My Wash-Day Routine

It’s a long day, believe me. I separate my wash day into four parts: pre-poo, shampoo, deep condition, and style (LOC Method). It’s important to note that my goal behind each of my wash days is not only to wash my hair but to pack as much moisture and strand-strengthening protein to keep my hair manageable throughout the work week. Although I take all day with my hair, you don’t have to. What’s important is that you carefully perform every step; the rougher you are with your hair, the more you will see breakage. I usually wash my hair once a week – if it cooperates, I can sometimes stretch it out for two weeks.

A lot of my friends wonder why it takes me so long. Others are curious to see if my routine will work better with their hair because of our similar hair type. So, here’s what I do!

PRE-POO

A pre-poo is usually an oil treatment that is applied to hair prior to shampooing or conditioning. Its benefits are overwhelming and worth the extra time that it will take. Pre-poo-ing moisturizes, helps detangle, softens, and protects hair from the shampoo process.

What do I mean by the shampoo process? Every time we shampoo and condition our hair, or add significant amounts of water to our hair, the hair shaft needs to expand to accommodate the extra water. When our hair dries the opposite occurs, the hair contracts – this is known as hygral fatigue. Repeating this process over and over can create damage to the hair cuticle. To prevent this damage from occurring, I use oils to protect the hair fiber against the fatigue.

OILS FOR PRE-POOS

• Coconut oil
• Castor Oil
• Olive Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Jojoba Oil

When the oil is applied to the hair as a pre-shampoo, a small amount of oil can be absorbed into the hair and can penetrate under the cuticle when the hair fiber swells. Coconut oil has the best ability to protect the hair fiber. It has a strong affinity for hair proteins and can protect the hair by binding to them. This reduces the hair protein’s ability to bind to water molecules resulting in less swelling, less contracting, and less trauma.

I add an extra element to my pre-poo treatment, fresh aloe vera leaf. Aloe Vera's natural enzymes destroy excessive dead skin cells and fungus that leads to dandruff, while also leaving the scalp’s pH level balance and hair moisturized. It also works along with the oils to detangle, giving a lot more slip to my hair during application.

My oil cocktail for my pre-poos is coconut oil & castor oil.

THE HOW-TO

1. Section your hair into four sections.
2. Part the first section and apply the gel from the aloe vera leaf to your scalp; work into the roots and work to your ends.
3. Apply your oil cocktail from the root to the tips of the section of your hair.
4. Repeat for all sections until entire head is covered.
5. Cover your hair with a plastic cap, and let your pre-poo treatment sit – the amount of time if up to you. The long the treatment sits, the more saturated your hair will be. The minimum amount of time is 15-30 minutes. My pre-poo treatments are overnight.
6. Rinse your hair, then proceed with your shampoo.

SHAMPOO

I choose my shampoos based on what they offer my hair. I like to see the words nourishing, moisturizing, and clarifying on my bottles; that’s how I know they will do what I need. I like shampoos that are sulfate and paraben free, the more natural the better. My favorite hair care line is SheaMoisture, they get rid of all the extra chemicals and provide products for ethnic hair.

My hair stylist told me that the shampoo isn’t the most important product. In the end, it’s just striping our natural oils while cleaning the daily product build up. It’s the most essential step of a wash day, yet one of the more damaging aspects.

I focus my attention on my scalp when shampooing my hair. You want to clean your scalp and to condition the strands of your hair.

MY FAVORITE SHAMPOOS

SheaMoisture Sacha Inchi Oil Omega 3, 6, 9 Rescue + Repair Clarifying Shampoo

SheaMoisture African Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo

Garnier Whole Blends Avocado Oil & Shea Butter Nourishing Shampoo

CONDITIONER/DEEP CONDITIONER

You should ALWAYS condition your hair. I believe that leave-in conditioners are merely not enough, especially for naturally curly and kinky hair. Our hair’s homeostasis is based off a balance between protein (follicle strength) and moisture. The conditioner’s main job is to infuse moisture into your hair strands.

I use deep conditions with every wash and I leave it on for unknown periods of time, which is probably another reason wash-day takes all day for me. My favorite DIY deep conditioner is a simple recipe with avocado (½), banana (1), and coconut milk (1 cup). Once again, my brand of choice for conditioner is SheaMoisture. Each line combined ingredients that serve a specific purpose to the health of our hair.

MY FAVORITES CONDITIONERS

SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Conditioner

SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen Grow & Restore Treatment Masque

SheaMoisture Mongongo & Hemp Seed Oils High Porosity Moisture-Seal Masque

L.O.C. METHOD – STYLING

I utilize the L.O.C. method when setting a style for my hair. The Liquid Oil Cream Method or L.O.C method is a technique for moisturizing hair. It consists of hydrating the hair with water or a water-based product which is your liquid, sealing in the moisture with oil and then applying a cream product to close the hair cuticle which prevents moisture loss.

On wash day, the liquid that I utilize is my leave-in conditioner. On days when I need to remoisturize my hair, I use aloe vera juice. A leave-in conditioner is one of the last forms of protein that my hair receives before I set the style, and its main purpose is to serve as such.

MY FAVORITE LEAVE-IN CONDITIONERS

SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Grow Leave-In Conditioner

Carol's Daughter Sacred Tiare Leave-In Conditioner

Crème of Nature Argan Oil Strength & Shine Leave-in Conditioner

Whichever oil you decide to use is up to you. I experimented with different oils until I figured out which ones work better for me, but I suggest using a carrier oil alongside an essential oil. The essential oil is “carried” into the hair and skin by the carrier oil.

TOP CARRIER OILS

• Coconut oil
• Avocado oil
• Jojoba oil
• Castor oil

I use a mixture of castor oil and sweet almond oil. Not only does the lightweight almond oil loosen up the thick castor oil, it also smells super sweet and your hair will too!

The final step is to seal the hair with a cream. Raw shea butter is a favorite for many, but it’s too heavy for my hair. I end up using store bought products that are thick, creamy and remind me of a whipped butter.

MY FAVORITE CREAMS

As I Am Doublebutter Cream

Creme Of Nature Butter-Licious Curls Hydrating Crème

My go-to when styling my hair is to do flat-twists. It elongates my coils all the way from the roots. To eliminate heat damage, I don’t use heat on my hair at all – it’s been about 5 months since I got a blow out to get goddess braids. Even though my hair is thick, it does dry completely overnight.

I untwist my hair in the morning, fluff it, and I’m ready to go. I don’t usually need to add oil or any form of sheen because of the steps that I took to ensure the moisture during the wash day – the moisture shines through!

Hope it’s been helpful! Let me know of your steps of your wash day routine.