The Best Wash Day Tips and Tricks for Natural Hair

Washing hair isn't usually at the top of anyone's weekly highlight. Wash day can be tedious, a little painful, and altogether frustrating at times. Despite the aggravation, wash days are the most important part of your natural hair routine. Our curls are at their most vulnerable when wet. How we care for them affects everything from breakage and hair loss to shine and smoothness. 

Flip the script on washing hair and transform the experience into a stunning glow-up. The RevAir team has uncovered the best tried and true tips to save time when washing hair, support healthy curls, and reduce frizz and flyaways. Loving your natural hair starts with the right products and routines to make maintaining your gorgeous curls, coils, and waves easy. As Yene Damtew, owner and professional stylist at Aesthetics Hair Salon summarizes, "everyone's natural hair is different so you have to find what works for you, your lifestyle, and your hair. Everyone's curl experience is different and not everyone has all the time in the morning to do their hair. Find what works for you and do that."

With a little preparation and a whole new routine, wash day might just become your favorite day of the week.

Schedule Your Wash Days

Let's rethink wash days and focus on wellness. Washing hair doesn't need to be a chore. In fact, pampering your lovely locks is an integral part of self-care. One of the best ways to honor your hair is by scheduling your own personal spa day.

Mark wash days on your calendar in advance and stick to your schedule. Remember that it's okay to be protective of your personal time! Turn wash day into a self-care ritual by planning your routine. Put on your favorite music, do a face mask, paint your nails, and most importantly, give your curls the extra time and love they deserve. Schedule wash days around your lifestyle so your hair will always be fresh when you need to shine the brightest.

Taking a moment of quiet is one of the most beneficial things we can do for our personal health and wellness. Make that moment a nourishing and rejuvenating time for your hair too!

Master the Shower Routine

Washing hair is much more than a simple shower routine. Natural hair requires time, patience, and special consideration to make wash days the perfect style refresher.

Start by stocking your shower with natural hair-friendly products. These include shampoos and conditioners that are free of sulfates, parabens, and other drying agents. Focus on moisturizing ingredients and natural vitamins and nutrients for optimal results. Using the wrong products can make washing hair feel like a frustrating process when lingering frizz puts a kink in your style.

Section your hair using your favorite clips. Parting the hair into four quadrants is usually sufficient. While this might sound like an extra step, sectioning is actually a great time saver for washing hair. Many curly-hair professionals find that tackling tangles and cleansing section by section is far more manageable than washing their entire mane at once. Rinse with cold or bottled water to retain as much moisture as possible and follow up with a clarifying shampoo. Start at the scalp, massaging the formula down to the ends. No need to unroll each section if you have your hair in braids or twists. Simply cleanse each part and move on to the conditioner.

Finding the best conditioner for your curls is a must. Look for conditioners designed to hydrate and strengthen. You'll find that these products provide more "slip" when running your fingers through wet hair. The hair should have an effortless movement that isn't heavy from product residue. Once you've found your perfect product match, use your conditioner as a detangler to save time in your routine. Work out smaller knots with your fingers and use a wet brush to comb through each strand.

When you're all done, your hair will feel much more pliable, refreshed, and ready for styling. 

Decode Hair Drying

 If you've been using the same tired, old hair drying routine since your mother first introduced you to the pain of wash day, it's time to reinvent the art of drying curls. There's no need to fry your fresh locks when washing hair. Remember; your hair is at its most vulnerable when wet. Adding hot air to the mix can be extremely damaging and lead to breakage, frizz, and hair loss. If you've been growing your natural hair out for a while now and have noticed you've hit a snag, it may be time to reevaluate your hair drying routine.

Start with a simple T-shirt or microfiber towel. Gently dab your curls dry. Avoid wringing the hair out, pulling, or tugging. The key is to squeeze out the excess water while minimizing static. This one simple step can dramatically speed up your styling routine. Best of all, drying your hair without the use of high heat is a great way to maintain your hair's natural integrity and bounce.

Finish your styling routine with your supportive RevAir reverse air drying device! With technology as magical as your hair, it's no wonder that more and more natural haired beauties are ditching traditional hairdryers for good. RevAir uses a gentle, low-heat styling method to dry, stretch, and smooth, without the damage of a brush's pull. The results are stunning, in half the time of traditional heat styling methods.

Work a high-quality detangling spray into your styling routine. Detangling curly hair can be a multi-step process. Even if you've already brushed your hair and detangled it with conditioner, it's important to repeat the detangling process on freshly washed hair. The good news is that with a solid shower routine, this step should be far less tedious! Grab your comb, read up on the best strategy for detangling curly hair as well as the different types of knots you may encounter, and go confidently into your styling routine with silky soft, mat-free tresses.

As an added treat, incorporate oils and serums to prep hair for styling, or to apply on dry hair to lock out frizz. Our favorites include a simple mix of argan oil and aloe, and our Wave Goodbye Cream Gel Primer. Serums and oils (use them after Reving) are essential for color-treated and chemically processed hair, but benefit all hair textures when it comes to providing extra shine. They're the go-to product for smoothing any lingering post-shower frizz.

With the right wash day routine, you'll feel confident stepping out with revitalized curls and a totally pain-free home hair care ritual.

To Co-Wash or Not to Co-Wash?

 If you've been rocking natural hair for a while now or if you're considering embarking on the natural hair journey for the first time, chances are you've heard the term co-washing and wondered what the hype was all about. Co-washing can be a great compliment to your wash day rotation. Developed by salon professionals, co-washing is a method for washing hair that maximizes hydration.

It is well known that water strips away your hair's natural moisture, leaving your curls brittle and prone to breakage. Co-washing allows you to skip a wash day and opt for a specially formulated cream cleanser and conditioner product to remove build-up, cleanse, and moisturize. The key is avoiding water, rough lathering, and weighing your hair down with extra ingredients and residue from shampoo. When washing your hair with this water-free method, your scalp benefits from a gentle cleansing routine. This is a great way to eliminate build-up and stimulate hair growth by lightly massaging the scalp. Co-washing is a must for active lifestyles as flaking and dryness are common from frequent showering after exercise. Think of co-washing as the evolution of dry shampoo. This amazing technique delivers moisture and hydrates the ends of your curls alongside clarifying your scalp. 

That said, it's important not to overdo it when it comes to co-washing. Too much of a good thing can leave your hair greasy and longing for a proper wash. Don't rely on co-washing to get out of wash days entirely. Think of this hair washing method as the perfect accessory to your scheduled wash day routine and alternate between co-washing and full shampoo treatment. You'll be able to adjust your hair washing schedule accordingly if you notice too much oily residue between full wash days. Likewise, if your hair is feeling a bit dry, it may be time to implement more co-washing into your routine.

Your hair will thank you for prioritizing the health and wellness of natural curls.

If you're like many natural-hair beauties, chances are you grew up dreading wash day. We're flipping the script on the pain, the frustration, and the tedious routine. At RevAir, we're firm believers in nurturing your curls as a way to show your hair how much you love it! Transform your wash day routine into a personal wellness ritual with these simple, easy tips for washing hair.

Get ready to enjoy even more hair care tips for all hair types! Our Healthy Hair Blog is the best resource for health, wellness, and, of course, amazing style. Reach out to our team for more curly hair inspiration.