Why the Wash Basin Became Essential to My Service
The Refusal to Compromise the Beginning
A clean slate is something I have always admired. At our core, cleanliness is something I believe we were all created for. That belief is the reason why, before I ever found a way to do mobile silk presses, I refused to do anyone’s hair outside of the residence I was working from.
No matter the final style I wanted to give someone, I knew the beginning mattered just as much. And the beginning was not something I was willing to compromise.
When Desire Met Reality
One day, after freshly styling my own hair, I went to the library. A woman there asked me, rather quickly, if I did hair. I told her yes—but in truth, I had nothing properly set up to serve her.
At the time, I assumed I would simply have her come over and do her hair at home. But there was a problem. She was not part of the existing rhythm of the household I lived in. I shared that space with two other women whose hair I regularly did. That familiarity mattered.
For my princess, I washed her hair on the counter. For my other live in client (my mom), I did the same. But for this woman, that setup felt wrong. I couldn’t lay a client on the kitchen counter with family members moving around, wondering what in the world was happening.
I tried setting a chair in front of the sink and having her lean back. It was a catastrophe. Water went everywhere except where it needed to go. Her shirt was soaked. We had to dry her clothes afterward.
It wasn’t good for her. And it wasn’t good for me.
Pausing the Work Until It Could Be Done Properly
After that experience, I put my desire to do clients’ hair on pause. Not because I didn’t want to serve—but because the setup made it inconvenient and uncomfortable for everyone involved.
A few months later, people began asking me again. The desire returned. This time, I decided to think more deeply about how the service could exist.
That is when I discovered the portable wash basin.
Bringing the Beginning With Me
Finding the wash basin changed everything. It was the moment I began to seriously consider bringing a full refined haircare experience into other people’s personal spaces—spaces where they already felt most comfortable.
I don’t show up without a wash basin because clean, clarified strands are the catalyst for the final result I want to give my clients. It is what I give myself on every wash day, and I believe in offering others what I give myself—comfortably, intentionally, and resourcefully.
Clean Hair as a Standard, Not an Option
That experience shaped my standard.
The wash basin isn’t an accessory to the service. It is the foundation. Without it, the work doesn’t begin the way it should.