How to Care for Raw Hair: The Complete Routine
Raw hair is a genuine investment, and it rewards care the way real hair does, because that's exactly what it is. Whether your raw hair bundles are Raw Indian or Raw Vietnamese, worn straight or wavy, looking after them properly keeps them soft, shiny, and tangle-free for years, not months.
Unlike chemically treated hair, raw hair is completely unprocessed, so it responds to genuine care rather than tolerating neglect. With the right routine, raw hair bundles can last five years or more, reinstalled again and again, which is exactly what makes them worth the investment in the first place.
This guide covers the issues to watch for, the full day-to-day routine, how Raw Indian and Raw Vietnamese hair differ in what they actually need, and how custom colour care differs from both.
Common Issues With Raw Hair Bundles
Dryness. Raw hair can dry out without the right care, since it isn't getting the natural oils a scalp would provide. Keep it moisturised with a natural, oil-based leave-in to prevent breakage before it starts.
Tangling. Detangle regularly with a wide-tooth comb, always starting from the ends and working up, never the other way. If you're still using a plastic comb, this is worth changing: plastic builds static and snags the cuticle, which is exactly what causes frizz and shedding to start in the first place. A wood or seamless comb glides through raw hair instead of catching on it.
Shedding. A little shedding is normal, hair is hair. Heavy shedding almost always traces back to weft construction rather than how you're caring for it, our full breakdown on shedding covers exactly what's normal versus what's worth looking into.
Frizz. Being genuinely unprocessed, raw hair reacts to humidity the way your own hair does. An anti-humidity serum or oil keeps this in check, see our high-end and affordable product picks for specific recommendations.
The Full Routine for Raw Hair Bundles
Wash with lukewarm water, then finish with a cool rinse. Lukewarm cleans effectively without lifting the cuticle the way hot water does. Once you've rinsed out shampoo and conditioner, a final rinse in cool water helps seal the cuticle back down, which is what gives raw hair that extra shine afterward. Use a sulfate-free shampoo, once a week is the benchmark, and follow with a proper conditioner rather than a quick rinse. If your bundles start feeling weighed down, stiff, or dull before the week's up, that's a sign to wash regardless of the calendar.
Deep condition weekly. Apply a hair mask or leave-in deep conditioner for 30 minutes to an hour, following the product's instructions. This is where real repair and moisture happen, not in the quick daily rinse.
Minimise heat styling. Keep tools at or below 450°F, and always apply a heat protectant first. Air-drying is genuinely the gentlest option for keeping the natural texture intact, blot gently with a microfibre towel rather than rubbing, which causes exactly the frizz and tangling you're trying to avoid.
Detangle with care. Wood-toothed comb or fingers, never a stiff brush, working from ends to roots in sections rather than trying to force the whole length at once.
Protect it at night. A satin or silk scarf, wrap, or pillowcase prevents the friction that causes breakage and tangling while you sleep. This one's non-negotiable if you want real longevity out of an install.
Use lightweight, moisturising products. Anything heavy risks buildup and weighing raw hair bundles down. Natural oils, argan, coconut, work well without that trade-off.
Shield it from harsh weather where you can, a hat or umbrella in extreme sun or rain goes a long way toward preventing unnecessary damage.
Avoid over-manipulation. Constant styling, brushing, and touching adds up. Protective styles like braids, twists, or buns give it a genuine break.
Trim every 6-8 weeks to keep split ends from working their way up the strand before they become a bigger problem.
Leave dyeing and bleaching to a professional colourist. Raw hair takes colour beautifully, but a proper technique protects the quality that makes it worth colouring in the first place. This is exactly how we build our own Custom Colour range, more on that below.
Does Raw Indian Hair Need Different Care Than Raw Vietnamese?
Slightly, yes, and it comes down to the hair itself rather than the routine changing completely.
Raw Indian hair is naturally thicker and fuller, which means it can generally handle a slightly richer conditioner or a bit more product without looking weighed down. It's also the more forgiving of the two if you're a little heavy-handed with deep conditioning, and it's the texture behind both our straight and wavy lines.
Raw Vietnamese hair is finer and glossier by nature, so it's more prone to looking flat or greasy if you use the same amount of product that works fine on Raw Indian. Go lighter, a few drops rather than a palmful, and lean on leave-ins over heavier oils. It also shows heat damage a little faster given the finer strand, so the 450°F ceiling matters even more here.
Both hold up for 5+ years with the routine above. The difference is calibration, not a completely different set of steps.
What About Custom Colour Hair?
Every custom colour shade we offer starts as pure, single-donor raw hair, no synthetic fillers, no synthetic hair blended in, before it goes anywhere near a colourist. Once it's professionally coloured, it's no longer classed as 100% raw the way our natural lines are, raw means completely unprocessed, and colouring is a process, even done properly and by hand. The base underneath stays genuinely raw, which is exactly why the finished colour holds so well.
Caring for it follows the same routine above, gentle, sulfate-free, consistent, with one addition worth prioritising: a leave-in treatment built around bond repair rather than just surface moisture. Colour-treated hair benefits from that in a way a standard conditioner doesn't quite reach, our high-end product guide covers a specific option worth considering if you're wearing one of our custom colour shades.
Raw Hair Care FAQ
How often should I wash raw hair bundles? Once a week is the benchmark. Wash sooner if they start feeling weighed down, stiff, or dull, that's a better signal than the calendar alone.
Do raw Indian hair and raw Vietnamese hair need different products? Not different products, different amounts. Raw Indian can take a bit more product given its fuller texture. Raw Vietnamese needs a lighter hand since it's finer and shows buildup faster.
Can I use a regular hairbrush on raw hair bundles? A wide-tooth comb or wood comb is better. Plastic brushes and combs create static and snag the cuticle, which is exactly where frizz and shedding tend to start.
Is cool or lukewarm water better for washing raw hair? Both, for different steps. Lukewarm to actually wash and rinse out product, cool for a final rinse to seal the cuticle and boost shine.
Ready to Shop?
Our full collection covers straight, wavy, and curly textures across Raw Indian, Raw Vietnamese, and Burmese Curly, plus every custom colour shade. For product recommendations specifically, see our high-end and affordable picks, both built around what raw hair bundles actually need, not a generic routine repurposed for extensions.