Help needed please: curly/wavy hair care… - YouLookFab Forum

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Help needed please: curly/wavy hair care…

Staysfit

Veteran

I know there are previous posts that request product and care advice for curly/wavy hair. I am currently reassessing my hair care routine because my hair is curly the day I wash it. Then it becomes wavy or flat on days 2-4. I wash my hair every 4 days. When I try to find advice online, it’s overwhelming. There are too many hair product options. Too many hair blogs and too many YouTube videos. So, if anyone here can suggest any resources they have found helpful, I would appreciate it very much: ie., blogs, books, videos, product lines, etc. It can get expensive to order products, test them out, and find they are not right. I hope to reduce waste and improve my odds by making more educated guesses……

Here’s what I think I do know: My hair is coarse in texture, thick in density, type 2C-3A wave pattern, and I think…between medium and high porosity. I’m least certain of the porosity.

My current routine is not “curly girl approved”. I have used Pureology Hydrate shampoo and conditioner. I alternate between a deep conditioning mask (Carols Daughter Coco Creme Curl custard), and bond repair…Pronexa (similar to Olaplex), and then I use Ouidad Advanced climate control Heat and Humidity gel, stronger Hold, and sometimes I use Advanced climate control feather light style Creme.

Has anyone used the MAP method? How is that different from the CGM? What works to revive hair like mine on non-wash days…if anything?

I always appreciate the collective wisdom of YLF! I plan to include pics of my various product trials as I proceed……although I may be wearing lounge wear, or athletic garb, since DH is going to take the pics).

(If they aren’t here yet, I will be uploading the first set of pics of my hair in all directions, with my current routine, on day two).

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45 replies

Latest reply was from chewyspaghetti

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Satysfit, you have a lovely wave/ curl pattern and great definition.

I wonder if focusing on refresh techniques may be less overwhelming and has the advantage of being able to use your existing products?

On day 3 or 4 I usually do a simplified version of the Marisa refresh. I use praying hands to dampen my hair, emulsify a pea size amount of my styler and run this over my hair using praying hands. I then gently scrunch and leave to air dry. My hair is usually fully dry around half an hour later. https://www.google.com/search?.....8;ie=UTF-8

In terms of the products I use, I wash with Ziaja goats milk conditioner using a silicone shampoo brush. I then add a small amount of cantu curl activator which has been emulsified. I then finish with emulsified Creme of Nature Argon Oil Hair Snot. I wrap my hair in a microfibre hair turban for half an hour and leave to air dry if I have the time. If I'm in a hurry I hover diffuse.

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chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Hi! Not naturally curly,but I started perming my hair a few years ago and have had to figure out how to care for and style it. I have been using the LUS Brands three step system for a while now. I have very fine hair, and I like that it doesn't weigh my hair down (it's specifically designed for curly hair). I do find that it isn't moisturizing enough, so I add a bit of Trader Joe's hair mask with shea butter into the conditioner, but now LUS has a deep conditioner available. Their styling product works, but it isn't my favorite so I only use it when I wash every 5 days. After apying it in the shower, I use the praying hands method (when I remember). Then I wrap it up in a turkish towel for about 10 minutes while I get ready. When I take it out of the towel, I go through and scrunch it well and leave it to air dry.
For daily refresh, I use Not Your Mother's Sea Salt Spray. I use it generously on dry hair, scrunch it upside down to give it volume,and keep scrunching as it air dries.

Runcarla

Veteran

Here’s what I can provide, in hopes that there might be something of use to you!

Lifestyle: in non-Covid times I wash my hair 3/wk, in lockdown it is more like 1/wk. If I returned to a lifestyle where I had to wash my hair daily, I would go short. This is because my curly hair looks best when left to air dry (no blow dryer, no diffuser) and that takes time.

Wash routine: wash once, focussing on the scalp/roots. I use conditioner once a week when washing more than once a week, and every second week if washing once a week. (I find conditioner loosens the wave, and there are conditioners in my ‘leave in’ products.) I use a regular cotton bath towel, but ‘squeeze and turban’.

Styling routine: use a small amount of leave in conditioner, using it mainly on the lengths of hair, using hands, then rake through hair with a ‘fro pick to distribute product evenly. Shake head madly or tousle with fingers, then leave alone to air dry.

After day 1: admittedly day 1 is the best day for my curly hair. If my hair looks reasonable when I wake up on day 2 (no hats, sports helmets, windy car drives, etc) I use the ‘fro pick to lift up any flat spots. If it needs a little more rejuvenation, I mist it with water (see spray bottle below) and scrunch. Sometimes it revives by itself after a bath or shower. If it’s a hopeless mess, I bundle it up in a French twist, ponytail, bun, Gibson tuck using my hands and the pick. I treat it like ‘fabric’ rather than ‘threads’. Does that make sense?

The only time I brush my hair is right before I wash it! Brushing my curly hair is the surest way to get a head of pure frizz!

The products: I experiment a bit, but have found a few products that I swear by.

Shampoo: I buy it by the gallon at a beauty supply store, and decant into smaller containers for home and kit bag. (BC19 most of my hair washing was done at the gym/pool.)

Conditioner: Pantene 3 Minute Miracle had been my conditioner of choice, but it seems to have been discontinued in the past 6 months, and I can’t figure what new Pantene product replaces it. I decided to splurge and give the CG conditioner a try. So far so good. I don’t use conditioning treatments, but when I use conditioner, I can leave it on a long time - I read in the bath! LOL!

Leave in conditioner: is a must! I’ve used Sebastian Potion #9 for years, and years, but it is hard to find consistently. I gave the Marc Anthony Strictly Curls product a try when I couldn’t find #9, and now it is my favourite product. It is the one product I don’t want to be without. In the spirit of experimentation, I picked up the the CG leave in. It is wonderfully curl enhancing, and has given me some great 2 and 3 day hair, but unlike #9 and Strictly Curls (which leave hair feeling soft) the CG gel feels ‘tacky’ the farther from day one my hair gets. (I use it when I’m washing more frequently, vs once a week.) I’m experimenting mixing the CG gel and Strictly Curls, and that may be a solution.

Trial: I’m not above experimentation, and after Gigi, and others raved about Argan oil, I decided to trial the product in pic #4. It’s pretty heavy/rich, so I save it for swim days. I might give it a longer trial (these are sample sizes) this summer when swimming becomes available again.

Other than sitting in the tub with conditioner on my head, I don’t spend a lot of time fussing with my hair. The less I fuss with it, the better the results. Good luck! If you find anything particularly good, do share.

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Joy

Veteran

A couple of years ago, I was trying to get my straight hair to hold some curl and salt or beach sprays were suggested. They helped if I do not comb through the wet hair. I love the look of curly hair but the longer mine is the straighter it is.

Anonymous

It might be that the weight of it is causing it to go flat and a change of style that incorporated some layering would give you more curl consistency.

Teresa

I’ve recently tried LUS products—shampoo, conditioner and their curl cream for my curly/wavy hair. They sell a spray bottle which is kind of ridiculously priced, but is perfect for spraying my second day hair that’s no longer curly but more wavy at the ends—the light mist rehydrates the the product and my curls look great again for another day.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

Your hair is beautiful, Staysfit.

Thanks for asking this question. It's helpful to see what techniques and products people use. I wish I had figured out the 2nd-day techniques earlier when I had longer waves. Oddly enough, I'm a lot more successful with second-day hair now that it is short. (Unlike you, I don't try to go more than two days. Maybe I'll get there!)

With my fine but wavy hair, I find that lighter products are best, and I use Davines (found it while I still had longer hair, too). The one that worked for both long and short hair for me is Oil Not an Oil, which I use instead of water to reactivate a look and smooth frizz on the second day. It is super light, the best "oil" I've found. (Many "no frizz" types I tried were a lot of silicone, and they just made the frizz shiny.)

smittie

Veteran

No reccos for products but I have found that it is easier to just wet my hair daily and let air-dry than to try to revive 2,3,4 day old hair. Something to think about.

nuancedream

Veteran

Another vote for Davines here. I have low porosity fine, very curly hair (lots of it) that needs moisture but not heavy ingredients. My hair hates coconut oil and shea butter. The Love shampoo and smoothing conditioner are light but control the frizz. Also, I use the Oribe Moisture and Control line's Leave in Conditioner and Curl Gelee after shampooing and conditioning. Great products but eye watering prices. To reactivate my curls when they're a bit flat or frizzy, I use Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Leave in Conditioner spray.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I love your curls and that you are keeping them! Sounds like you’ve already found the site that was most helpful for me with my son’s hair, Curly Girl. He uses Morrocan Oil products (blue bottles). In a pinch, we’ll grab any shampoo without sulfates.

I just have lots of very thin hairs that fall in gentle waves, not much natural curl at all (and permed hair is different—it’s the shape of the follicle that creates natural curl; naturally curly hair is flat and therefore more breakable.) I don’t think I’ve ever washed mine every single day, even when I had very short “boy cuts”. These days I go 7-10 days between washes, unless I swim in-between. I wash chlorine out with Ultra Swim right away. (Can’t find a similar formula here, so stocked up in the USA). I don’t own a hair dryer or heat products. My hair usually looks best 36 hrs after I wash it. I assume your hair is even more fragile, so besides all the plonking and scrunching, I’d encourage you to step away from the flat iron, blow dryer, etc.

Looking forward to more gorgeous shots of you wearing your curls!

sylvie55

(website)

I spray or wet my hair every day, wash it every third day. If you want more curl, more layers in your hair will help. Those steps will have more impact than any hair products.

Jonesy

Veteran

We have similar hair: Mine is very thick, coarse, and curly/wavy. Here is a shot of my hair from the back, though this pic is maybe 8 years old--now my hair is both darker and has more gray, but the curl pattern is the same. First, to clarify: Is your goal to reduce the flatness/loss of curls that happens in the days after you wash it? If yes, I have a tip.

I use sulfate-free products from Original Moxie designed for curly hair, which I love, and I wash it 1-2x per week. I always let it air dry, which takes roughly 6 hours :). I am wondering about your use of products, based on my own experience. All of the curly hair products tend to work by coating hair and not stripping it, like a sulfate-based shampoo does. But, I have found that I need to use a clarifying shampoo maybe once a month to sort of deep-clean or strip off the accumulating product residue from my hair, otherwise it starts to get heavy and prone to flatness after wash day, just like yours. I use Neutrogena anti-residue shampoo for this purpose, then I don't condition it or put any other products in it that wash day (and accept that it will be *giant* and look very frizzy and wild like hair from the 70s!). This type of cycle might work for you?

Also, I always have to have lots of layers, otherwise it is very heavy and flat-looking. Not sure how layered your hair is? (can be hard to tell with curly hair!)

ETA: I also "revive" it in the days after wash day by putting some water on my hands and scrunching my hair, as needed (I don't use product, just water, which seems to work for me). This slight dampening will dry within 20 minutes, so much quicker than wetting my whole head.

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rachylou

Veteran

Another plug for Davines and Phoebe’s suggestion re cut. I have wavy hair and get curls that stay through cut...

Phoebe1

Another curly girl here. My hair looks a lot like Jonesy's above, but it's pretty fine, not coarse. I've tried all kinds of systems and techniques over the years, and the biggest key to success for me is this: If I want the best curl, I have to give it a thorough rinse and let it air dry. So even on "non-shampoo" days, if I want good curl, I need to jump in the shower. I rinse it thoroughly, apply a conditioner, rinse again, blot (not rub) dry, apply my products, and let it dry. (I can't use leave-in conditioners because my hair is fine and gets weighed down with them.) I usually shampoo every 3rd or 4th day.

If I don't want to do the whole hair rinse every day, then the best way to for me get decent second-day hair is to "pineapple" it at night. (That's not my term, something I read on the internet.) Put it all in a topknot before I go to bed and sleep on it that way. When I do this, my second-day hair is not so flattened. Still, it doesn't look as good as shower-day hair, and honestly on the second day I often just wear the topknot all day.

My third-day-with-no-rinse hair cannot be worn down, it simply cannot be made presentable. Third day without water means I'm wearing my hair up (and honestly, even that does not hide the fact that it is not at its best).

My current products (I switch things up every once in a while):

Shampoo--Tresemme Botanique (no silicone)
Conditioner for after shampooing--Some Tresemme product without silicone
Conditioner for use when I rinse but don't shampoo: As I Am Coconut CoWash

I use three products simultaneously after shampooing or not-shampooing:
Aussie Miracle Curls Frizz Taming Cream
Aquage Freezing Foam
Aussie Instant Freeze Gel (I use just a bit of this, too much and my curls look stringy, but I need the extra hold that it gives me).

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

On wash day, which is about once every 5-7 days, I use a sulfate-free shampoo, Lush solid conditioner, the same curl activator as RoseandJoan, and a small amount of either gel or sea salt spray. I "plop" into a microfiber towel and then air dry once some of the water has been soaked up. I've been experimenting with clipping the roots while it air dries to up the volume, but honestly, I'm not sure how much of a difference it makes on my particular hair.

On some level, I accept that day 2,3,4 hair won't look the same as on day one and just live with it. I do "pineapple" as Phoebe describes, and then I have a spray bottle with water and a tiny bit of leave-in conditioner that I use to moisten my hair in the mornings. I might also use some sea salt spray (Not Your Mother's Beach Babe) if I want more curl. Then I just scrunch and go.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

One other tip for how to take care of curly hair best in your sleep—use a silk or other satin pillowcase. Sally’s Beauty Supply has them for around $10. They’ll work, but they aren’t silk. Those cost several times as much. We prefer silk because it is breathable. LaPed has mentioned that silk sheets are good for our skin as we age as well.

nuancedream

Veteran

Yes, Fashintern! Excellent recommendation for the silk or satin pillowcase. I use a silk pillowcase and bring it with me when I travel. Etsy has lots of silk and satin pillowcases at a variety of price points.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Great tips above! I have fairly thick hair with a mix of curls and waves. I co-wash every other day but wet my hair every day in the shower. I like Cantu products (I am also more limited to what I have access to or would be trying more things.)
One thing that has been my constant companion for over 10 years is Tigi Catwalk Curls Rock Amplifier. https://www.amazon.com/TIGI-Ca.....B0007506U2
It just seems to bring out the curls and keep away the frizz.

Gigi

Veteran

I agree that curly hair care can be totally overwhelming. When it comes down to it, there are a lot of variables that are particular to your own hair, haircut, and climate. (Curly hair is very sensitive to climate. I use totally different products in the winter than in the summer, and sometimes my hair can look very different from day to day.)

You might want to consider taking a curly hair course offered by a curly-hair specialist. I've never taken one, but I was once on a curly-hair forum where one of the gals had taken Atoya's curl course and really liked it: https://atoya.mykajabi.com/thecurlyhaircourse.

I don't know exactly what MAP is, but my understanding is that to get the details of MAP you have to take Scott's online curl course: https://www.curlyhairartistry......ine-course. The details are not available for free online. Again, I've not taken this, so I don't have any first-hand info to pass on.

For me (I have very fine hair, 2b), the biggest helps to getting multiple-day hair are these: (1) Have great first-day hair with lots of hold. I use a strong gel on wet hair, and then once my hair is dry, hairspray to finish. The better my first-day hair, the more likely I am to get multiple-day hair. (2) Prepare hair properly for sleeping. I use a satin square scarf and "plop" my hair into it and tie the scarf ends up to secure for sleeping (if you don't know what plopping is, you can search online--it's usually done to take water out of freshly washed hair, but here I'm using it on dry hair). (3) Have a great haircut from a curly-hair specialist that will allow your natural curl pattern to be at its best.

My favorite YouTube channel is Manes by Mell. She is a hairdresser. I have found her to give the best tips, which seem to work for a variety of hair types. A good blog is the Science-y Hair Blog. It has helped me make sense of the different types of ingredients in hair products.

I myself use Intelligent Nutrients products, which are not meant specifically for curly hair. Most curly-hair products are too moisturizing and heavy for my extremely fine hair. I use a sulfate-free shampoo twice a week, and I clarify using a sulfate shampoo twice a month. I clarify with Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo.

One thing to throw out there...if your hair is coarse, it may be protein sensitive. It looks like you are using some products that are pretty hefty on the protein, like bond-repair products. Unless your hair is damaged somehow (usually through color treating), that might be too much protein for you. When I have too much protein, my hair doesn't hold its style very well and gets straighter.

nemosmom

Veteran

I also have course, thick, wavy hair and agree with others re: layers will help a lot in keeping wave shape so it doesn’t flatten out.

I tried CGM and co-washing, but my scalp needs shampoo !! and many of the CG touted products were not any different than anything else I had been using (Deva curl products were garbage IME). I did discover that protein pak products were very drying on my hair, and have settled on a set of products and techniques that work best for me.

I wash 2-3x a week with Costco’s knockoff of pureology shampoo, and Shea moisture brand conditioner. I towel wrap it while I moisturize my face and get dressed. Then I use a wide tooth comb to detangle, put in a dollop of sexy hair curl creme (target - it’s the only one I’ve found that doesn’t flake when dry). I scrunch it with my hands and air dry.

On days I don’t wash it, I either spray roots with dry shampoo (I use Ro+Co), warm it with my hair dryer, then immediately clamp it into sections while it cools down, OR

I will lightly re-wet it with a spray water bottle, and twist sections into butterfly clamps and let it air dry.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I’m following along. I don’t have any truly useful knowledge here even though I have curly/wavy hair too. I don’t even know what category mine is or how to determine that, and I’ve never heard of most of the products or lines in this thread. I use a shampoo that my hairdresser sells and wash my hair every 2-3 days, sometimes stretching it to four (more likely in winter). I use a bit of conditioner, a spritz of “It’s a 10” to help smooth, and then a dab of some product or other depending on whether I’m letting my hair dry naturally or blow-drying it.

Ironically, it seems to curl the most consistently when I do something like go for a swim or dunk myself in the hot tub, and don’t wash my hair afterwards. For that reason I tend to think with my hair type, the less/lighter product, the better, and my hairstylist concurs — don’t use anything too heavy or rich. The argan oil shampoo is even a little heavy for me (it’s ok if I want to dry it straight, but not so effective curly).

I do often just dampen my hair (mostly in the back) to freshen it up for second or third day, but the curl is definitely loosened on those days too. I often do the “pineapple” thing at night but it’s a little harder now that my hair is shorter.

I also think that layers cut into the hair can really help with some volume at the crown even on third-day hair. I also like some of the better spray dry shampoos that give a little boost to the hair volume while freshening the scalp.

Staysfit

Veteran

RoseandJoan, thanks for sharing your tips! I watched the Marissa refresh video and it’s very different than anything I have tried before. I have only tried to use a spray mist bottle, and it definitely makes my hair frizzier. I plan to test out her refresh method as part of my experimentation.

Chewyspaghetti, I have not heard of LUS before. I looked at their website, which is very user friendly. I took a hair type quiz and they put me into the curly product category, not wavy, because my hair is coarse and dry.

Runcarla, your hair always looks amazing so I appreciate you sharing your strategy and products. Lifestyle is a huge consideration for me as I develop a routine for my longer hair. I have generally taken very little time to style my hair….so I let it air dry. I need to test my diffuser, or my hair will be problematic in the winter!

Joy, I have never tried any salt sprays. We should all fill in the blank….the longer my hair gets the____________________ it gets. My word is “frizzier”.

Phoebe, I do need to consider my cut. For the summer, my stylist cut my hair into a lob. I do have some layering left in the back, but not so much in front. It’s a nice style for warm and humid days because it removes the bulk off my neck, but it’s still long enough for me to pull into a stubby pony tail under my sun visors, and for exercise, plus I can pull back the front ends and clip them to get hair off my face, and leave the rest loose. Once the weather gets colder, I will have my stylist cut in layers and allow the back to grow longer.

Staysfit

Veteran

Teresa, when you spray your hair on the second day, do you use water, or do you mix something into your water?

Firecracker, I looked at the quickly at the Davines website. Their products look nice. I need to spend more time there to see what might be good for my hair type…and if they have small sample sizes.

Smittie, doesn’t wetting your hair daily dry it out?

Nuancedream, Coconut oil and Shea butter are heavy, right? So they could be weighing down my curls, but something I didn’t mention, is I think they may make my scalp itch. When I use the Carol’s Daughter Coco Creme….my scalp itches, but not when I use the pronexa…..I am going to check out Oribe and look again at Carol Daughter to see if they have something for my hair type without coconut and Shea butter.

Fashintern, mentioning Ultra Swim made me reminisce of the years I had swim practice twice a day in heavily chlorinated water. My hair became straw like and brittle, with faded almost greenish hued ends even when using special shampoos, etc.

Sylvie55, do you think layers will make my hair too frizzy or puffy? As I am reading responses, I realize that maybe I’m looking for improved definition of my curls, not volume….since I have a lot of volume…

Jonsey, you may have provided me with the answer to my question (above). Layers! (Not too many layers at present). My daughter uses the exact same Original Moxie products you mention. I have not tried them except for hair bling, which I sometimes use to add some shine if my hair looks dull. I forgot to mention it above. I have also tried emolience, and found it gives my hair a yellowish cast, but it also leaves my hair soft and moisturized….I would use it if my hair wasn’t silver! So maybe, this is a good product line for me to pursue….

Rachy, definitely considering layers for my next cut…..

Staysfit

Veteran

Phoebe 1, it seems like there are two refresh methods I should experiment with. The first is the Marissa refresh, which is to use products, possibly thinned with some water, on dry hair. The second it to completely wet hair and then add the styling products.

Jenn, I am curious about adding clips to increase volume at the roots. My curl pattern starts just above my ears, and above that, my hair tends to be less wavy, curly, so maybe some lift on top would be nice. Do you use a particular technique? (Is there one?).

Fashintern, I have silk pillowcases, but my hair was still frizzing, so I purchased a silk hair wrap. I just started experimenting with a loose pineapple at night as well. It’s early, but I think it makes a difference.

nuancedream, I didn’t think of Etsy, I bet they have nice silk hair wraps as well.

Shevia, I am thinking of alternating co-wash with shampoo, and then I would be washing my hair only once a week.

Gigi, thanks for the great resources. Manes by Mell, and Science-y hair blog…a lot of useful information! Protein in hair products confuses me. I definitely need to learn more. I would never have considered that protein could be a problem!

Nemosmom, Seeing your post really makes me want to learn more about ingredients. So far, it seems I should try to find something without Coconut oil or Shea butter, and also maybe minimal protein! Also, nice idea…twisting into butterfly clamps and then letting it dry, I wonder if that would be a good way to use my diffuser to help prevent frizz?

Janet, when I googled coarse hair, the It’s a 10 product line and Carol’s Daughter products are the two that are on top of the list. I have never heard of It’s a 10, but your hair always looks amazing to my eye! I wish my hair looked better after a swim or time in the hot tub….!

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Here's the clipping tutorial I used: https://www.naturallycurly.com.....-curly-hai

My hair sounds similar to yours, straighter at the root with curls starting further down. That's true, btw, no matter what length my hair is at, so it's not due to the weight of it.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

SF, when I am on a beach vacation, I typically spritz my hair with “It’s a 10” after a swim and just let it dry naturally and it seems to work nicely to keep curl and fullness without much frizz. So maybe worth a try!

nemosmom

Veteran

I don’t use heat on my hair — with the exception of my bangs! And, lately, I let them air dry as well. Clamping while damp helps the frizzies- I find with my hair, the more I futz with it, the shaggier and bushier it looks. I am better off to comb it, smoosh some creme in it and leave it be - even if that means going somewhere with wet hair.

Products are key for my hair type. The ones you choose don’t have to be the most expensive or from the same brand, even. Find what your hair responds best to, and go with that!! My hair likes more moisture in winter, my scalp gets greasy in summer, so I tweak my formula a bit depending on season. One product I love in winter is Shu Umera absolu oil. It’s great for flyaways and knit hat / beanie hair!!

Staysfit

Veteran

Jenn, thanks for the link to the clipping tutorial.

Janet, I put it on my list since managing my hair on beach and high humidity days is one of the things I am hoping to get sorted!

Here’s my current game plan: 1. I purchased some Aussie Instant Freeze gel. It seems to yield a stronger than the Ouidad. Maybe stronger hold on day one, will allow my waves to endure for more than one day….it is used in the refresh technique linked by RoseandJoan and I plan to try it with gel first and then maybe with conditioner or some sort….. 2. I looked at multiple product lines, and read a bit more about management of thick, wavy, coarse, high porosity hair…..My daughter swears by Original Moxie, and I like their Hair Bling. I took the hair quiz on their website…they recommend the “cotton candy combo” for my hair type. Cotton Candy? Yes, funny! A very good description of my hair when it is not well managed…it’s a cotton like fluffy, puffy, frizzy, sticky (from tangles and knots) mess. In any case, I ordered the “cotton candy” products in 1oz. Sample sizes and plan to try them..

Erin

My hair is similar to yours and Jonesy’s. I used to use Pureology’s Hydrate shampoo and conditioner, but I now use L’Anza’s Healing Moisture shampoo and conditioner. I recently tried a sample of Briogeo’s Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask and liked it, so I may incorporate that once or twice a month. I use a microfiber towel after I wash my hair to remove excess moisture, and then gently comb through my hair with a wide-tooth comb.

For styling, I use either Moroccan Oil’s Intense Curl Cream followed by a little bit of AG Hair Care’s Re-Coil curl activator for hold, or L’Anza’s Moi Moi Moisturizing Mist followed by a cocktail of L’Anza’s Curl Define Cream and the AG Re-Coil. I find the Intense Curl Cream can build up if I use it every time I wash my hair, so I alternate my styling products.

I use a clarifying shampoo a couple times a month (I use Nioxin Level 5 shampoo and Scalp Therapy conditioner since my hair is color treated and dry). I used to think that washing my hair less frequently would be better for my hair, but my hair is curly and very course so the natural oils never reach the mid-shaft and ends of my hair, and, like Nemosmom, my scalp needs more frequent cleansing. I usually wash my hair every 3rd day. My curl pattern gradually relaxes after the first day, so I mist my hair with water and gently scrunch to restyle it.

I think working with a stylist who has extensive knowledge of curly hair is very important. My hair is layered, and I am fortunate to have found a stylist who tailors my haircut to my particular curl pattern.

I totally understand wanting to minimize the expense and the number of hair care products. It’s very frustrating to have an arsenal of unused, ineffective products cluttering up the cabinets.

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