind @BrownSkinDerm. And her own routine–which she gave us a peek inside in the latest episode of Dear Derm—is proof that you can keep the entire “ecosystem” healthy without having to break the bank. 

Dr. Kikam went natural with her hair over ten years ago and relies on a couple of under-$20 products (plus a few key lifestyle hacks) for the sake of maintaining it. “My hair is very prone to getting dry, which can be the case for kinky coily hair sometimes,” says Dr. Kikam. Because of this, conditioning is key. “It’s the way I restore moisture to my hair, and being able to restore moisture is very important when you have kinky, coily hair. I’m a big believer in deep conditioning,” she says.

Each week, she treats her hair to its own deep condition with Camille Rose Algae Renew Deep Conditioner ($19), which is infused with vitamin-packed algae to strengthen strands and mango butter to infuse and seal in moisture. “I put this on my hair and then add some heat with a heat cap, and then I rinse it off and it feels so good—my hair feels so moisturized,” says Dr. Kikam. She’s also a fan of the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque ($12),

And of course, the conditioning process doesn’t stop at her strands. She hydrates her scalp with LivSo Moisturizing Lotion ($18), which is light and packed with ceramides, coconut oil, and willow bark extract to infuse the skin with hydration, while also fortifying its barrier and ultimately, strengthening hair.

To learn more about how Dr. Kikam keeps her natural hair healthy (including how frequently she washes), press play on the video above.

1. Camille Rose Algae Renew Deep Conditioner, $19

Shop now: Camille Rose Algae Renew Deep Conditioner, $19

2. Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque, $12

Shop now: Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque, $12

3. LivSo Moisturizing Lotion, $18

Shop now: LivSo Moisturizing Lotion, $18

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