I Haven't Put Heat on My Hair in 5 Years—Here's How I Finally Cut the Cord

Boone's first piece of advice is a virtue we can all use a little more of: patience. "Your hair is going to change a lot. The curl pattern is going to change, and you're going to have to learn a lot. So just be patient with yourself and your hair," she says. An area that's required a lot of patience is learning to settle into extended deep-conditioning sessions. We're not talking 10-minute treatments in the shower. Boone says she regularly slathers her hair in a homemade concoction of mayonnaise (yes, actual mayo!) and honey for hours on end as a protein treatment to strengthen her hair.

"I'll mix mayonnaise and honey and put it on wet hair, put a cap on it, and go. I've gone to lunch with friends like that with a wrap around my hair or a hat on. It's cheap and so easy. It can smell a little weird, but once you shampoo it out, you're fine," she explains. 

Said patience extends beyond the self, though. It also means having patience with the process of acclimating hairstylists to our preferences, and for Boone, that's meant teaching stylists on set how to treat her hair. "I'll sit under a hooded dryer or I'll use a diffuser attachment on a blow-dryer, but I haven't straightened my hair since 2015," she says. "I've had a couple of conversations with hairstylists so they know that I don't put heat on my hair, but because I've been auditioning with my hair curly and natural, it's never really a thing where they're trying to straighten my hair. They like me the way I came into the audition, so they mostly just want to learn how to maintain what I already came with." 

"I switch shampoo and conditioner quite a bit, but my favorite right now is the Mane Choice Detangling Hydration Shampoo because my hair can get dry. I love to use this shampoo because it's really moisturizing," Boone told us.

In terms of conditioner, Boone loves the Shea Moisture line. Its hero ingredient is shea butter, which is a nourishing and deeply moisturizing natural ingredient for the hair and the body, too.

"It's also really important to use great leave-in conditioner," Boone says. She's currently reaching for this Kinky-Curly detangler that has tons of smoothing, hydrating ingredients like organic mango extract, organic slippery elm, organic marshmallow root, and organic lemongrass.

"For me also depends on the time of the year. If it's cold outside and your hair gets super dry, you might need another set of products than for when it's warm outside," Boone says. But all year round, she loves the styling creams from the curly hair experts at Miss Jessie's.

"I love twists, but other people love braids, wigs, or weaves. Don't be afraid to experiment and have fun with protective styling," she says. Whichever style you end up choosing, it's important to make sure you regularly oil your scalp to keep it healthy and flake-free.

"I'm obsessed with Marley twists," Boone told us. "If anybody goes on my Instagram, they'll see that in half of the pictures, I have Marley Twists. They're so easy, they're fun, and I can change up the colors." This versatile protective style is super low-maintenance, but you'll want to have a great edge control on deck to smooth down those baby hairs.

This boar-bristle edge-styling brush is super small and perfect for precise baby-hair styling.

"Stop trying to look cute for your man and protect those curls," Boone laughs. 

Sleeping with a satin bonnet protects the hair against snagging and breaking on cotton pillowcases at night. They're not the cutest hair accessory in the world, but totally necessary for maintaining healthy hair.

There are endless satin scarf options out there for sleeping, and they tend to be pretty inexpensive. 

If you're worried about getting too hot, a more breathable mesh option like this one is really helpful.