Hi people, what's been on?

The actual title is supposed to be "30mins washnight routine" because these days, I find more time washing my hair at night. My usual wash weekends is now occupied with lots of traveling.

Washnights also mean that I'll want to simplify my routine and make it as "less wet" as possible.

I'm like a little cat. Water is not my favorite thing. I can even forget to drink water for a day unless I consciously make an effort to drink.

I also don't like being wet for too long especially if the water is not scalding hot! I detest lukewarm or cold water.

And you know when it comes to washing our hair, we can't use hot water to do so. For the health of my strands, warm or cold water is the way to go. This is one of the reasons I dread washday. Not because it's long (I actually enjoy the whole process...I do a lot of thinking too) but because of the water temperature.

Because of this, I have devised different ways to be fully clothed on wash day without getting wet....except for the 15 minutes it will take me to rinse out anything.

Cowash cleansers have really helped me in this regard.

I'm currently using Mazuri Shea Butter Conditioning Cleanser. I've used Cantu for Natural Hair Cowash, Shea Moisture Cowash, As I Am Cleansing Cowash, Karen Body Beautiful Latherfree hairwash.

One thing I enjoy about cowash cleansers is the amazing slip so they are very good for detangling your hair without drying it out.

 What makes them different from conditioners is that they clean the hair without residue like if you used a shampoo.

 I find that cowashing with conditioners while being great may leave buildup. This is very noticeable when cowashing with conditioners that contains silicones. Some silicone free recommendations are VO5 conditioner, Tresemme Naturals Conditioner, NaturVitale Conditioner with Sage for Sensitive skin.

When using regular conditioners as cowash, it's advisable to schedule in a shampoo wash (sulfate free and diluted) once a month or or in two months.

 Personally, with the cowash cleansers, I rarely shampoo.

Cowash cleansers are able to remove more products than conditioners though not as well as shampoos especially if you use a lot of heavy butters, stylers and oils.

So if you're a heavy handed product user, you may still need to shampoo at intervals.

Summary:

Get a cowash cleanser if

- You want a thorough cleanse while being able to skip the conditioning step.

- If you installed a long term protective style. It's less drying than shampooing immediately.

- If you're short on cash....you get both a cleanser, conditioner and detangler in one bottle/jar

- If you have limited time for washday

- If your child's hair tangles easily with shampoos.

- If you're a medium to low product user. Heavy handed product users may still need sulfate free shampoos.

Here's what my routine looks like:

Outside the shower.

🌻 Divide hair into 4 sections (or more)

🌻 Lightly dampen each section.

🌻 Apply cowash cleanser from roots to ends. Fingerdetangle. Loosely twist. Same for all four sections.

🌻 Cover with shower cap.

Inside the shower

🌻 Rinse before or after bathing. I unravel each twist and rinse. Then I retwist. I do this for the whole four sections.

If I rinse before I shower, I blot off excess water, apply a deep conditioner and cover with a showercap. I don't rinse it off.

🌻Blot dry thoroughly (if I rinse after I bathe)

🌻 Apply oil.

🌻 Apply leave in.

🌻 Twist or put up in cheat bun.

As I Am Coconut Cowash

Cantu for Natural Hair Cowash, 

Shea Moisture Cowash,