My Selfie Journey: Jessica Marie Franklin

Meet Jessica Marie Franklin!

My hair is…natural! I started my hair journey 7 years ago in May 2007.

My current hair regimen includes…

• Co-wash every other week

• Shampoo with sulfate-free shampoo in between the weeks I’m not co-washing

• Deep condition weekly (super important)

• Seal my ends every night with jojoba oil to prevent split ends and retain length

• Trim my ends twice a year at the DevaChan Salon for shape and to keep my ends healthy

My favorite hair products include…

1. Camille Rose Moisture Milk and Curl Keeper (I use them for my wash and go’s) 2. Agadir Sulfate Free Shampoo 3. Tresemme Natural’s Conditioner (it has great slip for detangling) 4. Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa Conditioner 5. Coconut oil! That’s like my best friend actually, lol.

The secret to having healthy hair is… Moisture! Curly hair is naturally dryer than straight hair. Therefore, it is essential that you take extra care of it to keep it moisturized. This will help you to retain length and have shine. It is also important that you take care of your ends. This includes sealing them, protecting them, avoiding heat, detangling gently, and trimming when needed.

My biggest hair challenge is… Keeping it moisturized. My hair is just naturally dry for some reason. But deep conditioning and using the Huetiful steamer really helps.

I love my hair because… It’s big, versatile, and fun. There’s so much I can do with it and I can always switch it up. It fits my personality.

My hair crush is… Tracee Ellis Ross. I admire her for her beautiful hair and crazy, hilarious personality. She has been rocking natural hair before it even became popular and she really encouraged me to embrace my natural hair texture.

Want your hair journey featured on ESSENCE.com? Tag your Instagram selfies with #MySelfieJourney and send answers to the questions above to beautyeditors@essence.com. Looking forward to seeing your beautiful faces!