Do You Secretly Dread Wash Day?
For naturals, watching shampoo commercials often feels like watching mini comedies. The calm, luxurious ease the model feels washing her hair simply doesn’t mirror our own experience. This isn’t to say that washing our hair can’t be a relaxing experience, it’s just different; it takes some level of preparation.
For new naturals, this can be exhausting.
Many natural women dread wash day. A quick search on YouTube will echo the same anxieties. Videos from vloggers of all ages promise to “cut wash-days in half,” or “win your wash day.” It’s not hard to hear the collective sigh. And it’s understandable. Wash days often involve a series of steps, from detangling to sectioning to conditioning and then stretching and styling. It’s beneficial to plan wash days in advance to make sure you can do it all.
There is no miracle product to cure all your washday woes, but there are ways to simplify your technique to make it easier for you while keeping your hair healthy.
Start with a pre-poo. Pre-pooing refers to a treatment applied to the hair prior to shampooing. We know this adds another step to your already busy wash day, but it’s worth it since it will save you time overall and improve the condition and health of your strands. A pre-poo can be an oil like Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil Serum or a conditioner like Nourish Treatment Deep Conditioner.
When shampooing, shampoo in sections. This helps to reduce shrinkage and tangling and helps effectively reach each section of hair to clean it properly. Some naturals also enjoy co-washing, which is the process of washing hair with conditioner. It keeps the hair soft and doesn’t strip hair of all its oils.
Finally, take the time to properly detangle your hair. You can choose to use tools, like a brush or a wide-tooth comb, or you can opt to detangle with just your fingers - this is the most gentle way. You can do this during pre-pooing, or while conditioning. Taking the time to properly detangle will save you time while styling.
Wash day doesn’t have to be a drag. Understanding each step and its importance will get you into a rhythm so you can OWN your wash days!