Stress Free Wash Day - Or A Wash Day That Suits You

Don't Judge, Let You Do You

Caring for curly and textured hair can sometimes feel overwhelming, but discovering the right routine for you can make all the difference. Washday doesn’t have to be a chore, it can, and should be, a luxurious moment to pamper yourself, give yourself some time and nurture your curls. 

But again, it's important not to make this another thing you have to find time for and get right.  If you don't have the time spare and just need to get the basics done efficiently, thats okay too. 

We have way too many guides to adhere to that actually add stress if we don't achieve them - Don't let this be another!

Whether it's a full on pamper or a quick run through, there are a few basics that can help save time, protect your hair and ensure you're not causing any damage or breakage along the way. 

Detangle Before You Wash

Gently detangling your hair with a wide-tooth comb or your fingers before shampooing is a great way to work through any knots or tangles.  This stops the urge to rush through them with a brush which can be more abrasive - stressing both the scalp and the hair strands. A little bit of prep will shorten your shampoo stage, but you'll know how much your hair needs - it it hasn't matted too much, you could skip this process - use your judgement.

The Wash Stage

Dependent on what your hair needs there can be a number of stages and indeed a number of shampoos to use.  The key is think about how you look after your hair, the products you've used and how much build up and dirt you have to cleanse through.

Consider the shampoo you need to use - if you use a lot of silicones, chemical enhanced products or strong gels, you'll be leaning towards a clarifying shampoo to break down the chemical build up.  If you use more natural products for your styling, you can choose a lighter shampoo.  The key is you want to cleanse the scalp and hair by gently lifting and shifting the dirt away.  There are many schools of thought here, when it comes to moisturising shampoos, strong shampoos, pre-poos etc... but I'd suggest using our Shedid & Parrish Deep Cleansing Shampoo which is a great sulphate free cleanser, removes dirt and build up but is gentle on the scalp and hair due to it's formulation with a balanced pH5.  You should get a good amount of lather forming, but if you don't rinse and wash again. Due to the gentle ingredients multiple washes won't dry out your scalp or hair but will give you a thorough wash.  Try the first wash focussing on the scalp and the second with more of a focus on the hair strands themselves. 

Condition Generously

This is one of the most important stages for those of us blessed with curls.  Due to the way the curl grows, it's coils inhibit the natural sebum (oils) from reaching the end of the hair shaft, hence the concern that curly hair can get very dry.  Conditioner is therefore your friend, but consider the ingredients and how you apply it.  Some conditioners can be applied on the scalp and hair, others may be too oily and more appropriate for the hair alone.  Our Deep Restoring Conditioner with it's natural formulation and combination of raw shea, olive oil & castor oil can be used as a masque when infused with heat, or as a simple rinse out conditioner when time is limited.  Simply leaving it on the hair whilst attending to washing the body, then gently brushing it through once it's had a few minutes to activate will make the world of difference.  Knots and tangles melt away and with prolonged use, don't appear so frequently in the future. 

Top tip: Be mindful of silicone in conditioners, they can be used to add slip and make the hair feel great! But be careful as they coat and suffocate the hair stopping anything else  penetrating.  In time, the hair gets dryer and brittle, something you want to avoid.  

To Rinse or Not to Rinse?

This all depends on the conditioner you're using.  Some conditioners are incredible for moisturising your hair, but may be too heavy to leave in - I wouldn't recommend you leave our Deep Restoring Conditioner in the hair as the olive oil is just too heavy and may result in weighing down the hair. I'd alway say rinse it out thoroughly.  If you're using a lighter conditioner then you could leave a little in but personally, I rather doing this in two stages.  You fully rinse out the conditioner from the shower and then apply a small amount of Leave in Conditioner pre styling.  This way you know how much Leave in you're actually using (it's very hard to tell when you're rinsing out some but not all) and you also know it's light enough to be left in without being too much for your hair.  

Post Shower & Styling

So per the above, once the conditioner has been rinsed out, dampen the hair with a microfibre towel or similar to reduce the potential of frizz or breaking the curl pattern. I'd recommend some leave in conditioner at this stage and would of course suggest our Silky Leave in Conditioner  which is light weight for nourishing the driest of curls. This gives a great start point for the whole head of hair, think of it as you would a primer for make-up, for those who use it, so that all of the strands have the same finish and texture.  Make sure you keep adding water at this stage too - if the hair dries without moisture you're asking for frizz. 

When it comes to styling, it's really dependent on the time you have, what you're looking to achieve and how long you want it to last.  For long lasting styles, think protective styles and twists that can be worn for a few days then undone and worn again, the upfront styling will help hold the curl for longevity.  For a wash and go, its more about applying a styling treatment whilst wet and setting the curls in place, either by air drying or with the help of a diffuser.  

The key is to remember that a wash day can be a little time that you carve out just for you, or it can be a functional process to get the job done.   Either way, a little care and attention goes a long way to making the wash day count; minimising the time you need to dedicate to refreshing during the week and building strength into your hair for the longterm. 

For any questions around your specific needs, get in touch at info@shedidandparrish.co.uk, we look forward to chatting curls with you