10 Things I Do on Wash Day That Made a Difference

My reflection betrayed me “You’re not supposed to look like that,” I said, furrowing my brows and mean-mugging the mirror. I’d taken down my last braid, hoping for a beautifully defined braidout. But my natural hair looked a mess. It was dry and frizzy. Random pieces of hairs stuck out like antennas. I didn’t understand. I'd washed and conditioned my hair the previous day. I used all the products that naturalistas had been raving about. What happened? The short answer—I didn’t understand my hair yet.

For this ten-year natural, all wash days were definitely not created equal. For those of you who are new to the natural hair community, a wash day refers to the day you cleanse and condition your hair. It took me a while to realize it’ll take more than just a shampoo and conditioning session to help my hair maximize its potential for styling. I’ve had some really rough moments, where my natural hair turned out to be a complete disaster post wash day. However, what was great about these moments was that I paid attention and learned from my errors.

Here are ten things I do on wash day that have proven to make a difference in the manageability, strength, moisture, and shine of my natural hair.

1. Smaller sections. You’d think that smaller sections mean a longer detangling session, but it’s quite the opposite for me. I used to detangle my hair in four sections and it worked great for me for many years. However, one day I decided to detangle using six to eight sections, and I’ve been detangling that way ever since. This new method shaved about fifteen minutes off my detailing time.

2. Using a Denman brush. I used to only finger-detangle. But in recent years, I’ve since converted to a Denman brush. The Denman has many fine, flexible teeth that makes for more thorough detangling, in my opinion. In my experience, using the finger-only method didn’t allow me to remove all of my shed hairs. Those loose hairs wrapped around my strands and formed many tangles and single strand knots. I usually don’t have this problem using a Denman brush. Tangles and single-strand knots have drastically reduced, which means I have less snagging on wash day.

3. Clean parts. These days, I pay careful attention to sectioning my hair with clean parts before detangling. Clean parts are another way to avoid snagging during detangling sessions. I don’t mean perfect parts, but parts that don’t have pieces of hair overlapping into other sections. I use the same parting when I'm setting my hair for a braidout or a twistout.

4. Trims. If I notice any snagging during detangling, sometimes it means I’m due for a trim. I used to underestimate the importance of regular trims, but now I know that clean ends actually help my detangling tool glide through my hair easier. My braidouts and twistouts also look one-hundred percent better with fresh ends.

5. Non-sulfate shampoos. There seems to be a big debate surrounding sulfate and non-sulfate shampoos. Sulfates are the ingredient that makes shampoos foam when washing the hair. This detergent is also known for drying out the hair by stripping it of its natural oils, resulting in mats and tangles. For my hair, using a natural shampoo has made wash days so much easier because they don’t dry out and mat my hair in the way I’ve experienced with sulfate products. This means that I still have untangled and manageable hair once I rinse out the shampoo. In previous years, shampooing my hair used to mean I’d have to spend even more time detangling post-wash.

6. Skip the rinse-out conditioner. This is just an extra step that never made a difference in the final outcome of my hair. When I stopped using rinse-out conditioners, I noticed my hair still turned out as soft and pliable as it did when rinse – outs were a regular part of my regimen. Not to mention, these products are unnecessary for my hair since I use non-sulfate shampoos that don’t strip my hair of its natural moisture.

7. Deep conditioning. I deep condition my hair every time I wash it, which is usually once a week. There was a time, however, when I didn’t. As a result, my hair was weaker and less moisturized. I typically deep condition using a hair steamer, but in the past I’ve achieved great results using a good old-fashioned hot oil treatment and shower cap. These days, the condition of my hair is much stronger and more lustrous.

8. Bunning. After washing my hair, I smother my tresses with deep conditioner and bun it, before applying the conditioner to smaller sections. I’ve found this prevents my hair from drying out during the application process. I simply apply my deep conditioner section by section, while keeping the remainder hair coated and in a bun. Once the conditioner is applied to all sections, I bun each section and sit underneath my hair steamer. Before I practiced this method, I constantly had to spritz my hair with water to prevent premature drying.

9. Using the shower. I used to wash my hair at the sink. However, while more convenient, I always felt as though I were either missing a spot or not rinsing out products thoroughly. There’s just something about immersing my entire head underneath the shower head that makes my scalp feel squeaky clean after shampooing. Not to mention, the weight of the water keeps my hair nice and detangled while rinsing.

10. Rinsing with cool water. Nobody likes to do this, but I must admit it has made a huge difference. Whenever I rinse my hair with cool water, it’s always shinier with very defined curls. This is because cool water closes the cuticles of the hair, meaning less frizz and more moisture retention. I’ve also found that this method yields great results for my braidouts and twistouts, giving my hair great definition after takedown.

I can’t end this post without saying that every head of hair is different, but experimenting is the key. Some methods I’ve learned from other naturals have not worked for me due to differences in hair texture, porosity, density, and so forth. Likewise, some methods have worked wonderfully for me. You can’t be afraid to experiment with your hair. It’s the only way you’ll get to know it better!

What invaluable tips have you learned from other naturals that has made your wash days easier? Let us know down below!

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