You may recognize Aeniah from her amazing sunset gold transformation by Kendra Alia in our K18REPAIR™ campaign, but she’s also a trained nurse working full-time in Nashville. Aeniah learned from a young age through trial and error what her hair needs to be healthy—and the damaging effects of chlorine, first-hand. We sat down with her on set to discuss her personal hair journey, current self-care routine, and how she prioritizes her wellbeing with a consistent self-care routine. 

tell us a little about your personal hair journey

So my hair has been through a lot. I'm the oldest of six children, and growing up, my dad was involved in swimming and I swam competitively from a young age. This was a big part of my hair journey because I had to learn how to protect it.  My mom didn't realize how damaging chlorine was, I don't think most people do, so I had to take things into my own hands when I noticed my hair looking and feeling less healthy.

how were you able to do that? swim caps? 

Swim caps are useless for damage protection, they’re really just to be able to get through the water with less resistance. They have some high-tech ones now, but back then, they were basic so that wasn't enough. I had to do deep treatments, weekly.

are these treatments something you were getting in the salon? 

No, I was trying things I saw on YouTube. I used to do a lot of DIY—like the egg yolk treatment—to try to get it back to the condition I wanted. It was somewhat successful, but now I know that hair needs more than what’s in the fridge. I remember the very first product I bought was from Whole Body, when I was fourteen. It was called “Kinky Curly”. I can still picture the clear bottle with a pink logo. 

and what does your hair routine look like now?

Right now, I'm looking for a new shampoo and conditioner—after seeing the results from today, I would love to try K18’s options. They feel really gentle and I like that there are protective options to help prevent damage. I just wash, condition, air dry, and then put some cream through my hair, or a leave- in conditioner. I tend to gravitate toward rich, creamy products to help define my curls but I don't like weighing my hair down.

makes sense—with your minimal routine it sounds like the K18 mask would be perfect for you. you can even skip the conditioner step.

I love how easy it sounds! 

what's your everyday beauty philosophy?

My beauty philosophy is centered around consistency, taking the time to take care of myself even when I don’t feel like it.  Doing my gua sha, taking off my makeup every night. It’s worth it, I’m worth it.