My Current Wash Day Routine

Pre-Poo/Detangle (optional; done the night before ~once a week)

• (optional) If scalp feels dry, massage scalp oil (Shea Moisture Water Mint & Ginger Detox & Refresh Scalp Elixir) into scalp
• (optional) Steam hair in shower to "open" cuticle
• Apply coconut oil to lengths, starting at ends
• Detangle
• (optional) Further steam hair in shower
• Sleep with hair protected by a processing cap, a Buff, and a Polar Buff (to trap heat from head overnight to help oil to penetrate)

Cleansing

• Soak hair completely with warm water
• Massage low-poo (Shea Moisture Fruit Fusion & Coconut Water Weightless Shampoo) into scalp with pads of fingers
• Rinse thoroughly

Conditioning

• Apply conditioner (Shea Moisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Conditioner) on soaked but not dripping hair, starting at ends and applying to roots
• Detangle with fingers, adding additional conditioner as needed to achieve "wet seaweed" texture
• Do other shower activities (cleansing body, shaving, etc.)
• If deep conditioning, rinse out creme rinse completely 
• Squeeze excess water out of hair, and apply mask (Maui Moisture Heal & Hydrate + Shea Butter Hair Mask) from ends to tops of ears
• Put on plastic processing cap
• Wet washcloth with very hot water, wring out, place on top of cap, and apply a second plastic processing cap
• Apply additional heat with DIY soft hood (hair dryer and grocery bag) for 30 minutes
• Put on Buff and Polar Buff and leave mask on for a further 1-2 hours
• Smooth tangle tamer through hair to align hairs and check for small knots, adding additional conditioner as needed
• Turn water pressure to low 
• Squish-to-Condish
• Upside down again, duck in and out of water stream, catching the conditioner/water mixture with cupped hands
• Gently scrunch water/conditioner mix into hair
• Add more conditioner if needed 
• Repeat until hair feels soft and most of the conditioner is rinsed out
• Ensure conditioner is rinsed off scalp
• Spread half a pump of conditioner on wet hands and scrunch out excess water; hair should still be soaked

Styling

• With head flipped upside down, rake curl cream (Living Proof Curl Defining Styling Cream) through hair
• Smooth product through hair with Tangle Tamer brush
• Scrunch out excess water
• Repeat last three steps with curl enhancing gel (homemade flax-seed gel)
• Glaze one pump of mousse (DevaCurl Frizz-Free Volumizing Foam) to lower layer of hair and scrunch in near nape of neck
• Flip right side up and glaze one pump of mousse near roots
• Flip upside down again and glaze hair, front and back, with hard hold gel (Jessicurl Spiralicious Styling Gel)
• Cocktail together a quarter sized amount of Jessicurl gel and a dime sized amount of Got2b Ultra Glued Invincible Styling Gel
• Gently scrunch gel cocktail into hair
• Gently "scrunch and pump" every section of the hair, while hands are still wet

Drying

• Gently scrunch all of hair once with a t-shirt
• Plop hair in a (different) t-shirt for 15-20 minutes
• Use fingers to gently lift or "fluff" hair off of scalp
• Place part
• Diffuse hair at back of head on medium heat
• Use jaw clips all around crown and back of head, perpendicular to part
• Air dry until 50% dry; DO NOT TOUCH HAIR WHILE AIR DRYING (aka, the most challenging part of any wash day routine)
• Diffuse each section (left front, left back, center back, right back, right front, top) using the Pixie Curl mehod, right side up, and with jaw clips still in. Use low speed, medium heat for one minute, low heat for two minutes, and cool shot for 30 seconds.
• Air dry until ends are dry (clipped sections near crown will still be damp from being clumped together)
• Carefully remove clips (don't yank or comb out strands) and diffuse upside down using Pixie Curl method, focusing near roots
• Diffuse until 90% dry 
• Reapply clips and leave until hair is 100% dry
• (optional) re-wet, finger curl, and bobby pin any wonky curls
• When completely dry, apply one pump of argan oil to hands, scrunch out the crunch, and fluff hair
• (optional) If there's too much halo frizz, wet hands and glaze over canopy; then apply the smallest possible amount of hard hold gel and mousse to damp hands; emulsify together and lightly glaze over dampened canopy; air dry.