==With so many hair care tips for curly hair going around, things can get definitely get confusing. We have tried all the tips you can think of and gathered all the good hair science for you in one article. If you’re struggling with styling your hair the way you want or having your hair look good until the next wash, this one’s for you!
The tips we will discuss will be more general and would work with any type of hair, and you could feel free to try them all! If you’re looking for hair-type-specific advice, be sure to look out for our other articles for all that you need.
The Best Hair Care Tips For Curly Hair
1- Gentle Cleansers Are The Way To Go
When it’s time to wash your hair, always opt for a sulfate-free shampoo or a natural shampoo alternative that won’t dry your hair out.
Take care, as a gentle shampoo will still dry your hair out if excessively used. So if you usually like to wash your hair daily during hot weather or after working out, use a lightweight silicone-free conditioner to wash your hair instead of shampooing every time.
Read On: The 4 Best Organic Natural Shampoo For All Hair Types
2- Use Silicone-free Products
You should make sure that your conditioner, deep conditioner and styling products are all free of silicones. Simply put, they give a fake illusion of moisture but build-up over your hair, eventually dulling it out. Silicone traditionally needs harsh cleansers with sulfates to remove build-up, so the whole combo is pretty harsh on the hair.
If you want to know how to pick hair products without drying ingredients, read our article “4 Ingredients That You Should Avoid In Curly Hair Products”.
3- Squeeze Some of The Water Out Of Your Hair Before Applying Conditioner
Right after rinsing out your cleanser, you need to gently squeeze some of the extra water out of your hair before applying conditioner so its effect isn’t diluted. After applying the conditioner, you can add small amounts of water gradually until you achieve the desired slip for detangling.
4- Don’t Forget To Deep Condition
Deep conditioners give your hair deep moisture and reinforcement more than a conditioner would. You should deep condition your hair at least once a week, and use it after cleansing your hair in lieu of your normal conditioner. If your hair needs more moisture, consider increasing the frequency of deep conditioning your hair. You could even completely swap your normal conditioner out for deep conditioner if needed.
We have recently launched our very own Frizz-Off Deep Conditioner that’s rich in Papaya, Macadamia, Panthenol and Niacinamide. Find out more here.
5- Training Your Curls While Conditioning and Deep Conditioning
This is one of the most useful hair care tips for curly hair that we’ve found to be a game-changer. So let’s say you’re washing your hair and just applied conditioner and your hair is free of tangles, you then proceed by finger coiling or twisting out small sections of your hair until they’re all curled and nice. This method trains your hair to curl with definition even after you rinse the conditioner out.
You need to take care while rinsing the conditioner not to disturb the formed curls, so don’t rinse your hair with force. You should rather pour water gently on your hair and scrunch it until you get the conditioner out!
6- Apply Styling Hair Products To Saturated Wet Hair
When you’re done washing and conditioning your hair, don’t dry your hair thoroughly with a towel just yet. Gently squeeze excess water out of your hair so it’s not dripping excessively, and start applying your styling products. You might want to use a little more product than you think you need because the extra water in your hair dilutes it, but this ensures that the products trap as much moisture as they could in your hair strands.
7- Test Your Styling Product Compatibility
Many curly girls complain of having flakes and visible residue on their hair after styling and drying their hair, and that’s usually a result of product incompatibility. To test if products are compatible, you should bring the styling products you want to use, which are usually a leave-in conditioner and/or a styling cream, and a hair gel. Start off by adding a pea-size amount of each your styling products in the palm of your hands and mix them with your finger. If the products mix smoothly then this product combination will not cause flakes or visible build-up, but if the mix is lumpy and rough, it would cause flakes and residue.
8- Use a Microfiber Towel Instead Of a Regular One
Normal terrycloth towels wreak havoc on hair by stirring up frizz and sucking the moisture out of the hair, that’s why we always recommend a microfiber towel. They’re gentle, soft, and extremely absorbent without drying the hair out. We highly recommend that you check out The Frizz-Off! Towel, a microfiber turban towel that’s easy to use and so gentle on the hair.
9- Plop Your Hair For More Bounce
If you need tighter bouncier curls, you will really like plopping. Plopping is holding your wet hair in a scrunched position against a cotton t-shirt or towel and tying it until mostly dry. The plopping methods gives hair a nice defined voluminous shape and it’s so easy to try. Use our Frizz-Off! Towel to easily plop your hair and for amazing results!
10- Get a Specialized Curly Hair Dry Cut
Now that you’re embracing your curly hair, you need to get a special curly hair cut. Basically a curly hair cut is done on dry hair in the way you normally style it, that way each curl is cut according to its curl pattern and how it blends with you hair. If you get your hair cut when it’s wet, it will most likely end up uneven when dry.
11- Sleep On Satin Or Silk
After a long string of tips, you want that hair style to still look amazing between washes. The key to maintaining your hair style is to sleeping on a silky material to prevent your hair from facing friction. You could either use a satin/silk pillowcase, or wrap your hair with a satin scarf to preserve it. Check out our Periwinkle Satin products for the trendiest satin scarves and pillowcases on the market.