When it comes to naturally curly hair having a structured hair regimen is paramount to achieving healthy hair. Of course, many will want to have healthy and long hair, but if you focus on healthy hair it will grow to your desired length unless there is some underlying issue. A good hair regimen will ensure that the hair is well nurtured and moisturised. However, we all know that curly hair, because of its texture and shape, is dry as sebum (natural oil in hair) has more difficulty travelling along its length, which ultimately means breakage and inability to retain length. This could mean that finding a good hair routine is not so easy and dreams of having long and healthy hair look more like a faraway vision. The Greenhouse Effect (GHE) hair regimen, supported by a legion fans, appears to be the solution to restore your dreams.
What if I told you there is something you can do to increase your sebum production and has a result keep your dry hair well nourished and moisturised? It sounds good doesn’t it? I bet it will sound even better when I tell you that the main claim of the Greenhouse Effect is hair growth. Mika Lishauna, the creator of the GHE, developed this method out of necessity. While taking her first steps in her hair journey she found it hard to keep up with all the different hair techniques and regimens and developed a simple routine.
What Is The GHE?
The GHE consists of 3 little steps that you must follow in order to achieve growth and a well moisturised hair. As the name implies this method mimics the effects of a greenhouse, whereby heat is trapped in an environment. In this case, heat generated in our heads is trapped within a plastic cap, which creates a warm environment, this increases blood flow that stimulates hair follicles and raises your hair growth rate. Simple, isn’t it? To put all this to practice you will need to have a natural butter or natural oil (oil mix is fine) and water which is optional.
- Spritz hair with water until it’s damp – This step is optional and is encouraged to those who don’t sweat easily. This will help create a warm and moist environment and you’ll know that it is working when little droplets of water are formed in the plastic cap.
Jojoba Oil - Apply natural oil or butter on your hair – Section your hair and apply a small amount of oil/butter all over your hair. There is no need to apply a lot or to leave your hair greasy, the warm environment created inside the plastic cap will facilitate the oils/butter travelling along the hair length.
- Cover your hair with a plastic cap – Ideally, you should leave it on your hair overnight or for as long as you can. You can gather you hair any way you want (bun/twists/braids) or style it for your next day and place the cap on.
This is how simple the GHE is. Apparently, the great majority of those who adhere to this method swear passionately to waking up to hair that is well moisturised, manageable and soft throughout the day. This is understandable as the warm atmosphere helps the cuticle layers of the hair to open allowing the oil/butter to penetrate which nourishes the hair. Natural oils and butters have essential fatty acids (EFA) in them which retain hydration and reduce its loss, therefore, your hair is kept moisturised.
You may ask, what about sebum production? Well, this method claims it will increase sebum secretion which, as you know, is welcomed in coily hair. For best results, this method should be done a minimum of 5x a week and can be incorporated into your own hair regimen. However, you can follow the GHE hair regimen.
What Does The GHE Hair Regimen Consists Of?
Incorporating the GHE into your own hair regimen should be easy with some minor adjustments. Nevertheless, if you’re eager to achieve your maximum growth and silky-smooth hair follow Mika’s regimen. Hair regimens are like structured plans where you stipulate when and how many times you cleanse, condition, deep condition (for moisture/protein) your hair and how it is maintained on a daily basis. Let’s check the GHE regimen.
- Cleanse – You should shampoo/co-wash up to twice a month and always pre-poo (apply vegetable oil in hair) before to protect against drying effects of shampoo.
- Condition – In this regimen you are advised to trust your judgement and condition your hair only if you feel you need to.
- Deep Condition – If your goal is to instil moisture in your hair this is not advisable since the GHE works as a deep conditioning treatment in itself according to the method.
- Daily Maintenance – Use only natural products if possible. You can use your own creams, butters or oils to style your hair in the morning. Do the GHE as often as possible, you can do it throughout the day and night if you like.
Here is a video tutorial of the Green House Effect with Mika Lishauna, its creator. This video will give you indications on how to follow this hair regimen for best results.
31 thoughts on “What Is The Greenhouse Effect Hair Regimen?”
I never thought about moisturizing hair before. This article definitely taught me a few things that I didn’t know.
Thanks, glad I could help.
My daughter was hit by the curse of curly hair (got it from me). This is good information to know! I’ll pass this on!
Thanks!
Hi Thomas, I hope you meant “curse” in a good way. I know curly hair has its own personality but it’s beautiful and unique. Check out this post here
I absolutely love and find many uses for natural oils. I find jojoba, almond, and grape seed great to apply directly out of the shower on damp skin, as well as for massage. I find coconut oil is great to apply as a deep conditioner for hair, as well as a million other uses. I love seeing this natural approach for healthy hair and the proof that it works shows in the beauty of this woman’s hair. Thanks for the great post.
Yes, naturals oils are great. I also use grapeseed oil on my hair to seal and I like it because it feels light on my hair it doesn’t weight it down. Thanks for coming in!
Hi there Monica,
This GHE hair regimen appeals to me because I struggle with split-ends for a long time. But I also sweat easily on my scalp which makes it very itchy and oily by the end of the day. How can I ensure that the natural oil will not make it more uncomfortable, considering that I have to leave it overnight?
Thank you.
Hi Cathy! With the GHE it is important not to apply any oils or butters on the scalp but on the hair length and you don’t need to apply them if you feel your hair is moisturised, just put the plastic cap on. If you sweat on the scalp, you wont need to spritz your hair, but if you feel you still get an itchy scalp don’t do the GHE everyday, do it every other day, or 3 days a week. You can also co-wash weekly if you feel you need to. I think I will do another post on the GHE clarifying a few issues.
Hi Monica! I used the GHE method last night on my hair but this morning my hair was still damp and my flat twists out didn’t hold when I took them out. Any suggestions? I don’t want go to work with shrinkage.
Hi Valencia,
From what you’re telling me you used too much water to do the GHE. When you spray your hair and cover it with a plastic cap it creates a warm and moist environment (greenhouse effect). If you apply too much water your hair will be damp because the heat created inside the cap will facilitate and increase that moist. Therefore, you need to apply a very light mist of water to your hair and if you need, apply some moisturiser (not too much) or preferably rub some vegetable oil on your hands and twist your hair at night. Try this and tell me how it goes. If you have any more problems doing the GHE try reading this post.
Monica
My head sweats a lot .. So when I do it I’ll set an alarm to wake up in the middle of the night to take off the bag so that my twists dry. It’s a lot but it works lol.
Yes, the GHE promotes moisturised hair, but a good “side effect” is hair growth. The bagging method is a way to keep your hair ends moisturised and prevent dryness, split ends and breakage. Of course, these two methods coupled together can promote healthy hair growth if a good hair regimen is put together. You can check here for more info on building a hair regimen.
Thanks for the post, very insightful. Erm, do u need to wash out in the morning after doing the GHE overnight?
Hi, Prisca!
No, you don’t need to do that. Wash your hair when it’s your wash day. You don’t need to apply too much oil or water. It’s just a tad bit, especially if you’ll be doing it every day. Otherwise, your hair will be greasy and heavy, plus having to wash out after each application would be time-consuming, we all want an easy hair care routine.
However, having said this, if you cleanse your hair once a month you may need to increase the frequency because the oils will attract/trap more dirt and create odours. Also, consider that if you co-washing exclusively, eventually you’ll need to use a shampoo to effectively remove all the oils or it will create build up on your hair.
Take care 🙂
Mónica
Mila, didn’t actually invent this, we had to wear a baggy on our head back in the 80’s for the Jerry curl to keep it moist. However, we gives good suggestions and its an excellent method.
Hi Stacy,
I really think that many times, just like in fashion, things we do to our hair are just a comeback, but with a new twist. Glad you liked the post.:)
Monica
Yes indeed and I was one of those people who had the Care Free Curls in the 80’s during grammar school and High School. This is nothing new. This is great for my 3 month TWA. It eliminates me moisturizing my hair in the morning as my hair is getting thick and matted down when dry and wearing just a satin cap.
Yep, Pamela, carefree curls here too. 🙂
Not a new invention, we used this method in the 80s to keep Jerry Curl moist, it works. Good suggestions. Thanks
As I said before Stacey, many times “new” hair methods can be just old trends reinvented.
Is it ok to use Wild Growth Light Moisturizer for THE? Thanks for the insightful information.
The creator of this hair regimen method advises you to use their products. However, I don’t see any problem in using your oil if it works for you, Jeannette.
i tried this method two days ago and my hair has shrunk and become really hard, what could i have done wrong?
Hello Opelo, you can read this post for troubleshooting the Greenhouse Effect. Hope it helps.
I’m 55 going on 56 in April, and I’m sweating all the time these days do to menopause, and my question is do you think that someone as old as me can still grow there hair long.
I don’t see any reason why not, you may need a little bit more care and attention because as we age hair thins down and grey hair is more thirsty.
What about when you wake up the next morning? Are you supposed to wash or rinse the oil out? Or just apply hair products and keep it moving? Thanks
Hi Sarah, you can read the troubleshooting post of the Greenhouse Effect here. But no, you don’t rinse or wash every day. My opinion is that this method is not a good one, especially for someone who has scalp issues. Using this much oil/butter and only washing up to 2/month is not good and you don’t need to use oil like this for moisture or growth… There will be a lot of build up I believe and besides, as you question, it would be hard to achieve good results with styling with so much use of oil/butter.
is it advisable to do GHE everyday?
hope it won’t weaken the hair
Hi Mercy,
What is the reason why you’re looking to do the GHE? Honestly, I share the information here so people are informed but the GHE isn’t something I would advise people to do especially every day. The application of oil will create buildup and clog up the pores on your scalp.