The hair and wellness market is awash with sprays, refreshers, and oils, all promising to remake the washday experience. However, we can all agree that nothing comes close to you actually washing your hair.
If women had the time, I'm sure most of us would wash our hair every two days. Not that it helps-over washing is an issue-but because of how it makes us feel.
Too bad women never get the chance or the time to wash their hair as much as they want to. If you can do it twice a week, that's an achievement worth telling your friends. If you can find time to do it thrice or four times a week, put a yard sign out-front with your name and 2024 beneath it.
The Relation Between Curly Hair And Washes
The relationship between curly hair and washes is a peculiar one. Ask any specialist about how often you should wash your curly hair, and you'll get one of those "just be you" or "yes but no" answers.
By now, you must have known that your scalp produces natural oils. For type one and type two hair, the oils travel down the straight strands, moisturizing hair evenly.
For curly and wavy divas, it's a whole different story. The natural oils don't travel down the curly hair strands leaving you with an oil-buildup at the scalp and dry hair as you go down the strands. Interesting right?
That's the dilemma of styling type three and four hair. Over-washing type three and type four hair strips your hair of its much-needed oils and moisture, making it dry and frizzy. Taking too long between washes leads to oil and product buildup, which opens a whole other can of worms.
Refreshing offers somewhat of a middle ground for those of us with curly and wavy hair. It gives us a chance not to over wash our hair while at the same time keeping our hair moisturized and refreshed. Yaaay.
Moments You Feel Like Your Hair Really Needs A Wash
Sometimes your hair and its condition are the last things on your mind. Once in a while, however, your hair is all you can think about.
These times of the week or the day when you can't take your hair off your mind are those times your refreshing routines come in handy. They boost your confidence, reduce the unease, and enable you to focus on the important things in life.
- After A Workout
Many women have daily workouts as an essential part of their wellness routines. If you don't, maybe you should consider it. After all the sweating, panting, and rigorous movements, let's say that your hair doesn't feel that good.
Many women will kill to have a washday after each workout, but that's an impossibility for many. This is where your refreshing routine comes in handy and helps you regain confidence in your hair.
- After A Workday
Sometimes work is both physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining. For those with wavy and curly hair, you get to feel the exhaustion in your curls.
A refreshing and moisturizing routine can help your hair moisturize and feel better after that stressful and tiring day at work.
- After A Long Night Of Sleep
Most people with wavy and curly hair are familiar with walking to the mirror every morning after a long night's sleep and not liking what they see. Let's just say people are not very friendly to their hair when they are asleep.
You may not have time for a washday, but refreshing and moisturizing will help you breathe life back into your curls after a long night of sleep.
- After A Long Day In The Sun
Excessive heat and curly hair don't get along. Long days in the sun drain whatever moisture that was left in your hair, leaving it dry and frizzy.
If you find yourself staying out in the sun for too long on one of those summer days, a refreshing routine can help you out if you can't find enough time for a washday.
Moisturizing Between Washdays
There's no specific answer to how to wash, refresh, and moisturize type three and four hair. With a few tips here and there, you can go out and try different approaches until you find one that works for you.
Here are a few tips for your starter pack on your journey to finding a refreshing routine that can work for both you and your hair. Try:
Conditioners
Conditioning your hair is likely the most familiar thing on this list. That's why it's highly advisable for beginners trying to refresh their hair as it is something they understand and have tried a few times.
If done right, conditioning your hair between washdays will supply your curls with the much-needed moisture and oils to pull your hair through to the next washday.
The best place to start is by knowing the porosity of your type three and type four hair. Once you have enough knowledge about your hair, create a conditioning routine that caters to your hair's porosity.
Conditioning not only moisturizes curly hair, but it enables you to extend your washdays and keep your hair healthier for longer between washdays.
Don't Rule Out Dry Shampoos Completely
Any list about curly hair and refreshing between washdays can't be complete without dry shampoos. Before dry shampoos, people with curly hair had only two options, have washdays often or go to school and work looking like Mrs. Frizzle.
If done correctly, dry shampoos can go a long way in keeping your hair moisturized between washdays. Remember to be diligent when picking your dry shampoo, shake it well before use and hold it at least eight inches from your head as you apply it to your roots.
Creams And Oils
When it comes to refreshing your curly hair in between washdays, you will never go wrong with creams and oils. Remember what we said about type 3 and four hair and oils? The natural oils produced by the scalps of curly hair don't make it down to the strands leaving them dry and frizzy.
That is where creams and oils come in. Careful application of moisturizing oils such as coconut, olive, and avocado can do wonders when it comes to refreshing and moisturizing your hair.
We are not implying that oils are the answer to all your problems, but they go a long way in helping solve the issues that come with curly hair. These include split ends, frizz, lack of shine, and even brittleness, but remember, only if you pick the right products.
Layer Products On Your Washdays
There's a lot of things that you can do after your washday that can extend its life and keep your hair moisturized for days to come. One of these is layering your products.
You may have gotten used to mixing all your liquids, oils, and creams or using them in no particular order. Well, not anymore. Layering your products helps keep your hair twice as moisturized as mixing your products or applying them in no particular order.
An excellent place to begin is the LOC method. It's way easier than it sounds. Whenever you apply products to your curly or wavy hair, start with the liquid products, then proceed to the oils, and eventually end with the creams. You will never go wrong with layering your products.
Refreshers Sprays
Well, this list is incomplete without refresher sprays. Everything we have mentioned above is way shorter than a washday but still takes some time. Let's be honest; finding some idle thirty minutes before going to work is becoming harder than finding an idle ten bucks on your way to work.
This is where refresher sprays come in. Refresher sprays are one of the quickest ways to moisturize your hair. An advantage is that they come compact and are easy and less time consuming to apply. I call them the "lipstick" of refreshing hair. With a refresher spray, you can get on to a lone elevator and moisturize your hair by the time the next guy gets in on the sixth floor.
Try The Leave-In Conditioners
Leave-in conditioners are a must-have on the make-up shelf of any curly and wavy diva. You can apply a leave-in conditioner after you shower, and rest assured that your hair will remain moisturized for the rest of that day.
For wavy and curly hair, you have a variety to choose from depending on how wavy or curly your hair is. These include:
- Milk/ Leave-In Spray/ Mouse
Are perfect for light curls that are mostly 3a or 3b type curls. Are recommended for those who are just beginning their refreshing routines.
- Creamy leave-In conditioners
Are synonymous for their thick consistency. They mostly match with type 3a onwards.
- Hair Butters
Are thick and are synonymous with their high fat and lipid content.
They are perfect for people with type 4a and 4b curls.
The Key Takeaway
Washday or no- washday, you deserve to have your type three and four hair moisturized and as healthy as possible. That's what RevAir has dedicated the past few years in achieving.
At RevAir, we are a one-stop-shop for quality, safe, and natural hair products created specifically to meet beautiful women's needs with curly hair. Are you one of them? If so, feel free to contact us today and let us be part of your story.
