Actually Wash It
This might sound like a no-brainer, but you wouldn’t believe the amount of women who think that simply wetting and styling their hair qualifies as a wash and go. When you take the shortcut and just wet it, you’re missing out on all the definition, manageability, and hydration that comes with a fresh wash.
I know it can be a hassle to wash your hair every single time you want to do a quick style, so it’s important to let y’all know that a full wash-day routine isn’t necessary! You don’t need to go all out with a pre-poo, shampoo, conditioning, deep conditioning, and the 40 other steps you usually do.
Instead, pick a good shampoo and conditioner that’ll help you meet all of your 4c hair needs. My personal favorite is Alikay Naturals Caribbean Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner because it leaves my hair incredible soft, clean, and easy to manage.
Section It Off According To Style
Reworking your hair into a different style after adding in a bunch of products can be a little difficult for us type 4 naturals because our hair likes to stay however we style it initially. Honestly, it can be inconvenient because sometimes we want a side part or to let our bangs hang in the front, and the hold on our hair makes it a little too late to shift it all around.
Instead of potentially frizzing out a perfectly good wash and go, try sectioning your hair according to the style you’re going for so that everything will fall how you want it to as you are styling.
Try The ‘LCOG’ Method
The LCOG method is as follows: liquid (or leave-in), cream, oil and then gel. I find this method to be the best for 4c hair because it makes sure you don’t apply gel right after you apply your cream moisturizer; This prevents that unsightly white cast and residue from coating your curls and getting trapped in your tightest coils. Applying gel last is also a great because the oils and creams put in beforehand prevent any crunchiness and hardness that you might get otherwise.
In my opinion, you should start with a leave-in or spritz that is formulated for definition because it’ll make the rest of the process much easier. Plus, if you’re not a big fan of gel, it’ll require a lot less of it in the end because you should already have the definition you desire.
Do It The Night Before
I know a lot of us are used to doing twist outs, flexi rods, braids, and other styles before we go to bed because they are far too time consuming to squeeze into our morning routines. If you want a more stretched and defined look from your wash and go, you might want to try doing it the night before as well!
The banding method is actually a great way to keep your hair defined and stretched. Just section your hair off into 4 to 8 sections and wrap a hair tie down the length of each section of hair; Put on your satin scarf or bonnet as usual.
Not only will this give you some extra length, but it gives your hair more than enough time to dry all the way through which is a huge time-saver when you’re getting ready the next day.
So, after reading these tips, how fool-proof is your current wash and go routine? Are you going to make any changes? Let us know below!
