wash n go Archives - Curly in Colorado

How I Avoid Shrinkage with My Curly Hair Routine

Posted on by Michelle

I hate shrinkage. That seems to be the one thing that I don’t like about my natural hair journey. My hair loves to shrink up into a tiny afro so I’m always looking for ways to get more hang time. I used to think that the hair products I used for my curly hair routine would give me more length. Lately though, I’m finding that it has a lot more to do with technique.

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My Curly Hair Routine with Less Shrinkage

Whenever I wear my hair curly I usually only use three products. I always reach for a leave-in conditioner, a moisturizer and a styler. The only other thing I use is water which I keep in a spray bottle so that I can spritz each section when needed. Currently my wash and go combo is Aussie Moist conditioner, a Shea Moisture product for, well, moisture and Eco Styler Gel with Argan Oil. Now, I didn’t specify which Shea Moisture product because I have been getting great results from multiple items in their line. The Curl n’ Style Milk is a keeper while the Raw Shea Butter Extra Moisture Transitioning Milk and Restorative Conditoner also work for my hair. Lastly, to combat frizz and give curl definition, I use the hair gel. Eco Styler gel and I go way back so be sure to check out some of my other posts on this product.

Side view of woman with naturally curly hair — My hair has more “hang time” when I use my new technique when I style my wash and go style.

Continue reading “How I Avoid Shrinkage with My Curly Hair Routine” →

My Summertime Wash n’ Go Routine

Posted on by Michelle

Now we all know that “wash n’ go” is just what we say when we wear a style that shows off our natural curls right? Okay then, with that said, this is what I’ve been doing for the past few weeks for MY wash n’ go (insert smiley face here). To be honest, the hot, summer-like weather did not hit us Coloradans until mid-July. For that reason, I’ve only just recently gotten into a summertime routine for my wash n’ go.

wash n go routine, curly hair, natural hair — My summer wash n’ go style back in 2015

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How I use a Blowdryer and Diffuser on my Wash and Go

Posted on by Michelle

curlyincolorado.com how to use a blowdryer diffuser on wash and go

During the winter months I tend to shy away from wearing the wash and go style. This is because I don’t want to walk around with wet hair while it’s cold outside. Recently I discovered that, if I carefully wrap my hair at night, I can rock the curly look without re-wetting my hair in the morning. So as of late, I have been doing the style at night and then blowdrying my hair before going to bed. That’s where my diffuser comes in.

The point of using a diffuser is to dry your hair without causing frizz. Mine is an attachment for my blowdryer that I picked up at Sally’s Beauty Supply for about 10 bucks. Unfortunately, the attachment broke recently after years of use which I’ll be replacing soon. Nowadays you can find a blowdryer that comes with its own diffuser attachment included. Continue reading “How I use a Blowdryer and Diffuser on my Wash and Go” →

Scalp Psoriasis and Natural Hair

Posted on by Michelle

The fall and winter tends to be the time of year when we hear more about protective styling. With the colder temperatures and drop in humidity, a lot of naturals will do this in order to protect their tresses. I admire all of the different styles from braids to twists and pretty up dos. However, this is usually the time when I really just want to hide my hair from view. That is because I suffer from scalp psoriasis which tends to last over a long period, beginning in the fall and lasting into the winter.

There is plenty of information online regarding psoriasis. In my case it shows up on my scalp and skin in small spots that spread out over time. Years ago, I sought treatment and advice from medical professionals who unfortunately did not help me to understand the condition. They prescribed steroid creams which led to my worst spell with psoriasis ever. Later, I found out that psoriasis is an auto immune disease which means the immune system is out of whack somehow. Since the digestive tract makes up about 70 percent of the immune system, I tend to focus my efforts there. I do this by eating a diet rich in clean foods and focus on staying hydrated. I’ll explain more on my diet and supplements in another post.

The tricky thing about having scalp psoriasis while having thick, curly, natural hair is that the flaking that develops can be hard to get rid of. Using oils can reduce the appearance of flakes but can also increase the production of them. This means I end up cleansing my hair and scalp more often.

I try to stay away from harsh shampoos during this time because the frequent washing is already a lot of manipulation on my hair. Sulfate based shampoo leaves my hair feeling stripped and can lead to tangling. When I cleanse my scalp with a sulfate shampoo I try to follow it up with a pH balanced shampoo or an apple cider vinegar rinse. I’ll do this once a week and then use a sulfate free shampoo on other days. I end up cleansing my hair and scalp up to three times per week in total.

As far as protective styling goes I’ve found that wearing hats and wigs are the most comfortable for me right now. I don’t have to worry about flakes being visible when I’m out which is a boost for my confidence. Other times, a wash and go style is my go-to because it is quick and easy. I also don’t worry as much about the frequent washing because I usually refresh the style every two or three days.

Read Here for How I Clear Up My Psoriasis with Diet and Supplements

In Review: Camille Rose Naturals Curl Love Moisture Milk

Posted on by Michelle

curlyincolorado.com camille rose naturals curl love review

Camille Rose Naturals
Curl Love Moisture Milk

Earlier this year I celebrated 5 years on my natural hair journey and realized that I’ve pretty much stuck with the same products. I am usually one of those gals who like to use affordable products that can be found locally in stores. Once I figured out what worked for me, I stopped looking. Still, I couldn’t ignore all of the rave reviews that circulate in the natural hair world. For this reason, I decided maybe I could tweak my routine here and there. Who knows? Maybe I’m missing out.

My Curls after using the Curl Love Moisture Milk
and Eco Styler gel

I was eyeing the Camille Rose products at my local Target store for some time and decided to try something from the line. I needed a moisturizer for when I do my wash n’ go so I grabbed the Curl Love Moisture Milk. You get 8 ounces for about $15 dollars USD which seemed reasonable considering it contains all natural ingredients. The product claims to,”nurture your tresses and aid in preventing breakage, shedding and styling damage.” The label also states that it, “…will provide shine, protective anti-oxidants and long-lasting moisture to enhance the driest hair.” This sounded like something that would certainly provide my hair with the moisture it needed under a heavy styler like Eco Styler gel. I love how gel makes my curls pop but I’m sometimes left with dry hair a few days later.

I first tried it on wet hair after cleansing and conditioning. Then I decided to use a little grapeseed oil to seal in the moisture. Lastly, I sprayed each section of my hair with water before applying Eco gel. I was very surprised to see how much my curls clumped together. My hair also appeared to hang more than my usual wash n’ go. I let it airdry and realized that maybe adding the grapeseed oil was making my hair a bit too heavy. The next trial I decided to skip the oil and use the Curl Love as my sealer because it contains Castor oil. In this case I used Aussie Moist as my leave-in conditioner and then followed the same steps as before. The result was okay but my curls weren’t as juicy. The combo that worked best was when I used a leave-in conditioner, grapeseed oil to seal then the Curl Love all before applying the gel. This basically meant I was using the L.O.C. method (leave-in, oil, cream).

Overall, I found that the product does what it claims by allowing my curls to hang more when I use it to do a wash n’ go style. It definitely feels moisturizing and leaves me with much softer hair after using the hair gel. I did notice however that if I stuck with sulfate free products to cleanse my hair, the product would build up. I am back to using a sulfate shampoo for when I need to clarify so this is no longer an issue
for me.

Moisturizes and gives my curls hang time!

I agree with the price point considering I am still on the same bottle a couple of months later. I realized early on that you don’t really need to use very much of the product in order to moisturize your hair. I even use it on my kid’s hair and feel like we’ve gotten a lot of use out of it. I would definitely purchase this product again in the future.

HAVE YOU TRIED THE CAMILLE ROSE NATURALS LINE?