Wash and Go

Summer is here and a good time for Wash and Go styles.

What is Wash & Go? Does it mean you just wash your hair and go? Certainly not! There is more to wash and go than the name implies. Simply, “wash and go” is when your hair in its natural curl pattern, with little manipulation with tools, braids or stretching. The recommendations below are for type 4 hair (my hair). You may need lighter products if your hair is finer.

What You’ll Need: (check blog for links to products)

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Deep conditioner
• Hair butter/ cream: I use my DIY shea butter cream
• Leave-in conditioner
• Styling lotion
• Oils: DIY oil mix, coconut oil, etc
• Styling gel
• Hair dryer/Diffuser (optional)
• Tshirt or Microfiber towel (optional)

Directions:

1. Section your hair into manageable sizes
2. Wash/Cleanse: It’s important to keep your hair clean for Wash and Go. 
3. Apply a deep conditioner
4. Rinse
5. Apply a nourishing conditioner and detangle hair
6. Rinse thoroughly
7. Apply a leave-in conditioner. The Mane choice has been helpful. The 3-1 product helps to quickly detangle and get my hair ready for the rest of the products. It also smells really good
8. The real deal: 
   • On a semi-wet or drenching wet hair (depends or whether I do this in or out of the shower) I combine a bit of the coconut oil, a good amount of shea butter and SheaMoisture styling lotion in my hands, gently mix the products together, and apply to the section of my hair.
   • Detangle again “if needed” and also to keep the products distributed in the hair.
   • Apply some oil “if available” – you need the shine and moisture
   • Spray additional water on the section (if hair is getting dry) and add the styling gel using the “praying-hands” method. For more defined curls you can apply the gel to smaller sections and to the hair individual stands. If you have a thicker hair you’ll need more gel than someone with finer hair.
   • Allow your hair to air dry, sit under a hooded dryer or wrap a t-shirt around the curls. T-shirts are great frizz fighters.
9. Moisturize & Style. You don’t need too much manipulation when your hair is in Wash and Go, frizz and gel are enemies so keep your hands off unless it’s very necessary to apply some moisture – go for some light oil.
10. Nightime Care: Wrap your dried hair in satin hair wrap or bonnet