Hey lovlies!
Now, like many naturalistas, wash day is often this long dreaded part of the week, and as it grows, the task sometimes becomes even more arduous. Thankfully, after years in the natural game, I've mastered my wash day down to a science. The process begins by taking down my current look or protective style, finger detangling, then sectioning my hair and applying loose medium sized twists. Throughout the process, I keep my hair in twists while in the shower, unraveling just one section at a time as I begin cleansing.
Washing & Shampoos
Now some might wonder, “how I get away with washing my hair with actual shampoo only once per month?” I attribute this to the fact I use so little styling products in my hair. No gels, holding sprays, pomades, or thick butters requiring heavy duty cleansing. That said, when I do shampoo, I have a two clear favorites:
Maui Moisture’s shampoo from their Bamboo Fibers line for a gentle wash and Tropical Isle Living: Jamaican Black Castor Oil Shampoo with shea butter when my hair needs a deep / clarifying shampooing. Notice the moisturizing trend in my routine?
Conditioners & Global Ingredients
Left unattended my hair in its natural state tends to be dry, thick, and afro textured (minus a few looser curls at the nape of the neck). To combat this, I co-wash weekly (meaning I cleanse my hair primarily with a moisture rich conditioner), and only apply actual shampoo monthly, usually at the beginning or end of the month. At the moment, my holy grails have been moisture rich conditioners, including Maui Moisture, my absolute favorite at the moment. With their Bamboo Fibers line I not only discovered my afro textured hair has curls, but also my hair has a newfound strength.
In recent years on my hair journey, I’ve begun to explore new products as I learn more about sulfates and other harmful or drying ingredients. One of the best and most natural conditioners and pre-poo hair treatments, a moisture rich product I use during finger detangling, just prior to wash day. has come from Burt’s Bees. Now while this brand isn’t as popular in African-American haircare circles, let me tell you, the amount of moisture, hydration, bounce, and shine I get from my hair when using these products wonderful. Plus? Burt's Bees products are over 93% natural which is a double win for me, as my hair and scalp are super sensitive to chemicals due to eczema.
Finally, as a secret ingredient to wash day, I use a tip I picked up while living in Qatar, rose buds! Dried rosebuds from the country of Iran which are steeped in hot water (like tea), allowed to cool, then strained … The water remaining is then used as a final rinse to the hair just before leaving the shower. Benefits include: Strong health hair growth, improved circulation, and infusion of natural vitamins and mineral. I typically include this into my routine at lease twice a month, sourced from my local spice shop.
Handling & Length Retention
As refresher, I've mentioned a few of my hair handling tips in a previous post, which can be found here - 6 Tips for Starting Your Natural Hair Journey.
In short, whenever I handle my hair, I always use my fingers to detangle my strands … Constantly smoothing my hair in a downward motion to keep the hair shaft closed and to encourage the hair to remain stretched. As my hair has gotten longer, I use combs only after a thorough finger detangling, if my hair has become tangled / matted (usually when I get lazy, lol), or if I find a stubborn knot. Without the constant pulling of combs on my strands, I've been able to retain much more of my length.
Length Check
With a bit of patience, I’ve now reached nearly hip-length hair (grazing 20 inches at the longest points). Below is a quick video checking on my hair’s progress and prepping for wash day after waring it out in a stretched state for the week. I truly hope this inspires someone!
Thanks for watching! If you ANY questions for me on my hair journey or the products I use (and why), feel free to connect with me on Instagram and send me a DM. Remember, hair growth is a process and health hair should always be top priority or length goals.
As always … The Journey Continues!
