Summer Hair Regimen

Currently what I'm doing this summer is opting for Wash and Go's to become more confident in my natural coils. My current regimen is weekly (or every 5 days). I opt for weekend washes. Here's the skinny:

Pre-Wash - Detangle

I always start in the back. I grab a section of my hair, spritz with water, coat with a creamy leave-in or conditioner, and seal with oil. I add just enough of each to give my hair the proper slip I need to finger detangle. I start by holding the section taught and pulling the ends to release shed hair as well as naturally coiling the ends. This helps my ends from tangling.

Afterward, I then separate the cluster of coils from end to root to remove the cob webbing effect from matting my roots. When each cluster is separated, I twist the section and move on to the next. I end up with about 5 to 7 sections. I cover with a plastic cap. I either do this before my exercise (to create heat) or I use my heat cap for 10 minutes on medium heat then 5 minutes on cool.

The Wash - Cleansing & Conditioning

I try to wash my hair in the shower and I alternate between using a diluted shampoo (Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Grow & Strengthening Shampoo or  Creme of Nature Agran Oil Shampoo) or diluted co-wash (Eden Bodyworks coconut cleansing co-wash). I fill an applicator bottle (6oz) with about an ounce and a half with the product, then fill the rest with warm water.

In the shower, I rinse all the conditioner out in the twists by squeezing them under the water, then section by section, I apply my cleansing agent, making sure to focus on the roots, and twist each section back up. I let that sit for 2 minutes before rinsing with luke warm water and applying my rinse out conditioner. I let that sit for 3 minutes before unraveling all of the twists and rinsing. After rinsing, I section my hair off in the original sections and use butterfly clips to secure the sections.

After The Wash - Deep Conditioning

I am newly in love with deep conditioning and do so every wash day now. I alternative between a few in rotation. No matter the DC (unless it's my Creme of Nature Argan oil Moisture Milk Masque or ORS Hair Mayonnaise), I include a few ayuvedic powders and turn my DC into a henna gloss. Currently adding: 1 tablespoon of Nupur (Has a wide array of powders), 1/2 tablespoon of Aritha, and 1/2 tablespoon of Fenugreek. Add some water, add my DC (additionally, add some conditioner if I'm trying to get rid of it or the mixture is not enough) and Boom! there's my DC.

I apply in the same sections, twisting after each, put a shower cap on (or plastic bag) and sit under the hooded dryer. I condition for 25 minutes under medium heat and 5 minutes under cool. I rinse in luke warm water by unraveling the twists to make sure I get all the powders out. When the water runs clear, I place a butterfly clip on each section and wrap my hair in a T-Shirt.

After The DC - Moisturizing & Sealing 

When my hair is about 80% dry from the T-Shirt, I apply a leave-in conditioner and seal with an oil mix that has a base of coconut oil and Jamaican Black Castor Oil and some other oils mixed in.

Styling - Wash and Go

I'm currently styling my hair in a Wash and Go. With my hair still in the starting sections (either twisted or butterfly clipped), I take 1 section down, apply my styler (Sometimes diluted with water in an applicator bottle), focusing on my roots and ends. I then grab a pomade and apply to my ends before adding tons of gel. Once again, I focus on the roots and the ends, doing the praying hands method to evenly distribute. I'll often spritz water to make sure that the product is covering each strand and to make my coils pop. Once they are, I take my butterfly clip and clip the ends to weigh my hair down. I do this all over my head. I weigh the hair sections down with butterfly clips in the direction I want them to lay.

I air dry for an hour before blasting my roots with warm air from my hair dryer for about 5 minutes (The clips make it easier to lift up the sections and get to the roots). Then it's off to the hooded dryer for anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour. Of course, after that, my hair is usually still full of product but nearing being dry. So I just let it air dry until I'm on my way to bed. I pineapple in 5 sections: 1 in the back from ear to ear, 1 in the crown from ear to ear, 1 on each side of the crown area, and the last in the top front.

Refreshing

Lightly spritz the roots of each section before taking out the bands. I then separate the coils, spritz some more to give them some weight, and then shake. One quick look to make sure there are no gaps then out the door I go.

Mid-Week - Moisturize and Redefine

By this time my hair, while not dry, needs to be redefined because of frizz. I use this time to add moisture. I grab a light moisturizer and section my hair into the same sections I used to originally define my hair. I apply a pea size amount of moisturizer, seal with oil, ,and spritz very lightly with water (enough to reactivate the product already on the hair). I do the praying hands method over and over until the coils are defined again adding more water (and sometimes gel, not often) as I go.

And that's it. That's my Spring/Summer Routine so far (And occasionally check for my Snap Back).