Wash Day

My Wash Day Staples as pictured above;

Vatika Coconut Oil.
Tresemme Naturals Shampoo and Conditioner.
ORS Hair Mayonnaise.
Mixed Chicks Deep Conditioner.
Macadamia Leave In Cream.

My hair has been in braids for 5 weeks exactly so have finally taken them out i must say i had missed my hair but sometimes its best that she stay away for a while.

The first stage of my wash day routine (which in actual fact stretches over 2 days) is the pre-poo stage for which i am going to use the Vatika Coconut Oil (i change between coconut oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil).

For the Newbies to this HHJ (Healthy Hair Journey) i will explain a Pre-poo.

Pre-Poo (is a pre-shampoo treatment) very similiar to the traditional Hot Oil Treatment. The difference being that your oil of choice is applied to your hair before shampooing.

Why Pre-poo?

When we wash our hair we all want the dry squeaky clean feeling at the end of it all. But how good is the said 'squeaky clean feel'? Most shampoos contain the chief ingredient Sodium Lauryl Sulfate which is what gets our shampoo to lather but unfortunately also strips our hair of its natural oils and moisture. So to minimise the effect of the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate its always best to do a pre-poo treatment Plus, it can help with pre-wash detangling. Try a quick 20 minute pre-poo before your next detangle and wash. Not only will your hair feel softer after washing, you’ll also see a reduction in breakage and shedding that occurs during detangling and washing.

What can you use to pre-poo?

What follows is not an exhaustive list but if you are a Newbie it will set you on your way.
Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Honey (yes the one in your kitchen cupboard), mango butter, Castor Oil, you can also use an 'el-cheapo' conditioner mixed with your favourite oil or as stand alone.

Next up I shampoo my hair. As i mentioned before because my hair has been in braids for 5 weeks i will opt for Tresemme Naturals Shampoo as i really want that 'squeaky clean' feeling. Though it has sulphates the packaging says that it has lower sulphates. If it was my normal weekly wash i would have opted for a Co-Wash using the Tresemme Naturals Conditioner. This shampoo does dry my hair out a bit so i always follow up with a Deep Conditioning treatment.

In comes Mixed chicks Deep conditioner. This product gives my hair life i tell you, a bit pricey but i recommend it and you need not be of mixed race to use it. The mixed chicks softens and moisturizes my hair and leaves it easy to manage and not dry at all. This product seems to melt away tangles and leaves my hair easy to comb through and de-tangle. I usually concentrate this product on my ends, as too much near the roots will leave my hair limp and greasy. I refuse to de-tangle without using this.
I will usually leave the DC in for a while probably do the housework etc or overnight and wash it out the following morning.

The final product in my wash day routine will be the Macadamia Leave In Cream this product tends to leave my hair feeling a bit crunchy up until i do my moisturising routine. But overall it does what i need it to do.

Its not as long and complicated as it sounds, you get used to it after  a while too.

Till my next post off i go to wash my hair.