In this tutorial I give you some tips to get your BEST wash-n-go results using MoKnowsHair Collection. My friend Kelli has never worn a wash-n-go because she doesn't think her hair will do it...and I took that personally as a challenge to show her it is indeed possible! All it takes is the right techniques and products. I hope this tutorial and tips helps you too!
To achieve beautiful style, you have to have a solid foundation which starts with cleansing and conditioning.
Step 1: Massage Scalp Clarifier throughout scalp with fingertips and rinse.
This foaming, pre-shampoo treatment is packed with essential vitamins and botanicals to improve the health of your scalp. As you apply it, the cooling sensation will soothe your scalp while it removes build-up from old product and outdoor pollutants.
It has salicylic acid to gently exfoliate, unclog follicles and remove dead skin cells to help minimize dandruff and symptoms of dermatitis and psoriasis. This formula also has sea kelp, which is rich in essential vitamins that strengthen hair and increase scalp circulation, and Indian Winter Cherry, an anti-inflammatory that reduces hair loss and damage.
Step 2: Cleanse with The Ultimate Hydrator shampoo (two times if needed).
This sulfate-free, pillow-soft, cream shampoo is made with botanicals, essential oils and repairing proteins to hydrate and nourish your curls.
This formula contains carrot seed oil, an emollient that stimulates hair growth, hydrolyzed wheat protein to strengthen and repair, and marshmallow root to improve elasticity and combat itchy, dry scalp. The blend of botanicals and essential oils balanced with repairing proteins is what makes this shampoo so special
Pro Tip: Use lukewarm water and allow it to saturate hair for a couple minutes. This will help with spreading and lathering shampoo.
Step 3: Apply Elasticity Restoring Treatment, detangle in sections and process 7-10 minutes (up to 20 for low porosity).
This treatment is specifically formulated to repair the lipid barrier of your strands to help you retain more moisture and reduce frizz while strengthening. It has hydrolyzed quinoa, the only protein with all nine essential amino acids that act as natural strengtheners to protect the hair shaft, mongongo oil to prevent moisture loss by creating a protective barrier on the cuticle and mango seed butter to restore elasticity.
This trifecta of key actives is going to restore your hair’s moisture-protein balance, which is also known as your elasticity.
Pro Tip: Apply and massage treatment in the shower (even if you detangle outside the shower) while your hair is still drenched to help it start absorbing before you section and detangle. This will help you use less product.
Step 4: Apply Curl Primer and evenly distribute from roots to ends.
Regardless of what style you choose, you always want Curl Primer as your base. You will feel a smooth glide and silky feel immediately with this detangling leave-in treatment. It is literally priming your hair for styling!
It has Abyssinian oil to increase shine and manageability, grape seed oil to protect hair from pollution and UV radiation, and castor oil, a natural antimicrobial that boosts circulation to encourage healthy hair growth. This spray is good for scalp and hair, refreshing, keeping hair protected in braids and sew-ins, locs - all of it! It is a holy grail type of leave-in treatment that will hydrate, nourish and protect your hair during styling and in the days after.
Step 5: Apply Defining Gel, evenly distribute and set curls.
This gel is completely different than the first collection…it uses a different combination of ingredients to cast, or hold, hair in place that are more moisturizing and flexible. The base of this is aloe leaf juice and Argan oil to make it more hydrating and able to resist atmospheric moisture. While it hydrates, it also repairs and protects with hydrolyzed wheat protein for strength and structure and mongongo oil to form a protective barrier preventing moisture loss and protection against outside pollutants.
Step 6: Sit under hooded dryer until completely dry, then GO!
The Defining Gel is living up to its name…it is defining! It produced beautiful, shiny, hydrated bouncy, flake free curls. At night she will take the hair in the crown and pull it together with a scrunchi and take the sides and back into another scrunchi and cover with a satin bonnet.
Total style time = 2 hours
Here are some things to know to get your BEST Wash-N-Go:
- The more texture you have, the less layering you should try to do. With more bends and curves in such a small radius of each other, it creates a landscape for product to get bubbled or trapped which can cause sticky build up or flaking.
- Let go of the idea that this style is supposed to be fast because it has the word "go" in it...all styles take time to create! As you get better at it, the time will decrease.
- If you have multiple curl patterns, meaning your strands are shaped differently in different areas of your head or right next to each other, it might be more difficult to clump together. Don't get discouraged...embrace your beautiful texture!
- If you have a lot of shrinkage, get comfortable with it - it’s in your DNA. Trying to force stretch it out can make your hair frizzy and cause more breakage over time.
- However, if you have a lot of frizz and frazzle going on, it’s just a poof and nothing you use absorbs, you need to focus on your foundation (cleansing and conditioning).
- Make sure you take your time and neatly set your curls. Using a brush will help you more evenly distribute product and ensure there are no tangles.
- Sit under a hooded dryer! (Diffusing typically works if you have less shrinkage.) Drying hair quickly and still will allow the product to set properly. Air drying is ok if it works for you, but if your hair isn’t dry by bedtime, you need to dry it or you can end up with fungus/mold in your scalp (which presents as flaky and itchy). All styling products work better if they are not wet for hours allowing humidity around you to interfere with them locking in.
I hope this gives you all some inspiration and assistance in achieving a wash-n-go or improving your results.
