Rooted Wednesdays Vol. 28 Vacation hair & a question I can’t shake

Whats on my hair

I tried Marley twists for this trip, and I loved them. They're lighter than braids and a little more natural looking, so when they start to frizz... it almost looks intentional. We love that.

I went on this trip (like many of us do) with the plan of not getting my hair wet at all.

Not because I was trying to avoid the frizz, but because I was trying to avoid the chlorine, the salt water, and the weight of soaking wet hair. It almost feels like signing up for a chore you wouldn't have to do otherwise.

...That changed.

I found myself completely submerged in the water, getting way more wet than I planned. 😂

Which is why I always bring a couple products with me just in case. On this trip I packed the mini Matrix Food For Soft Oil Serum, Amika Hydro Rush Leave-In Conditioner, and a little gel.

One thing I've learned is to pack for the version of the trip that actually happens, not the one I imagine.

Even if you don't feel like doing a full wash, at least rinse your hair out and spray in a leave-in conditioner. Whether you've been in chlorine, salt water, or you've just been sitting in the sun all day, a spray leave-in helps soothe a dry scalp.

Honestly, a spray leave-in is one of those products I think is always worth having on hand, especially if you're wearing braids or twists. Keeping a little moisture in your hair throughout the trip goes a long way.

And my best advice (regardless of the hairstyle) is to move gently through your hair.

Slower than you normally would.

I really think it creates space for your hair to communicate what it needs.

Whats on my heart

I found myself appreciating the culture Black women have created around braids and vacation. They've been called protective styles and I know that's been debated lately but whatever you call them, so many of us put our hair away before a trip because we're trying to lighten the mental load. We don't want to spend hours washing and styling our hair while we're supposed to be resting.

As I watched other people rinse their hair under the shower and be done in five minutes, I caught myself wondering...

Why does it take me so much longer?

With my hair, I can't just run it under some water, throw in a product, and keep it moving. Most of the product wouldn't even reach all of my strands. My hair asks for intention. It asks to be sectioned. It asks to be worked through. It asks me to slow down.

And then I had another thought.

Why were we designed to take more time for ourselves?

And if that's true...

Why aren't we leaning into that?

Why do so many of us spend so much energy trying to make our hair faster... easier... less?

What if the time our hair asks of us isn't something to overcome, but something to notice?

I don't have an answer.

I just know those questions followed me home.

Until next Wednesday,

Jasmine