1. I recommend bringing your favorite full sized products because they’ll last longer, and they may not sell that product in the city you’re traveling to. Never take that for granted, especially overseas. Having natural hair requires more preparation in terms of washing, styling and maintaining. I chose to bring Dessert Essence Shampoo & Conditioner because it’s affordable and I like the ingredients. Water is the first active ingredient in their shampoo, and I’ve found the results after to be amazing! The shampoo also has shea butter and coconut oil in it, which a lot of natural hair products do, and that’s ok as long as it doesn’t produce negative effects. You may not find Dessert Essence in drug stores because it’s mainly sold at health food stores like Whole Foods. I purchased one of them for only $10 and it’s organic!

3. Moving on to accessories. I couldn’t forget my Be-Bop Denman Brush which is great for scalp stimulation and promotes hair growth. I also brought my Snappee Hair Ties for quick hair pull ups and styling efforts. Bobby pins are a staple. I brought my Swirly Curly Bonnet and I love the thick band on it! The band snaps securely around your head, protecting your edges, and works to prevent sliding throughout the night. I borrowed a blow dryer from a friend. I like to have one to create hair volume and make sure my hair dries completely. If you’re going to blow dry your hair, I would consider doing it on a low heat or cool air setting to prevent any possible heat damage from occurring. This will depend on several factors such as how often you blow dry, if you’re stretching the hair while doing it or how dry you like your hair to be before you stop. If you’re not trying to get your hair bone straight, consider one of the two options on air temperature because either temperature will get the job done. Lastly, I brought my pic to create volume as well, and I’m going to release a video about how to create more volume in your natural hair using this tool.