The Deep Conditioning Cap That Saved My Parched Curls

My parents had their ways about them, but growing up, they were never all that strict. The rules of the house were simple enough: Bring home decent grades, stay out of trouble, clean your room. However, the one thing that always bugged them was my proclivity to sleep in on the weekends. On Friday and Saturday, I'd stay up extra late to watch BET Uncut or reread my beloved Teen People magazines — fifth grade was hard, and I deserved it, okay? — and sleep until noon after my long night of indulging. "You can't be in your bonnet and pjs all day," they'd say. "Make yourself presentable before you come into the kitchen for breakfast."

As an adult, my weekends are still similar. I don't go out unless my friends force me to. I'd much rather hole up in my tiny bedroom, order takeout, do some Soul Swiping, and sleep in until Monday. Even though the student loan debt and perennial poorness sucks, at least I can stay in my pajamas and scarf all day without anyone getting all up in my face (love you, Mom).

Somehow, I heard that nagging in the back of my head a few days ago when I tried Briogeo's Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Hair Cap System. I was working from home and had no reason to put on real clothes. I also hadn't washed my hair in a very, very long time. Summer '17 was all about wash-and-gos, which were made easier in the morning because I didn't have to dry. This is my first autumn with natural hair, so I'm still figuring out a routine that's easy-ish and keeps my 'fro looking presentable.

That morning, I shampooed and conditioned before applying the small packet of brand's Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask from root to tip. I loved the fact that it contained B-vitamins, argan oil (which always softens my 4c curls, despite whatever state they're in), and other recognizable ingredients. In fact, I could read the entire product label without having to Google — meaning that nearly everything in the mask was good for my hair.

However, the coolest part of the two-part system was the cap. This isn't any ol' piece of plastic: it's way thicker than the norm, because it's fused with tiny oil beads meant to give your hair some extra lovin'. The instructions suggest keeping the mask and cap on for up to an hour, but because of a busy workday, I had it on for, uhhh... five. The overtime was worth it, though. Normally, even after a wash-and-go, I still have to finagle my curls to get them to separate. I was able to skip that step afterwards because my hair was so pliable. In fact, I felt so good about my hair that I had a small kickback at my place. I'm sure that once my mom reads this, she'll probably send a personalized thank you note to Nancy Twine, Briogeo's founder. Any product that can get me out of bed — and possibly out of the house — is worth writing home about.

Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Hair Cap System Kit, $36, available at Sephora.