As much as I loved the look of my modified Maximum Hydration Method wash ‘n’ go, it got quite tiresome after a while (there’s just so much to do, and so often), and since the weather has turned colder I didn’t fancy going out in the cold with wet hair. So I decided to change up my routine to something a bit more simple and winter friendly.

Winter 2015 Regime

Wash hair every 5-7 days

Prep – section hair into 4 and loosely twist each section

1. Detangle – in shower

Products – Tresemme Vibrant Naturals Nourish & Replenish Conditioner
Tools – Tangle Teezer

Wet hair. Undo 1 twist and gently finger detangle under running water to loosen any large clumps. Add Conditioner and detangle from tips to roots, separating section into 2 or 3 smaller sections to ensure thorough detangling. Rinse.

2. Shampoo – Scalp Only (as needed)

Products – Tresemme Vibrant Naturals Nourish & Replenish Shampoo

Holding the detangled section taught with one hand, apply shampoo directly to scalp using fingers and massage scalp gently to loosen dirt and debris. Rinse. Sometimes I skip this step if I feel my scalp isn’t dirty or flaky.

3. Condition

Products:
– Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Deep Nourishing Intensive mask (Jar)
(OR)
– Tresemme Keratin Smooth Deep Treatment Masque (for protein boost, every 4 weeks or so)

Tools – Shower Cap

Apply Conditioner to the section from tip to root, ensuring even distribution. Twist section and clip out of the way.

Repeat steps 1 to 3 on remaining sections and cover with shower cap for 3-5 minutes whilst I shower. Remove shower cap and rinse twisted sections under cool water.

4. Air-Dry

Products:
– Detangling & Conditioning Milk Spray*
– Tresemme Liquid Gold Anti-Frizz Perfecting Treatment
– Shea Buttercreme*
– Let’s Jam! Shining & Conditioning Gel, Extra Hold (for undercut)

Tools – Boar Bristle Brush (for undercut)

*Products I made. See below for ingredients and suggested alternatives

Remove excess water using a cotton t-shirt and undo twists. Separate hair into 3-8 sections. The larger the section the larger the curls will be. The smaller the section, the smaller the curl (I did 8 sections to get the curl size I have in the picture above). Using the L.O.C Method, first apply Liquid/Leave-in (conditioning spray) to first section. Second, apply Oil (Liquid Gold) and smooth in. Thirdly, layer on Creamy product (buttercreme) from tips to roots ensuring hair is well coated. Flat-twist section. Repeat for all remaining sections. Spray undercut with Conditioning Milk Spray and smooth on Let’s Jam evenly. Brush sides and back down with bristle brush. Allow to Air-dry overnight.

5. Style

Undo twists and style as desired.

Sometimes I keep the twists in for a day or two and cover with a large beanie. Once I do take out the twists I’ll enjoy my twist-out for a few days and then pin it up into some kind of style once it gets a bit too frizzy.  The smaller the curls, the longer the twist-out lasts.

Simple.

I don’t moisturise my hair in-between washes. I’ve found that washing my hair every 5 days or so allows my hair to keep moisturised without having to do anything else to it in-between. My scalp is happy, my hair is happy and I’m happy.

Notes

I absolutely love the combination of products I’m using at the moment. They are inexpensive and work great on my hair. My hair absolutely LOVES silicones. I have found that since I’ve included them in my regime my hair is so soft and stays moisturised for much longer. My hair also detangles quite effortlessly and I have much less breakage as a result. I know many people run away from silicones but I have found that they have been invaluable to my kinky, coily 4b/a hair. Washing regularly also helps to keep my hair hydrated and minimises the build-up of shed hairs that usually cause tangles.

*Product Ingredients

Detangling & Conditioning Milk Spray:
Deionised Water, Glycerine, BTMS-50, Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone, Cetrimonium Chloride, Geogard Ultra (preservative), Fragrance, Panthenol

Suggested Alternatives**
Blended Beauty SilkShake
Dark And Lovely Au Naturale:: Moisture L.O.C Super Quench Leave-In Spray
Natural Coils Daily Leave-In Conditioning Mist
Taliah Waajid: Protective Mist Bodifier

Shea Buttercreme:
Deionised Water, Shea Butter, BTMS, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Glycerine, Jojoba Oil, Avocado Oil, Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Panthenol, Fragrance, Geogard 221 (preservative), Cellulose Gum, Guar Conditioning Gum, Citric Acid

Suggested Alternatives**
Darcy’s Botanicals Sweet Cocoa Bean Moisturising Hair Whip
Crown Pride Nilotica And Mango Buttercream
CURLS Blueberry Bliss Twist N Shout Cream
Design Essentials Coconut & Monoi Deep Moisture Milk Souffle

** I haven’t tried any of these products myself, so I can’t say how good they are. I based my recommendations on the similarities in ingredients and usage instructions. Use whatever products work best for you.

Until next time!