Your Complete Wash Day Guide

Wash day does not have to take all day. Here is a routine that works for type 4 hair in our climate.

1. Pre-poo (15 minutes)

Apply a light oil — baobab or coconut — to dry hair in sections. This protects your strands from the harshness of cleansing, especially with hard borehole water.

2. Cleanse the scalp, not the lengths

Use a sulphate-free shampoo and focus your fingertips on the scalp. Let the suds rinse down the lengths — they do not need scrubbing. If your water is very hard, follow with a diluted apple-cider-vinegar rinse (1 tablespoon in a cup of water) to remove mineral build-up.

3. Condition with intention

Apply conditioner generously and detangle with your fingers or a flexible brush, always from ends to roots. For a weekly treat, cover with a plastic cap for 15 minutes.

4. Layer your moisture (LOC or LCO)

• Leave-in: water-based, applied to damp hair
• Oil: a few drops of baobab or marula to seal
• Cream: a butter or cream to lock everything in

High porosity hair usually prefers LOC; low porosity often does better with LCO and lighter layers.

5. Style and protect

Twist, braid or band your hair while damp, and let it dry fully before taking the style down. Sleep on satin — always.

Wash every 1–2 weeks in the dry season, and co-wash between full wash days if you exercise often.