Wash Day Routine for 4C hair

Washing my 4C hair has no longer become a chore since I have discovered the ideal products that prevent my hair from drying out and tangling up during the washing process. 

No one wants to spend hours washing their hair when you could be doing something more fabulous and productive. Since my last blog post on my wash day routine I have switched up a few products and techniques to reduce the time it takes to wash my hair, but the end result is still gorgeous soft kinks.
I start off by running warm water through my hair and then I add Taliah Waajid Clean-N-Curly Hydrating Shampoo concentrating on the scalp to remove product build up and dirt. This shampoo lathers up so well and leaves my hair feeling clean, but without stripping it to the point where it is stiff and dry. The Clean-N- Curly hydrating shampoo contains silk protein which helps to keep my 4C kinks soft and manageable. After two applications I rinse out the shampoo thoroughly.                                              
The next step is adding a protein treatment. Whenever I skip using a protein treatment for several weeks, I immediately notice a decline in the condition of my hair. It breaks easier, split ends occur and the overall appearance is scraggly strands. My absolute favourite protein treatment is the Aphogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor. This stuff definitely revives my hair! I can easily detangle my hair when I place this protein treatment on. Kinks and coils are defined and I am left with extremely soft hair. The maximum time to leave the treatment on is five minutes.

Throughout the whole washing process I am constantly finger combing throughout my hair. Starting from the tips to the roots, I gently detangle to avoid breakage and more tangles forming, so once I reach the conditioner stage of the wash process my hair is almost free of knots. I totally avoid using a comb to detangle my hair when washing it, as in the past using a comb tends to cause a lot of breakage even with loads of conditioner. Since going natural my favourite conditioner has to be Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner. The product is of a creamy consistency and the slip allows me to easily separate my strands. It is also extremely hydrating and moisturising. Once my hair has been detangled I then separate it into four sections with hair clips and wash each section separately, this is to stop my hair knotting up once I begin the styling process, as I find that as my hair starts to dry the shrinkage occurs so fast and it is more prone to knotting up again. On the final rinse I use cold water to smooth and close the hair cuticles. Having smooth hair cuticles improves the appearance of the hair and helps to lock in the moisture. Another great thing about this conditioner is it actually doubles up as a leave-in conditioner. So once I wash it out, I then add a small amount to each section.
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I don’t find the washing process that difficult and time consuming anymore, I actually find the most difficult part styling my hair after washing. My hair is so much more manageable in a stretched state so I always place my hair into plaits to make it easier to style the next day. I apply Jamaican Mango and Lime Black Castor Oil onto my strands to seal in the moisture. Black Jamaican Castor Oil is amazing at improving the thickness of my hair, including my edges. My 4c hair cannot get enough of the stuff!
I then finish off with As I Am Double Butter Cream as my moisturiser. This rich creamy product is another day one for my wash day. All of As I Am products smell heavenly and the butter leaves my hair so moisturised and non-greasy. I have never found a product that can compare to the Double Butter Cream. I then place my hair into about ten plaits and pull them back into a hair band to stretch my hair even further. The next day I have soft stretch kinks and I can style my hair easily into whatever style I choose.

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Caron X