Wash day, wash day, wash day, what more can I say? Getting mentally prepared and making sure you have all of your products to start is just the beginning. It is truly a process that takes time, especially if you have just made the transition to having natural hair. There are plenty of Tik Tok and YouTube videos available to watch about washing your hair and trying different routines. Even a comic by writer Jamila Rowser and illustrator Robyn Smith called Wash Day, was created as a way of empowering Black women with regard to their hair and teaching them self-love as a revolutionary act.
Be sure to always follow product labels and instructions. Now, let's start with the basics:
Wash day
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Experts say that washing your hair once a week is good because African-American hair is naturally drier, washing it more frequently could over-dry the hair.
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Choose a shampoo that is alcohol-free, ph-balanced, and non-toxic. Shampoo is for cleaning the scalp, and the suds work to clean the length of hair. Get the scalp and hair sufficiently wet so you can get the shampoo right to the scalp. Apply the shampoo to your scalp and work it in with your fingers. Be sure to massage the shampoo down the length of your hair, and rinse. This should take anywhere between 10-15 minutes. Rinse well with warm water to keep the cuticle open and ready to absorb the conditioner. If you feel there is still buildup on your hair, you can shampoo it again. Make sure the shampoo is completely washed out and be sure to squeeze the excess water out.
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Using a conditioner after shampooing is necessary to rebalance the hair’s pH and seal the cuticles. Apply the conditioner and work to the mid-shaft and ends of the hair. Detangle the hair and leave it on hair for at least 10 min, but always follow directions on the bottle. You can also deep condition by applying conditioner and covering hair with a shower cap for 30 minutes. Rinse with cool water, which closes the pores, blocks dirt, and smoothes cuticles. It also seals in all the moisture from the conditioning treatment.
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When drying hair squeeze, do not rub, as this may damage the cuticle because of the friction. If natural opt for a microfiber towel if possible to reduce frizziness.
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Apply a leave-in conditioner (Safo Leave In coming soon) or heat protectant before blow-drying hair. The job of a leave-in conditioner is to help your hair stay moisturized, prevent hair damage, and keep the strands detangled. No, you don't have to rinse this conditioner out, that's why it's called a leave-in! Using a comb attachment to blow dry your hair is ideal because blow-drying wet hair takes a lot of pulling and tugging, which can end up breaking the hair. Since African-American hair is much more fragile, some recommend letting the hair air-dry or sitting under a dryer for a short period before blow-drying.
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Lastly, use our serum as part of your wash day routine by applying the scalp serum directly to your scalp and massaging with your fingertips. Follow by applying a quarter size amount of our hair moisturizer to your palm and working through your strands from root to tip. This helps boost your hair’s natural shine and maintain moisture. Style how you want and you are ready to step out and be fabulous!
Keep in mind that everyone's natural hair is different so you have to find what works for you and your hair. Everyone’s curl patterns are different and finding the right product combination can take time and may vary from wash to wash depending on how you plan on styling your hair. Remember, the style you choose — straight, curly, twist-out, braids, etc. — will influence the products you need. If you're flat-ironing, reach for a heat protectant so you don’t damage your hair from the heat. You just finished wash day! Not as painful as you thought. Now, find what works for you so you can have a routine to follow daily.
