Let’s take the “day” out of “wash day”
The only way to really clean your hair and scalp, sans build-up and sweat, is with shampoo. A decent, clarifying, shampoo. Not clay, not conditioner, not vinegar, not rice water.
Shampoo.
I’ve had a hard reset. After a massive hair setback, I started following a routine stripped back to the basics. Cleanse, condition, and style. Dassit.
That’s right — I’m talking about the wash-and-go.
I’ve ditched the oils and butters(!) and re-learned from a pro. I just wasn’t feeling my hair. The breakage and shedding was out of control.
As “The Copy Mixtress“, my kitchen has seen its share of janky homemade hair concoctions. But I learned my lesson, so you can learn yours.
Life’s messy enough without a complicated hair care routine.
The beauty industry is a runaway train of curl-friendly brands all promising “the best” for your hair. And that’s without getting into wash-day techniques. Here’s the thing: a simple hair routine isn’t White hair exclusive.
Discover a simple, timeless hair routine and start taking better care of your curls, today. No trends, no BS…just the truth.
Here’s 5 things to keep in mind when switching up your wash technique:
1. Check your ingredients
Give your curls the treatment they deserve. Steer clear from shampoos containing:
- Sulfates: The rich foam is a mind-trick! Sulfates are found in cosmetics and products under your kitchen sink. They will strip your hair and leave a thirsty mess. Some are even damaging to the environment. Yikes.
- Parabens: A preservative that prevents mould and bacteria. Can also cause skin irritation and other harmful effects on the body.
- Formaldehyde: Contains cancer-causing properties, and is irritating to your skin. Send this sucker back to the lab.
- Coconut Oil (optional): It’s had its day. Everyone (and their mum) was using it. It makes more problems than it fixes — I reckon we all agree on that. If your hair is prone to dryness and tangles (especially on wash day), leave the coconut on the beach.
2. Wash regularly
Black hair doesn’t thrive in dirt — it’s a racist lie. Absolute bobbins. Leaving your hair festering for weeks or months in braids or protective styles stresses your scalp, and the matting (and dirt) unpicked during the takedown undoes all the “protection” of leaving the style untouched.
Hydration means water. Our hair needs water. After upping my wash game to twice a week — from once — my hair is easier to detangle. Let the shower do its thing. Finger-detangle while shampooing, before working through with your chosen detangling brush (and conditioner of choice).
How often you wash depends on what you use in your hair. Heavy butters, creams, and oils equal more build-up. You should wash your hair at least once a week. 10 days, tops.
3. Don’t sweat the temperature (too much)
I’ve always side-eyed people who rinse with cold water, especially in the winter. It just couldn’t be me. Like folks who use the cold shower buckets at the gym. I’ve tried cool rinsing; it just isn’t worth spooking the neighbours with screams. It just isn’t.
I’ve never noticed a difference between rinsing my hair with cool and hot (not scalding) water.
Nobody knows your body better than you; you wash on the regular (right?). Ditch the cold. As long as you’re not scalding yourself or passing out, you’re good. Stick to a comfortable temperature.
4. Tweak your Technique
When people pile their hair up into big foamy dollops on TV, I cringe.
Wash your hair in sections and keep your hair as stretched as possible during washing. Sectioning speeds up detangling and styling. Get into your roots first – give your scalp a real massage – then catch your ends while rinsing (using a light touch).
Oh! And treat your shampoo as a detangler. It’s not a slippery product, but wash downwards, from root to tip. And start finger detangling. You won’t get all the tangles at this stage — and that’s okay. That’s what conditioner is for.
5. You get what you pay for…
In my previous post I played down using a cheap shampoo — needs must. But here’s the thing with haircare: you get out what you put in. You won’t get the results you’re looking for with cheap pharmacy-brand shampoo – they don’t have what your curls need.
Keep an eye out for discount codes (newsletter sign-up walk of shame, here), check out online sales, and avoid buying in bulk, to keep costs down.
Here’s the Dirt…
The right shampoo and technique are more than simple beauty rituals. Your hair is a blank canvas, post-wash. Ready for your creative flair…or styling products (gels, mousses, sprays).
My wash-and-gos pop hardest after a wash. If you’ve ever wondered about your true curl pattern, post-shampoo (and soaking wet) is your curls in their most defined state. Where you go from there, is a choice I leave to you…because I’ve got The Matrix on the brain.
Remember the next time you’re cruising the beauty aisle: your perfect hair day is just a decent shampoo away.
Until next time!
G x
Follow me on Twitter @GeiselleAdele
Many thanks to Anita of Monarch Curls
The Copy Mixtress 