wash n go Archives - Page 2 of 5

Back to The Curly Girl Method & Switching to Wetline Xtreme Gel

Posted on by Michelle

curlyincolorado.com curly girl method wetline xtreme hair gel

My new wash and go product line-up

I recently decided to make some major changes in my hair routine as far as my products go. After using chemical hair dye to semi permanently cover my gray hair, I switched to a sulphate free shampoo. When I did this, I noticed that my beloved Aussie Moist conditioner was causing a lot more build-up. This was because it contains a silicone and sulphate free shampoo isn’t capable of removing heavy silicones.

This change in my cleansing routine meant that I needed to go back to silicone free conditioners or at least lighter silicone versions that were easier to cleanse out. I decided to go with my old favorites Tresemme Naturals Conditioner for detangling/conditioning and Paul Mitchell’s The Conditioner as a leave-in. This basically put me right back at Curly Girl status which is fine but what about the gel?

I really like to use a heavy gel after I apply my leave-ins for
extra curl definition and hold. It also guarantees me a wash and go style that will last a few days. Normally, my gel of choice is Eco Styler gel. However, my hair was not liking the product very much lately. It was like it kept zapping the moisture from my hair no matter what products I paired with it. The other day I went to reach for it to do my hair, but realized I was completely out. I usually stay stocked on this product so that was surprising. Then I remembered that I still had some Wetline Xtreme gel leftover from a trial I did this summer. It was all I had so I had no other choice but to use it.

My wash and go still has lots of definition
after using Wetline Xtreme gel

I used it three times the first week and I still can’t believe the difference! My hair feels way better than when I use Eco gel and all I have to use is my leave-in conditioner and grapeseed oil underneath. With Eco I had to also use a third, moisturizing product. I think it has something to do with how Wetline gel is protein and glycerin free. I have often suspected that I might need a glycerin free product but it’s possible the protein was causing problems as well. The other plus is that I still get the same curl definition as before. I am so glad that I stumbled upon this discovery. I’m pretty sure that my hair is too!

My Wash n’ Go Routine

Posted on by Michelle

Long time no blog! Hopefully I’ll be getting back into the swing of things now that the kids are back in
school. My hair routine is a little all over the place but lately I’m rockin’ my wash n’ go. The weather here in Colorado may not be warm for much longer so I’m trying to take advantage of it. Once fall hits, I’m thinking I might look into doing some crochet braids or twists under a beanie.

Anywhoo, here is my most recent youtube video which illustrates my current wash n’ go routine. Right now I am experimenting with different moisturizers and will have a review later. In the meantime, you can watch how I apply my products to achieve this style.

Watch My Wash n’ Go Routine

Changing My Hair Routine for the Winter Months

Posted on by Michelle

Making changes to my Wash n’ Go routine
for the winter months

This is the time of year where we start to make changes in a lot of ways. Sometimes the drier weather may call for heavier products for the hair and skin. This has been the case for me lately as I have had to make adjustments to my hair routine to make up for the lack of moisture. Normally I’m able to do my wash n’ go style with just two products. I like to use my favorite leave-in, Paul Mitchell’s The Conditioner with Eco Styler gel (the Argan oil one). Right around early October I could tell that my usual combo was not working like it did over the summer. I decided to add a little Castor oil to seal in moisture before applying the gel. This helped some, but still wasn’t quite what my hair needed.

I started leaving conditioner in my hair that I would normally rinse out. The Tresseme Naturals conditioners worked great for this but sometimes I used the Aussi Moist conditioner. Both products were thick, rich and gave lots of slip. The Aussi Moist even worked as a styler on it’s own and gave me lots of curl definition. The only thing though with using conditioner only was that I didn’t get as much wear out of the style. With Eco gel added I could go 4 to 5 days before having to re-do my hair. With conditioner as my styler, I’m lookin’ at two days tops.

I finally settled on applying a little of the Tresseme conditioner to my hair for a moisture boost. Then I’ll apply a little bit of the Paul Mitchell leave-in to each section I’m working on. I seal in the moisture with a quarter size amount of castor oil for each section. Finally, I re-wet my hair by spritzing water on the sections before applying the gel for hold. It’s taken me a few weeks to figure this new method out but it seems to be working a lot better for me. The added moisture makes my hair shrink up more but that’s a good thing so I welcome it.

Summertime Slim Down — On My Way to a Healthier Me

Posted on by Michelle

Green Smoothie
with Kale, Apple, Cucumber and Banana

This year I’ve been learning lots about the importance of eating a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables. I even found out a thing or two about juicing and how beneficial it can be. Still, it took my upcoming summer vacation to finally get me motivated to lose some weight. I’ve been telling myself how great it would feel if I could just lose the 7-10 lbs. that have been keeping me from looking my best. There are all sorts of reasons why I fell off of the exercise wagon so I’ll save the long story. Thankfully my diet only needs a few tweeks here and there because my family and I eat pretty healthy.

After watching the movie, “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead,” earlier this year, I decided to start juicing more. At first, there was a bit of a learning curve but I’m used to it now and can whip up a glass of juice for breakfast with no extra fuss. I’m happy to say that it helped with my psoriasis which was crazy out of control for most of the winter. One of my favorites is a green smoothie with Kale, Cucumber, Apple and Banana.

Now that my skin is looking better, I’ve been trying to exercise more in hopes of losing a little extra cushion around the middle and thighs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful that I’ve been around the same size for years. It would be nice though to not have to rely so much on help from shaperwear when it’s time to dress up. Plus, I want to have more energy to help me get through these long summer days with the kids.

As for my hair, I’m hoping that the cardio and strength workouts will lead to a faster metabolism. This in turn can lead to faster hair growth (maybe). So for now the Wash n’ Go hairstyle is super easy for me. Since I use a heavy gel product like Eco Styler, I can just wet my hair in the shower to reactivate my style. Co-washing is also pretty easy because it removes most of the product without stripping my hair or causing my curls to go into shock. Sometimes I even use a light oil on my hair either in the shower or right after to seal in the moisture and combat dryness. The wash n’ go style is so much easier now and great for the summer.

From Wash n’ Go to Braid Out

Posted on by Michelle

For Memorial Day I decided to wear a wash n’ go because it’s seemed to be the easy thing to do with my hair. I had a few errands to run but still managed to fix myself up before heading out. One of the things I tried was stretching my roots with the blowdryer for the look of more length. My hair was still damp when I was done so it shrunk up a little. Still, I was pretty happy with the end result.

Later that evening, I wanted to co-wash my hair and re-style the wash n’ go which meant re-applying all of the products and waiting for it to dry. Instead, I decided to just kick back and watch Youtube while braiding my hair up for a braid out. I was surprised this morning to see the amount of definition I had. I was also happy with the look of length I got without having to use any heat this time.

There was already plenty of product in my hair from the wash n’ go so I just spritzed each section with a little water before braiding it into plaits. I then spritzed a little more water on the ends and twisted with my fingers to get a slight curl. The product in my hair helped with this step. I didn’t even have to use a comb or denman brush. I just stretched my hair with my fingers and detangled a little here and there. It was almost too easy!

WATCH MY WASH N’ GO ROUTINE ON YOUTUBE

I’m beginning to see a routine forming here. I can totally see myself wearing my wash n’ go’s for a few days and then turning them into braid outs when they start to get a little fuzzy. I hope this is the case because I get the feeling my hair needs a more simplified routine and this may be it. What’s funny is the fact that this is what I used to do during my first year natural. Now I’m not sure why I

ever stopped.

Wash n’ Go on Memorial Day

Braid out the next day