So this morning, it was definitely time to wash my braids again. After being at the beach and outside in 90 degree weather, my scalp was screaming at me no matter how many times I sprayed it with refresher.

I don’t think it’s hard to wash braids, but here’s what it looked like. I squeezed all of the products into the length of my hair to help it reach my hair that’s on the inside of my braids and always smoothed down to not encourage frizz.

Read more below!

• AV Spray Bottle is actually Karen’s Body Beautiful Ultimate Conditioning Shampoo (review here) – sprayed it directly on my scalp and lightly massaged.
• Egyptian Lavender Summer Botanical Shampoo – I applied this to the length of my braids before hopping in the shower. I like this shampoo b/c it cleanses well but is also moisturizing.
• The Organic Loft Va-Va Voom Conditioner Smoothie – I got this in my Curl Kit this month and wanted to try it out. I was a bit skeptical b/c the consistency is kinda chunky so I thought it might get gunky in my hair, but it was okay. I’m curious about how it detangles b/c obvi that’s not a factor in braids.
• Aussie Smooth 3-Minute Miracle (review here) – I wanted to use something tried and true for extra conditioning, also hoping that the cone would help with braid frizzies.

I left my conditioner on for a few minutes, then rinsed and squeezed the excess water from my hair using a tshirt. After I was out the shower:

• Mane and Tail Hair Strengthener Daily Leave-In Spray – Conditioning with a dose of protein because I like my edges.
• Coco Curls Moisturizing Styling Cream (review here) – Great moisture (which is good since I’m not wetting my hair as frequently), no glycerin, plays well with other products. I applied it to probably 4-5 braids at a time (I tried doing it one at a time when I first washed my hair but I found it tedious and don’t think it really made a difference), smoothing in a downward motion.
• Ouidad Climate Control Gel (review here) – When I was testing gels to smooth my hair down, I liked the more serum-like ones with a harder hold more than EcoStyler, which is what I thought would be my main go-to. Applied just like my moisturizer.
• Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic – Frizz,frizz, go away. Added this for extra hold, especially for multi-day hair. The Ouidad dries fluffy usually.
• Egyptian Lavender Summer Botanical Hair Elixir – ALMOST DONE! I just applied some drops of this to my scalp. It has yummy essential oils.

After applying all of my products, I do this sorta weird braid wrap down my hair (yes, again because I hate frizz) until I have to go out in public and let them air dry the rest of the way. I use a braid cylinder or loc soc first, which hangs a bit below shoulder length and helps smooth my hair that’s hanging. Then I add a satin scarf to the top of my head to smooth edges and the top of my head. For good measure (and because my hair is mixed with my braids pretty far down their length), I tied another satin scarf to my length. It looks weird but hey, I’m not going anywhere.

And that’s my wash day to help minimize frizz (although you can’t totally defeat it, imo)! The entire process takes less than an hour. I really like having braids, but I’m not sure I’ll be keeping them in for much longer (and I’m only at about 2 weeks) because they make it pretty much impossible to effectively practice yoga (too heavy for a top bun and swing all over the place changing asanas in a ponytail/braid). It’s driving me BANANAS because I’m doing a 90-day challenge and practice daily.

How do you wash your hair in box braids?