The silly kid with the messy mane pictured above is mine. His name is Isaiah, and he’s my youngest son. His hair isn’t always this messy, but he’s DEFINITELY always this silly (I blame my side of the family).

Today is wash day, and as you can see, it’s well overdue.

Although I only use a few products, the process is a long one. It may seem like a lot to some, but I’m a firm believer in sticking with what works, and I’ve done this routine since he was a toddler.

Isaiah suffered with eczema for the first few years of his life, and I initially created this routine to specifically address his dry, itchy scalp. Check out my previous post and video here.

I loved the wash day routine so much, and I was so pleased with the health of his hair that I decided to stick with it, with a few minor adjustments.

• I shampoo and condition his hair like normal. My favorite combo of all time is the Garnier Fructis Fortifying Shampoo & Conditioner. I use the color-treated version (only because it’s the one I use on my own hair).

• After going through his hair with my favorite detangling brush, I let the conditioner sit in his hair for about 30 minutes, then rinse it out and very lightly towel-dry his hair. I don’t remove all of the water, because I need his hair to still be wet for the next step.

• Next, I take about 2 tbsp of coconut oil and heat it up in the microwave for approx. 20 seconds, or until warm.
• I test the oil on my finger to make sure it’s not too hot, then I part his hair in sections and apply the coconut oil directly to his scalp. Once it’s all applied, I gently massage his scalp, working my way down to the ends of his hair.

• I usually let the oil sit on his scalp for about 20 minutes. In order to keep it warm, I put a plastic bag on his head before wrapping a scarf around it. Who said that Wal-Mart bags weren’t multi-purpose?

• Next, I wash the oil out and give his hair a good rinse.

Now, he’s ready for styling.

• I’ve used a few different products in the past, but my go-to’s have always been the Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Mousse and the Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie.

• Finally, I use the same detangling brush to style his hair.

If I tie his hair up at night (consistently), he can usually go about a week and a half before his hair needs to be washed again. As for the hot oil treatment, I usually do that once a month.

Okay, so now let’s quickly recap:

Before…

A silly, cute kid.

And after…

Still very silly and very cute. But definitely a cooler kid.

Until next time…

mjr.