How to Take Care of Your 3b Natural Hair

If you have 3b natural hair, you might be looking for ways to eliminate frizz, define your curl pattern, and have the natural, healthy hair you’ve always wanted.

It’s the perfect time to be natural because there’s so much information about curly hair on the internet. You Tube has hundreds of videos on 3b natural hair types, but watching them for hours can get overwhelming. You want to get to the bottom of your hair issues and create a plan that will work well for your type of hair.

Adopting a natural hair regimen will become easier once you get the hang of it. You just have to learn a few details and build a habit. Consistency is the key. Once you do the same routine day after day, you’ll wake up one day and notice significant improvement.

In this post, we’ll look at 3b natural hair care so you can have the beautiful, healthy curls you’ve always wanted.

Caring for 3b Hair

You’ve probably landed on this page because you’ve had one too many bad hair days, and you’re ready to begin or switch up your regimen. Your hair isn’t kinky like type 4 hair, but you’re no stranger to dryness. Your curly hair needs moisture too.

Moisture is your best friend because it will keep your curls from becoming too frizzy. Deep conditioning and the LOC method are two of the best ways to soak it in.

The most ideal 3b natural hair styles are those that involve little manipulation. The wash and go will be your go-to hairstyle and one of your easiest. If you master moisturization, you won’t have much problem wearing your hair down after a shower.

Protein treatments will help strengthen your hair and will balance the moisturization. It’s a must if you have color-treated hair. Lightening the hair strips pigment away from the strand, resulting in porous hair. Protein will fill in the gaps to restructure and restore the strand.

ApHogee’s Two-step Treatment is probably the easiest and most effective protein treatment you’ll find. Aim to do the treatment once per month, and always follow it with a deep conditioner.

Moisturizer for Natural 3b Hair

Most wash days should consist of a deep condition. Moisture is essential for curly hair, especially if you have a high porosity or color treated hair. The nutrients in your store-bought deep conditioner will make a big difference to your curl definition and manageability.

You can whip up a DIY chemical-free concoction, or you can buy a store-bought deep conditioner like Shea Moisture Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Mask. Either way, make your conditioner even better by adding the following oils:

Avocado Oil

This is one of the best moisturization oils because its molecules are small enough to penetrate through the cuticle to reach the hair shaft.

Jojoba Oil

Curly hair is prone to dryness because the skin’s natural oils can’t make it around the coils to coat the hair. Jojoba is helpful to naturals because the oil mimics our scalp’s sebum oils.

Coconut Oil

You probably already have a jar of coconut oil sitting around the house. But if you don’t, you should run out and get some because it is one of the most useful and economic oils on the planet. Coconut is antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal and it will keep your skin and hair moisturized for reasonably cheap.

Peppermint Oil

This essential oil is loaded with minerals, omega 3s, and antioxidants. It serves to stimulate the scalp’s follicles for hair growth. It also helps balance pH and kills fungi like candida.

Eucalyptus Oil

This essential oil helps with growing your hair by stimulating the follicles and is known to make hair healthier and shinier.

3b Natural Hair Regimen

Your natural hair regimen should consist of a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, a deep condition, and a moisturization technique like the LOC method. This method works for curly queens because you layer on products to last throughout the week. Layering will save your hair from friction like ponytail holders and weather elements.

Here is a breakdown of the LOC method:

Liquid

Water is by far the best hydration you’ll ever find, and that is your main ingredient for this stage. A shower counts as the first step, and you may want to keep a water spray bottle for use during the week. You can add eucalyptus to your bottle if you like. This is the perfect time to detangle your hair too, with a detangler like Kinky Curly Knot Today.

Oil

At this stage, you’ll apply oils rich in antioxidants to moisturize and strengthen the hair shaft. Using oils like avocado and jojoba will give nutrients to your scalp and hair, and help to seal moisture in. Butta Butta cream is a moisturizing oil mix that has been formulated using only the best oils for natural hair.

Cream

Type 3b natural hair queens can try using a small amount of a curling cream like Kinky Curly Curling Custard. You’ll have to experiment, but if the product is too heavy, try TGIN daily moisturizer or another light leave-in-conditioner instead.

3b Natural Hair Products

Getting suitable products for your hair will make a big difference in whether you can rock a wash and go, or end up longing for your flat iron.

The best products for 3b hair are those which moisturizes without weighing the hair down. A great shampoo for natural 3b hair is Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus. It will help prevent tangles even before you get to the conditioning stage.

Deva Curl Light Defining Gel is a favorite for the 3b wash and go hair style. Here is a great 3b wash and go technique that will give you more volume and curl definition:

1. Wash and detangle your hair.
2. Part the hair into four sections, and apply a light oil to the first section.
3. Apply a light curling product to a small clump of hair.
4. Brush the small clump with the Denman or boar bristle brush until smooth.
5. Shake the small section with your fingers, then move on to the next clump.
6. Pull apart the clumps for even more volume.

If you do decide to reach for your flat iron, you’ll appreciate knowing you can recover from heat damage by using a heat protectant like HIS Professional Thermal Protector. Protein treatments will help you strengthen and restructure after straightening 3b natural hair.

Every curly queen experiences dry periods, where their hair looks frizzier than usual. It might even be snapping off or damaged. Steer clear of heated styling tools during this time and wait until your hair is healthy enough to handle the heat.

Aim for heatless, protective styles like the roll, tuck, pin method, bantu knots, or a doobie wrap.

Using a hair roller style will help stretch your hair without heat. The barrel size of Curlformers will allow you to lengthen your locks.

There are plenty of short 3b natural hair styles you can do besides the wash and go. Top buns or half up-half down styles are perfect for both short and long 3b natural hair.

You may not need a full twist or braid out as the kinkier patterns require, but making braids will add elegance and class to any style.

If you’re transitioning, or can’t wait to have long, luscious curls, try a natural hair weave. There’s a wide variety of curl patterns available on weaves, wigs, and extensions, including your 3b pattern.

If you take care of your 3b natural hair by applying protein treatments, deep conditioning, and doing the LOC method, you’ll have luscious locks that you’ll love to wear in a wash and go or another cute style.

Now it’s your turn to discuss. What are some ways you take care of your 3b natural hair?