Wash Day Routine: Conditioning
Hair is fresh and clean. Now, let's condition.
Hey ND Fam! This is the second installment of my wash day series. If you are just tuning in, I encourage you to take a step back and read my previous post on cleansing. Clean hair is a must. Today's post is about conditioning. Let's get those curls right!
“If you don't have a firm foundation, you can't expect your hair to flourish when styling.”
Conditioning
Now that the hair is cleansed, let's get to conditioning. The goal is to provide the hair what's missing. The key here is to understand what is going on with the hair before washing. There are different signs that dictate why types of products you should use. Our focus today is not on product selection. If you would like more on that, let me know.
The conditioning process may require just a deep conditioner/treatment/mask. Sometimes, you may need to prep the hair with a rinse out conditioner before deep conditioning. Like I mentioned in the first post, this may seem like a lot. There is a purpose for each step. Check out my steps and guide for using rinse out and deep conditioners.
Rinse Out Conditioner:
After shampooing, I use the corresponding rinse out conditioner. If I will use a deep conditioner that doesn't have a lot of slip or is a repairing/protein conditioner, I will thoroughly coat the hair. For the deep conditioner that doesn't have slip, this is when I thoroughly detangle. You can apply the rinse out conditioner after rinsing the shampoo (2nd shampoo step) out of a section. Before moving on to shampoo the next section, apply a light coat of the rinse out conditioner.
Prep for a deep conditioner with slip:
Once you are back to the first section, gently finger detangle for about 30 seconds. As you rinse, keep detangling under the water.
Prep for a deep conditioner without slip or a heavy protein treatment:
Both types of deep conditioners require preparation in some way. In each section, apply more rinse out conditioner. To prep for deep conditioners (of any kind) without slip, use this opportunity to thoroughly detangle. For heavy protein treatments WITH slip, lightly detangle as you apply.
Deep Conditioner:
Following the cycle of your sections, rinse out the regular conditioner and apply the deep conditioner. Clip up and move on to the next section. After covering all sections, cover with a plastic cap.
Now what happens next depends on the instructions of the treatment. Yes, boo. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! While our curls require more TLC than straight hair, you need to know the intent of the manufacturer. This is especially important for protein conditioners. Overprocessing is just as damaging as too little processing. See what's on the label and find your next step:
1-5 minutes processing: immediately begin detangling the sections.
5+ minutes processing: the shorter time frame, I would say you can get away with washing your body first. Longer time frame, go ahead and do your entire body wash routine. Afterwards, thoroughly detangle each section.
After detangling, rinse out the conditioner. Be sure your scalp is rinsed thoroughly. Mine likes to hold on to conditioner. If you are using a moisturizing treatment, feel free to leave a TINY bit on your strands. Don't forget to twist and clip up each section.
You are ready to style!
Don't think I'm just going to skip over detangling. Absolutely not! This entire process is meant to gain and maintain healthy hair. How long it takes to detangle is a HUGE sign of the health of your hair. I got you covered in the next post. You might fight me. But, I love you.
I hope this shines some light on your wash routine. Glean what you can. Try a step or two out. Find what works for you.
Drop a question in the contact form or comment below. Let's help each other.
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