5 Mistakes Made on Wash Day

Wash days are perhaps the cornerstone of any healthy hair journey.

We use one day of the week to reset our hair; to strengthen, soften, condition and caress.

But what if your are negating all your efforts by executing some of the most paramount steps erroneously?

You could very well be, since what I'm about to tell you, are blunders made by many a sojourner at one point or another.

 

1. Not pre-pooing - this step is certainly one of the most pivotal in the whole wash day process. It prepares the hair for what it is about to undergo, and protects it from the negative effects that can result from issues such as hydral fatigue or harsh shampoos. (Read up on the pre-poo here.)
2. Speaking of harsh shampoos... this is another crucial mistake. Some shampoos can be very drying to your hair, particularly those containing sulfates. Protect against these harmful effects by a) shampooing less often, b) opting for a sulfate-free shampoo, c) choose a more natural cleanser such as ACV or clay or d) skip the cleansers altogether, opting instead to co-wash (washing with conditioner only).
3. Bundling your hair on top of your head -  This is not a Herbal Essences commercial!! Your hair will tangle, matte and/ or break. Instead of bundling, be sure to have your strands hanging down and raking your fingers through your tresses as you go to detangle and remove any shed hair.
   

   
   

   

    
4. Not deep conditioning - You wrong for this boo! Do not skip the deep conditioning process. Sure, it may slap an extra 30 minutes or so onto your wash day but it's worth it. Deep conditioning is a key way to put back some of the moisture lost during the week and also during shampooing, it is vital for adding protein to your strands for stronger, more resilient hair, and it can give your hair much-needed elasticity, allowing it to make it through the week ahead. You can DIY or use store-bought conditioners that meet the needs of your hair, but please, deep condition.
5. (Bath) Towel drying - the T-shirt has become one of the most popular ways of drying ethnic hair, and rightly so. The bath towel is much too rough on our tresses and can lead to damage and breakage. The soft cotton composition of the t-shirt is much gentler on our hair. It removes excess water in a jiffy and leaves the hair soft, moisturized and manageable. An up-sell to the t-shirt is the twisty-turby (it goes by many other names as well), which is made of a microfiber material and pretty much does the same job as the t-shirt. The choice is yours.

 

If you are newbie to this hair journey thing, don't beat yourself up too bad. It's OK, we all made these mistakes at some point the important thing is that you learn and grow. However, if you are a veteran and still possess these bad habits... shame on you! lol. I kid, but you know what to do now... kick 'em straight to da curb!

 

Talk to you soon,

Ciao!