Protective Style:: Box Braids: Maintenance & Wash Day

So its been 4 weeks since ive had these box braids in (my mommy did them for me!) And ive been treating them so poorly. The first week or two i was tying it every night, spraying it with the Alikay Naturals leave in, massaging in my oils... and now its just like i cant bother with it.

The first and third week i treated it to a dry wash with my ACV spray. Last week there was also some shampoo used (Shea Moisture Raw Shea Moisture Retention Shampoo), and i used a wash rag to get into btween the braids after rinsing them with some water. I was only focused on my scalp and not the mength of the hair.

today i really shampooed and conditioned cause it was needed.

1. i sprayed my scap with the ACV spray and gently rubbed it in to help alleviate the build up accrued. In it i have water, acv, tea tree, rosemary and peppermint
2. i rinsed using my applicator bottle ( then filling my applicator bottle about halfway with luscious locks shea butter shampoo. again focusing on my scalp i sprayed it on gently rubbing so as not to irritate it. then i rinsed with warm water. 
3. i filled a small spray bottle with water and herbal essences hello hydration conditioner and sprayed my scalp and the length of my actual hair on the braids. After i felt that i saturated it enough i poured the rest of mixture in and let it sit for about 5 minutes while i worked it into my scalp, again gently rubbing before rinsing with cool water. Always do your final rinse with cool to cold water.
4. lastly i took my rag and went in between the parts to get any lasting shampoo or conditioner that may have been left behind. i towel dried my hair (yea yea bad girl... ill get a microfiber towel for the next wash day) and went off to moisturize
5. i sprayed with the leave and oiled my scalp and hair. I oiled my scalp directly and then pouring some oils into my hands and rubbing it along the lengths of my hair. i saw this done in Jenell's video and she said that since that part of the hair was older and still exposed in someway despite being in a protective style it still needed to be moisturized as well. I thought about taking it a step further and finishing but with a C but that was too much

There was no set way in how i washed it. At one point it was all down (like the chick from the grudge) while i sprayed it. another point it was all in my fist stretched away from my head while i rinsed it witrh the applicator bottle sans spout. i was not trying to get it all wet since i had somewhere tp go later and had no dryer at home.

Funny how im trying to take care of my braids in the last two weeks when i havent been doing so well to begin with. All i know is i wont be doing box braids again. ill stick to twists (Marley, Havana, Senegalese, yarn) and loc extensions, 

Oooooh and i measured my new growth (like i really sat down at my desk at work with a ruler measuring it) but any who i measured 1 in. of growth in the four weeks that iv had the braids in.

But yea my wash routine all without completely soaking my hair all the way through. Simple for these short term styles nad not you know months at a time (which i cannot do). All i know is im starting to miss my fro but in this cold ass NYC weather im good rocking it out only for a week or two at a time, well now at least.

Whats your protective style(s) for the winter or cold weather months?

A.Soul