Wash and Go Natural Hair Tips: 4 Steps to Effortless 3-Day Hair
I’ve been doing a wash and go on short natural hair ever since I big chopped. As a wash-and-go natural hair expert by experience, I feel it my duty to share with you my own wash & go tips for achieving the perfect natural hairstyle since it is my mainstay style in all of my over 10+ years as a natural.
I do have a looser curl pattern that makes my wash n go hairstyle a little easier to achieve than a tighter 4c natural, however, these tips work for many hair types and I will specify any alterations throughout, depending on your curl type.
In this post you'll find:
- What is a wash and go?
- What are the best wash and go products for natural hair?
- How to Do a Wash and Go on Natural Hair
- Wash Day Wash and Go Steps in a Nutshell
- How do you keep your hair curly after your shower?
- The Perfect Wash and Go Steps that Lasts for Days
- How to Do a Wash and Go on 4C Hair
- When to do a twist out
- Are Wash and Gos Good for Hair?
- How to Refresh a Wash and Go
What is a wash and go?
First things first, let’s define a wash and go.
A wash and go is simply a hairstyle that is exactly as it suggests, washing your hair and allowing it to dry as it wishes without having to style it into a particular style.
You instead wear it as an afro or big, long (or short) curls, whatever style and shape it takes as it is allowed to air dry. There is an art of course to this natural hairstyle. Achieving a great shape, tight curl definition, and super moisturized curls that last for 3 or more days comes down to the technique you use and the wash-and-go products you choose to apply to your hair.
Who would know that such an effortless look has so much work behind it? A natural would know, of course.
What are the best wash and go products for natural hair?
For a wash and go hairstyle, you want to choose products that are heavier and super-moisturizing. I layer on the products I use as do most naturals because they all serve different purposes.
These are all the natural hair products I currently use and LOVE in my wash and go curly hair: Click on the links to check the current prices on Amazon for each product.
- Avocado Oil to pre-poo (optional)
- Shampoo to cleanse (optional as described below)
- Hydrating conditioner to cowash
- Leave-in conditioner
- Moisturizing hair cream
- DIY Shea butter mixture or this Shea butter cream to seal
- This spray to refresh curls after 3 or 4 days or my DIY hair spritz
I detail the products I currently use in the wash and go steps below.
How to Do a Wash and Go on Natural Hair
As I share in my natural hair wash-and-go routine, after shampooing my hair, I start with a leave-in conditioner, then apply a moisturizing styler then I seal all that in with a DIY shea butter mix that locks in the moisture into my hair before it has a chance to evaporate, leaving my tresses dry. That’s the simple version of how to do a wash and go.
The wash n go natural hair products I recommend above all work well together and allow your curls to fall softly and stay moisturized. If you’re after a light and carefree look with tresses that are super soft and light to the touch, this combination will help you to achieve that while not getting too frizzy too quickly.
Wash Day Wash and Go Steps in a Nutshell
- pre-poo hair to help with detangling and prevent moisture loss
- cleanse hair
- apply a leave-in conditioner to soaking-wet hair
- apply a styler to help achieve your desired curl definition
- seal all that moisture in with an oil or butter-based moisturizer
- allow to air dry
This is also known as the LCO method of moisturizing your natural hair on wash day: Leave-in, Cream then Oil (or butter). You can also apply the LOC method to your hair to test which works better for you. In that order, you would apply your leave-in, follow up with your oil then your cream over that to moisturize.
You may also start your wash day with a deep conditioner instead of a pre-poo, depending on what your hair needs. A pre-poo with coconut or jojoba oil helps me to soften up my curls, making the detangling process a breeze.
How do you keep your hair curly after your shower?
Your wash-and-go will come out much better on hair that’s deep conditioned regularly so it’s soft, yet strong and moisturized. Check out my aloe vera mask here or these all-natural remedies for dry hair and split ends.
Your curly hair wash and go is dependent upon you applying your products when your hair is still soaking wet. If I allow my hair to dry out at any point then I can forget about a defined wash and go.
Wetting it afterwards with a spray bottle just doesn’t turn out the same as super wet hair straight-out-the-shower. For that wash and go curl definition that you’re after, it’s best to apply your product very quickly while your hair is still very wet after cleansing. Otherwise, your hair will just be wet and puffy.
The Perfect Wash and Go Steps that Lasts for Days
Step 1 – Cleanse and Detangle
After you pre-poo or deep condition, start with cleansing and detangling your hair in the shower (or over your washbasin). If you’re the type to only cowash your hair, meaning you use a conditioner to wash your hair and no shampoo, then I would suggest doing a clarifying rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) after cowashing in preparation for your wash and go hairstyle.
To do this, after using your favourite conditioner, I still use Herbal Essences Hello Hydration for simple cowashes, then apply a mix of one-part ACV to 3-parts water to your hair as a rinse. Slowly pour and massage it into your hair as if you’re shampooing, paying special attention to your scalp. This removes any product buildup from your hair and any gunk residing on your scalp.
Your hair and scalp will feel squeaky clean and brand new, ready for your wash and go products. If you shampoo regularly then this step may not be as critical but I would still incorporate an ACV rinse into your regimen at least once a month. It helps to clarify and refresh your strands, especially when you feel as if your hair has gotten used to your natural hair products. This is one of my favourite wash and go shampoo and conditioner sets for full-on wash days.
Step 2 – Apply Wash And Go Products
Once you’ve cleansed your hair, use a t-shirt or a microfiber towel to squeeze out excess water from hair. Be careful not to shake your hair too much or use the towel to rub your hair in any way. You’re simply squeezing out the excess so you’re not dripping all over yourself. It’s at this point I apply my leave-in conditioner when my hair is still very wet.
The moisture in your hair will help the conditioner to spread evenly and it will also soak up the wetness left behind, stopping any dripping. Use your fingers to rake the product through your hair without trying to be too thorough. (Meaning yes get all strands, root to tip, but no need for a comb as you will want to leave your hair as clumped as possible. Super wet hair will help you with this without needing to comb through the product.)
Apply your favourite styler, (this is mine) over your leave-in conditioner. The leave-in conditioner moisturizes your hair while your styler helps to retain the curl pattern.
They serve two different purposes and so the order is really important to me. Applying a styler without first applying a leave-in conditioner leaves my hair dry and my wash-and-go frizzes out by the end of the night.
Finally, an oil or butter-based product applied over all of that helps to seal in moisture so that the products do not evaporate and leave my hair parched. You can use a mix of your favourite oils, (I love Jamaican black castor oil mixed with jojoba and almond or avocado oils here) or you can use a shea butter-based product.
Try peppermint oil in your mix if you suffer from any kind of hair loss or thinning.
I make one for myself by simply blending my favourite oils into shea, cocoa, and mango butter and it is amazing at sealing in moisture.
All of this should be done fairly quickly, while your hair is still very wet. This is crucial to your wash-and-go success. Have your products ready to go before you cleanse your hair.
Step 3 – Allow to Air Dry
The final step is allowing your hair to air dry which is difficult for those with hand-in-hair syndrome. Manipulating your curls too much disturbs the very patterns you’re trying to set into place so it’s critical that you allow your hair to dry undisturbed. You’ve already troubled the patterns enough by applying three layers of product.
If you have time to spare, I like to pineapple my hair loosely on top of my head while it’s air-drying with a banana clip. This stretches the back of my hair while leaving the middle and front still intact so it falls very nicely around my face when I’m ready to take it down. Then, I part it and try out some wash and go hairstyles for medium-length natural hair, like using clips to hold the sides together or doing a faux-hawk.
If your hair is at neck or shoulder length and you like a little bit of length even in your wash and go hairstyles, give this a try, or else you’re guaranteed to have all the shrinkage.
Step 4 – How to Keep Your Wash and Go Fresh
Each night I pineapple my hair on top of my head and cover it with a large satin bonnet in preparation for bed. This is all I need to do to maintain a wash-and-go that was well moisturized to begin with. Click to see how to style short natural hair after washing.
It typically lasts up to three days, I may simply need to apply a bit of edge control or ecostyler gel. My wash and go always look amazing the day after, when I’m able to fluff it out a bit more at the roots and get it as big or as defined as I would like.
After day three, I refresh my curls with this spray that adds moisture back into the picture. Click to check out the spray’s awesome ingredients on Amazon.
How to Do a Wash and Go on 4C Hair
Shingling your hair products will determine your success when trying to achieve a wash and go on 4c hair. You’ll also need to realize and accept that your curls will not fall as a looser curly but may take more of an afro shape unless your hair is a bit longer.
I learnt this from trying to achieve a wash-and-go on munchkin’s tighter curl when it was short. Now that her hair is longer, a wash-and-go is achievable only when I shingle the product through her hair.
Shingling product means parting off her wet hair in very small sections and applying the same products above section by section to ensure the product is distributed evenly on every strand, then allowing to dry. I also use this cream to hold her curls so that they last. Just be sure to mix the gel with an aloe vera gel or other hydrating gel so that it doesn’t get crunchy or flake.
Even so, I would not allow munchkin’s 4b hair to wear a wash and go hairstyle for more than the day of. Tighter curls and kinks are easily susceptible to knotting and her hair will be a hot mess if I simply pineapple her hair for bed. At the end of the night when we wash-and-go, I twist her hair in large twists in preparation for a twist out or stretched style the next day.
When to do a twist out
After day three (or day 1 as described above) I am typically not able to get the look I’m after with my wash and go and it’s time to transition to a new hairstyle. Even with a looser curl pattern, my hair will become a tangled mess if I continue to pineapple it at night and wear it in a puff on day 4, which is what I’m guilty of when I’m lazy.
When I’m being a good curly, I use a spray linked above or a DIY bottle mix of water, conditioner and essential oils to get my hair damp then I do two large cornrows or flat-twists in my hair. Then, I am able to take it down in the morning and wear a beautiful stretched style for that day like in the image above. Or some other style.
This is also how to style transitioning hair after washing. You can see how I used to do this same twistout style here when I still had relaxed ends to blend the two textures.
I keep this going for a couple more days until it’s wash day all over again! I cleanse my hair once per week. How about you?
Are Wash and Gos Good for Hair?
Many people believe that wash and go hairstyles are good for hair. This is because they are low-maintenance and easy to style. In addition, they help to keep hair healthy by locking in moisture.
Some benefits of the wash and go hairstyle include:
- It is easy to maintain
- It does not require a lot of time or products
- It can be worn in a variety of styles
Wash and gos do require maintaining a good moisture balance so make sure to stock up on the best wash an go products your hair loves.
How to Refresh a Wash and Go
Make sure to pineapple your hair at night, meaning to put it in a loose ponytail at the top of your head with a satin scrunchie, and then sleep with a satin bonnet on.
I like to use the pineapple method because this stretches out the curls at the back of my head a bit. The shape of it when it all falls in the morning is lovely after pineappling all night. The satin material helps to retain moisture.
That way, you simply need to spray with your curl refresher to loosen things up a bit. Scrunch up your curls with your hands and you’re ready to go! This is why I love a wash and go so much. Not much fuss.
These are my fool-proof steps for wash and go hairstyles I’ve been wearing forever as you can tell. My wash and go for short natural hair and long natural hair has been the same routine, all that has changed is the amount of product I use and how long the style lasts. What’s your typical routine for the week as a curly?
Read Next:
- My Big Chop Story
- How to Keep Natural Hair Moisturized
- My Wash and Go Routine for 3-day Hair
- 21 Best Moisturizers for Natural Hair
- DIY Hair Spritz to Refresh Curls
- Best Portable Hair Steamer for Black Hair
- My Favorite Aloe Vera Pre Poo
- Best Protein Treatments for Curly Hair
- DIY Aloe Vera Mask
- The Best Skincare Products for 30+ Gals
Some images from Depositphotos. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
You have a great list of tips! Thanks for sharing this.
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I have been reading your blog for a few years now and still have not purchased the Jane Carter joint. I am going to get it this month. Thanks so much for the Tips.
I Usually have a hard time getting my hair to stay moisturized and getting it to not shrink. One thing I will changes is putting a leave in first before putting in eco-styler gel. I think I have the hardest time defining curls. I really loved this and how simple it is because some others are way more complicated
I’m a man and I still love your ideas