Wash Day: June 2, 2013

Or "The Wash Where I Go Back to Basics"

Happy Tuesday lovelies!

I'm back with my most recent wash day. For the longest time, I have been pondering on all the things I did at the beginning of my journey that worked but I abandoned in the interest of saving time. As my hair and my stretches became longer, I stopped doing a lot of stuff just so I could get through my wash day. Lately, I have been thinking that I need to incorporate these methods back into my routine.

So, I started with a good pre-poo. Pre-Pooing is a great way to prepare your hair for the rigors of a wash day. It is something that I used to do all the time (mainly with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration) but stopped once my hair hit SL.

The stars of this pre-poo
Since I planned on using a moisturizing DC for this wash day,I decided to use VO5 Moisture Milks in Strawberries & Cream (protein based cheapie condish) for a pre-poo so that my hair could get a hit of much needed protein. I added some EVOO to the condish to give it some extra oomph. Next, I placed the condish+EVOO mixture on my dry hair, placed a plastic cap on my hair, and sat under the heat cap for about 20 minutes. I then rinsed it out (my hair felt soft and strong afterwards!) and proceeded to wash my hair with Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo.



Following the shampoo, I then DCed with ORS Hair Repair Nourishing Conditioner for an hour underneath my heat cap. After that....I had no clue what I was going to do with my hair. So, I ended my wash day by detangling my hair and placing HairVeda Whipped Creme Ends Hydration on my hair. I then air dried in a ponytail.


Today, I decided that would wear my hair in a bun for the week. I'm a little tired of the high bun so I wound up putting 2 flat twists in my hair and placing my hair in a low bun--I absolutely love it!




There you have it. My simple no fuss, no muss wash day! I'm definitely gonna make pre-pooing a solid part of my regimen again--especially now that it is summer!

Beyond the Deep Conditioner: Ways to Ensure That Your Protein/Moisture Balance Is In Check

Happy Sunday lovelies!

Earlier this year, I came to an epiphany of sorts regarding my hair and protein. All through 2012, I was on an 'all moisture everything' kick. Every DC, every leave in, every moisturizer were all moisture based. I had abandoned everything I knew regarding protein because I was going through a phase.

And my hair wasn't too happy about it. My hair had a rough,wiry texture to it, did the whole stretch before it breaks thing, didn't hold on to moisture the way it should....ugh. It was awful.

As a result, I have been more vigilant about maintaining my protein/moisture balance. The easiest way to do this is to simply alternate your moisturizing DC with a protein DC. For example, if one week you do a moisturizing DC, the next week you'll do a protein one. This method worked exceptionally well for me when I had first cut my hair and was using heat frequently (I would wash my hair 2x weekly; One wash would be moisturizing while the next would be protein). As you guys can tell, my hair thrived from this method.

However, I got to thinking about other ways that would ensure that my protein/moisture balance stays in check. Sometimes, you may not have a protein DC on hand or you may be on a moisture kick because of the weather or maybe you just felt like your hair needed a moisture based DC for a month or maybe you forgot to alternate---whatever the reason, you don't want to neglect the fact that your hair needs protein, too.

So how do you get protein without a protein DC?

Well, there are easy 2 ways that I used to use (way before I became incredibly lazy regarding my regimen) and have started to use again. Take note that with each method your hair does get a dose of protein as well as a dose of moisture--resulting in a balance:

1) Use a protein based leave in. Easy as it sounds. Following a moisturizing DC, follow up with a protein leave in (my favorite is Giovanni Direct Leave In but other options include Infusium 23, Aphogee, etc.). If you use a leave in during your wash day anyway, just take the time to ensure that it is protein.

2) Use protein based conditioner for pre-poo. Pre-pooing is an excellent way of prepping your hair for the rigors of wash day but it is also a great way to maintain your protein/moisture balance. Most people typically pre-poo with a moisturizing condish BUT if you plan on DCing with a moisturizing conditioner, pre-pooing with a protein based conditioner is a great idea. A great (and inexpensive!) option for a protein conditioner suitable for pre-pooing are the VO5 Moisture Milks. Apply that to your (dry) hair and sit under a heat cap or dryer for 15-30min prior to your wash and BAM! Your hair has gotten its hit of protein and feels strong without negatively affecting your hair's moisture content or elasticity. You can then follow up with your moisturizing DC of choice.

As you guys can see, keeping up with protein doesn't have to be a huge ordeal. If your hair is in good condition, it doesn't really require frequent hardcore protein treatments--just a mild protein based product here and there in your regimen does the trick in my opinion. Your hair remains strong and it can hold onto the moisture that you give to it.

What are some ways you keep up with your protein/moisture balance?