What hair does Zoë Kravitz use for braids?

When I have a vision of how I want my hair to look, I can’t let it go until I achieve it. I literally become obsessed with it. I learned how to do my own individual braids back in February, and I was pretty happy with how they turned out. But I still wanted the “Zoë Kravitz, human hair braids”. I wanted that “carefree, just rolled outta bed but I still look cute” look.

Here’s the catch though, there is like zero information out there regarding what kind of hair/products that Zoë’s hairstylist, Nikki Nelms uses. It’s like a secret society. If you want to replicate a look you love, you kind of just have to experiment until you stumble upon something that gets you pretty close. And do a crap ton of research. We do know though that Nikki uses 100% virgin human hair to do Zoë’s braids. So with that tiny bit of info, I started to try and track down some ethical human hair brands. I decided that if I was going to have human hair extensions, they would need to be from a sustainable and ethical brand.

To my surprise, there are only a handful of companies that can truly call themselves 100% sustainable and ethical when it comes to sourcing human hair.

Woven Hair is one of those unique companies, AND it’s Black-owned! Margot Greer founded Woven after being diagnosed with breast cancer. When chemotherapy left Margot with no hair, she came to the realization that hair loss wasn’t something that the doctors prepared you for. The wigs that were offered to cancer patients with hair loss were nice, but most of them looked unrealistic. And the ones that did look like they were growing out of your head were completely unaffordable. Margot wanted to change this.

“Our mission is to be the reliable and trusted source of quality hair to women who care about where it comes from.”

Woven cares about traceability, in that they know exactly where the hair comes from. They are also a hair company that gives back. For every piece purchased, they give back to a woman who needs hair, which I think is pretty amazing!

Margot was kind enough to send me some of their Ocean Wave Wefts for more to try for this style. I am SO pleased with how it turned out, and am now a Woven customer for life.

For the full tutorial, click here for part 2!

Have you read part 1 of this Zoë Kravitz braids how to series yet? If not, start here before you continue. All set? Okay, let’s start with the products that I used to recreate Zoe’s iconic braids:

Murray’s Pomade – I use this to minimize slip and make the extensions tacky so that it’s easier to install.

Hair Clips– You’ll need some clips to help section your hair and keep it out of the way as you braid.

Rat Tail Comb – Every Black girl’s staple comb lol.

Nail Glue – I use little dab of glue to seal the ends of my braids. I like the brush applicator the best because it doesn’t dry out and is easy to apply to the extensions.

Maui Moisture and Coconut Oil Mist – This was my first time using this spray but I love it! It keeps my scalp moisturized and gives my hair a nice sheen.

3 Wefts of Woven Hair in Ocean Waves in the color Black– I used nearly all 3 wefts that I received from Woven Hair for this style. This hair is absolutely stunning in person.

Alight, let’s dive into how I achieved this look, please keep in mind that I am not a professional! This is just how I like to braid my hair.

Step 1 | Section The Hair

First, you want to prep the extensions and divide it into the sections that you’ll use for each braid. This is optional, as some people like to divide as they go. But this helps the process go a little faster. Usually, hair for braiding comes in bulk, but I had to cut this hair from the weft.

Step 2 | Apply Murray’s Pomade

I use a little of Murray’s Pomade as to give the hair a little tackiness, this helps me install it easier.

Step 3 | Start Braiding

Once I have the section of hair ready, I loop the hair around my real hair and use my hair as the third leg of the braid. I braid down until I get about a centimeter below my real hair. I want to keep the ends flowy and free like Zoë’s.

Step 4 | Seal the Ends

Lastly, you’ll want to apply the nail glue to make sure the braid does not become unraveled. Be sure that you’re not gluing your real hair when you do this!

Step 5 | Repeat

Repeat steps 1-4 until you’ve got a whole head of braids! And then spray it with Maui Moisturizing spray. Be sure to tie it up with a satin scarf or bonnet before you go to bed.

And that’s that! This style took me about 15 hours to complete and I could not be happier with how it turned out! And since it’s 100% human hair, I have the ability to straighten and curl it how I like. What do you guys think? Would you ever attempt to braid your own hair? How are you guys dealing with the salons being closed down during this time? Let me know in the comments. And if you recreate this style tag me at @inkandfable and @woven.hair on Instagram, I’d love to see how it turned out!

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