The Brazilian hair ritual: how to do the cronograma capilar

In Brazil, healthy hair isn't luck. It's a routine. All over the country, people follow the cronograma capilar, literally "hair schedule": a simple weekly rotation of three kinds of mask that gives your hair what it's missing, one wash at a time. Here's everything you need to start, even if you've never thought twice about your hair before.

What is the cronograma capilar?

Every wash, every sunny afternoon, every blow-dry and every colour takes something out of your hair. Mostly three things: water, oils and protein. The cronograma puts them back, in turns, using three types of treatment mask:

None of the three is "the best". Hair needs all of them, in the right balance. That balance is the whole secret.

How to read your hair

You don't need a test kit. Touch your hair when it's clean and dry, and look at it in daylight.

Your hair feels…	It's asking for…
Rough, dry, dull, hard to comb	Hydration
Frizzy, with dry ends that soak up any product	Nutrition
Soft but limp, stretchy when wet, snapping easily	Reconstruction
Stiff, hard or straw-like after treatments	Too much protein: pause Reconstruction, do Hydration
Heavy, greasy or flat	Too many oils: swap a Nutrition for a Hydration

The classic 4-week calendar

This is the schedule most Brazilians start with, for hair washed 2 to 3 times a week. Use one mask per wash, in this order. After week 4, start again from week 1.

	Wash 1	Wash 2	Wash 3
Week 1	H	N	H
Week 2	H	N	R
Week 3	H	H	N
Week 4	H	N	R

• Wash once a week or less? Use one mask per week: H, N, H, R, then start again.
• Wash every day? Keep the masks to three days a week, as in the calendar. On the other days, shampoo, conditioner and leave-in are enough.
• Coloured, bleached or straightened hair? Your hair usually needs reconstruction more often: try H, R, N in weeks 1 and 3.

The calendar is a starting point, not a rule. After a few weeks, let your hair tell you what to change (see "How to read your hair" above).

Your mask day, step by step

1. Wash. Massage your shampoo into the scalp and rinse. If there's a lot of product or oil in your hair, wash twice.
2. Mask. Squeeze out the excess water and apply the mask of the day from mid-lengths to ends, strand by strand. Keep it off the scalp, unless the label says to apply it from the roots.
3. Wait. Leave it on for the time on the label: most masks ask for 2 to 10 minutes, and each product page tells you exactly how long under "How to use". While you wait is the best moment to detangle with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb.
4. Rinse and condition. Rinse well, then apply your conditioner to the lengths to seal the hair, and rinse again. Some masks say they can be used alone: follow the label.
5. Finish. On damp hair, apply your leave-in or styling cream and style as usual. Using heat? A heat protector always comes before the hairdryer or straightener.

The cronograma for every hair type

• Straight: go lighter. Keep masks to the mid-lengths and ends, and lean on hydration to keep softness without weight.
• Wavy: waves fall flat easily. Balance hydration and nutrition, and finish with a light cream to define.
• Curly: curls lose water fast. Hydration is usually the star, with nutrition to soften frizz.
• Coily: often the most prone to dryness, because the natural oils from the scalp take longer to travel down each coil. Rich masks on every wash day, and plenty of nutrition to keep coils soft.

The most common mistakes

• Too much reconstruction. Protein is great in the right dose. Too much leaves hair stiff and brittle.
• Skipping nutrition. Without oils, the water from hydration escapes quickly and frizz comes back.
• Mask on the scalp. Most treatment masks are made for the lengths. On the scalp, they can weigh hair down and cause buildup.
• Giving up too soon. Results build up. Give your cronograma at least four weeks before changing it.

Where to start

You don't need dozens of products: one mask for each step is enough. Some easy ways in from our shop:

This guide is about everyday hair care. It is not medical advice. For scalp problems or sudden or heavy hair fall, please see a dermatologist. Always follow the instructions on each product.