#just uh try to get some kinda natural sulfate- phthalate- paraben-free stuff yeah

[inonesingleline]

some unsolicited advice for any curly girls following me, or: believe it or not I do devote my obsessive energies to other things, too

I don’t know if anyone out there needs or wants this, god knows there’s no shortage of advice on the internet, but after battling with my hair for 20+ years I feel like I’ve finally found the perfect routine so sharing for what it’s worth!

First thing to say is I’m a type 3A, so if your hair has different texture and shape this may not be very helpful. If you don’t know about curly hair types, this is a good place to start. 

First some rules and best practices I have discovered over the years! Some obvious, some I’ve honestly just learned very recently.

Air drying is always best. I’ve never really found my way around a diffuser, but that’s obviously your second choice. I actually bought a hard hat dryer for use at home and while it looks hilarious sitting in the corner it is a nice way to multitask and relax while drying! I usually air dry these days, though, even though I have an ingrained belief that going about with wet hair for 3+ hours looks unprofessional and, depending, serves as an unnecessary signal to the world how late I may have showered.

Don’t touch it till it’s dry! It’s almost impossible, I know, but the less you touch the better it looks. Then scrunch it up, and don’t touch it again for the rest of the day. Until it starts to drive you crazy mid-afternoon and you need to pull it all back into a ponytail. That’s just my experience.

Moisturizing products are more important than styling products. Honestly one of the biggest recent breakthroughs for me was realizing the reason your hair gets all frizzy and fluffy is when it’s dry and seeking moisture from the environment! Keep it moisturized and you will need fewer styling products and can worry less about humid days.

But too much moisture is a bad thing. You definitely need to experiment here, because too much and your hair is going to be flat, potentially look greasy, and generally suffer from product build-up. I can only tell you what I’ve found works for me (below) but trial and error is necessary.

Don’t over- or under- shampoo! If you read up on how to handle curly hair at all you probably know you’re not supposed to shampoo every day; you might even have tried doing it once a week or giving it up altogether. Then there was a backlash against that practice and I honestly find that, unless it just works for you, you’re going to run into problems with bacteria/smell (especially if you work out!) at the very least, and you may not get the texture benefits you dream of. For me, twice a week is usually just right. Again, experiment. And “low poo” and “no poo” options are great unless you need the lather to feel clean; I’m actually using a product that lathers up right now and I like it.

OK, now onto my routine! I have tried every product line known to woman, I swear. Every time I think I’ve found the holy grail, only to find weeks or months later it’s just not doing it for me anymore. But I have been using a combo of Curl Junkie and Briogeo for a while now and I think this is it for me! I suspect I MIGHT have had the same experience with any other nicer brand I’ve tried before, however, if only I had learned the moisturizing > styling rule sooner. 

So here are the products I use and the steps I follow:

2x week shampoo with Briogeo Blossom & Bloom shampoo. I’ll probably cycle through all their shampoos in time, though. 

daily conditioner wash with Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind co-wash. I also feel like variety is nice, get some different ingredients into your hair, and swap out with Curl Junkie Daily Fix (I feel like this is a LITTLE more cleansing than most co-washes, so I’ll choose this on a workout day) and Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing conditioner. (Honestly, I’ve loved all of their conditioners and I’m NOT very particular with my shampoos/conditioners among these two lines.) Your curls will “clump” and form nice ringlets better if you run your fingers through it as little as possible from this stage forward. I try to distribute the conditioner by running my hands over the whole length of hair, twisting, scrunching, etc. Some combing is fine, or if “clumping” is not your priority, don’t worry about it.

Once a week I use a deep conditioner instead, alternating between Curl Junkie Deep Fix and Curl Junkie Curl Rehab. These are decadent and wonderful and I will use them forever. 

Post-shower I use Curl Junkie Smoothing Lotion, which helps seal in a little more moisture and keep curls in shape while initially drying. I use the same methods to avoid combing, and then wrap my hair in an old long-sleeved tee for about 15-20 minutes while I go around the rest of my morning business. (You know terry cloth towels are bad for curly hair and cotton tees or microfiber are great, too, right?)

Then most days lately the only styling product I use is Curl Junkie Curls in a Bottle Solution. I honestly never thought I could get by with a light-hold product alone ever but my hair looks great with JUST this. The moisturizing > styling rule, y’all. This product is truly magic even if you choose to layer it under something with more hold, and if you try out one new thing from this list make it THIS. It will keep your curls defined and in place and let them still look bouncy and light. Again I work it through my hair trying to avoid combing.

If you want more hold, and I suspect I will too when it’s humid again here, my favorite gel is Briogeo Curl Charisma Gel. I’ve always been a gel girl but this is the first one that has the hold I want without leaving you looking wet and sticky the rest of the day.

I sometimes also use the Briogeo Curl Charisma Creme in addition to or instead of the CJ Smoothing Lotion. Again I have the idea variety is nice and sometimes my hair needs the extra moisture, but for a while I was using both consistently and that’s when I understood that there can be too much of a good thing with the moisturizing products. The CC Creme is a bit heavier and maybe has a bit more “hold” than the smoothing lotion. 

Sometimes, maybe once a week but often less, I’ll also mix some oil into the smoothing lotion. I have some jojoba oil on hand so that’s what I’m using now, but I suspect there are better oils for hair. I only do this on lazy days when I’m definitely not leaving the house because you WILL look oily until you wash your hair again, but it really helps give a little more moisture and shine that will last for a few days. 

OK, that’s “it,” but that’s what works for me! Hope this may be helpful to someone out there because god knows I’ve fought with my hair for years. Now just to figure out the ideal skincare routine for my dry, red skin. Another post on that subject, perhaps, should I ever manage it. :)