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Love feeling like a million bucks when you head home from the salon? Everyone digs that post-salon, silky, soft hair!

If your goal is soft, healthy locks day in and day out, stick around. In this article, we’ll talk about how to get soft hair naturally so you can keep your hair healthy and strong in the long run.

While going to the salon every day might not be a reality, caring for your hair so it stays soft and moisturized is! Let’s take a look.

How To Get Soft Hair Naturally

The fact of the matter is that some hair types are naturally softer than others, and that’s all there is to it. But, in general, healthy, moisturized hair is soft hair.

When hair is not properly moisturized, it turns dry and brittle, which is the opposite of what you want for the look, feel, and health of your locks.

Although you can’t change your hair type, you can change your hair care routine so that you’re creating healthy habits that keep your hair as moisturized as possible.

And, if you’re anything like us, you want soft hair the natural way — without harsh, drying, irritating chemicals. This is, after all, best for your hair as well as your body. And it’s exactly what we’ll share with the following tips.

Protect Your Hair From The Elements

 Woman covering her soft hair with a scarf

Your everyday life may dry out your hair more than you realize. Did you know that weather can do a number on your locks? The sun and cold, dry air can leave your hair drier than when you left the house in the morning.

In the name of soft, moisturized hair, cover it when you are in the sun or out in the cold. This could mean a bandana, headscarf, sun hat, or winter beanie. The options are numerous (and cute!).

Remember that a sun hat with a wide brim is a good choice for full-sun days since it also provides sun protection for your face. Even so, you should still apply mineral facial sunscreen.

Skip The Treatments

Nothing compares to salon-fresh hair.

The problem with going to the salon is when you opt for treatments like hair color or perms, they typically involve harsh chemicals. These can weaken and dry your hair as well as leave it brittle.

How can you combat the negative aspects of these treatments? Skip them altogether or, if you can’t go without them, give your hair a break by waiting at least six weeks between treatments.

That being said, getting your hair trimmed (and only trimmed) regularly can help keep it healthy.

Turn Down The Heat

 Woman curling her hair

In addition to the weather, your daily styling routine can also dry your hair out and leave it longing for moisturization! We’re talking about dry heat from hair dryers, flat irons, and curling irons.

Although flat-ironing your hair can leave it smooth as butter, in the long run, your hair will be healthier and more moisturized if you turn down the heat. And we mean that literally.

Try turning down the heat on your styling tools, and apply a protecting product beforehand. Or, if you can, stop using dry heat altogether. Embrace the natural look and air dry your hair instead!

The “turn down the heat” rule also applies to your shower since hot water is drying to both your skin and hair. Cool or cold water can do wonders for your locks!

Using cool water to rinse your conditioner out allows you to cleanse your hair of the product without robbing you of the moisture your hair needs.

Shampoo With Natural Ingredients

 Babo Botanicals Hair products to keep hair soft

Getting the soft hair you want also means using the right hair care products — ones made with high-quality, natural ingredients.

Look for a chemical-free shampoo that is gentle, hydrating, and softening. That could even be a baby shampoo you use for yourself!

We recommend a shampoo that is free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, silicone, and synthetic fragrances and dyes. But a nourishing shampoo should also be full of natural botanicals, like oat milk, aloe vera, calendula oil, and argan oil.

For a shampoo that’s good for the whole family, turn to Babo Botanicals Moisturizing Baby Shampoo & Wash. It’s effective enough for older kids and adults but gentle enough for babies with cradle cap, dry skin, or eczema-prone skin.

Made with avena oat extract and organic calendula, this pure and mild shampoo is perfect for anyone with a sensitive scalp or sensitive skin and leaves hair soft, smooth, and shiny!

Another great option is our Smoothing Detangling Shampoo & Wash, which is crafted with evening primrose oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter to smooth and soften your hair and skin. This shampoo is a must-have for anyone with hair licks, knots, tangles, and frizz.

For more natural shampoo choices, check out our line of sulfate-free hair care.

Moisturize With Conditioner

We can’t talk about soft hair without mentioning conditioner.

Shampoo is necessary to clean your scalp, but it can dry out your hair as well. This is why post-shampoo conditioning is non-negotiable for soft, moisturized locks!

For a natural conditioner that pairs with your natural shampoo, choose from Babo Botanicals Smoothing Detangling Conditioner, Moisturizing Conditioner, or others, like Swim & Sport Citrus Mint Shampoo & Wash.

Another way to use conditioner to hydrate and soften your hair is to spritz it with a spray-in conditioner after hopping out of the shower or on the days that you don’t wash your hair.

Use Babo Botanicals Smoothing Detangling Spray to increase shine, help eliminate frizz, and provide for faster detangling!

Shampoo Your Scalp; Condition Your Ends

 Woman shampooing her hair

How you use conditioner is just as important as using it in the first place! (To read more about how and why to use conditioner, read our article here.)

For now, just know that you need to keep shampoo contained to your scalp and roots. Since shampoo can be drying to your hair, you want to focus on the scalp and roots, where oil, sweat, and grime are most likely to accumulate.

Bottom line: Shampoo is to clean your scalp and roots, while conditioner is designed to keep the rest of your hair moisturized.

Apply A Hair Mask

Another way to infuse moisture into your strands and soften your hair is to use a hair mask. This works a bit like a face mask. Simply apply a mask loaded with nourishing ingredients to your hair, let it sit, and rinse it out!

Adding a once-weekly hair mask to your routine can really help nourish and hydrate your hair. And you can concoct your own DIY hair mask in your kitchen!

Try egg yolks and avocados, bananas and avocados, bananas and honey, yogurt and olive oil, or simply aloe vera!

Leave it on for half an hour or an hour (it’s not an exact science here), and then shower and shampoo it out before applying conditioner.

Here’s a tip: Cover your masked hair with a shower cap as you go about your business to avoid any dripping.

Opt For Oil

Oiling your hair is similar to using a hair mask, except you’ll also treat your scalp to an oil massage. Ahhh, time to relax.

Including olive oil, argan oil, coconut oil, and almond oil, just to name a few. And these natural oils can be applied as-is to your hair!

Just heat a small amount of oil (in the neighborhood of a couple of tablespoons), then use your fingertips to massage oil into your scalp before applying the rest of it to your hair shaft.

Ideally, it’s best to massage your scalp for a good 10 to 15 minutes. Then, when you’ve distributed the rest of your oil through your strands, wrap your hair in a warm cotton cloth (think: old t-shirt) and aim to let the oil sit for an hour before washing it out in the shower.

Sleeping overnight with the oils in your hair is an option, too. If your scalp is oily, skip the massage and try using oil on the ends of your hair only.

Soft Hair For The Win

 Woman with soft hair flowing across her face in the wind

Soft hair isn’t just a feel-good luxury. It’s also a sign of healthy, moisturized hair. That’s a win all the way around! To care for your locks and make them as soft as possible, follow the tips we went over in this article.

Protect your hair from the elements, harsh chemical treatments, and heat tools. Then, play offense by applying hair masks and oils and washing your hair with natural shampoo and conditioner, like our Smoothing Detangling Shampoo & Wash and Smoothing Detangling Conditioner.

Soft, luxurious hair, here you come!