Natural curly hair is like a white canvas. It lends itself to the creation of many different hairstyles in a way that no other hair type can. I’ve been blown away by people’s imagination and what they can create, but there’s nothing like wearing your own curls. I mean, why wouldn’t you want a quick and easy hair routine without having to spend a good chunk of your time braiding, twisting, bantu-knotting and whatnot?! To make your experience even better I’ll share a one-product wash and go for your curly hair.
I Failed Miserably!
Wash and gos are surely one of the easiest hairstyles to achieve and yet so many people are unable to consistently achieve a good one or they say their hair doesn’t lend itself to wash and gos. Being a curly girl who transitioned for 2 1/2 years under manipulating hairstyles and never did a wash and go I was one those girls who failed miserably at doing them after my big chop.
Let me tell you I struggled. After keeping my hair conditioned to buns, braids and twist hairstyles during my hair transition I was eager to unleash and set my curls free, but that came with disappointment. Every time I tried doing a wash & go my curls weren’t defined, I had frizzy and puffy hair by the second day and there was this one time when it didn’t even last a day. I always ended putting my hair in a bun or some sort of ponytail or puff.
So I did what most people do, I reverted to my comfortable little spot and did the hairstyles I learned so well during my natural hair transition occasionally trying a wash and go. However, 2018 dictated the year I decided to master my wash & go and I am happy to say…
I DID IT!!
It took studying product ingredients and ‘stalking’ my favourite stylist on Instagram to see how they did wash and gos on their clients, what techniques and tools they used, what was common about the products they all used… Yeh, I mean business when I am serious about something and I like to learn it from those who know what they’re talking about and are able to achieve a wash & go (W&G) with any curl pattern or texture.
I always knew gels were a good choice to achieve a W&G and I even shared a few of my favourite ones in this post, but doing it with a foam or mousse was something I never thought was possible. It turns out it’s not only totally possible but quick and easy. Can you imagine doing your wash and go with just 3 products?
Yep, your shampoo, deep conditioner and your foam or mousse! Yes, mam, you better believe it. 😉
Of course, you can also do it with a good gel-like UFD’s Curly Magic but to me, this is a new thing. So far I have tried a few different mousses to achieve my wash and go and the one I liked the most is Design Essentials Natural Curl Enhancing Mousse. It’s light, doesn’t flake when I use it with other products, defines my curls and helps to keep frizz away from my hair. The image below shows the new and improved formulation, I have been using the old one but I expect this one to be as good if not more.
I actually bought this product for my daughter’s fine hair but I tried it once ended up loving it too. However, I do use it cautiously as it has hydrolyzed protein and I like to control how much I have it in my hair regimen.
Anyway if you think a wash and go with a mousse of foam is not possible here are some tutorials showing you it’s totally possible.
M.A.D. Curls
This is a mother and daughter duo channel where they try different products and give you their review. Watching them feels just like you’re at home doing your hair with your mother, best friend or sister and you’re having a nice conversation.
In this tutorial, they try two different foams for a wash & go, one from Cantu Wave Whip Curling Mousse and my very own favourite Design Essentials Mousse. They also explain why when they first used the products they didn’t like the results much. The video is a bit long but stick ’til the end and you’ll know what not to do. Alternatively, you can jump straight to the tutorial with the mousse which stars at minute 6:06 min (for the results, jump to minute 17:36).
iMadameJay
After being styled in the salon with this mousse on her way home this beauty decided to stop by the store and buy the same mousse to replicate the results. The product is Doux’s Mousse Def and in here iMadameJay applied a leave-in conditioner first which may be because her hair is bleached and needs a little something more. Unfortunately, this product is not available here in the UK yet, we can only wait.
Design Essentials
There’s nothing better than getting it info straight from the horse’s mouth or in this case from the maker or the product. In this tutorial, you can learn the tips and trick from the make your curls pop with Design Essentials product and also their mousse.
Shar’del Haden
Here’s the Doux giving it to you again with Mousse Def. One thing I love about this brand is how colourful and fun it looks and the fact you can use it for wash and gos, braid/twist out and blowouts. It’s a multitasker and Sharde’l seemed to love that about it too, not to mention her results.
So, are you ready to give mousse a try? There are all sorts of curl types here, so this is not a product just for loose curl or fine hair. Like some of the girls in these tutorials, mousse has definitely has been a discovery for me too. I thought it would make my hair stick straight, but I guess things have moved a long way from back in the day. I hope you give it a try!
