I sit next to NaturallyCurly Graphic Designer Cara, and it really seems like she has a different curl pattern every day. Sometimes it’s close to straight, many days it’s a mix of straighter and curlier bits, and some days it’s very curly. The variation is a testament to the wishy washy tendencies of Type 2 naturally wavy hair. If you’re a Type 2, you’ve probably experienced some of this. So it was interesting to me to watch Cara’s recent Watch & Go, the show where we review shows we’ve watched while we do our wash and go, on our NaturallyCurly YouTube channel.
I asked Cara a bit more about her wavy routine, here’s what she had to say.
You have a mix of curl patterns – how do you deal with that?
I have Type 2a, 2b, 2c and maybe some 3a curls. And I don’t know how to deal with that yet! Mostly I treat them all the same.
Do you typically use a co-wash instead of a shampoo?
I co-wash when I want to refresh my hair between shampoo washes. I usually wash with shampoo on Sundays, and sometimes – but not always – co-wash mid-week. That works out to me co-washing my hair about 2-3 times a month.
What do you find gives your waves the best curl definition?
Time and effort always give my hair more definition, but I’m pretty lazy and low-maintenance about my hair, so I usually just put it up in a bun. Washing my hair in the morning and diffusing it and plopping always help to create greater waves, but I usually wash at night because it takes so long to dry.
Washing my hair in the morning gives me much better curl definition than when I wash at night and sleep on it. Plopping it until it’s dry or diffusing it until it’s dry give me my best curls.
What are your favorite products for waves?
I really like the Eden Bodyworks Peppermint Tea Tree Hair Milk, I use the
Dyakim microfiber towel, and I’ve recently been using Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat and Humidity Gel for frizz control. I really like the Briogeo Curl Charisma Rice Amino + Avocado Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner, and also their Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Shampoo.
Any techniques or tips that have made a big difference in the way your hair looks?
I use a lot of scrunching and plopping. Before I started working here I washed my hair all the time, but I’ve since found out that using better products, and even wavy-specific products, work better for me. I had bought products for curly hair that were full of oils, and those weren’t working well for me.
How would you recommend Shameless to someone who hasn’t seen it before?
It’s really funny and dramatic, but moreso funny. It’s basically a complicated family that still loves each other. They cover a lot of current event sort of topics and social issues, especially substance abuse and mental health issues, but in a funny way.
