I have gotten so many compliments when wearing my curls in this style with little product in it. Normally, a wash and go involves some sort of curling pudding, cream, or gel in order to achieve defined curls. What I have found is, even though this is great and looks fantastic; many curly girls tend to like their second or third day hair a lot better. This is generally because second and third day hair often has more volume because it has time to fall and loosen up, leaving you with voluptuous, soft, fluffy curls with just a touch of frizz. This is especially true for those with tighter curl patterns.
Women fine, low density curls, coils, and waves have a harder time getting the volume they desire. Their hair is really defined with styling products that weighed down the hair and leave little room for that fluffy goodness unless of course, it is second and third day hair—but who wants to wait that long when you can get this hair on the first day.
I accidentally discovered this hairstyle while in the process of doing another style and letting my hair air-dry. I noticed that with no product in my hair it was really light, fluffy, and curly with more of a fro-like texture that was ultra soft and not weighed down, it was almost magical. With some very specific techniques I was able to turn that accidental style into a fast wash and go.
Step one
To begin, start with clean deep conditioned hair. My deep conditioner consists of Aussie Moist Conditioner, honey, and olive oil-all of which I eyeball for the consistency I choose. For this particular style, I like to use a lot of olive oil so that it gives me as much moisture as possible since I am not using any curling product after I rinse it out. I sit with this mixture in my wet, detangled hair (and a shower cap”> under a heat cap for at least 20 min.
Step two
In this step, I hop in the shower and rinse this mixture out thoroughly. Next, I put a bit more Aussie Moist in my hair as a leave-in conditioner and wet my hair once more. It is important for the conditioner to be present but not thick, otherwise it will weigh your hair down once dry. You want a more of watery lotion consistency instead of thick in creamy in your hair.
Step three
Since the goal here is fluffy semi-undefined hair, I squeeze the water out from root to tip with my hands, seal with oil—right in the shower—and flip my hair to wrap it into a microfiber towel. I leave this towel on my head for as long as I can while I am getting ready and partially after, 20 min will suffice to soak up the water in your hair though. Another use for the towel is stretching out the curls to minimize the definition for a fluffier aesthetic—which is the look we are going for.
Modifications: If you want your curls more define, comb your hair with a wide tooth comb or Denman right before squeezing out the excess water to restore some of the definition you lost after rinsing the deep conditioner. For less defined curls and more of a fro-like texture, forgo the comb and Denman after it’s initially detangling and let it dry in the microfiber towel a bit longer
Step four
Air-dry! This is the fastest drying hairstyle I have ever had. I can get dressed and not worry that my hair will get my clothes wet either. As it dries it will fluff up on it’s own, leaving you with soft, fluffy semi-defined curls that are loose and not weighed down with product. Once it is nearly dry, you can shake, shape, and fluff it to get your desired look.
Play around with this technique and see what works for you, I think you might like it.
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