This #WashDay meme spread like wildfire in the natural hair community, and while utterly hilarious (ranch dressing and a Bible though?”>, this fun-poking photo does hold a grain of truth.
I’ve come to realize that many naturals and transitioners simply do entirely too much on wash day.
As hilarious as this meme is (I get the giggles all over again just looking at each item individually”> it’d be nice if wash day wasn’t a joke.
Here are three key ways to make wash day a little more manageable, and a little less, well, see above.
1. Product Overload
Pre-poo with this. Detangle with a mix of this, this, that, and that, with a little bit of that over there plus water in a spray bottle. Cowash with this product. Condition with another product. Deep condition with a homemade concoction that looks like a menu item from Robek’s, or a blend of your favorite conditioner and water.
Solution: Stop. Using. Products. That. Don’t. Work.
If you have to mix 18 things together to make a detangler, then what you’re doing isn’t working too well. If you constantly have to add oils to your conditioners to make them more moisturizing then well….you might need a new conditioner.
Wash day gets easier when you actually use products that work well at what they’re supposed to do, or when you discover it has a better alternative use. I cut the fuss between detangling and co-washing because I discovered that Aussie Moist makes a phenomenal in-shower detangler, and I can also use it to co-wash.
I only stick to conditioners and deep conditioners that do their job in 10 minutes or less. If it takes any longer, then the formula isn’t working for my hair. Sure, an extra 10 or 20 minutes for more softening is fine. But if after 10 minutes I don’t feel or see any discernible difference in my hair, it’s time for me to move on to greener pastures.
