I knew a wash ‘n go was going to be a task as my hair continues to grow longer, so I kept putting it off.
But my jar of Kinky Curly Curling Custard kept shouting Use me, Use me! every time I opened my hair product drawer.
Finally, I gave in to the temptation.
The Prep
Let me preface by saying, I was completely aware of all that could go wrong with the application because I’ve seen many failed attempts on YouTube.
So before I began, I did the following…
1. Washed my hair thoroughly and made sure I removed all product build-up/residue. (I used Kinky Curly’s Come Clean shampoo.)
2. Ensured my hair was soaking wet when applying the Knot Today conditioner and Curling Custard. I kept my spray bottle handy for that.
3. Applied product to small sections
4. Raked the product through my hair thoroughly with my fingers
5. Only used a small amount of the custard. Too much will cause residue.
I feel as if I did most of those things pretty well, but got a little lazy when I got to the back of my head. You know how that goes. 😉
The Results
To be honest, I was under-impressed. So much so I didn’t even take a picture of my hair when it was down. I was too busy picking out the white residue that apparently resulted in using too much of the Custard.
It also took my hair over 24 hours to dry completely. I attribute this to the use of too much Custard and the thickness of my hair. Obviously I have no control over the latter, but I still believe I was too heavy-handed with the Custard.
Also, because I didn’t distribute the product evenly enough, some parts of my hair were more defined than others and it looked like two different heads. 🙂
My Remedy
Since most of the residue was near the front of my hair, I did a quick rinse with my spray bottle and pushed my hair up into a puff.
I was able to wear this for about a week. Also, because the Curling Custard did a fairly good job of clumping my hair together, I was able to get my hair into a ponytail without gel and rock a cap for once.
I love hats and since I’ve been natural, I haven’t been able to wear them (hair too big). So it was nice to be able to pull my hair back and wear a hat for a more casual look.
I’ve also accomplished one of my natural hair goals, and that was to get my hair in a ponytail. Now, I’ll look forward to getting longer and even fuller!
Every morning I would spray my hair with water to re-activate the product and my curls would just bounce back — just like the product said they would.
To Sum it Up…
Even though I didn’t get the results I wanted, I will probably try it again. Next time I will use less Custard and do a better job of making smaller sections in the back. I started rushing once I got toward the end and it was obvious when my hair dried.
Parts of my hair were frizzy, others were very well defined. I suppose I could have re-applied the Custard, but I was afraid of product overlap and more residue.
The Custard did a good job of defining my curls as you could probably tell in the pictures above, so it definitely does what it promises.
So overall it wasn’t a total fail. I knew that if things went wrong I could fall back on a puff… and that’s exactly what I did! 🙂
A quick tip I picked up at a curly salon in Toronto was to dilute the custard. The curl in the salon says that they dilute the custard a little with water because with KCCC a little truly goes a long way. My hair also had to be sopping wet not just damp but drenched lol. After applying she lightly rinsed my hair to evenly distribute the product and then let me shake it out before air drying.
Now that I am using it at home, I scoop some out into an empty jar, dilute it to the consistency I prefer and have at it with the application. I find that I have wayyyyy less residue and my hair takes less time to dry. Hope that helps anyone else.
I will def try that! Thanks Tessa!
I’ve been going natural for about 5 months now I didn’t do the big chop but I did cut a decent amount off 2 months into it is their anyway I can get a hairstyle like this in that little time spand ?
When I used Kinky Curly I prepared my hair first. Even though technically it is supposed to be “wash n go”. My hair was twisted the night before. Then the next morning in the shower it was dampened, not necessarily drenched. Then I applied the custard and the results were pretty good. I think it all depends on your hair type, in how you approach the process. Kinky Curly does have a rep for having that sticky residue, the best thing I did to combat this, was exactly what you did, spraying it with water. I still love the product because of how moisturizing it is, I even recommended it to my mom and friend, but they both complained of that sticky buildup too. I am starting to prefer Shea Moisture’s curling souffle myself, it’s pretty sticky as well, but I do notice way less residue. pic of when I used kinky curly
Cool thanks for sharing your technique, Ariane!
Hi Lisa! I did my first wash n’ go with my twa! I used the Kinky-Curly Leave in, and Curling Custard. But, I think I got a little heavy-handed on the custard ( I was so excited about washing my hair fully naturaly lol!) Anyway, do you think I need to wash it out, and start over again? Also, how do I wrap it over night? Will this style last me a week? I know it’s alot to answer, but I really need your help thanks 🙂
When I did that, I just lightly rinsed my hair in the shower and put my hair into a puff. You may find you can do the same and even continue to wear your hair down. To preserve the style, you can “pineapple” your hair, which means you take a large stretchy band and put all your hair on top of your head. This will help maintain the style.
I just slept in a satin bonnet. I never pineapple but many people love it.
This is my 10 month and I am pretty much completely natural. I have been wearing protective styles because I didn’t want to do the BC. Before I decied to transition my hair was cut in a mohawk and it had started growing back. I really didnt see myself cutting it again at that point. A few weeks ago I clipped my ends and I have been wearing twist outs every since. I have been using the shea butter curling cream, moisturizer and the ecostyler gel. In some areas of my head the curls aren’t defined good. Could you tell what I could possibly do to defind the curls better?
It may just be your texture. We all have multiple texture so our hair behaves differently. I have that same problem and have learned to just go with it. 🙂
Ok ur website has been very helpful to me! But i still have some questions ive been transitioning for 12 months now and all i do is throw my hair in a bun cuz its a pretty good length but i want to experiment my hair is very coarse around the edge. What products do u suggest for my extemely kinky and nappy hair! Please help!
Have you tried spritzing your edges lightly with water (or a moisturizing product) and then applying a moisturizer or natural oil like jojoba or olive to seal in the moisture?
Hey Lisa,
An older vlogger on YouTube by the name of essentials4you recently did her puff with a similar headband but she turned it backwards. She put the smaller part in the front and it was really cute. You should try that also if you haven’t yet. I think you would rock it well too!
Great tip!! Thanks! I will try this.
Lisa, Thanks for the review on the Custard. I have heard that it makes the hair crunchy and stiff. Is that true? Your puff with the headband looks awesome!! Very cute style. It’ll be worth you doing this again just for that style alone. 😉
I’m still on my transition journey…working on month 10! Set my target chop date for April of 2013. It’ll be my birthday present!
Dee
Thanks. It can if you use too much. I had some parts that were tacky but I think I used too much product. Congrats for making it 10 months!!
I feel you on falling back with the puff. That is my go-to style! I am a new reader on your site! Love it! Thanks for this post! I have this product in my drawer but haven’t used it yet. I will have to try it out and remember to not be heavy with the application.
Hey Jeanna,
Good luck!
You have the patience of Job. I don’t believe that I could ever go through all that you do with your locks but it always comes out pretty good. Keep it up.