My type 4 Wash Day Routine

Well, I have gotten lots of questions from friends and family on what the basic things are that I do during my wash day to take care of my natural hair. First, I'd like to say that these are the things that work for ME. Not everyone will benefit from the same practices and products. Many different factors come into play. Environment, lifestyle and diet are just a few factors which have an impact on haircare. Having said that, I will share with you my current wash day routine (I have been natural for nearly 10 years, so this routine has certainly changed over time). Try it out if you'd like, but remember, there's no substitute for experience. Keep trying until you find what works for you!

Prepoo (pre-shampoo)

My hubby questions the clever name of this vital step (lol), but it's really just based on the fact that you take this step before shampooing your hair. Pre-shampoo is shortened to "pre-poo". I am a HUGE advocate of pre-pooing, or applying an oil mixture to the hair before shampooing.I pre-poo for several reasons. First, applying the oils to my hair and scalp provides a pre-conditioning treatment and nourishes the scalp. The oils in the pre-poo mix are anti-septic and anti-bacterial, and also stimulate the scalp. Also, Coconut Oil penetrates the hair strand, and provides a measure of protection against hydral fatigue which is oversaturation of the hair strand. Finally, Coconut Oil also behaves like a protein, strengthening the hair strand, although it is NOT a protein, so you don't have to worry about protein overload. (FYI, I tend to stay away from protein treatments. The danger of damaging the hair with too much protein concerns me, and rather than figuring out the precise protein/moisture balance for my specific head of hair, I'd rather just pre-poo with Coconut Oil. Works for me!) My pre-poo consists of:

Coconut Oil (3 ounces or 150 ml)
Rosemary Oil (10-15 drops)
*Lavender Oil (5-7 drops)
*Tea Tree Oil (5 drops)

*these two oils are optional.

I have been known to put Avocado Oil in this mix as well.

So, first I separate my hair into 4 or 6 sections, and twist each section for easy access later. I mix the oils together in an applicator bottle, then warm the bottle in a cup of hot water. When the bottle is sufficiently warmed, I spritz my hair with hot water making it very damp (but not soaking wet) and apply the oil to my hair and scalp one section at a time. Make sure to get those ends! Once all of the sections are done, I cover my head with a plastic bag (or cap if that's how you roll ;-)) and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

Detangle

 After 30 minutes, I apply an inexpensive conditioner  (Currently I am using Herbal Essences Moroccan My Shine Conditioner) to my hair one section at a time. The conditioner + oil combination provides excellent "slip" (a smooth, viscous surface) so that the hair strands can separate without knotting or tangling further. I slowly begin to finger detangle the section. As the section is already in a twist, I find that it is easier to work with one section of the twist first, and then the other. I tuck the section that I'm not working with back under the plastic bag. This step admittedly takes the longest, because this is when I am removing the shed hairs, tangles and potential knots from my hair and I have to be very gentle so that I don't break strands of hair and lose length. For me, this step takes about one to two hours. Remember, though, that I have midback length hair. For some people this step will take longer, for others, the time will be shorter. Also, note that people who detangle with a tool such as a wide-toothed comb or denman brush will not take as long. I prefer not to use any tools because it is easier to avoid breakage.

To finger detangle, I take each section and apply a generous amount of conditioner, then begin pulling the section apart bit by bit. I should be able to run my fingers through the section once it is thoroughly detangled.

Shampoo

My current shampoo love is Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo. It gently cleanses while not stripping the hair and causing that "squeaky" feeling when your done (that squeaky feeling means that you've removed your good natural oils from your hair. This is not a good thing.). The only thing I would recommend if you use this product is that you add some to an applicator bottle first and dilute it with water. I find that it is very thick and has a hard time spreading. Yes, this will impact the pH of the product. If this is important to you, then don't dilute it.

I open one twist at a time and apply the shampoo-water mixture to one section of my scalp, scrubbing with the pads of my fingers. I follow this by running the mixture down the section of hair in a downward motion rubbing the hair between my hands as I move downward (to avoid bunching the hair together and tangling). Then I rinse and retwist the section.

Once all of the sections are done, I'm ready for the next step...

Deep Conditioning

This is probably my favorite step because of all the good moisture that I know is being added to my hair. After all these years of trying different deep conditioning products both "natural" and "synthetic", I've found that what works best for me is good ole' LeKair Cholesterol Plus. ;-) I can't vouch for the other cholesterols (Queen Helene, for instance) but I love what this one does for my hair! My hair is always soft and well moisturized after using it.

To use, I open one twist at a time, apply the product rather liberally, work it through the whole section, and then retwist (again, don't forget those ends!) When all the sections are done, I put a plastic bag on my head, and sit under a hooded dryer for 30 minutes. If I can't sit under a dryer, I leave it on for a longer period of time (up to an hour). After this, I rinse the product from my hair one section at a time. I do not usually open the twists to rinse the product out, but I am VERY thorough while rinsing, particularly at the base of the twist.

Leave-in Conditioner, Moisturizer and Seal

After rinsing out the deep conditioner, I apply a creamy leave in conditioner and follow it up with a moisturizer. This is a vital step in keeping your hair supple and manageable after wash day. The leave in conditioner which I have come to love is Kinky Curly Knot Today. I started with it in the days of the Kimmaytube Leave-In (some of y'all know what I'm talking about, lol) blending it with other products. However, eventually I just began using it on it's own. I open the twists one at a time and apply a nickel-sized amount to each opened twist, making sure to concentrate on the ends. I then apply a dime-sized amount of the Shea Moisture Curl and Style Milk to my hair. Once those are on, I pour a dime-sized amount of my sealing oil onto my hands and apply it to the section (this just helps the product which you've applied remain on the hair longer.) I then retwist the section and move on to the next one. Once all of the sections are done I can either let it air dry and then style, or begin styling right away.

In case you're wondering, my sealing oil consists of:

Coconut Oil
Sweet Almond Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Vanilla Essential Oil

and it smells like a heavenly cookie. ;-)

Now before you say it, yes, I am mixing product lines like crazy! I am aware of this, and I know that products within a line are designed to work together and provide the proper pH balance throughout the haircare process. However, I have found that this combination of products work very nicely for my hair and after many years of being natural and experimenting, they have become my staples. I will say that the latest addition is the Moisture Retention Shampoo, having just been added to my regimen last summer. However, prior to this I used a mild, pH balanced shampoo.

So, this is my wash day situation, and it works very well for me. When living in Atlanta (a relatively humid city year-round) I followed this routine weekly. However, living in Jerusalem, Israel, the environment is very arid most of the year, so I only follow this routine once every three weeks, because the frequent manipulation was causing breakage. I have found that here, handling my hair less is a better option to washing and deep conditioning each week.

I hope that this information is helpful to you, I know writing it all down certainly was helpful for me!

Shalom, y'all!