Washing Natural Hair: Care for Your Hair {Part 5} The Quick n Easier Way

A quick way to wash your hair without leaving your hair dry is to 

• Conditioner Wash your hair  
•  Or dilute your shampoo before shampooing, to prevent the shampoo from stripping your hair completely of moisture

What is Conditioner Wash (Also called Co-Wash)

Conditioner wash is when you use conditioner in place of shampoo to wash your hair, please be sure to rinse the conditioner out of your hair completely. 

Do's of Conditioner Washing (Co-Wash)

DO Use a Moisturizing/Hydrating conditioner without any types of protein, protein will make your hair dry, brittle, and hard.

How do you know if your conditioner have protein, check your hair product ingredients label 

Read this post to understand different types of proteins: http://rosecolourshades.blogspot.com/2010/11/protein-conditioners-part-4-of-care-for.html


DO Make sure to Rinse conditioner fully out of your hair

DO Always wash your hair with cool water instead of hot water, hot water dries out your hair and scalp also irritating your scalp.

If you decide to use shampoo for a quick way to clean your hair remember one lather is enough, make sure to concentrate on your scalp smoothing the diluted shampoo down your hair and to the ends gently.

Diluting Your Shampoo

When diluting your shampoo 1 cap full, or 3 squeezes to 1 gallon of water  is a good mixture, you can test out diluted shampoo mixture till you find the result you are looking for : Hair and scalp that is clean just not squeaky clean or dry.

411 Alert:
Shampoo can last a long time, be sure water is not entering your shampoos; mold can grow, make sure you portion your shampoo into a bottle instead of adding water to the entire shampoo bottle 

You can purchase inexpensive bottles to store shampoo for diluting:

1. Diluting Your Shampoo

Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of shampoo into a large bowl

Add 4 cups of water (Enough for it to still be soapy)

Do not shake this soap/water mixture, shaking cause this mixture to foam up

Foam is not your Friend, it strips your hair of Oils and Moisture

Stir diluted shampoo gently mixing both shampoo and water

2. Washing Your Scalp and Hair

Pour mixture over your head

Use your fingers to massage scalp to loosen any product build-up or debris in hair

Smooth distilled mixture gently through ends for your hair

Repeat this step once or twice if needed

Feeling around your scalp, see if your scalp and hair is clean  now it's time to rinse the shampoo out of your hair

3. Rinsing your Hair Clean 

Put entire head under cool luke -warm or cool running water and massage mixture out of hair

Though this shampoo is dilute make sure all soap residue is out of your hair, rinsing your hair twice for good measure.

Drying Your Hair

Pat dry your hair using a light weight (thin but absorbent) turban or cotton T shirt , cover your head  and pat gently till your hair is lightly damp

Before Air Drying/Blow Drying Hair


Now's the time to condition your hair before air drying or blow drying

Section your hair is four of more parts

Use a good quality Moisturizing Leave-in/ or Moisturizing conditioner (free of any hair Protein) any creamy condition that hydrates or conditions hair well

How do you know your conditioner have protein? Read this post that discuss Proteins in conditioners: http://rosecolourshades.blogspot.com/2010/11/protein-conditioners-part-4-of-care-for.html

The next step if you would like to hold on to softer hair longer is to "seal" your hair with a small amount of Oil (less than a dime size for each section of hair) remember to smooth oil through-out each part and the ends.

Sealing your hair with  oil is when you used oil on damp hair that has been moisturized to retain softness and hydration.


What Oils are good for Sealing? This post discuss some of the popular hair oils many women like to use as a seal: http://rosecolourshades.blogspot.com/2009/09/oils-for-natural-hair-care.html

Here's a popular Youtube video by a hair and scalp expert on how to properly wash and condition hair:

Conditioning & Shampooing Method Shown in this Youtube Tutorial Video

The Hair Doctor, Trichologist Lisa Akbari demonstrates how to properly shampoo and condition natural hair

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYlpOxUOVZM

This post is Part 5 of Care for Your Natural Hair, A Better Way