Styling your natural hair while on vacay can be tasking! We remember asking naturalistas on our Instagram if they preferred protective styles or letting their fro out while vacationing.

Most of them opted for protective styles. ” That fro ish is a lot of WORK and that’s the one thing we don’t wanna do on holiday” @walechronicles commented. We agree! Dealing with a fro on holiday is one extra thing you don’t want to handle.
 

We caught up Naturalista, Tara Ojora, blogger at natures locks and she shared a couple of tips to help you rock your fro (on vacay) stress free. She has extremely gorgeous and healthy hair, one to envy. Any hair tips she gives is GOLD! 

When you go on vacation, what determines your destination of choice?

When I’m choosing a holiday destination, the main things I look for are sun, GREAT food, a calm and beautiful location and safety.

How long have you had your fro and what’s your daily routine?

I’ve been natural since 2011 so about 7 years! I’ve had many ups and downs and I’ve cut my hair a million times but it’s all part of the journey! My daily routine involves keeping my hair moisturized and, usually, protected! I have my hair in a protective style 80% of the time (that’s how I’ve kept my hair healthy and thriving). So on a daily basis, I keep it moisturized and tidy.

What’s your go-to vacation hairstyle?
 

To be honest, it depends on the type of holiday I’m going on! If it’s a holiday where I know I’ll be doing a lot and going out a lot, I like to keep it easy and simple with braids. If it’s a holiday where I’ll be able to relax and spend time on my hair, I like to have my hair in a twist out or braid out – I get to have my hair out but it doesn’t require as much attention as a wash and go does.

What style will you rock…

At the Beach: a ponytail/bun and a hat or scarf for sure!! I used to be a big fan of having my afro swinging in the wind on the beach. But when you end up spending 2 hours detangling, you start to rethink those ideas.

On an Adventure (hiking, paragliding etc): this is relevant because I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2013 and I made the huge mistake of having my afro. My hair was in a HORRIBLE state after that. I had to cut 2-3 inches off so DEFINITELY a protective style eg braids, twists, cornrows

A night about town:for a night out, I love having my huge afro out. It usually looks good with whatever I plan to wear. But I always get super hot after a while and I end up putting it in a bun or ponytail an hour into the night

From Ibiza, Mykonos to Mombasa and Takwa Bay, we love your fro and how you rock it everywhere you go. Tell us the essential items you need to keep your fro in place during a holiday?

So of course, when I’m travelling, I like to keep my list of hair products pretty small so I usually just take:

A sulphate free shampoo – cleans your hair and scalp without making it super dry

Conditioner – this can double up as a rinse out conditioner or leave in conditioner. This is a MUST because keeping your hair moisturized is the best way to ensure you don’t get home from your holiday with a bird’s nest on your head

An oil e.g. olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil – ESSENTIAL for sealing in moisture and keeping my hair soft on holiday

You can also take a deep conditioner but I find I usually don’t have time to deep condition my hair on holiday! I take a moisturizer/leave in conditioner sometimes but to save space, I usually just double up with the normal conditioner.

Stuck on an island with only one of the listed items, what is it going to be?

Definitely conditioner!! I can keep my hair semi-clean and very moisturized with it

5 natural hairstyles we are likely to see you rocking on vacation?

Box braids, Twist out, Braid out, Cornrows, Afro puff

Do you have a pre-vacation or vacation hair routine?

Pre-vacation, I ALWAYS do a proper deep condition. As I said, I love going to super hot places but the sun and heat can really dry your hair out and make it hard and crunchy. I get ahead of that by using one of my super moisturizing deep conditioners, usually from Shea Moisture or Crece Pelo. My vacation hair routine is all about keeping it simple. Moisture, protection and cleanliness.

Rocking the fro VS protective styles when on vacation?

It depends on the vacation!! Sometimes I’m in no mood to style my fro and I stick to protective styles. Other times, I’m just in the mood to have my afro out.

Most naturalista’s opt for protective styles during a vacation because styling your natural hair can be time consuming. We’ll like you to share a few time saving tips to help them rock their fro.

Keep your hair moisturized. It saves you lots of stress and time when handling your hair

Always have a hat or scarf on hand to cover up a bad hair day or when you need to cover up your hair quickly or easily

Always have hair ties, a brush and a non-damaging gel to do a sleek ponytail or just to get your hair off your face/neck

Do-It-Yourself, DIY care suggestions for a naturalista who wants to go on vacation with her natural hair.

Learn to do your hair! Learn to actually take care of your hair so that, if you’re caught in a bind on holiday, you know what to do.

Suggest protective measures for someone going on vacationing in these weather conditions.

In a hot and dry environment – I would go for caps, hats or scarves. The sun can really dry out and damage your hair and can cause a major setback!

Winter/in snow – we all know winter and cold weather can suck the moisture out of your hair. Protective styles are excellent for keeping your hair healthy and moisturized. You can also use thicker hats, turbans and scarves.

We told you Tara’s tips were gold! We’ve been taking notes and we surely will not let our hair down during any form of adventurous activity. We hope you loved this as much as we did. Are you a naturalista? Protective VS rocking the fro during a vacay?