If you have curly hair, then you know a successful wash day is not always the easiest thing to achieve. There are so many steps involved from start to finish, and if you don't know what you're doing, you could easily end up with lacklustre curls that get frizzy after a day or two. However, it's not all bad news. See, the key to achieving good results on wash day is to follow a good routine that is well-tailored to your hair type, and in this article will be letting you in on our tried and tested wash day routine for flawless curls.
This routine is pretty easy to follow and is guaranteed to give you the most beautiful, defined curls, so keep scrolling to discover our styling secrets..
Prepoo Your Hair Before Hopping In The Shower
Preparing your hair for wash day by detangling and hydrating your curls with a pre poo is a great way to give your hair an extra boost of nourishment and prevent frizz. The pre-poo step is not necessary for everyone, but it can be especially beneficial for those with tight and thick curls. Before you hop in the shower, apply a generous amount of our Hair & Scalp Oil and thoroughly detangle your hair from ends to roots. Then cover the hair with a shower cap for 10-15 minutes to let your hair absorb all the nutrients in the oil before hopping in the shower. If you're not a fan of oil pre-poo, you can also pre-poo your hair with Sofnfree's Moisture Rich Conditioner.
Wash With A Gentle Shampoo
The key to a successful wash day starts in the shower with a good cleanse. Your post-shower styling routine usually gets all the hype, but the true foundation for beautiful curls is a clean hair and scalp. So, skip the co-washes and cleanse your hair with a non-stripping shampoo like our Hydration Shampoo. When washing, focus the shampoo on your roots and scalp, as that is where most of the dirt in your hair tends to build up. Once you get a good lather, you can then use your fingers to glide the shampoo down the length of your hair before rinsing.
Additionally, depending on how thick and curly your hair is, it may be helpful to wash your hair in twisted sections instead of scrubbing everything all at once. Doing this will help you minimise tangles and also make it easy to style your hair in sections later on.
Deep Condition And Detangle
After washing your hair, conditioning is where the curly magic starts to happen. A good nourishing conditioner like our Moisture Rich Conditioner is meant to soften, smooth, and replenish your curls with moisture, ensuring you get zero frizz after you hop out of the shower. Slather your hair with the conditioner, and this time, pay extra attention to your ends. They are the oldest and often the driest part of your hair, so they need a generous amount of conditioner. Before rinsing off your conditioner, detangle the hair with a brush or comb to help distribute the products evenly and remove any knots or tangles.
If your hair is feeling extra parched and you want a more intense boost of moisture and nourishment. Deep condition with our Manuka Honey Deep Conditioning Mask, which is loaded with powerful ingredients designed to penetrate deep into your strands and deliver intense moisture while repairing your strands and leaving them silky soft. You do not have to use the deep conditioner on every wash day, but incorporating it into your routine as often as you can is ideal for healthy curls.
Moisturise With Leave-In Conditioner
After rinsing conditioner out of your hair, it's time to slather it with more moisture. If we haven't already mentioned this, the secret to flawless curls is adequate moisture. Making sure your hair is thoroughly hydrated in every nook and cranny will get you beautiful results. So, apply some of our Manuka Honey Leave-in Conditioner and scrunch your hair upward into your scalp to help your curls soak up the products and start to encourage curl formation. While applying the leave-in conditioner, use your fingers to gently detangle and distribute the product evenly through your hair.
Apply Curling Products And Style
The styling phase of any curly hair routine is definitely one of the most important steps. So once you're here, take your time and evenly distribute your styling products if you want to get good results. To enhance your curls, start by applying our Coconut Oil Curling Creme or Curl Activating Smoothie and scrunching your curls. If you have thicker or more coily hair, rake your hands through your hair to create curl clumps.
Once your curls start to take shape, follow up with a curl setting and enhancing formula like our Curl Elongating Gel or our Flaxseed Oil & Rosewater Curling Mousse. Whether you're applying the mousse or the gel, work in small sections to ensure even distribution. Once your hair is fully drenched in styling products, squeeze and scrunch your curls to remove excess liquid and enhance curl definition, but be gentle about it. Handling your hair with too much force at this point can easily create frizz and mess up your curl definition.
Air Dry Or Diffuse
After styling your hair, it is very important to leave it alone until it is properly dry. Do not touch it or try to move your curls around. Simply let it air dry or use a diffuser to speed up the process. When diffusing, place the heat setting on medium to low heat and start drying your roots first before focusing on your ends to prevent heat damage. Additionally, while your hair is drying, move your head side to side as often as you can to encourage more bounce and prevent your hair from drying and being stuck in one position.
Finish With Oil And Fluff
Once your curls are dry, apply a few drops of Sofnfree's Hair & Scalp Oil on your fingers and smooth it down your curls to break any gel cast and add more shine to your final look. Then, gently fluff and straighten your curl clumps for more volume. This last step is extremely important if you want those big, luscious curls with a lot of body, but don't overdo it. Just separate a few curls around your front and middle section and use a comb to gently tug at your roots to encourage outward volume at the roots.
How Do You Maintain Curls After Wash Day?
To maintain the curly hair results you achieve on wash day, it is extremely important to protect your hair before going to bed. Put your curls up in a pineapple to keep them from being crushed and tangled while you sleep, and cover them with a silk or satin bonnet.
Additionally, you will need to refresh your curls during the week with a hydrating spray like our Everyday Curl Refresh to replenish your curls with moisture and reactivate your styling products. Doing this will help your combat frizz and ensure your day five curls look just as good as day one.
So there you have it curl friends, the best wash day routine to help you achieve beautiful curls. No matter your hair type, the key to achieving good results is using nourishing products like the ones in our Wash Day Slay bundle which are designed to enhance and perfect the look and feel of your curls.