This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Today let's have an open thread for women with curly hair — what are your best tips, resources, techniques, and HG products? Where did you start your curly hair journey, and how long has it taken you to find the right blend of products, cuts, and techniques for your hair?
In the past we've talked about how to care for curly hair in winter, answered a reader question on whether curly hair is professional enough for interviews, and had guest poster Afrobella opine on natural and kinky hair in the corporate environment — but it's been a while since we had a general open thread for curly girls on what their routines and tips are.
For my $.02: You know how you may be drawn to an idea every few years and think, HEY, I haven't tried that beauty thing in a while, let's do that. Maybe it's bangs — or going blonde* — or getting a pixie.
For me it's going down the rabbithole into the huge advice world that exists for women who have curly hair.
I've been here before, idly curious about trying to maximize my 2c/3A hair. (It was probably more like 2A in my law school days; it's gotten curlier after the babies came and as I age.) This is the way my process usually works:
- I start going down the rabbithole and immediately get overwhelmed by all the science-y terms (no cones! no poo! maybe your hair needs protein! what's your porosity level?)
- I buy far, far too many products from the drugstore on up — gels! mousses! curl activators! serums! dry shampoos! second-day activators! air dry cremes! — and put away half of the products I love because they're not curly-girl approved. (For example, I just spent a ton of money on huge bottles of my beloved Alterna Caviar haircare and, according to Curlsbot, neither the shampoo nor the conditioner are curly friendly. Le sigh.)
- and then, after several months of yucky looking hair and a ton of back-of-my-head selfies, I give up and retreat to my usual routine of washing my hair with whatever I want to, not putting stuff in it, and generally either keeping it up or getting a blow out if I really care about it.
{related: easy office updos (I still like the inverted bun a lot, and the Gibson is a classic!)}
I'm at the overwhelm stage this time and pondering whether I really want to go down the rabbithole again. I have two big problems that make me feel like this is going to be of limited satisfaction to me in general:
1) I don't want to get a curly cut, because I still like my blowouts.
2) I have a very, very straight underlayer — I'm not sure it even hits the 2s as far as degrees go.
The top 5 layers or so of my hair (maybe? I have a lot of hair) is very wavy, maybe even 3A, and that bottom layer… not so much. I've just heard of the “smasters” method (of applying a second round of products halfway through your hair's drying process) which, hey, maybe. And maybe I should buy a few curl activators and check it out! And a different gel! And hmmn, some people like the mousses, so maybe I should buy those… or maybe my hair needs protein!
You see how this quickly becomes A Project with lots of time and money… but then again, maybe it'll be worth it since so many curly girls have such beautiful hair at the end of it! (Ah yes, and problem #3: I really hate putting a ton of stuff in my hair. A handful of gel is really not appealing to me…)
Psst: here's my latest favorite hair products…
Psst: As of 2024, these are some of Kat's favorite hair products (she largely follows curly hair routines)… but she loves this $30 brush/blowdryer!
SO — ladies — what are your thoughts on curly hair? If you wear your hair naturally curly, please share your routines and favorite products with us! Do you prefer Reddit, Facebook groups, or random Pinterest/Googling to figure out what you need? What are your best tips? For those of you who are fighting (or, at least, not indulging) your curly hair, what products do you use, and how do you do your hair on a regular basis?
If you've been through a “transition” period where you need to cut/grow out hair that's been through heat/chemical styling, what are your best tips for still looking polished at work through that transition?
Stock photo via Deposit Photos / Guzel.
Anonymous
Following this with great interest! My 3b/3c hair has been the bane of my existence for as long as I can remember. I’ve never felt as pretty or professional with it curly as I do when it’s straight – which is usually. As I get older I feel more inclined to wear it curly (also due to damage from weekly blowouts), but it’s not long enough for me to like it down and curly, so the end result is a constant pony tail or bun, and me feeling insecure about how I look that day. I wish it would just grow already! I do make sure to use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner and leave-in (all Abba brand), only wash once a week, only brush in the shower with conditioner in, and I do the method you mentioned where I add some Oi oil (Davines – I swear by this stuff curly or straight) or marula oil to the ends halfway through drying. I also haven’t gotten a curly cut because I like the blunt cut I have when it’s straight.
Anonymous
My hair is the opposite of yours. I have a fairly thick 2B/2C layer underneath a straight top layer. I’m in a rut. When it’s too short or layered, the underneath layers make the top layer poof. I did not have the patience to blow it fully dry, and the heat results in a hot flash. Help!
AnonPara
Same!!
Chelsea
I had this same problem, and it helped a LOT to grow out my hair. (I would also say I’m 2B/2C, not terribly thick though.) Even with the layers, the length adds a little weight and seems to keep my hair curlier/less likely to frizz. I wash my hair every 3 days and condition in-between (using curly girl-approved shampoo/conditioner) and use DevaCurl mousse on my hair when it is wet.
Anonymous
I started using the Devacurl products a few years ago and they made a huge difference for me. I’ve never looked back. Because I have fine but highly curly hair, I use the Delight version, not the regular, of the shampoo, conditioner.
anon0321
This fb group has been life changing for me- they are very scientific in their approach ‘curly girls! (conditioner-washing group for women)’
anon0321
You don’t have to make things complicated, or expensive. There are a lot of less than $5 options.
I have 3a,b hair that is lo porosity.
I keep it simple- Trader Joes tea tree tingle conditioner to use as a co-wash & leave in & then deva curl gel to set my curls. I also like eco gels for when I’m travelling and need something readily available and cheap. Half of success is technique, and just as you think you understand your hair, it changes because of the seasons, hormones, whatever. My local buy nothing group will often post curly products and we trade stuff.
anon0321
So other notes- you don’t have to be evangelical- I sometimes use shampoo (tjttt bodywash is a lo-poo), sometimes I brush when I’m just too tired to get all my post postpartum hair out, I’ve been experimenting with denam brushes and LOVE them so far. I got a blowout for my brother’s wedding and despite 2 yrs of curly cuts, it looked way better than I expected. Sometimes I’ll watch cg youtube vids.
After you get the basics down, you can experiment- I also like to add some protein.
Target & Sallys also have tons of cheaper CG friendly options.
Fringe
I’ve been doing no silicones/sulfates/wax/denatured alcohol/no heat (save for maybe 2 blowouts) since November of ’18. My hair types is just … eh, it is what it is? On days where I don’t use product, don’t scrunch, and don’t do anything my thick and coarse top layers will just look like slightly wavey plain Jane hair. My bottom layer will frizz. With product and scrunching my top layer can get some *nice* waves that border on curls. My bottom layer will be in ringlets. My hair texture on top is coarse and medium density. Bottom layer is Much finer, medium density. The top gets easily weighed down and the bottom drinks everything in. It’s wild, and I haven’t found any way to make it look even.
I love the washing benefits of CG. Before it I was washing my hair every 3 days, and even day 2 looked gross to me. I had tons of frizz on my bottom layer. My top layers felt rough. I just didn’t like my hair much at all. Exclusively cowashing has been really good for my hair, but it has forced me to up my scalp-care game, with extra scrubbing, and even a handy little silicone scrubber from Amazon. It’s an extra step, but it fights the dandruff and dead skin that just doesn’t slough off nearly as easy as it used to without sulfates to help.
Styling is still not something I’m sold on. I hate blow drying (I’d probably like it more if I had a better blow dryer and a diffuser) because of the noise, the time, the heat, and the arm workout. So if I want my hair to look nice, I have either shower the night before and PRAY that my morning refresh works out, or bite the bullet and blow dry it after a shower in the morning. And I’m still not guaranteed the results I want. I’m just now finding products that my hair likes, and it took a lot of time of living with not great hair just to try and give certain products a fair shake. I feel like I can never predict what my hair will like or not.
Overall, I think if I were any more particular about my hair I would 1. Start blowdrying more 2. Look into non-CG stylers 3. Probably deviate from the rules more, but stick with 95% CG products to keep cowashing easier because the lack of sulfates really has helped my overall hair health. It’s so much softer now, gets tangled far less easily, and rarely looks greasy.
Anonome
My hair is a combo of 2a, 2b, and 2c; so it has been a real struggle to get it looking decent. Wearing it straight causes heat damage and frizz, but traditional curly styling leaves it limp because it’s fine and not a “true” curl.
I lurk on the Reddit group “curlyhair” and their wiki has a ton of resources to get started.
What I find worthwhile:
Ingredients checker sites, which let you copy and paste a product’s ingredients to check for red flags. Most CG followers do this to check for SLS and silicones, but I’m sensitive to tree nut products so I look for those as well. My favorite is http://www.skinsafeproducts.com (awesome for allergens and fragrances) but curlsbot.com is also popular.
YouTubers who address specifically wavy hair. Look at the videos to assess their texture and compare it to your own. I like Alyson “real life+curly girl” the best, found at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOcnRlXmV9SMbeVQSZhqmSQ/videos
Products meant for fine curly hair. Jessicurl Aloeba Daily Conditioner is my favorite, and there’s a fragrance-free version. Traditional CG advice wants you to cake on the conditioner and not rinse it out, which makes me look like I’m cosplaying the girl from The Ring.
What I found to be a waste:
DevaCurl products and a DevaCut. Both cost a TON of money, and the result was very “80s Aquanet perm”. Hated it. Won’t repeat.
Mousse. Too heavy and greasy for my fine hair, no matter how “super light and fluffy!” the marketing swears it is.
Important to note: once you settle into a routine that works for you, your curls may start to change in texture. My dismay over having multiple layers of texture was actually not as bad as I thought, because the straighter bottom of my hair was constantly being tugged by shirt collars, purse straps, and so on. Once I paid attention to those issues and used proper product, the differing textures evened out a bit.
Anon
Second the DevaCurl products and cuts. My 2c/3a hair haaaated it.
Anonymous
I’m a recent 2b/2c with some straight pieces (straight hair pre-kids) and am just now diving into curly products. I’m using Deva’s wavy line now but not loving it. My hair never really feels clean and the products either leave tons of frizz (mousse) or look very product-y (gel).
anon CG.
I recommend the Curly Hair subreddit. I’ve found so much amazing information there, and used their beginners method (under $10 to try it!) earlier this year. It’s been about 5 months – I’d say as I try different strategies, my hair has gotten more manageable or at least somewhat more predictable. I don’t want to go into everything it recommends here, but check it out if you are interested. I’m 100% CG at this point.
Anon
This.
Anon
I’m a 2c/3a.
Cheesy packaging, but my favorite product by far (cheap and it smells great!): https://www.amazon.com/Marc-Anthony-Strictly-Perfect-Humidity/dp/B003BMM336
Just blot your hair dry when you get out of the shower, work a good dollop of that stuff through your hair, and air dry. Easy peasy.
Erica
My hair went from straight to curly at puberty (talk about awkward transition phase!) I wear my hair curly every day now because life is too short to fight it. I can’t afford to spend tons on my hair, but I will spend on a good cut. Fact: a “curly cut” can still be blown out and look nice, but it doesn’t fight with your hair’s natural patterns if you want to wash and go. Find someone who knows what they are doing and also listens to what you want from your hair. My cuts have made all the difference. I’ve also been down the rabbit hole of advice on products, techniques, etc., and I’ve tried lots of things over the years, but frankly much of it won’t work for you. It is trial and error, but ultimately, you decide what works for you, so don’t feel guilty about it. I still shampoo every day. I use cheap drug store stuff. My other curly-haired friends and I swap half-used products that we didn’t like (a great cost savings!). There are good hair days and bad hair days, and always a hair tie on hand in case it gets too bad, but I love what I’ve got. Hope you can find that, too.
ITLady
Seconding that you can still blow out a curly cut…I usually do that when I get mine colored and it looks fabulous!
My hair gal just opened her own studio and my cuts have gone up to $70 a pop…and whew that bites. But she’s made all the difference in the world between the cut itself and her advice.
Anon
+1 to this. I was afraid of a blowout with my dry cut method, but it always looks great. Heck, a blowout with 3 inch regrowth postpartum strands all over my head still looked good (I was really nervous about that one). For so long I favored a wet cut because I sometimes wore my hair straight when really I was just shortchanging myself the rest of the days!
Also, you don’t have to go to a Deva salon to get a Deva cut–I have a Deva-trained stylist in DC without the Deva prices.
Abby
I remember reading an article my senior year of college of total number of hours an average woman spends on doing hair/makeup/nails a year and it shocked me. So I decided to do no makeup/hair routines from memorial to labor day, getting used to my naked face and working with my wavy hair.
This summer I started reading about curly girl method and decided I want to try it for an entire year, except special occasions. My hair (2b) gets better defined curls the longer it’s been since I’ve used heat on it. I get it wet almost every day, put in either TJ Tea conditioner or a hair mask, and then spray with a leave in conditioner and scrunch with Tresemme mousse. This is my first summer cutting out any shampoo and I can’t tell any real difference. I’m using up products I already have before buying new ones, so used up garnier anti frizz cream (not as great), currently using a Frizz Ease leave in conditioner spray (I like it, but it could be better).
Biggest issue is I shower at night, and my hair will look great, and by morning I have a little frizz from sleeping on it. Any solution? I add anti-frizz serum to smooth it out, but it’s never the same.
Elle
Some things to try: sleep on a satin/silk pillow case, put your hair up in a pinapple to sleep (don’t use a regular hair tie – use a puff cuff, invisibobble or satin/silk scrunchie).
You may need a harder hold product like a gel to get more days out of your hair. If you shower at night, you could try “sleeping in the crunch” (don’t scrunch out the crunch/cast you get from the gel until the morning).
anne-on
The living proof anti frizz spray is THE BEST for this. It’s hard because you can’t shellac down the stray fine hairs or frizzies like you can when you blow out your hair – this doesn’t disturb my waves/curls but somehow makes them look much sleeker.
ITLady
Seconding the pineapple method! My curls look BETTER the next day when I wear it up that way. And I’ll pineapple my hair when its wet when I shower at night and some of my absolute best days have come from that.
Ariadne
I have 2c Curley hair— I think…it is fine and curls in ringlets and spirals and it is about seven inches past my shoulders. I have a simple routine, and a more time consuming routine for when I feel more motivated to go through the whole process.
Simple routine—
1. I wash with a moisturizing shampoo called Loma— it has no Sulfates, and I use very little— a quarter sized amount or less. The reason I rarely use the no poo deva curl( which I have) is because the Loma washes off curl products (my hair is fine and the buildup is real) and keeps my scalp in better shape.
2. I then condition with biolage hydrasource detangling conditioner— an amazing product. I buy both Loma shampoo and biolage conditioner at a salon that often has promos and sales, and both last around a year. I also use this conditioner for shaving, and to revive and defanged second day hair.
3. I then gently towel dry /wrap hair for a minute, then detangle with a rake like comb.
4. I then put in curl product – I use ouidad curl quencher (most products from this brand work well) which I find on sale.
5. I take a claw clip and hang my head upside and make a type of pompadour while wet, and let it dry for about half an hour, then let it down. This prevents the top for drying flat.
Written out this sounds time consuming, but I wash and condition in the shower, step out, quickly wrap / towel dry, and detangle, ad product and clip. After showering, this takes about six to 10 min.
To get much looser and bouncier curl, I add a couple of steps if I have time.
Extra steps are:
After detangling, and curl product application I do the plopping in a t shirt for about half and hour to an hour. After I remove the t shirt tied/ plopped on my head, I add a few more curl products from ouidad and various drugstore stuff, then I let the curls air dry.
I watch curly Suzy on YouTube — she is very thorough when she describes processes. I also watched a few tutorials from hair romance, and a couple of curl product suggestions from zabrinaxo (she mostly does makeup) but I watch the hair ones.
I pretty much adapt the curl routines to suit me, and try various products. My hairdresser uses Kevin Murphy curl cream which is good too, but I have not purchased this.
Second day hair is harder, and I wet my hair and add more product — usually and anti frizz from the drugstore works the second day. By the third or fourth day I sometimes use a curling iron on four curls in the front to give my hair a lift, as the product build up starts weight down and flattening the curls.
Ariadne
I want to mention that I have a two layered cut, and wear my Curley most of the time. I get it cut every two to three months…I’ve been known to not cut it for six months or more:). I used to have straight hair when I was young and around 14 it started to curl. 40s now, and it’s still Curley, but greyer and drier. I’ve tried tons of curl and non curl products alike and I have not yet found an amazing – for – my hair one, so I just use what works best for me. I forgot to recommend Marc Anthony curl products— they are a bit heavy for my fine hair so I don’t use lots when I apply, but they work well.
Ariadne
Also… in the winter my hair is super dry and I wash it about every four or five days (as opposed to every two or three) …on the fifth day, I actually slightly wet my hair and BRUSH it with a paddle brush. It becomes glossy and wavy and almost looks like a wavy blowout…I feel so rebellious ….
Anon
For what it’s worth for people with straight texture on top or underneath, I go to a stylist who only does curly hair and she told me that you can permanently do mechanical damage your hair/stretch out the curly by wearing it in tight ponytails. That’s probably what’s happening. If you cool it with the ponytails it will start growing back in curly and some of the straight portion may start to curl back up. I’ve seen a lot of before and afters of her clients with similar problems who NEVER use heat or permanent chemicals on their hair yet the top layer or bottom layer (depending on wear the ponytail is situated) is straighter and they effectively have to transition slowly over time.
Since I occassionally straighten my hair, but primarily wear it curly, I get an amazing Deva Cut twice a year, then get the bottom only evened out (not all layers). It looks the same since a standard Deva Cut (i.e. one that you aren’t trying to do a funky layered cut but just trying to maximize curl formation and health) doesn’t do dramatic layers.
Elle
1. Read the Curly Girl Handbook. It’s a great place to start and get the basic idea even if you don’t follow all the “rules.”
2. Lots of curly/wavy girls on Instagram. #cgm #curlygirlmethod is a good place to start to search. I recommend following several people for a while, watch their highlights and go through their old posts before your buy a whole bunch of stuff.
3. There’s no right way, but I think the main ideas that are the most important for a majority of people are eliminating sulfates (other than to do a clarifying wash) and silicones. From there, find what works for you. I’d say my biggest improvements have come from that, not using a towel to dry my hair (I use a special hair towel, but you can use paper towels, microfiber, etc.), getting a satin pillow case (I’d love silk but haven’t splurged there yet; have heard good things about bamboo too).
4. I do get a curly cut, but my hair is more 3a and 3b with some 2c in there. I think curly cuts are more important the curlier your hair is vs. wavy. But I know lots of wavy girls who have benefited from a curly cut (or at least a dry vs wet cut) too. Having a stylist who will listen to your wants and needs is most important.
5. Give it time. If you have damaged hair, your curls aren’t going to look great overnight. You’ll need to clarify before you start to get all the bad ingredients off your hair. Transition is real, but love your hair for what it is! You’re not going to get someone else’s hair or change your hair type just by following the curly girl method. You may be able to bring out what your hair already was capable of doing though.
Anonymous
Instagram has been a wonderful learning forum for me on this! Start withhashtag #cgm and go from there.
KS IT Chick
I’m a 2a/b/c over various parts of my head. I sound like an evangelist given that every time the subject comes up I say this, but JessiCurl. She has an FDA-approved testing process that does not involve any testing on animals, and she does not use silicones in her products. I’ve been using her products since around 2006, and I love them. I shampoo & condition on Monday, Wednesday & Friday, spray down my hair to revive curls on Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday, and double-shampoo with deep conditioning on Sunday. They don’t leave my hair greasy or limp, and they don’t strip the salon color that I have done to cover weirdly patchy grays. (I’m a reverse Dalmatian, with dime & quarter-sized patches of gray.)
Jessi’s motto is “Strong. Powerful. Confident in our naturally curly state.” She has curly hair, and she lives the motto.
Anon
I have fairly curly hair, I always wear it that way (it’s curly enough where blowing it out well is beyond my ability) & am realizing I am lucky in how low maintenance mine is reading through the other comments! I wash my hair (just with some tea tree shampoo but I’ve never found my shampoo to matter) then use leave in conditioner (I use Paul Mitchell leave in conditioner but probably a bunch of different ones would work). I try to only shampoo my hair every couple of days, more for my hair health than any difference it makes for the curl. It does have to get completely wet every morning. I’ve never actually tried Pineappling, but when I looked it up I just feel like that wouldn’t work for me. (Also, the effort seems bigger than just getting my hair wet when I shower). Then I only comb it with a wide tooth pick when it is sopping wet – after it dries even a little, no more comb/brush! (I take for granted how folks with straight hair don’t realize this important part. I also didn’t realize it until I was like 14 & my cringe worthy pictures prove it). I personally then flip my hair upside down and “scrunch” in mousse from the bottom up. I aspire to blow dry it with a diffuser a little every day, but extra sleep usually wins out & I often leave the house with still-wet hair. Either way the end result looks fairly similar. If I diffuse it completely dry it is a different look – still curly, but more body (too much body? depending on my mood). I just cut it straight across the bottom, maybe with a couple of looongg layers in to make it sort of interesting, but if there are too many & too short of layers I end up with triangle head.
I’ve noticed a lot of hairstylists I or my curly haired daughter go to when they go to style my hair at the end of the cut they tend to twist my wet hair around their finger to try to force a ringlet. Why?? Stop!!! You are just disrupting the natural curl of the curl, & making the top flatter than it should be by pulling on it! (I know, there may be better curly hairstylists but a) they are hard to find and b) my hair cut doesn’t tend to matter & it’s nothing that won’t fix itself when I shower next).
Ellen
When I was a little girl, I had very curly blond hair–Dad said I looked like Annie, tho she had red hair. But all of a sudden, as soon as I reached puberty, all of a sudden, my curly hair straightened all on its own as it grew out, and I went from an Annie to a Gwinneth Paltrow, which Dad did NOT appreciate, b/c he thought I did not look the same (he was right, but I was happy). So now, I am still with super straight hair and blond (no grey hair at least) and Dad says I now look like Lady Godiva, but it has not paid the dividends Grandma Leyeh said it would. She thought I’d have my pick of men, who long for svelte women with long straight blond hair that goes nearly down to my navel. So no matter what, we have to do the best with what we have; we all only hope that I can find a man who longs for his own Lady Godiva! YAY!!!!
Anonymous
I use Moroccanoil Curl Control Mousse and scrunch a bit. It gives me volume and height. Also use MIZANI True Textures Perfect Coil Oil Curl Gel. Makes my hair very shiny. I’m probably a 2b or c. I love a full head of curls.
ITLady
I’m a 2B to 2C on a good day and have pretty fine, almost shoulder length hair. I get a specific curly cut from the best stylist ever (if you’re in KC check out Kate Maese); she was originally trained in the deva method but generally just studies anything that works for her clients. I shampoo with the Coconut and Hibiscus Shea Moisture shampoo, Deva Curl original conditioner and use my fingers to detangle, and then I’ll squeeze out the water after my shower and then shake it out like a dog, do 3 pumps of the Deva Curl Ultra Defining Gel (one on the back, one for each side/front), and then plop a small # of times with a microfiber towel to set the shape and get the last little bit of water. Air dry. I sleep with it up on top of my head (pineappled) and occasionally will shower at night and just put my hair up this way wet.
Biggest things for me were switching to sulfate free products, ditching my comb, and the pineapple trick. I can really tell when I’ve gone too long between a cut though – my curls really lose their shape. So it’s a dry trim every 6 weeks then a full cut another 6 after that. I’ve tried a lot of other styling products and none really seem to make a difference other than a light gel that I then scrunch once dried to get rid of the crunchy look.
ANON
My hair is fine, wavy, frizzy and straighter underneath. I got my first Deva cut about a year ago. The layers are left long, sort of like a bob. I usually just air dry my hair. For extra moisture I use a little olive oil from the kitchen. I have been using Hairprint to color my hair and have transitioned to using their shampoos and conditioners. Recently, I have not used any curly styling products. But–I have been a stay-at-home mom for many years after being a lawyer. Hoping to start a serious job search soon, and hoping to feel comfortable with my current routine. We’ll see what happens!
Frenchie
I love the Curly Girl Uncensored group on Facebook and have found a lot of good tips and products on there. I have plopped for years and tried to avoid sulfates for a long time, but didn’t embrace the CG method until this spring. I have thick but fine 2c/3a hair. Since I started doing CG my curls are much more defined and I’m excited to see how they continue to evolve.
Current routine is low-poo with DevaCurl daily (I can’t get a good refresh to save my life) and squish to condish with GVP conditioning balm from Sally’s. Kinky Curly Knot Today as a leave-in, AG Recoil, DevaCurl frizz free volumizing foam, brush with a Denman, then use gobs of Biotera gel and squish out the remainder with a tshirt. I leave it alone for a few minutes while I get dressed, then apply a small amount of lube, clip my roots, and plop for about 30 minutes. I haven’t used a blow dryer in nearly 20 years. I know that all sounds like a lot of work but it really takes me maybe 5 minutes and then I’m done!
Curly hair is professional
I have a hair that is 3a when short, that gets weighted down to 2c when it gets too long. I chopped off about a foot of hair back in April to donate and took the opportunity to overhaul my hair routine. I can say that this routine has given me the most consistently good hair days of my life. I shampoo about 1 a week using Renpure plant based Tea tree and lemon sage shampoo, which is vegan, not tested on animals and sulfate free. I rewet my hair every other day and It smells great and tingles nicely. I’ll follow with the matching conditioner, or with a Shea Moisture hair mask if it needs extra TLC, or is extra humid outside. I buy the foil pouches and put them into a resealable container in my shower. I use the mask as a more moisturizing conditioner, and don’t go as heavy as I would using it as a mask. My favorite was the kukui nut and grapeseed oils damage rehab treatment masque, but it seems like they have discontinued it. Out of the shower, I’ll detangle with a wide tooth comb, and use a dollop of Lush’s R&B hair moisturizer cream. It’s a bit pricy, but it leaves my hair so smooth, and it smells amazing when in wet hair. I only use a little bit, so the small $25 pot lasts around 3-4 months. For the past week, I have been testing a new Trader Joe’s coconut serum before the R&B as a more lightweight moisturizer. I will then add a mousse to my hair, right now Tresemme flawless curls is my go to. It goes against all of the CG method, but I need to hold to keep my hair from frizzing and to stay polished. The last step is to put my hair up in a microfiber turban for the remainder of my morning routine, usually until I leave. I got a cheap 2 pack from amazon, and it helps dry my hair to be damp enough to leave home. My commute is long enough that I can air dry my hair to around 90-95% before walking in. During the winter, I will lightly blow dry with warm air using a diffuser. I have consistently been able to wear day 2 with minimal fussing or resetting of curls due to sleeping. My hair is above my shoulders, so I can’t put it up into a pineapple or anything at night. Hope this helps other people!
Anonymous
I’m just going down this rabbit hole myself – trying to live with my 2b/2c wave/curls. I think the big difference was using an Aquis towel and not rubbing my hair. That’s what really made the wave turn into curl. Still working on product choices!
Sadie
I’m seeing a lot of good advice, so I’ll just share my 2b/c fine hair HOLY GRAIL product:
Suncoat Natural Anti-Frizz Hair Calming Serum.
This gives my fine hair softness and a flattering wave-to-curl bounce while taming frizz.
I found this when I was looking for a non-oily, non-silicone-using product to cut down on frizz. It was a total game changer for me. I tried DevaCurl, microfiber towels, cold rinses, everything to cut down on frizz. I almost cried when this worked for me.
There’s an important catch which is that this product doesn’t work well if you’re using a hair dryer. It’s designed for when you let your hair dry naturally. If you have fine wavy hair and you’re ready to step away from the hair dryer, give this a try. (I wash my hair 3 x a week in the morning, so I’m not dealing with wet hair too often.)
Kate
I wore my 3a/b hair curly for 39 years. At 40 I started keratin express treatments at my salon. am now 50 and have never looked back. I love my predictable hair — it’s silky smooth.
Jennifer
I would just love to find some ideas for a corporate-friendly haircut. Most of the time when you search, your options are of someone with short hair on top that is curled or hair like the girl from Brave. Both are great, but my hair is just a bit shorter than shoulder length and I never know what to do with it- other than blow it out.