THE Wash 'n Go Guide
I want dry, frizzy, natural hair with no pattern—said no one ever! We all crave luscious, manageable locks that stay fabulous from day one to day two. And guess what? The secret to achieving your natural hair's full potential boils down to three magical ingredients: consistency, hydration, and moisture. Ready for a little hair sorcery? Enter the wash 'n go method.
What is a wash 'n go?
Think of it as the ultimate wash 'n wear routine, designed to transform your hair into a soft, hydrated masterpiece while safeguarding it from future damage (yes, even if you occasionally wield heat). The best part? Most of the action happens right in your shower, where you'll apply your styling products and perform a few styling steps after cleansing and conditioning. A great example is from Belle in Bloom:How do you Wash 'n go?
Whether you're embarking on the natural hair journey or have been riding that texture train for a while, the wash 'n go is gentle, versatile, and oh-so-flexible (not to mention a major time-saver), making it a delightful addition to any hair care routine. You can indulge in this wonder routine as frequently as you please—even twice a day!—or stretch it out over three glorious days (or longer!). The more you embrace it, the healthier your hair will become. So, let's dive into the nitty-gritty of what a wash 'n go entails.
1
Wet & prep your hair
Carry out your usual shower routine—cleanse, condition, or simply douse your hair with water. Once prepped, it's time to incorporate the wash 'n go steps. Note: You can also work your wash 'n go magic outside the shower, but we recommend sticking to the shower for simplicity's sake.
2
Apply products
While your hair is still dripping wet and you're rocking that shower vibe, apply your our Thickening Gel together with our Conditioner from thinnest to thickest using the raking method. This allows your hair to soak up the full benefits of the products, enhancing their effectiveness and fortifying your strands against potential damage. Use your fingers to evenly distribute the products and prevent any tangles from sneaking in.
3
Set your style & dry
Style your hair in the shower just as you would outside of it. Styling at this stage seals in moisture and locks in your natural hair pattern. Remember, the way you style it in the shower is how it'll look once dry, so choose wisely. When you step out of the shower, your hair should still be mostly wet. Squeeze out any excess water and get ready for the drying process. Here are a few options:
Air Drying The Day Away
Letting your hair dry naturally is one of the best ways to maintain your texture’s health, and it’s the epitome of washing-and-going because you can easily leave it as is.
Old School Dryers Never Get Old
For a salon-quality look, putting your hair under a pre-warmed portable hooded dryer is the way to go. Hooded dryers, while bulky in the salon, have come a long way. There are numerous affordable options out there and some are low-profile for easy storing in between sessions. Additionally, they’re gentle on your texture and will evenly dry your hair by wet-setting it.
Diffuse-n-Go
We know not everyone has time for air drying or a hooded dryer—especially during the winter months—so if this sounds like you, we recommend diffusing. Gently diffusing your texture on a low-to-warm heat setting will speed up your wash 'n go without detracting from your results. As we mentioned, wash 'n go’s help to naturally prevent damage by layering products onto your hair while wet, so diffusing your hair with mild heat shouldn’t cause extreme dryness or damage.
No matter which way you choose to dry your wash 'n go, here are our two pro tips that will take your style to the next level:
- When your hair is at least 90% dry, use a blow dryer with a concentrator attachment and aim it at your roots. If you have straight or wavy hair, this will give your roots one final boost of volume; if you have curly or kinky hair, you can use this to elongate your curls or coils for added length and volume.
- Make sure to complete your look with a finishing product. Our Multi-Use Pure Oil Blend is a go-to final step for any texture. Simply apply a small dime-sized amount to your palm, distribute it evenly from palm to palm, and then work it through your ends and watch your hair shine like the crown it is.
Are wash 'n go’s for my hair?
No two curls are the same, even on a single head of hair. Similarly, a single head of hair could have a wide range of textures on it, so knowing what works for your hair—and specifically, if wash 'n go’s are good for you—is really dependent on testing how a method or technique fits into your unique routine. Simply put, you won’t know until you try. But, to help you decide, there are a few characteristics that cause some textures to naturally soak up and bask in the glory of a wash 'n go:
- Dry, brittle, staticky, or frizzy hair
- Dry environments/climates
- Chemically-treated or dyed hair
- Naturally drier textures, such as curly or kinky hair
- Tight patterns looking for elongation
Dry hair, as well as curly and kinky textures, is often considered “difficult to manage,”—to which we say, you’d be difficult to manage too if no one ever hydrated you. In reality, hair is only difficult to manage when it’s being mistreated through ineffective products or a subpar hair care routine. Any texture can be supple, silkeny, or lustrous—it’s all about listening to your hair.
How do you revive a wash 'n go?
Knowing how long to wear your wash 'n go is dependent on your specific texture, but we recommend not going beyond two or three days maximum to avoid dryness taking hold. To extend your wash 'n go to the max, try wearing a bonnet or putting your hair in a pineapple style at night to protect your pattern. In the morning, fluff out your hair and infuse moisture back into your texture by adding our oil or moisturizing product, such as our Conditioner or gel, to your ends. This will help freshen up your look and, for curly and kinky textures, it can help redefine your curl pattern. If your hair needs volume, try our pro tip of focusing a blow dryer with a concentrator attachment at your roots to add body back into your hair.
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