Healthy hair is beautiful hair. And for Black women, wash day is often a sacred act of self-care, since our kinks, coils, and curls require a little more TLC. In our new series Wash Day Diaries, we’re asking influential women to break down exactly what goes into their routines so you can learn their tips, tricks, and products that work for your texture and style.
If you heard a rumor that Emmy Raver-Lampman is every bit as captivating as Allison Hargreeves, the mind-controlling superhero turned actor she plays on Netflix's hit series, Umbrella Academy, you'd be absolutely right. Listening to the O.G. Hamilton alum talk hair will have you hanging on her every single word.
Even in an industry known for notoriously whitewashed work environments, Raver-Lampman has stayed true to herself and her roots. From the jump, she’s worked her natural texture on auditions, despite often being advised to wear wigs to conceal her shaved sides and bleach-blond curls. “If my hair is too much of a blocker or is more important than what I bring to the table as a human and as an artist, then that's probably not a project that I want to be a part of,” she says. “The projects that have accepted my hair choice and my curls have actually become the most important and the biggest ones in my life.”
Natural since day one, Emmy credits her mom’s love of her curls for her strong connection with her hair. “Another option was never really presented because she was just so in love with my curls,” she says. “She encouraged me to love them as much as she did.” Embracing her natural texture from an early age didn’t keep Emmy from undergoing the big chop. She cut it all off and started from scratch when she moved to New York City for college in 2007. With the help of DevaChan stylist Mia, she perfected the techniques she now uses today, but still appreciates “18-year-old me completely cutting off all of my hair and taking a bold risk.”
Now, starring on arguably one of the biggest shows on streaming television, Emmy continues to live her best life, which includes adopting a less-is-more approach to hair care—“I don't need to put a ton of products in my hair right now because I'm literally going from the shower to my couch”—shaving her head every wash day, and taking time off from red carpets and international Comic Cons to step back and really get to know her curls. “I’m actually starting to love what my hair looks like when I give less attention,” she says.
Here are the wash-day essentials she can't live without.
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Shampoo and conditioner
I usually wash my hair only two times a week. I'm a true believer in the natural oils that your scalp provides for your hair, and the longer I go without washing, the better my curls look. Usually, if I'm washing my hair, it's also probably time for me to shave the sides of my head, which has been actually very cathartic and fun. It used to feel so daunting to me, and then quarantine and COVID-19 presented itself, and I wasn't gonna be going to the barbershop any time soon. So I was like, I might as well figure out how to do this myself! I'm really starting to enjoy it.
That takes anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how precise I'm trying to be, and then because I have kind of short hair and it’s only on one third of my head, it doesn't require too much time in the shower. Because I travel so much and a lot of it's internationally, sometimes it's harder to get a hold of salon-only products, so right now I'm really into Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner by OGX. I'll squeeze the shampoo into my hand, and then I'll bend over at the waist so all my hair is falling down, upside down, and I’ll apply the shampoo. Then I stand up and wash it out, finger-comb with the conditioner, and give myself a topknot when the conditioner’s in. Then I’ll shave my legs, wash my face, and have myself a little deep-conditioning moment in the shower.
Color care
The one higher-end salon product I do have is a cool silver shampoo from REF Stockholm Sweden. It’s a great purple shampoo that I use once a week because I have bleach in my hair and this keeps it as blond as possible. I shoot in Toronto almost more than half of the year, and the first season I forgot to bring it. Then, the second season, I brought it, and when I came home, I was like, Oh my God, my hair is so gold! My hair tends to go back to a deep gold really quickly, and I like to keep it bright and vibrant. Plus it's 100% vegan, which I think is really cool.
Styling
I wash and condition and apply product after the shower upside down. Gravity is actually my biggest tool in doing my hair. I’m also really about “less is more,” especially for my hair, so I only really use the DevaCurl The One Conditioner. It’s a daily cream conditioner, not a leave-in, but it works on my hair as a leave-in. I've been using it for almost 15 years. I don't overload it. There was a while where I was overloading my hair with products to keep the curl, and now I use, like, one pump and then just completely let it air-dry, which takes probably four or five hours. If I want to speed up the process—not by much, maybe like half an hour—I'll pull out the curl a little bit so they're not drying in perfect little ringlets. It allows some air to get to my scalp.
If I really have somewhere to be, I’ll use a blow-dryer. I use the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer with the big, round diffuser attachment. It honestly dries my entire head in four minutes. It's like a very expensive toy, but it is well worth the penny because the longer you have to put the heat on, the more damaging it is, so I'd rather just be done in four minutes and not have to completely zap my hair.
Then, if I'm really trying to style-style it, I'll use SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus Hold and Shine Moisture Mist. It’s another coconut moment, and if I wake up and don't want to wash my hair, but it needs a little pizzazz, I’ll give my hair a couple of squirts and it just kind of awakens my curls. Another higher-end product that I use is the R+Co High Dive, which is a moisture and shine cream that has a very similar consistency to the DevaCurl One Conditioner, but it's a little tackier for if I'm trying to really get a good hold going. It's a newer product for me, but I really, really love it. And it smells so good.
Amber Rambharose is a beauty writer in Philadelphia. Follow her on Instagram @amberdeexterous.
