Five essentials for a blissfully quick wash day -

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All my naturals out there know that ‘wash days’ can be a marathon. Slipping into the shower for a quick routine – especially with type 4 hair – is a myth. There’s the detangling, the sectioning, and let’s not forget the LAYERS of moisture.

Having lived with a thick head of 4b/4c hair, I’ve done a fair few marathons. Nowadays – unless I’m doing a treatment – I need to be in and out of that shower. I’ve discovered some tips and tricks that shave hours off my time and keep my coils happy.

1) Moisturising Shampoo

You’ve detangled and sectioned your hair and it’s prepped for washing. The first thing you need is a good shampoo. Now us type 4 girls know more than anyone else how important moisturising products are for our strands. One of the best ways to retain moisture throughout the week is to cleanse with a moisturising shampoo. My current fave is the Nourishing Hair Food Banana Shampoo from the Garnier Ultimate Blends line.

Since I discovered this, I’ve been reaching for it every wash day. My hair feels cleansed – without that squeaky clean feeling – thanks to its silicone-free formula. Even after applying it twice to the length of my hair, it doesn’t feel parched.

Did I mention that it’s vegan, has 98% naturally derived ingredients, and inexpensive?

2) Conditioner with slip

Once you’ve shampooed it’s time to condition. Want the deep condition experience, but can’t commit to a marinating session? Nothing beats the Aussie 3 minute miracle deep conditioner.The first time I tried this I was speechless. simply apply it to the lengths of your hair, gently detangle and leave for 3 minutes. After rinsing, your hair feels soft and bouncy.

The slip was unbelievable! Ironically, I spent ages in the shower gliding my fingers through the strands, completely in awe. Look up slip in the dictionary and you’ll find this.

The scent is divine, the formula is rich and creamy and the strands eat this stuff up. A nice little added touch is the way it dispenses. There’s no time wasted fiddling with a lid, simply take it up, squeeze and you’re good to go. This stuff melts away knots like no other. Your kinks, coils or curls will be sashaying away.

3) Detangling tool

After conditioning and finger detangling with Aussie, this next part will be a breeze. Simply take your wide-tooth comb and run it through your hair, working your way up from the ends to the roots. The wide teeth help prevent snagging and preserve precious strands. This one has become a bathroom staple for me. It’s particularly handy as you can hang it in the shower.

4) Moisturising leave-in

It’s time to layer on the moisture. Now you’re looking for a quick fix, but that doesn’t mean you have to skimp on longevity. If you’re anything like me, you want this moisture to serve you a day or two. For this, you need something creamy enough to last and flexible enough to layer well with other products. Garnier makes a return, this time with a 3-in-1 Dry Hair Mask Treatment.

Now, I love a multi-purpose product that can make my money stretch and this is just that. It can be used as a conditioner, mask, or leave-in. I’ve tried it each way, but I prefer it best as a leave-in. It’s runny enough to absorb quickly into the hair but thick enough to not evaporate in seconds…. the perfect consistency. Oh, and it smells great too! The banana scent is not overpowering like some products I’ve encountered.

5) Pomade

This one’s a bit of a hit or miss in the natural hair community. Some swear by it, others not so much. It’s a bit like marmite. I’ve gone back and forth with using pomades. I used it religiously growing up, stopped for a while as I experimented with other products, but somehow, no matter what, I always end up coming back to it. That’s the pulling power of dax.

It’s cheap and cheerful and locks in moisture for a few days. I use it on the length of my hair to help seal in the moisture from my water and leave-in. Yes…. I’m an LCO kind of gal. To boost that moisture, softness and shine even more mix a little sweet almond oil into your dax before applying it.

You can purchase Dax at any local beauty store that supplies afro hair care products.

6) Blowdryer (Optional) – Revlon One-step-hairdryer

Now I know I said 5 essentials, but why not throw in a bonus? When you’re really short on time, blowdrying is a must! The Revlon One-Step Hairdryer will shave valuable minutes off your routine. Designed like an extra-large paddle brush, it delivers a powerful stream of air through the brush. It has 2 heat settings, plus a cool shot and works wonders on my afro getting me out of the door in mere minutes!

These products have saved me precious hours when I’ve been inundated with a never-ending to-do list (which is 90% of the time). Hopefully, you’ve come across a new tip or something that helps keep your strands satisfied when you can’t show them devoted TLC.

Here’s to quicker wash days, moisturised hair, and more you time!