Relaxers deliver smooth, sleek hair, but they can also weaken the hair’s protein structure, making it more prone to dryness and breakage. To keep your relaxed hair strong, hydrated, and healthy, you’ll need a consistent hair care routine that focuses on moisture, strength, and protection. If you’ve ever wondered, “How should I take care of my relaxed hair?,” this guide will walk you through the essentials.
How to Take Care of Relaxed Hair
Relaxed hair requires gentle handling, regular conditioning, and proper moisture balance to prevent damage and maintain shine. Here’s how to build a healthy hair care routine for relaxed hair:
1. Strengthen Before and After Relaxing
Preparing your hair before a chemical treatment is just as important as caring for it afterward. Incorporating a strengthening treatment can help fortify strands before relaxing and maintain resilience over time.
- Before Relaxing: Use Cécred’s Fermented Rice & Rose Protein Ritual a few days before your relaxer treatment to visibly strengthen the hair and help make it more resistant to breakage, making hair better prepared for the chemical process.
- Monthly Strengthening: For long-term hair health, continue using the Fermented Rice & Rose Protein Ritual once a month to reinforce visible strength and help keep relaxed hair more resilient over time.
- Post-Relaxer Repair: After chemical processing and repeated heat styling, hair can become fragile and lose vital proteins. Cécred’s Reconstructing Treatment Mask works as an intensive recovery session, replenish depleted proteins and reduce breakage by 2x.*
2. Cleanse with Care
Relaxed hair needs regular washing, but harsh shampoos can strip away moisture, making hair more fragile.
- Use a sulfate-free cleanser. Cécred’s Hydrating Shampoo gently cleanses, keeping relaxed hair soft and hydrated.
- Clarify when needed. Product buildup can weigh down relaxed hair, so use Cécred’s Clarifying Shampoo & Scalp Scrub every few weeks to remove residue and refresh your scalp.
- Wash with lukewarm water. Hot water can further dry out relaxed hair, so keep your rinse at a moderate temperature.
3. Deep Condition Weekly
Relaxed hair thrives on moisture and strengthening treatments. Deep condition once a week to restore hydration.
- For hydration: Cécred’s Moisturizing Deep Conditioner helps replenish lost moisture, keeping relaxed hair soft and resilient.
- For strength: If your hair feels weak or overly processed, use Cécred’s Reconstructing Treatment Mask every 4-6 weeks to help replenish depleted proteins and reduce breakage by 2x.*
4. Lock in Moisture & Reduce Breakage
One of the most common concerns with relaxed hair is dryness, which can lead to brittleness and breakage.
- Apply a lightweight leave-in moisturizer: Cécred’s Moisture Sealing Lotion locks in hydration without weighing hair down.
- Use a nourishing oil: Yes, you should oil relaxed hair, but choose lightweight, silicone-free oils like Cécred’s Nourishing Hair Oil to add shine and prevent dryness without clogging the scalp.
- Hydrate between wash days: Spritz hair lightly with water or a leave-in mist, then follow with oil or a moisturizer to seal in hydration and reduce breakage.
5. Be Gentle with Styling
Over-manipulation and harsh styling techniques can cause unnecessary stress on relaxed hair.
- Use a Wide Tooth Comb: Avoid excessive brushing and opt for Cécred's Wide Tooth Comb to gently detangle hair.
- Limit heat styling: If you use heat tools, always apply a heat protectant and keep temperatures as low as possible.
- Wrap hair at night: Covering your hair with a silk or satin scarf or using a satin pillowcase reduces friction and prevents breakage while you sleep.
What Should I Avoid with Relaxed Hair?
To keep relaxed hair healthy, steer clear of these common mistakes:
- Skipping deep conditioning. Relaxed hair loses moisture faster than natural hair, so weekly deep conditioning is essential.
- Overlapping relaxer applications. Applying relaxer to previously relaxed hair can weaken it, leading to breakage. Stick to new growth only.
- Over-washing. Washing too often can strip the hair of oils, making it dry and brittle.
- Excessive heat styling. Frequent use of flat irons and curling wands can further weaken relaxed hair.
Keeping relaxed hair healthy requires a balance of hydration and strength at every stage. Strengthening with Cécred’s Fermented Rice & Rose Protein Ritual before relaxing helps build resilience, while Cécred’s Reconstructing Treatment Mask helps visibly strengthen and replenish depleted proteins the hair after chemical processing and heat styling. A consistent routine with hydrating shampoos, deep conditioners, and nourishing oils ensures that relaxed hair remains smooth, strong, and well-moisturized. With the right care, relaxed hair can be just as healthy and vibrant as any other hairstyle.
*Tested in a 3rd party clinical laboratory using hair tresses.