We all want to find a manageable and easy wash day routine for our 4c hair.
Whether you’re an expert who has carefully crafted their wash day or you’re just figuring it out, we are all looking to find methods that will make our wash days faster and easier! Luckily, washing your hair does not need to take your whole day and energy.
I have made the mistakes of adding unnecessary steps in my routine, using way too many products and tools to only find myself more frustrated than ever. I have found that a simple haircare routine that promotes cleansing and moisture is all you really need.
Read on for the most effective wash day routine for 4c hair.
Step 1. Check your hair’s moisture (Pre-poo)
“Pre-poo” or in every day terms hydrating your hair before shampoo is only needed if your hair is lacking moisture or needs to be detangled. If you haven’t moisturized your hair in a few weeks, proceed with moisturizing and detangling your hair.
How to detangle and moisturize your hair before shampoo:
- Section your hair into 4 to 6 sections and twist them loosely. This will help to properly moisturize each strand of hair and avoid that it gets tangled in the process.
- Apply your leave-in conditioner by section from your roots to tips until your hair is saturated with product and has a nice slip.
- Start to detangle your hair with your fingers by sections. Once your hair feels detangled you can use a wide tooth comb or a detangling brush.
If your hair doesn’t feel dry and has been moisturized in the past one or two weeks, you can skip this step and go straight to shampoo.
Step 2. Shampoo
Shampooing right is key for an effective wash day as it’s getting rid of the dirt and the product build up in your hair. Cleansing your scalp and hair strands will enable your hair to absorb the moisture it needs and have a good foundation to promote hair growth.
Use shampoos that are specifically made for afro/textured hair such as Shea Moisture, Mielle or Taliah Waajid. It’s important to use products that are free of fragrance, sulfates, or parabens. Using shampoos containing these ingredients can cause harm on your scalp causing dryness and itching.
- With your hair still in sections, start by applying shampoo to your scalp then move down to your hair strands. Repeat this process for all sections.
- Rinse your hair.
- You can repeat this process if you feel like your hair needs a deep cleanse. (Especially if you’re coming out of a protective style).
Additional tips: Do not use your fingernails but only your fingertips as you could hurt your scalp in the process. Think of it as a mindful scalp massage!
How often should 4c hair be washed? It all depends on your lifestyle. To be properly moisturized, your hair should be washed every 10 days to 2 weeks.
Step 3. Deep Condition
This step happens out of the shower and focuses on your hair strands. Once you have rinsed your hair from the shampoo, it’s time to apply your conditioner or deep conditioner. This step is important because it will help to lock in the moisture from the water in your hair. Conditioning your hair helps against dryness, breakage, and brittle hair strands.
- Apply your conditioner on your hair strands only while keeping your hair in sections.
- Leave the conditioner in for the time indicated on the product. (Could range from 5 to 30 mn)
- Wear a shower or a heating cap so the product can penetrate deeply into your hair.
Step 4. Detangle
The easiest way to detangle 4c hair is when our hair is covered with conditioner. It helps to ensure smooth detangling and avoid breakage.
- After the conditioner, start detangling your hair by sections.
- Use a wide tooth comb or a detangling brush, starting gently from the tip to the root of your hair.
- Complete for all sections.
Step 5. Final step: Rinse and Moisturize!
To rinse off your conditioner, focus on getting rid of all the product section by section keeping your hair in twists. The water temperature should be lukewarm. I’m not an advocate for changing the water temperature throughout wash day. The easier, the better wash day routine for 4c hair!
- Out of the shower use a cotton t-shirt or a microfiber towel. They will avoid causing friction and tangles in your hair. Keep it in for about 10 minutes.
- Apply a leave in conditioner to your hair by sections and then follow up with a moisturizing cream.
- Oil is optional! Depending on your hair porosity, your hair is not necessarily able to absorb oils.
- To dry your moisturized hair, you can follow by twisting, braiding, or threading your hair.
These are all the steps you need for your wash day routine. Now you might wonder:
Should I wet 4c hair every day? The short answer is no. If you wash your hair every 10 days to 2 weeks, you will need to moisturize your hair with a leave in conditioner only once within that time frame.
You’re good to go until your next wash day!
