As a 90's kid, I grew up watching Disney Princess movies. From Cinderella to Jasmine... I have, without a doubt, seen them all. I remember wanting to dress like them, look like them, and act like them! My parents would bring me the princess toy kits, from teapots to a princess dress, and even the fake little princess heels. As the years passed, I continued to be mesmerized by one thing... Rapunzel's hair!

My childhood self was obsessed with having hair like hers! Not necessarily the color but definitely the length and the lustrousness. I wished for beautiful, long, and thick hair that would generate the attention that Rapunzel had. Fortunately enough for me, my Asian genes allowed for thick, long black hair that grew quickly (not as quickly as Rapunzel's though). On the other hand, while I naturally had thick, long hair, similar to every other girl in the world, I still suffered from split ends. After years of trying different products and different routines, I finally found a way to minimize my split ends and help my hair stay as healthy as possible, all while maintaining a budget!

What's my secret?

The first important step is to stop using hair products, such as shampoo and conditioner, that has parabens and sulfates! I cannot stress enough how damaging these chemicals are for your hair! Furthermore, there is ongoing research possibly linking parabens to different types of cancer, such as breast cancer. In addition, these two chemicals dry out your hair, irritate your skin, and are bad for your overall health.

The second step is to avoid fragrance, at least as much as possible. The majority of fragrant shampoos and conditioners, more often than not, all carry parabens and sulfates. Fragrance also works to dry out your hair. Just remember that while it may smell heavenly, it will damage your hair in the long run!

The third step is to avoid heat. Whether it's your hair straightener, your curling iron, or even a blow dryer. These tools apply high levels of heat to your hair which will most likely damage your hair 10x worse than parabens and sulfates ever will. Try wearing your hair up or in a bun if you hate your natural hair.

These are three of the main steps that I do to keep my hair healthy! While my secrets are nowhere near as magical as Rapunzel's, it's better than nothing. As I previously mentioned, I maintain my healthy hair while using three different products, all without breaking the bank! While there is a plethora of luxury or prestigious hair brands and products that boast about their ability to help you achieve lustrous hair, there are also just as many cheaper products that also do the same job!

For example, I buy my shampoo and conditioner from... Walmart! The shampoo I use is called Renpure Originals! They offer a couple of different selections but the one I personally utilize is their "Biotin & Collagen Thickening Shampoo." It contains absolutely no sulfates, parabens, dyes, gluten, phthalates, or propylene glycol. With that in mind, the shampoo contains Vitamin B7 Biotin provides nutrients for your hair while ensuring that it is thick and full. Another advantage is that the bottle is 32 fluid ounces, meaning that it is huge! There is not necessarily a fragrance to the shampoo, unlike one that might smell like strawberries. Don't let this fool you though, the shampoo still smells amazing! You basically get the bang for your buck with this product! It's incredibly large, meaning that you get a lot of healthy product for a cheap price.

Moving on to conditioner, I use Renpure Solutions! It is a cleansing conditioner that nourishes your hair. Similar to the shampoo, it contains zero sulfates, parabens, dyes, gluten, phthalates, or propylene glycol. This line of conditioners do have slight scents, the one I use is Vanilla Mint, nothing too overpowering. It's not as large as the shampoo but still a decent size at 16 fluid ounces.

The third product I use, however, is a little pricey. It is the from the brand it's a 10 and it's the miracle leave in product. I buy mine from Ulta and it usually is $20, give or take. For some people, that runs a little on the pricer side. However, I wait until there are deals in place before I purchase it. I am a rewards member at Ulta so I get coupons and deals in the mail. Whenever there are 2x, 3x, or 5x points going on, I'll purchase this product. Or whenever they email me a coupon for 20% off, I'll purchase it. It really just depends on what deal is going on whenever I am running low. The bottle that I purchase is 4 fluid ounces, and I definitely think that the size and the product is worth spending $20. It repairs dry, damaged hair; adds shine; detangles; controls frizz; seals and protects hair color; prevents split ends; stops hair breakage; creates silkiness; enhances natural body, and works as a flat iron spray and thermal protector. Not only does it do these ten things, it also makes my hair smell so incredibly good!

As for my routine, I do the exact same steps every single time. Upon getting in the shower, the first thing I do is apply shampoo. After washing and rinsing, I will immediately coat my hair with a large handful of conditioner. It coats the strands and the ends of my hair, mostly avoiding my scalp as to not create excess oiliness. After massaging in the conditioner, I'll tie my hair up into a bun. As I wash my body, clean my piercings, shave, and shower, I keep the conditioner in my hair.

The last thing I do in the shower is wash off the conditioner. After carefully towel drying my hair, I will spray about 5 pumps or so of the miracle leave in products and use my fingers to brush the product in my hair. Doing these steps over a long period of time has definitely made my hair a lot healthier.

I hope my tips and routines work for you just as well as they do for me!