Curls for the Girls by livelifewellblog featuring styling products
I love my hair straight and I’m not afraid to admit it! But just because I’m a lover of straight hair doesn’t mean I haven’t learned to embrace my naturally curly texture. I’ve chosen to ease up on the heat a little for a couple of reasons, the first and most important being that it damages my hair and changes my curl pattern. Besides the damage, I have also become a little bit of a gym rat and it’s very hard to keep a straight style when you’re sweating daily. My hair is very sensitive to moisture and humidity, and if I have to choose between having a banging (and healthy) body and maintaining bone straight hair, my body will win every time.
When it comes to natural hair products, I’ve literally tried just about everything and after a lifetime of trial and error, I’ve discovered a regimen that works for me and my hair. I’m really careful about what products I use because I do have a keratin treatment (more to come on this in an upcoming post), and it’s important that I stay away from products that contain sulfate. These products are my go-tos when I want to wear my hair in its naturally curly state:
Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Cleansing Conditioner and a wide-tooth comb
Let me start by saying that using a cleansing conditioner (i.e. “co-wash”) is NOT a substitute for washing your hair with shampoo. I have consulted by hair stylist and friend, Sanae Murata at Nubiance Salon and Spa, about this multiple times and she has made it clear to me that while co-washing is great, it is still necessary to wash your hair with shampoo at least every other week to avoid product build up. While I wash with shampoo every other week, I co-wash with Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Cleansing Conditioner in between regular washes when I’m rocking a curly style because it makes my hair soft, manageable, and easy to style post-shower. I lather on a generous amount of the product, let it sit for a few minutes, comb through my hair with a wide-tooth comb, and rinse. When I’m out of the shower, I dry my hair with a t-shirt (towels tend to cause frizz) and proceed with styling without having to detangle at all! Not having to comb out my hair after washing really help to preserve the curl pattern.
Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Refresher Spray
This is my go-to for preserving my curls in the time between wash days. It’s a great leave in conditioner and really freshens up your curls. I love it because instead of wetting my hair every single day in the shower, I’m able to spray it down, put on a little gel and oil, and go!
Beautiful Curls Shining Curl Oil
I love this oil! It’s great for both your hair and scalp and has a great fragrance. It is just thick enough that it coats your hair without weighing it down or making it feel overly greasy. It also helps to control frizz and is great for use when taking down a braid or twist out.
Eco Styler Gel and/or Shea Moisture Curling Gel Soufflé
If someone told me I had to do away with all of my hair products except for two, these are the ones that I would keep. I love them both so much that I honestly can’t pick which one I like the best, so I use them interchangeably. These are my favorites for both wash and go styles and braid or twist outs. When I do braid or twist outs, I also use perm rods on my ends to ensure that they have a nice curl to them as well. Both products work wonders for holding my curl pattern without making my hair feel crunchy.
My hair in in its naturally curly state – a “wash-n-go” styled with a little Eco Styler Gel
Hicks Edges Gel and a bun maker
Sometimes, no matter what products are at my disposal, I get lazy or just have a really awful hair day! When this happens, I turn to my handy dandy edge gel and bun maker. I love a bun because it can be dressed up or dressed down and really gives me a chance to show off my face and accessories. Plus, especially in the summer heat, sometimes I just get sick of having my hair down and want it out of my way! Hicks Edges Gel helps me to slick back and control my edges while a bun maker makes pulling my hair up into a neat bun a breeze.
Check out the “Make Me Up” page of LiveLifeWell’s Pinterest for more curly hair tips, including video tutorials that I reference when doing a braid or twist out. What are your favorite products??
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