Image: @cryscastles

Spring is here and with the changing season most curlies prefer to create a new regimen to style their curls. We tapped Crystal Castillo, who is a travel blogger and curly hair influencer who gives us so much life with her curls. She has been slaying her curl game from each corner of the globe. Keep reading to find out her latest regimen to add definition and volume and how she maneuvers the evolving world of natural curls as a Latina woman.

Going into a new season, there’s a few key things curlies like to keep on hand: solid a regimen, tried and true products and tools to add volume. Crystal is excited to be able to eliminate co-washing from her routine and start using the natural air as an option to dry her hair. Her holy grails are great cocktails that she uses for control, definition and volume. “My hair can never seem to get enough of Curls Blueberry Bliss, Mielle Organics Pomegranate & Honey Curl Smoothie, Mixed Chicks Curl Sculptor and Ouidad Advanced Climate Control line.” It’s always important when switching up your routine to experiment with various brands and products that correlate with your seasonal hair goals.

Volume, definition, and style are three coveted aspects of the natural hair process and Crystal spills the tea for how she achieves her fabulous curls.

Volume:

“I am a huge fan of volume and my two tricks would be: fluffing it out in the roots with a hair pick and using less gel products.”

Definition:

“I typically find that my hair needs a lot of thick leave in products to get defined curls that work. I am currently loving African Pride Hair Care Coconut & Baobab Oil Leave-in Cream. The texture is amazing, and the smell is perfect for the spring!”

Styling Techniques:

“Since I’ve dyed my hair, I’ve gotten into finger coiling. I do this mostly with the fronts of my hair where I was blonder. I think this is a great technique for those who find that their texture may have changed a bit after going lighter!”

Latina’s showcasing their natural hair is becoming a growing revolution since traditionally many cultures reflected straight, sleek hair on mainstream media and magazines. Growing up as a curly Latina, Crystal was the only curly girl in her immediate family, which led to many trial and error moments through her adolescence as she grew to embrace her texture and pattern. These moments of learning helped develop a confident sense of self and yearning to learn about caring for her hair as she got older. She takes deep pride in having her hair represent “culture and familial roots that can be traced back to Europe, Africa and the Middle East.” These roots are what inspired her love of travel and passion for sharing her adventures with others.

As a travel blogger, Crystal has experienced the world through a different lens, and she has visited countries in Europe and South America. @Latinasenroute follows Crystal and her partner Gladys where they seek to fulfill a vision of “bomb ladies who do bomb things, connect through culture, conversation and champagne.” Their page features images of empowerment, food, fun, and culture specific to each adventure they encounter. When traveling overseas Crystal advocates for traveling with her own hair products since many international countries don’t carry products tailored to natural hair. She encourages her readers “to purchase carryon travel bottles and fill them with your staple hair products! Don’t ever rely on what “may” be available because you may be surprised!”

Do you switch up your routine for each season? Let us know your go-to tips for Spring in the comments below.