POV: Your hair is very dry and in need of extra TLC. You turn to youtube in search of remedies to bring your natural hair back to life and you find that they tell you to do a hot oil treatment, do an egg and avocado hair mask, do apple cider vinegar rinse and blah blah blah. You do all this, and two days later your hair is already Sahara desert dry. You feel angry, betrayed, and hurt that your hair is still in the same condition as before, if not worse after all that effort and time.
This is a blogpost to help all the struggling naturals (including 4a, 4b and 4c naturals) pin down the secret to achieving soft and moisturised curls and coils during and after wash day. One common misconception within the natural hair community is that washing your hair is a 20 step routine that takes up your whole day. I’m here to tell you that washing your natural hair doesn’t need to be a 9-5 activity. In this blog post, I share with you a three-step wash day routine inspired by professional hair stylists for maximum moisture and hydration. It should take no more than 2-3 hours including styling time and is perfect for all hair porosities and hair types! I will also be sharing tips on common natural hair struggles during wash day such as detangling and finding the right products to moisturise your hair and lock in all the moisture.
The three basic steps that are necessary for a natural hair wash day routine include shampooing, conditioning, and styling. This forms the foundation for healthy and hydrated curls, coils and kinks. Aim to wash your natural hair every 5-14 days to clean and rehydrate your hair.
It is perfectly OK if you delay washing your hair for longer than 14 days as sometimes life gets in the way. However, this will make the detangling process more tedious and your hair and scalp will be dirtier as they accumulate sebum, product build-up and pollutants from the environment.
Shampoo
There are so many different types of shampoos out there in the market ranging from clarifying shampoos, moisturising shampoos to co-washes that it can be confusing to know which one is meant for your natural hair. Let’s first begin by describing the function of each type of shampoo.
Types of shampoo
Clarifying shampoos are the strongest type of shampoo. They consist of heavy surfactants that remove all build-up, grease and impurities in your hair. These strip EVERYTHINGGG. Use these once a month but if you regularly use non-water soluble products like heavy oils, butters and silicones, try bi-weekly to allow your hair to be sufficiently cleansed for hydration.
(Surfactants: surface-acting cleansing agents.)
Moisturising shampoos are sulfate-free shampoos that contain mild surfactants. They are designed to cleanse your scalp and hair strands without stripping them of their natural oils. This should be the shampoo you use regularly eg once a week as textured hair can become easily dry so it’s important to retain as much moisture as possible.
Co-washes are conditioners that are formulated to contain gentle cleansing agents. These are not meant to be your sole cleansing product, especially if you use many non-water soluble ingredients. However, co-washes are perfect for naturals that require them to wash their hair more than once a week for personal reasons such as frequent exercise, etc.
As naturals, we have all gone to youtube at some point in our natural hair journeys to find answers to our hair questions. Many of them preach that you should only shampoo your scalp and not your hair strands as they will be cleansed as water runs through your hair. Girl, don’t do this. Wash (clap) your (clap) hair (clap) properly (clap). This is ESPECIALLY important if you use raw oils, butters and grease in your hair regimen.
Why do we need shampoos and why should we not ditch them for co-washes and clay masks? The answer to this is simple… to clean your hair of dirt and build-up so that it can accept moisture.
Oh and in case you didn’t know, moisture is water. Shampoo increases the pH of your hair to open up your cuticles to allow moisture into your hair shaft as well as nourishing ingredients. Conditioners lower the pH of your hair again to close your cuticles and seal in the moisture that seeped into your hair after shampoo raised your cuticles.
To learn more about the importance of shampoo in your natural hair product arsenal check out my other blog post …. This goes into more detail on the importance of products and how to correctly use them.
Pro Tips:
- First, allow water to run through your hair until it’s fully saturated with water.
- If needed, section hair into two or four depending on the density of your hair for easier detangling and distribution of shampoo.
- Ensure you are smoothing down your hair cuticle in a smoothing and raking motion whilst shampooing to reduce frizz and damage to your cuticles and begin the detangling process. Do this for at least one minute to allow the shampoo to properly remove product build-up from your strands.
- Avoid squishing and moving your hair in a circle to your scalp. Not only does it cause friction which damages your hair cuticle, but you are also not properly cleansing the scalp.
- Focus on the scalp and use your fingertips (or shampoo brush + affiliate link) to gently remove build-up from the scalp. Tightly pull on your hair whilst shampooing your scalp whilst doing so to reduce tangling at the roots.
- Give your hair a good rinse after shampooing to ensure all the shampoo is gone from your hair and to ensure hair is saturated with water before conditioning.
Conditioner / Deep Conditioner
After shampooing your hair you may decide to either condition or deep condition or even both. Do NOT skip this step.
Regular rinse out conditioners from a protective barrier around your hair to decrease friction, protect against environmental damage, minimise frizz and help detangle the hair.
Deep conditioners have the same role as regular rinse-out conditioners, but also contain ingredients with low molecular weight which allows them to penetrate deeper into the hair shaft and fill holes in your hair cuticle so water can remain in your hair for longer periods.
Both close your hair cuticles by lowering the pH to seal in the moisture and any nourishing ingredient.
A common practice within the natural hair community after shampooing is to use a regular conditioner and then follow up with a deep conditioner. All conditioners have a low pH, so using a regular conditioner first closes your cuticles so that when you add your deep conditioner your hair cuticle is already closed. So in simple terms, the deep conditioner is not doing anything. Just choose one.
If you have healthy hair, you don’t technically need to deep condition your hair each time you wash it as a regular conditioner will suffice. But if you wish to, then continue.
The conditioning/deep-conditioning step is the perfect time to start detangling your hair. You can use your fingers or your favourite detangling tools such as the forever popular wide-tooth comb, or the Felicia leatherwood brush, the EZ detangler or the tangle teezer (my personal favourite). You can detangle your hair with or without sections… whichever works for you!
The detangling process is crucial as it removes tangles and shed hair and helps distribute your product evenly so that every strand receives the TLC that it deserves.
Pro detangling tips:
- Detangle on wet hair to ensure your hair is hydrated and to make the detangling process easier. This is easier if done in the shower but if not then always have a spray bottle or a sink close by.
- Start detangling your hair from the bottom and work your way up.
- If you find that you’re struggling with detangling, add more water and try again. This makes the conditioner froth and I’ve found that they have the best slip at this stage. This is also a good way to save your coin as you’re not slathering more and more products on your hair.
There is no need to leave the conditioners on for periods longer than what is suggested in the product instructions. Your hair strands can only absorb so much.
For the minimalist naturals like me who want to be done with wash day ASAP, it is perfectly sufficient to leave the conditioner in your hair for the duration of your shower and rinse immediately afterward. The warmth and steam from your shower will help with product absorption. If you feel like your hair is not absorbing the conditioner or you just like to be extra, there are so many things you can do to help the conditioner penetrate your hair including cover your hair with a plastic cap and sit under a hooded (affiliate link) or using a regular hair dryer (affiliate link) over your cap for 5-10 mins instead. You can also use a steamer or a deep conditioning cap!
Moisturising / Styling
Finally, we made it to the last step of wash day!
Keeping your hair soft and moisturised after just 24 hours of washing is a struggle that many naturals face.
Let me first start by saying that moisture comes from washing your hair. As stated before, shampooing opens up your hair cuticles to allow your strands to accept water (the real moisturiser) and the conditioning step closes your cuticles to seal the moisture in. So if you’re struggling with dry hair first focus on perfecting your technique when washing your hair and use the right products.
Your hair starts to become dry when water evaporates from your cuticles. Now keep in mind that water will naturally evaporate from your hair strands no matter what you do or add to keep it in, but there are methods that you can do that will slow this process down.
Film-forming humectants
Film-forming humectants are not your regular humectants such as glycerin and honey. These only draw moisture from the atmosphere into your hair whereas film-forming humectants also form a film around your hair that prevents water from escaping your strands. If you find that your hair is getting dry after a few days, spray your hair with a bit of water or shower without a bonnet/scarf/cap to allow the water to reactivate the film-forming humectant. Examples of film-forming humectants that you can look for in the ingredients list of your styling or moisturising products include plant gels and hydrolyzed proteins.
Some specific examples:
- Aloe vera
- Flaxseed gel
- Slippery elm
- Nettle leaf
- Guar gum
- Xanthan gum
- Hydroxyethylcellulose
- Pectin
- Hydrolyzed wheat protein
Non-penetrating oils/butters
These are oils that have molecular structures that are too large to absorb into the hair so instead, they form a film. This film slows down water loss.
Remember, oils are hydrophobic meaning they repel water. Use these sparingly and ensure you properly cleanse your hair strands whilst shampooing to remove all the product so your hair can receive proper hydration.
e.g. sunflower, castor, grapeseed oil.
Don’t use oils if you’re desired style is a wash n go. Because….
Styling
Guys, we made it to the very last step of wash day. Finally, it’s time for the styling process! Now, this is where wash day becomes interesting as we delve into the preparation of twist outs, braids outs, wash n gos, bantu knot out, perm-rods, flexi rods, mini twists and so many more styles. The choices are endless and that’s the beauty of natural hair!
Depending on your hair, you may need to use a styler to hold your hair and set styles for it to remain defined for longer than two days.
Stylers are products that hold your hair in a particular style. You can use any of your favourite styling products to achieve your desired look e.g. gels, custards, creams, mousses etc… If you wish you to, you can go straight to using a styler without using a leave-in! Your styler may contain ingredients that help add moisture to your hair and the process of washing your hair provides sufficient moisture to not require a leave-in.
If you want the drying process to be quick and want to rock your new hairstyle immediately, you can use a hooded dryer or a hand-held dryer. If not, you can also air dry!
Final words
And that ladies and gentlemen, concludes your wash day routine!!
That wasn’t so tedious, was it. Graduating from Youtube University has made many naturals believe hair care to be a complicated and extremely time-consuming part of life. I hope I have shown you that that is not the case.