What does a Typical Regimen look like?

Hey ladies!

It's FRIIIIIIDAY, which means lots of fun for the weekend, I hope. Typically, a lot of naturals spend some part of the weekend on their hair care regimens. During the week, with work, school, and life in general, it can be hard to make the time to "properly" indulge in your hair care routine. I came across a post on Think & Grow Chick about how her hair care regimen lasts for 3 hours from start to finish. Hence, she has decided to change her routine. What led me to her post initially was my quest for a typical regimen for natural hair. She didn't disappoint, and I'm here to share with you...

1. Pre-Poo - The first part of a typical regimen consists of preparing the hair for shampooing. A lot of shampoos can leave your hair feeling stripped and dry, so in order to retain as much moisture as possible, one or a mix of oils (coconut, jojoba, etc) is applied to the hair. Once done, cover with a plastic/shower cap for approximately 15  minutes.
2. Detangle - Natural hair has the tendency to tangle very easily. Washing hair that has not been detangled can make the styling step quite painful, and cause hair to break. There are different schools of thought here: finger detangling vs comb/brush detangling. Whichever camp you're in, just be sure that your hair is properly detangled before washing. 
3. Wash (in sections) - Time to get the dirt/grime out of your hair. Using a mild shampoo (free of sulfates), gently run your hands through your hair from root to tip. With longer natural hair, it can be easier to wash by putting your hair into sections, and taking it one by one. 
4. Condition - Want hair that's [relatively] soft and manageable? Use a good conditioner that will moisturize and strengthen your hair. Leave it in for a minute or two, then rinse out. I usually skip this step now, especially since I deep-condition. I just feel like there might be something like "too much" conditioning. I'm not trying to get hair that's soft as a cloud and falling when the wind blows. :p But then again, some people just do a co-wash, which is washing your hair with conditioner - that would knock off the previous step (or rather, combine it with this one).
5. (Deep Condition) - This step isn't necessary every time you wash your hair. You can do this twice a month. Deep-conditioning consists of using a deep conditioner (usually mayonnaise) and running through hair from roots to tips. After hair's covered, place shower cap on head and either sit under a dryer  (preferably hooded) for 10-15 minutes or wrap towel around head for 30-60 minutes. Then rinse out completely.
6. Leave-in Condition - I've seen a couple of posts out there from people who don't agree with using Leave-in conditioner. I have no problem with it, as this step helps your hair retain moisture and keeps the hair soft.
7. Style - Head on over to Irene's posts here, or check out other videos on Youtube, or use my best friend, Google for style varieties :)
8. Moisturize - Natural hair NEEDS moisture. And no, moisture isn't oils or creams. Water is your best friend here. You may also add in a moisturizer. The point is to make sure your hair doesn't dry out. A spray bottle with water (and oils with/without leave-in-conditioner) is a good way to get the necessary moisture in your hair.
9. Seal - Ah, the final step. Sealing ensures that the moisture from the previous step, is sealed in and doesn't get out. This is typically done with oils or hair creams/butters. 

*the Style step may be done after Moisturizing and Sealing - that's how I do mine*

Obviously, this is not a FIT-FOR-ALL, and some ladies might choose to skip one or two steps with every other wash day.

I know I'm not a very patient person with hair. I usually want my hair done in an hour or less (even when braiding). My routine has maybe 5 steps, and I deviate every other time, so I'm not sure I should even call it a routine. Anyways, what's your regimen like?

Berry