The Ultimate Winter Wash Day Guide For Natural Hair – Essence

Winter is often the season when people increase their treatment regimens, from skin to hair care, for various reasons. For starters, the colder, dryer weather can cause the hair to feel dryer or more fragile, prompting us to look for moisture-restoring remedies. As the temperature drops, the urge to opt for protective styles, silk presses, and the like increases as we prepare for the holidays—calling for additional cleansing and hydration between styles. All of these factors may turn the focus on a more intentional wash day to maintain the integrity of the coils in the months ahead. 

Fine-tuning an effective and efficient wash day routine amidst the sea of products on the market can be overwhelming to say the least. While still maintaining that your hair deserves a bit more attention in less-forgiving weather, we want to break down the routine to a few straight-forward steps that will aid in a practical wash day regimen that promotes hair health for coily textures.

The Ideal Routine

The starting lineup includes a clarifying shampoo, which can be used on alternating wash days or as needed to balance the scalp’s pH and target product or oil buildup—a thorough cleanse is essential to guarantee proper penetration of beneficial hair ingredients. 

A hydrating shampoo follows, to ensure the hair retains as much hydration, elasticity, and shine as possible. A hydrating conditioner that supports nourishment, moisture, and overall hair health rounds out the central three steps. Auxiliary steps can include a scalp scrub to provide an exfoliating cleanse, ideal for protective style take-downs or dry scalps, a deep conditioner for when the hair may be feeling overly brittle, and any special target products such as bond repair to be used on occasion, if your hair calls for it.

Below, we’ve created a sample coily-haired wash day routine complete with anything you may need to give your curls the love they deserve all winter long. 

The Products

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