Search Results: Alyson Lupo

It’s true: Wavy hair isn’t the same as curly hair. Of course, we wavies do still want to give our hair the TLC it deserves (so keep visiting this website for all kinds of great info about your gorgeous waves”>! But because of the nature of our loose curls, a.k.a. waves, we have a separate set of needs from our curly sisters.

I personally believe the reason behind these differences mostly has to do with how easily the natural oil from our scalp is able to travel the lengths of our strands. For wavies, having fewer loops in the way makes it much easier for that oil, also known as sebum, to naturally moisturize our hair from root to tip. So when we read a fantastic book like Curly Girl: The Handbook, Expanded 2nd edition, written by Lorraine Massey who has type 3 curls. In the Curly Girl Method that she outlines in her book, she tells us that we don’t need shampoo. So, we think maybe we should give up shampoo altogether. But what if that’s a mistake for us wavy girls? 

What other mistakes could we be making we haven’t even considered?
If your hair is acting ‘off’, or you’re consistently unhappy with your wavy locks, maybe you, too, have been making one (or more”> of these mistakes I often see my wavy friends making.

The Mistake: Exclusively Co-Washing

Unless your hair and scalp are exceedingly dry, in my experience, wavies really benefit much more from a consistent cycle of cowashing and using a sulfate-free shampoo (otherwise known as a low-poo”>.

The Solution:

Cowash some of the time. It’s a great way to preserve moisture, but you may experience buildup over time as your sebum plus the ingredients of your cowash add up. I personally benefit the most from a consistent washday rotation/schedule of:

1. cowash
2. cowash
3. low-poo
4. cowash
5. cowash
6. low-poo

And I usually wash every 2-3 days.
The only thing that interrupts my washday rotation is the need to clarify (we’ll talk about this next”>, as there are some Curly Girl (CG”>-friendly ingredients that even a low-poo can’t easily remove (e.g., behentrimonium methosulfate, polyquaterniums, castor oil, etc.”>.

My favorite cowash:

It continues to be the As I Am Coconut Cowash, as I find it to be more cleansing than using a thin conditioner, but less stripping than a sulfate free shampoo. It contains cetrimonium chloride, a gentle cleansing agent. It also contains castor oil which is very moisturizing but can build up on the hair, so this product should be used in tandem with regular clarifying.

THIS IS BUILDUP FRIZZ IN MY HAIR FROM NOT CLARIFYING.

2. The Mistake: Not Clarifying

This is probably the number one mistake I see wavies new to CG making when they reach out to me via Instagram or Facebook, seeking help. The good news is that it’s a really quick fix! As I mentioned above the buildup is inevitable, even for those following Lorraine Massey’s Curly Girl Method, closely or loosely.

The solution:

Get the gunk off! I keep a reminder on my calendar to clarify every 3 weeks. And should I decide to skip clarifying once or twice on my regular schedule, I’ve almost always made the wrong decision. How do I know? When I’m faced with buildup frizz. Frizz has SO many causes, and buildup is absolutely one of them. I also get immediate buildup frizz when styling with heavy oils and butter-based products… but back to clarifying. Just as important as staying on a regular schedule of clarifying (which should always be followed up by a deep conditioner, but more on that, next”> is also choosing the right clarifying shampoo. For me, a sulfate-free clarifying shampoo isn’t going to cut it. It takes specific surfactants (e.g. sodium laureth sulfate (SLS”> or sodium c14-c16 olefin sulfonate“> to remove certain ingredients that cling tightly to our hair–and those surfactants should be at the top of the ingredients list. If they’re listed near the middle to end of the list on your bottle of shampoo, the likelihood is that it won’t be strong enough to remove those polyquats or conditioning agents. I have some wavy-curly friends that choose to rotate their clarifying sessions between stronger and weaker clarifying shampoos (i.e. Kinky Curly Come Clean”>, but I prefer to play it consistently and use the same one every time.

My favorite clarifiers are:

• Suave Daily Clarifying shampoo
• Trader Joe’s Spa Nourish shampoo

3. The Mistake: Skipping Deep Conditioning Sessions

While we wavies may not need as frequent or intense deep conditioning as our curly-headed friends, regular deep conditioning will lend our hair greater softness, bounce, manageability, and curl retention.

The solution:

Weekly or bi-weekly treatments are essential for ‘feeding’ our waves. If you are new to the Curly Girl Method and you have a lot of damage, you probably need to deep condition every week, but you will need to find what works best for you. The most important components of deep conditioning are TIME and QUALITY. And it doesn’t have to be expensive! In lieu of a labeled ‘deep conditioner’, just combine a scoop of your favorite conditioner with 1 tbsp each of honey and your favorite oil (olive oil is my favorite”> to make any conditioner more intense. Slather it on freshly washed, wet hair, leave it for 30 minutes, then rinse completely before styling as usual. Says Wendy, scientist and author behind The Science-y Hairblog, in a two-part post on deep conditioning: “When lipids (oily ingredients”> are present in a conditioner formula (or when you add them”>, you get even more conditioning goodness adhering to your hair–more cationic conditioning and more softness and flexibility from the lipid…for an even better end result.” In part 2, she adds: “Leaving a cationic conditioning ingredient or protein treatment on longer can lead to greater adherence (adsorption”> of conditioning ingredients on your hair. 30 minutes of deep conditioning can give you twice as much conditioning for your hair ingredients as 5 minutes can.” I totally skimped on the time aspect for months. Because who wants to get wet again after being out of the shower for 30 minutes?? My hack: Once I got my hands on a handheld showerhead, deep conditioning became less of a chore. I was able to apply my deep conditioner in the shower, put on my shower cap, dry off and get dressed. Once my 30 minutes was up, I just leaned my head back into the shower, and used my handheld showerhead to rinse it all out, then styled as usual.

My favorite deep conditioners are: Curl Junkie Curl Rehab and Jessicurl Deep Treatment. Unlike other conditioners I’ve tried, they don’t lead to build-up frizz. And I adore my Hot Head by Thermal Haircare to increase treatment intensity. It has cut my conditioning time in half. 

4. The Mistake: Raking in Your Styling Products

Wavy hair, in my experience, just doesn’t naturally clump the same way curly hair does. I’m not saying curly girls have it easy! But if a Denman brush could whip my wavy clumps into shape like it does for my curly friends, I’d feel like I won the lottery. Instead, it leaves me with stringy, 80’s perm-looking hair.

The solution:

Waves require different techniques. First, I start with the super soaker method then squish to condish to lay a great foundation for juicy curl clumps. Lots of water is key. For product application, my go-to is smooth and scrunch. I emulsify every product between my hands, smooth it over in just a few sections, and then squish/scrunch on dripping-wet hair until I can no longer feel the product in my hair. Praying hands is another excellent technique to ensure your ends are covered with product without raking it through, but I’m always carefully to not stretch my waves too much, as my goal is enhancement rather than elongation.

My favorite way to apply products:

• In spring and summer, I follow the LCEG product layering method: leave-in, cream, enhancing gel, hard-hold gel. Wavy hair can tolerate heavier products during the more humid months of the year.
• In fall and winter, when the air is the driest, I follow the LEG method: leave-in, enhancing gel, hard-hold gel.

Note that wavies living in dry climates may want to switch this routine so that LEG is used in the drier months, like July-September, and LCEG is used in t

he rainy season (late Winter/Early Spring”>.

5. The Mistake: Expecting Hold from The Wrong Products

You’ve just styled your hair. All the products, the squish to condish, the plopping, clipping roots, maybe diffusing… If you’re doing all that, the last thing you want to see is your type 2 waves drooping by day’s end. So why are you relying on a cream to hold your style?

The solution:

Use gel. I remember almost laughing when I read that in The Curly Girl Method handbook. Gel? That blue L.A. Looks stuff my brother used in high school?? On my wet hair??? Turns out, she was right. Using products that lend the right amount of hold for both your individual hair’s needs and the ‘look’ you prefer (hard vs. medium vs. light hold”> will make all the difference in how your style holds up throughout the day, and can even catapult your washday hair into multiple days. That said, not all gels are created equal, so you’ll need to do a fair amount of experimenting to find one that lends hold without weighing down your wavy locks. But–knowing what I know now, I would never cap my wash day product lineup with a leave-in, cream or custard if my goal was the see my waves hold up for a full day or more. That’s the job of a gel, and–in my mind–nothing can replace it. I’m a total gel connoisseur.

My all-time favorite gels include:

• Ouidad Advanced Climate Control
• Kenra 17
• Bounce Curl
• Innersense I Create Hold
• Jessicurl Spiralicious
• Raw Curls firm hold
• Boucleme
• Zerran firm hold
• Biosilk Rock Hard Gelee
• And, ironically enough, L.A. Looks Sport gel–yes, the blue one

6. The Mistake: Not Getting Regular Trims

Just like any other hair type, wavies experience dry, split ends which can drag down hair, make it look dull and frizzy, and make conditioning and styling a chore.

The Solution: Schedule a Trip to the Salon

Whether it’s every quarter or on an as-needed basis, get rid of those dead ends if you want your hair to be healthy and manageable. While you can splurge on a fancy curl by curl cut, you might find that you do just fine with a normal trim on wet hair. 

7. The Mistake: Not Choosing the Right Products for Your Hair

Everyone’s hair is unique. Even though certain products might be perfect for your wavie sisters, you might find they don’t work as well for you. There are a myriad of reasons for this, including your hair’s porosity and density, the climate in which you live, your allergies and sensitivities, and even your technique.

The Solution: Use the tips and tools on this website as your guide.
These are tools that can make your life so much easier, and help you to transition with ease. They include:

Texture Quiz to help you identify your hair’s texture, density, porosity and other variables so that you can more easily find products, styles, and advice.

Frizz Forecast for planning you perfect hair days no matter what the weather.

Customizable searches on our site and in our shop to allow you to find what you need quickly.

8. The Mistake: Becoming Overwhelmed by the Curly Girl Method

If you wander onto any Facebook Curly Girl Method Support Group, or onto a curly-themed Reddit forum, you will inevitably find newbies of every hair type asking “where do I start”? There is so much information on the internet, with seemingly complicated lists of dos, don’ts, shouldn’ts, and maybes, that it can be overwhelming. What at first glance appears to be information overload is really just extra details and tips that you don’t need when you are first transitioning. In time, though, they CAN help you troubleshoot and adjust your regimen so that it perfectly meets your hair’s needs.

The Solution: Fully familiarize yourself with the Curly Girl Method before embarking on any adaptations of it.

First, pick up a copy of Curly Girl: The Handbook, Expanded 2nd edition, and read through it. Many wavies and curlies skip this step. Now, as a wavy, there will be certain things that won’t work for you (for example, the number 1 mistake on this list”>, but it is important to start with a good foundation of knowledge. This book outlines a simple and specific process for hair care which includes the following: 

1. Make sure to do a “final wash”. Before you can embark on this method, you will need to wash your hair with a shampoo containing sodium lauryl sulfate in order to remove any silicones, parabens, and product build-up.
2. Moving forward, select hair care products that are free of silicones that are not water-soluble, parabens, and drying alcohols, and possibly sulfates (see #3 on this list for more on this”>.
3. Originally, Lorraine Massey recommended completely ditching shampoo and co-washing, or washing with conditioner only. This method didn’t work for everyone, and that is reflected in the Devacurl product line which now includes sulfate-free, low-lather gentle shampoos (or low-poos“>, and a micellar water based Build-up Buster. As a wavy, you may find that you prefer to use sulfates as Alyson does.
4. When washing, co-washing and/or conditioning your hair, use your fingers to detangle instead of combs and brushes. You will find that this approach causes less breakage.
5. On fully saturated hair, apply your choice of leave-in, creams, or other stylers (for example, those you would use in the LCEG or the LEG methods”> while your hair is soaking wet. Applying your products in the shower is one way to ensure that you get good product distribution.
6. Scrunch your hair. Using clips, clip you roots for maximum volume, or you can scrunch out excess water using a microfiber towel, tee-shirt, or paper towel.
7. Air dry or diffuse your waves on a cool setting—no heat!
8. When your hair is fully dry, a gel cast will have formed. Scrunch out this cast for frizz-free defined waves.

What mistakes did you make when you first embarked on your journey? Sharing is caring!

Join in the discussion on Facebook!

Note: This article was published on 2/6/19 and has been updated with three more reader tips to help you rock your waves.

Stringy curls or waves? Sounds familiar! But fret not, we’ve all been there — and we have solutions for you that are easily doable. Stringy curls — where you end up with an abundance of skinny curls instead of the big chunks of curls many of us crave — have many causes.. Your hair could lack moisture, or you could be styling it wrong. Here’s my checklist for creating clumpy curls, in the order I’d start my problem-solving: techniques first, products second.

When in doubt, clarify!

Surely you know how I feel about a good clarifying session by now. (If not, you can check out a few of my other articles that touch on the subject here.”> Clarifying is absolutely a crucial step for curly girls because buildup of all kinds —protein, moisturizing ingredients, butters, oils, minerals from your hard water — happens to everyone. This is step one before moving onto any of the other solutions, as you’ll need to start with a clean slate to diagnose the problem, and also to allow water to penetrate your hair strands. Hydration is key. And hydration comes from water. (If you choose to clarify with something stripping like Suave Daily Clarifying, be sure to deep condition for at least 20 minutes afterward. That step isn’t necessarily needed if you choose to clarify with something gentler, such as Devacurl Buildup Buster.”>

Squish to condish method

While we’re on the subject of water, let’s talk about how to leverage the power of this substance when it comes to your hair. Having it merely touch your hair isn’t enough for most curlies or wavies. We have to “squish” it in to deeply hydrate our hair. Stylist Melissa Stites created and coined this method several years ago, and has a blog post on it that you can read for all the details, direct from the source. Essentially, it involves scooping your hair into your palm and cupping it up to your scalp, then squishing/pulsing water into your hair, before/during rinsing out your conditioner (should you choose to actually rinse any out at all”>. For me, this has made a world of difference in how hydrated my hair truly is. Frizz is a thing of the past. In fact, I love it so much, I created a video completely dedicated to this method. It’s a more important technique than any product I use.

Super soaker method

Another water-related technique for you to try! This one is great for those of you with really thick hair. Created by CurlTalk user rudeechick back in 2009, this method has become super popular, as it’s known for its ability to make curls clump like magic. It involves squishing handfuls of water into small areas of hair, section by section, before/during/after adding styling products. It’s pretty versatile, as it can be used effectively as part of one or more of several steps in the styling process (e.g. when applying leave-in, and/or when applying cream, and/or when applying gel, etc”>. It’s also completely foolproof. Hard to mess up water!

Skip Curl and Rake & Shake

Some curlies swear by the Skip Curl method for avoiding stringy curls and increasing clumpiness. Developed by Curly Hair Solutions‘ Jonathan Torch, the method involves twisting large (or small, if you prefer”> sections of hair around your finger and then gently releasing. This technique yields well-defined, chunky curls. The method is similar to the finger coils often employed by our tighter-curled friends. Ouidad’s Rake & Shake technique involves raking product-laden, wide-spread fingers through the hair, separating it into large chunks as you go. As you rake toward the ends, you gently grasp the sections between your fingers and give a gentle shake.

Denman brush

Using a Denman brush is a magical clump-provider for many curlies. The wide-spread bristles separate wet hair into clumps, eliminating stringiness. You can chose from a variety of Denman brush types, each offering different benefits.

Correct drying technique

If you use a blow dryer to dry your hair, be sure to use a diffuser, and be sure to use it correctly. Using a blow dryer sans diffuser is a surefire recipe for stringy curls and waves.

Use moisture-rich products

If the above techniques aren’t getting your curl clumps — or “families” as they’re sometimes called — where you want them to be, it may be time to reconsider your styling products. Using a leave-in conditioner is always a must for me; it makes a huge difference in the definition of my waves and also keeps frizz at bay. If using a leave-in is something you always do anyway, you may want to consider adding a cream on top of that, to further seal in the water you just squished and/or super-soaked into your locks, especially if your hair is high porosity. Last, you’ll want to use a moisturizing gel as the final step to seal in that hydration and lend hold to your look. Ingredients to look for: cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, behentrimonium methosulfate/chloride.

(Some of my favorites include As I Am leave-in, Curls Blueberry Bliss leave-in, MopTop leave-in, Innersense Sweet Spirit leave-in, ISO Bounce Creme, DevaCurl Wavemaker, Eco Cocktail, Only Curls cream, Living Proof Prime Style Extender, Boucleme cream, Boucleme gel, Bounce Curl gel, Innersense I Create Hold, Kenra 17, DevaCurl Light Defining Gel, MopTop Medium Hold Gel, MopTop Curly Hair Custard, Jessicurl Spiralicious, Only Curls gel”>

Go protein-free for a while

Your hair is STILL stringy. At this point, the problem is likely protein. Your hair is either coarse and doesn’t want/need much protein applied to it, or it’s on the medium/fine side and has just had ENOUGH protein to last you a while before it starts craving it again. Trust me, it’s a thing. This happens to me often enough, and it’s where I know I need to go protein-free in my styling products anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Here’s how I know a product contains protein. Look at the ingredients label. If you can eat it, it’s probably protein. Sure, amino acids, hydrolyzed silk, keratin and collagen don’t sound appetizing, but they’re edible (well, maybe not the silk”>. But corn, soy, quinoa, wheat, oat, seaweed (my sushi lovers out there!”> are all snack-worthy = protein. And the latter are typically large-molecule proteins, which will affect your hair differently and build up faster than the aforementioned small-molecule proteins. Protein is the main reason I see more consistent results and better curl clumps when I rotate my styling products.

(Low-protein or protein-free favorites include As I Am leave-in, Curls Blueberry Bliss leave-in, MopTop leave-in; DevaCurl Wavemaker, Living Proof Prime Style Extender, Boucleme cream, Boucleme gel, Kenra 17, Jessicurl Spiralicious“>

Try a light or medium hold gel or custard

Lately, hard-hold gels haven’t been working for me. They’ve left my hair stringy, stiff, and untouchable — even near the roots. Switching to lighter-hold gels has made a big difference in the softness and clumpiness of my waves, in a way I wouldn’t have imagined just a few short months ago. MopTop Custard, Devacurl Light Defining Gel, and Jessicurl Spiralicious have been three of my favorite products this spring and summer, and the clumps they each leave me with are just awesome. No crunchy, stringy waves here!

Time for a trim!

When all else fails, I scroll waaaay back in my calendar. When on earth was the last time I got my hair cut?? Oh, 6 months ago. Yep, problem identified. A cut can make more of a difference than you realize — even the curliest of curly girls need frequent trims. Don’t sell this one short! Dry, dead ends can really make your curl pattern suffer. If you’re not sure where to start your stylist search, you have several online resources to turn to. NaturallyCurly maintains a database of peer-recommended stylists nationwide; Devacurl keeps a regionally searchable list of all Deva salons and Deva-certified stylists via their website; Ouidad has a list on their website of regionally located certified salons, as does the non-brand-specific Curly Hair Artistry curl education company.

With luck, you have some new ideas for replacing stringy curls and waves with beautiful chunky curls. If you’re looking for tips about how to banish frizz, check out this article.

Image: @powerdomi

Wavies, our curl pattern isn’t consistent. I know all about it. It’s one of the hallmarks of being a wavy. But it drives you CRAZY. I’ve been there. Perfecting my hair on the daily, and whipping my waves into shape with every wash day! But if you’ve been following my wavy hair journey on Instagram , you know I’m entering into a new phase of my journey–one of real acceptance, and embracing my texture, despite its imperfections. It’s not easy. So while I may not be in pursuit of perfection as often as I used to be, I know there will always be those special occasions where I do need to make sure these waves look as consistent as possible, all around my head. So if and when you’re in the same boat, here are my very favorite techniques for achieving defined waves.

Squish to Condish

Enhancing waves and curls start in the shower–with your conditioner, and then leave-in and product applications. Squish to Condish was created by stylist Melissa Stites, and you can read about her exact method on her blog.

This method took the curly world by storm as an excellent and easy way to seriously hydrate the hair, as it involves squishing/scrunching water into the hair when it’s full of conditioner, forcing some water into the hair cuticle–hydrating the hair from the inside out. Applying subsequent styling products in this same way also helps to encourage curl formation even further. If you’re trying to actively enhance one particular section of your hair to match the rest, extra squishing on just that section will do the trick.

Pulsing Method

What I would consider a subset of squish to condish would be the Pulsing Method, which involves several quick pulses of water/conditioner/product into the hair, as opposed to just a big squish/scrunch here and there. @Powerdomi has an excellent video tutorial that shows you how to do it.

The Smasters Method

Allegedly named after NaturallyCurly CurlTalk contributor Smasters467, the curly girl who created and shared the benefits of this method in the hair forum several years ago, Smasters very simply involves applying a second layer of product to your halfway-dry hair. You can either choose to air dry or diffuse or a combination of the two. In my experience, it works best to apply a hold product (as opposed to a moisture product”>, such as mousse, custard or gel–whatever you’ve used that day, or whatever you have handy, with wet hands to minimize frizz. I just smooth it over and scrunch it in, in large sections, then finish diffusing. If you just have a straight section or two you’re dealing with, you could apply it just to those sections to ‘even out’ your curl pattern. If you’d like to see a demonstration, here’s a video of mine on the subject.

Pixie Diffuse Dry by Section

The back of my head is much less textured than the front. Allowing my wavier front pieces to air dry while diffusing just the back is another way I can create a more consistent curl pattern all around my head. If you have a similar problem–a large, straighter area–diffusing just that section can help encourage and ‘set’ additional texture to help match your curl pattern around the rest of your head. Sounds kooky, but give it a shot!

Create Pin Curls

This trick is for those straight pieces–the small curl clumps here and there that just refuse to curl. Of course, you could do them all over, like Ava, below, or just on a piece to touch up here and there. Personally, I like to fix these pieces once the rest of my hair is already completely dry so I can easily see which curls need the most work. It’s simple: Take a dab of gel, enhancer, custard–whatever ‘hold’ product you like–and smooth it down that curl clump (a curl clump is just a group of hairs with the same curl pattern that usually stay together”>, twirl it around your wet/damp finger (to help prevent frizz”> until your finger touches your scalp. My personal favorite product to use for this purpose is Raw Curls Anti-Frizz Spray. From here you can hold it for 10-20 seconds and then gently unwind it from your finger and leave it to ‘set’, or use a bobby pin or other clip to secure it against your scalp for a few minutes. (I quickly show how I do this in my Holy Grails video.”> The longer you leave it the curlier it will be. If it’s too curly once you remove the pin, just smooth down it with a little water to elongate the curl.

What are your go-to techniques for getting defined waves? Let me know in the comments below.

The truth is, there’s no single product that can erase frizz just like that [snaps fingers]. And if you’re following the Curly Girl Method, as outlined by the great Lorraine Massey, you know that frizz can definitely be a fierce monster in need of equally fierce taming for wavies. Truth be told, I have a nice long list of 18 Curly Girl Method-friendly frizz fighting products for you to consider trying this year, but let it be known, there’s more to fighting frizz than just products. So here are the techniques and products that will banish frizz for you, for good.

Why do I have frizz? And what can I do about it?

At the root of frizz is dry hair, especially if you’re new the the Curly Girl Method. Hair needs water and for that water to be sealed in with the right techniques and ingredients. But if your hair is coated with product buildup, it becomes unable to absorb water.

So the goals are to achieve hydration and to preserve that moisture! You can achieve deep hydration over time using techniques like squish to condish which means you squeeze in your conditioner, and deep conditioning weekly. If you’re a wavy girl like I am, you may find your locs become limp a few weeks after a terrific hair day—that’s always my dead giveaway it’s time to clarify. I use a sulfate-heavy shampoo like Suave Daily Clarifying monthly to remove buildup, and then follow up with a good, long deep condition. My favorites are Curl Junkie Curl Rehab or Jessicurl Deep Treatment, they set me straight every time!

Now, before I dive into my favorite frizz-fighting styling products, let’s discuss the order to apply them, especially if you’re layering. For me, leave-in conditioner is always an essential base to lock in moisture, and gel always comes last to lock in hold. Any other way equates to frizz in my book! If I’m using a cream and/or enhancer as well, those go in-between—with my cream under my enhancer. This is called the LCEG method (Leave-in, Cream, Enhancer, Gel”>. Of course, you can apply products in any order you want, but that’s what works best for this wavy girl. There are definitely some products that can do it all (moisturize, enhance, and add hold”> without the need to layer multiple products…but before I digress, let’s talk about them all! Here are 18 products you should definitely consider trying in 2018.

Leave-in Conditioners: Seal in Moisture

On the rare day I forget to apply my leave-in, I pay for it dearly. Even though I have mostly low-porosity hair, I lose so much moisture as the day goes on, it’s a must that I wash the next day just to infuse some water back into it. With each of these leave-in conditioners, I always apply on dripping-wet hair.

As I Am Leave-in Conditioner

It’s lightweight, moisturizing, contains soothing botanical ingredients and phytosterols, and is protein-free and low in glycerin—making it great for all hair types. Everyone I’ve recommended it to adores it. I smooth over and squish in about a dime-sized amount.

The Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Leave-in

It’s dense, incredibly moisturizing without being too heavy, and smells unbelievably good. Fatty alcohols, organic coconut oil, organic aloe and small-molecule proteins ensure your hair will retain moisture all day (and multiple days after that”>. A little goes a very long way, so it’s an excellent value. I use about a green-pea sized dollop. Love it best under my Bounce Curl gel, mentioned later on in this article.

Innersense Sweet Spirit Leave-in conditioner

Intensely moisturizing without adding weight, this leave-in contains nothing but clean, ethically sourced ingredients—putting it at a 0 on the Think Dirty app, and putting your mind at ease if you’re ever concerned about the ingredients you’re putting on your body. Proteins and honey lock in moisture and strengthen hair, while soothing and fragrant ingredients like lavender, rosemary and lotus flower oil make it a dream to use. It comes with a spray top, but I like to have more control over application, so I spray 5-7 pumps in my hand, emulsify, and then smooth over and squish in on dripping hair.

Bounce Curl Conditioner

Technically not a leave-in conditioner, I know, but it’s literally the only conditioner I’ve EVER used that can do double-duty without weighing my on-the-fine-side waves down. Just a pea-sized dot will do, and it pairs well with the Bounce Curl gel. More on that later. Safflower and broccoli oils are natural frizz inhibitors, as they mimic the properties of silicones while still being easy to remove. The smell is completely natural (bergamot/citrus/lavender”> and slightly sweet, without being over the top. I’d like to eat it, please. One of my favorites.

Kinky Curly Knot Today

Is there any detangler or leave-in conditioner out there that has more slip? I think not. I know of several curlies that don’t even bother with a rinse-out conditioner, and go straight to this. I can see why. For me, this one is a little on the heavy side, but for someone with especially tangle-prone hair (my 4-year old!”>, or with higher-porosity hair, it detangles and locks in moisture like nothing else. It’s so concentrated, I think between the two of us, my daughter and I have been nursing our bottle of it for almost a year!

Creams: Add definition

I don’t always use creams. In fact, I probably use them only in summer at this point in my two-year Curly Girl Method ‘journey.’ They are invaluable for adding definition and as an additional second step for locking in moisture to prevent frizz. For my low-porosity hair, I really only need them in our swampy Texas summers, when the heat and dew points fry the moisture from my hair. For those of you new to CG or with higher porosity hair, you may want to use creams year round. I always apply these on very wet hair, after my leave-in conditioner.

ISO Bouncy Creme

Balanced in proteins, humectants, and emollients, it’s moisturizing but light, and just does the job. Smells clean, like soap. I use about a chickpea-size dollop, smoothed over and scrunched in.

Living Proof Prime Style Extender

This cream—I mean, wow! I know it’s not formulated specifically for curly hair, but it gives me excellent definition, no heaviness, moisture, and a style that lasts for at least one extra day. I LOVE it. Just a dime-size drop is all I need. Maybe a tad less. It’s my favorite complement to my Boucleme gel, which is also mentioned below.

Devacurl Wavemaker

Glycerin – and protein-free, it’s a basic cream that adds a little tooth to my too-soft hair, and a little hold so my gel doesn’t have to work so hard. When the dew points are hovering around 70 degrees, it’s the first product I reach for on wash day. The fragrance is a little sweet and perfume-y, but it doesn’t linger.

Only Curls Hydrating Curl Cream

Released in February of this year, the Only Curls brand of hair products cream and a gel, which is also just terrific is manufactured in the UK and as of right now, are available only on their website. The cream contains marula oil, which I haven’t seen in too many other cream formulations—and it’s an incredibly moisturizing ingredient that’s great for hair and skin as well. A tiny bit goes a long way in softening my waves without adding heaviness, so it’s a great value. Smells incredible. Like you’re sitting in the nicest spa, on the most expensive beach vacation, ever.

Enhancers: Make Those Waves and Curls Bounce!

I almost always use an enhancer between my leave-in and gel, even if I don’t use a cream. They give my hair a little extra hold, shrinkage, and if I’m using a foam enhancer, some lightness and bounce. For my hair, enhancers do what they do—enhance—through the use of ingredients such as protein (which lends each hair more strength/structure/rigidity”>, humectants (which draw moisture to the hair and/or seal it in”>, marshmallow extract, and polyquaternium-69, among others.

Innersense I Create Lift

It contains a wonderful range of moisturizing, strengthening, nurturing, and plumping ingredients for hair. Its key ingredient is extracted from the Larch tree, which is known for being especially durable and waterproof. This foam also contains film-forming ingredients to battle frizz, including aloe juice and hydrolyzed rice protein.

MopTop Custard

If you’re looking for something to enhance, moisturize, and add hold, the will be your BFF. Honey deeply moisturizes, silk amino acids add structure and hold, and nettle extract adds shine. For some reason, this one pairs with Innersense I Create Hold in a way that feels that were meant to be used together.

Zerran Radiant Finish Mousse

This family-owned brand out of California has a solid lineup of salon-level products, at completely reasonable prices. This glycerin-free foam also contains polyquaternium-69 and hydrolyzed corn to prevent frizz and lock in moisture, while also adding curl enhancement and hold. Absolutely necessary on the hottest dog-days of summer in the south! And bonus, it’s also fragrance free for those of you sensitive to perfumes. Love love love.

Raw Curls Styling Foam

This low-glycerin, low-protein foam adds a lightness to my hair unrivaled by any other product I’ve used. So if your hair is thick and/or coarse, this would be a great pick to add bounce and weightlessness. But for my medium density, fine-ish hair, it also adds a volume. Great formulation all around—and guess what, it’s another great fragrance-free option.

Gels: Provide Hold

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, for wavies like me, using a gel as the last step is essential in lending my texture hold and cutting down on frizz. My pro tip: I apply two layers of just about every gel I use for added hold. Layer one gets smoothed on and scrunched into dripping wet hair, then I plop my hair on top of my head with a tshirt or my trusty Hair RePear towel. Then, smooth over and scrunch in a second layer in sections with wet hands after taking off my plop towel.

Innersense I Create Hold gel

I probably use about a nickel-size dollop of this gel because it’s so thick and concentrated—and I always use more than that of any other gel! Creates a soft cast that’s easily scrunched out, but lends hold for multiple days. Plus, it smells like an orange creamsicle. YUM.

Boucleme Gel

I first heard about this brand from my British friends on Instagram, and boy were they on to something. Full of good-for-your-hair ingredients like aloe, coconut oil, argan oil, flaxseed, rosemary, magnolia and more, it also smells good enough to eat!. Works great on its own, but I also really love the added definition and lasting style I get when I pair it with my Living Proof Prime Style Extender underneath.

Bounce Curl Gel

If you’re looking for a one-and-done product, is IT. Curl enhancing, defining, lightness, and great hold without crunch. For me, it needs a little moisture underneath, and I’ve found either a dot of Bounce Curl conditioner or Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Leave-In to do the trick best. Where fragrance is concerned, this is my absolute favorite: Mango, pineapple, and something a little floral underneath (just can’t put my finger on it!”>, without being too over-the-top tropical. It’s completely dreamy.

Jessicurl Spiralicious

If my hair gets maxed out on the protein in any of my other gels (if it’s not obvious already, I LOVE gels”>, this is usually the first one I reach for. Polyquat-69 makes it especially curl enhancing and frizz-fighting. It’s one of my very favorite ingredients of all time. In fact, it’s such a good ingredient, Naturally Curly has an entire article dedicated to it, here.

Kenra 17 Styling Gel

This gel lends outstanding hold with very little crunch, and is glycerin-free—the perfect combo on crazy high or low dew-point days. It also contains very little protein (hydrolyzed silk is the next-to-last ingredient”>, so it’s a great option for those with coarse hair who need solid hold. Smells clean and fresh. It’s one of my very favorite gels when I need great hold.

Which of these Curly Girl Method-friendly products have you used? What are your frizz-fighting holy grails? Let me know in the comments below.

Finally, this long, cold, dry winter is coming to an end. And my hair is thirsty, and hungry! It’s time to start thinking about what products are moving to the front of my hair cabinet, so here’s how I get ready. Glycerin and protein, coming right up!

A rare glimpse inside @reallifecurlygirl’s cabinet of favorite hair products reveals glycerin-and protein-heavy products at the forefront, as spring approaches.

Glycerin

I spent all winter avoiding glycerin in favor of glycerin-free products, as glycerin works against our hair in dry weather -which is generally when dew points are below 35 degrees. I like to think of glycerin as the great equalizer; when it’s dry outside, glycerin-heavy products pull moisture from our hair and ‘give it’ to the air. Our hair becomes very dry. In summer, it’s the opposite; when it’s super humid outside, glycerin-heavy products pull moisture from the air to ‘give it’ to our hair. This causes the hair cuticle to swell. In both cases, the end result is–you guessed it!–FRIZZ.

Dew points tell us how much moisture the air, at that particular moment, will be capable of holding. In spring, dew points are typically in the ideal range of 35-55 degrees, although that “ideal” range can vary from person to person. For me, my low/medium-porosity hair works well with glycerin in a range of 25-65 degrees. In this range, there’s the right amount of moisture in the air for my hair to absorb it and benefit from it–without bingeing on it!–when I use glycerin-heavy products to draw moisture into my hair. This results in soft, bouncy, hydrated waves, and maximum curl enhancement.

So yes, all those high-glycerin products are moving to the very front of my hair product cabinet! Low-glycerin products: You’re on the bench. See you in the heat of summer!

Some of my very favorite glycerin-containing products include:

• MopTop Curly Hair Custard
• Innersense I Create Hold
• LA Looks Extreme Sport gel
• Dippity-Do Girls with Curls Curl Defining Cream

Protein

For me, springtime means being outdoors, enjoying the warm sunshine on my skin and hair. Heat naturally weakens the protein bonds in our hair, so it’s up to us to build them back up for maximum hair health. There are two ways to do this: Start using 1-2 protein-heavy styling products each washday; or regular, monthly-ish protein treatments. Just be sure to limit your protein use, as it can build up if overused.

Most styling products and some conditioners already contain at least small proteins (keratin, collagen, silk amino acids, for example”>, and many gels contain larger proteins to lend additional hold (such as hydrolyzed wheat, corn, quinoa, soy, and others”> and frizz protection. So look for those on your ingredients labels to make sure you’re not ‘over-feeding’ your hair.

Some of my favorite products containing protein include:

• MopTop Curly Hair Custard
• LA Looks Sport gel
• Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel
• ISO Bouncy Creme
• Eco Cocktail cream-gel
• Zerran mousse
• Zerran firm hold gel
• Deva Arc Angel gel

In the heat of summer, I like to add regular protein treatments into my routine. Using these products on your wash day may be enough for you, so this step might not be necessary. But if your hair is lacking bounce, protein might be exactly what your hair needs. I already deep condition every weekend, but starting in spring and through summer I substitute one of those deep conditioning sessions with a combo protein/deep conditioning treatment (my long-time fave is Curl Junkie Repair Me, which takes a front-row seat in my hair cabinet in spring and summer”> after my regular clarifying session, which I do once every 3-4 weeks with a sulfate shampoo like Suave Daily Clarifying. This product gives me a clean slate and makes it much easier for the protein to do what I need it to; Repair and strengthen my hair–giving my locks SO much life, bounce and curl enhancement back.

DIY Treatments

If you want to hop on the CG-friendly protein train, and you know your hair needs a bigger boost, there are a few other options I’ve tried as well.

DIY Protein Filler

For consistent daily protein, you can buy a super inexpensive bottle of neutral protein filler from your local beauty supply store. Mix a small puddle of it in your hand with your regular conditioner and apply. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, then rinse and style as usual. Boom! Easy, fast protein treatment you can use a few times a week.

DIY Gelatin Protein Treatment

For an even more intense and cheap protein treatment, pick up an unflavored packet of Knox gelatin at the grocery store, mix with water and saturate you freshly shampooed hair with it, let it dry (warning: your hair will become super hard, and this is totally normal”>, and then rinse out. Be sure to follow up with a good long 20-30 minute deep condition sesh to soften your hair, and you’ll be good to go. Unless your hair is very coarse (meaning your hair is already rich in protein, so you may not need to add any”>, these treatments will restore your bounce and curl pattern.

DIY Rice Water Rinse

The last protein treatment you may want to consider is a rice water rinse. As I write this, it’s the latest trend taking over the wavy-curly natural hair world. Well, on Instagram at least. Incredibly inexpensive and easy to do, it’s a protein treatment that’s gentle enough that most could get away with using it at every wash day. To make it, simply choose your method: Ferment the rice in water over a day or two, OR soak it in water for 30-45 minutes, OR boil it for a short time. Strain the rice out, and pour the room-temp water over your freshly washed hair. Allow it to penetrate your hair for 10 minutes or so, then rinse, condition, and style as usual. To be honest, I haven’t tried it yet, but the results I’m seeing have me so intrigued I’m literally dreaming about it. For full details on this treatment and why it works, look up @themestizamuse on Instagram, who’s completed her own 3-month experiment on the subject. Two wavies with the most gorgeous results I’ve seen after using it are @_nicurly and @powerdomi, and there are so many others.

Who else is excited about spring? What ingredients is your hair craving? And what products are you super excited to rotate back into your routine??

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Silicones. The word alone inspires passionate feelings among those following the Curly Girl Method, as outlined by Lorraine Massey in the book she penned over a decade ago, Curly Girl: The Handbook. And I think that’s exactly the way to go. They do a great job of hiding the true nature and health of our hair from us; they can make even the most damaged hair feel soft and manageable. But if it’s true health and deep hydration we’re going for, daily use of silicones certainly won’t help us wavy and curly girls reach those goals. The thing is, using the right silicone at the right time does make sense. And I don’t believe them to be so damaging as they have been made out to be.

Here’s the thing: I’m not a chemist. I’m not a stylist.

I’m just a wavy-curly hair enthusiast with a passion for understanding what I’m reading on the back of the bottle, and an obsession with how it will make my hair behave (or not”>. My hair has lived a mostly silicone-free life for almost two years, but recently–in this long, dry winter we’ve had–I’ve been doing some thinking on the subject, some digging, talking with experts, and experimenting. So my goal in writing this is not to be the end-all-be-all opinion on this hot topic, but rather to challenge your own viewpoint on ‘cones, just as mine has been, and also to connect you with a few thoughts from people who actually are experts on the subject.

Alyson, @reallifecurlygirl, on a full-blown silicone day – “It’s not my favorite look, but it’s also not the worst. And best of all, no noticeable damage came from this particular styling day.”

Why are silicones so widely used in hair products?

Silicones have been used in hair products since the 1950s, according to “The Science of Hair Care,” edited by Claude Bouillon and John Wilkinson. “Silicones cover a wide range of compositions and architectures,” they wrote, which lends them a number of uses in hair care. According to scientist and blogger Wendy, in her work on the Science-y Hairblog, as emollients, “silicones add shine and excellent slip/lubrication…Their weight and ability to help seal moisture both in the hair shaft and out prevent frizzing in high humidity.” In my own experience, not only do they have a use in sealing moisture in the hair during peak humidity times, but also in extremely low dew points. This application is where I personally believe their use is most justifiable in an otherwise-CG routine: To prevent moisture loss in extreme dew point situations, especially for those with high porosity hair. As far as different silicone types go, their functions are multi-use, from helping a product to spread more easily over a surface (such as your hair”>, to targeting damaged areas in a hair shaft, to locking in color, preventing damage, and adding softness to rough, damaged hair.

Two other benefits of silicone usage: Longer-lasting color retention, and heat-damage protection. International hair care brand ApHogee recently completed a clinical study that proved the use of their Two-Step Protein Treatment (which contains ‘cones in both steps”> prior to a coloring session resulted in 30% less fading after 10 washes. “It lowers the porosity of the hair and allows the hair to attract and hold color dye within the cortex,” Walt Winslow from ApHogee shared with me. In addition, the silicones included in most of their product lineup are designed to seal the hair, protecting against heat and styling friction.

“Silicone makes life a lot easier on a cosmetic chemist,” shared Merian, owner of and product formulator for Bounce Curl. “Consumers want things to feel good on their hair and hands. It is extremely difficult to create products without them, and that is why it has taken me over 4-5 years to create mine.” And as it turns out, Merian has had a lot of personal experience with using ‘cones on her own hair. “When I was younger, I used them a lot. I don’t hate them, but they made my hair not curl as much. Since I haven’t used them for about five years, my hair is so much better. It acts like a plastic around my hair and it really does weigh my curl type down.”

Do silicones themselves actually cause damage?

“I did find that I could tell when someone was using them. I could feel it,” says Atoya Bass, Deva-certified stylist and owner of The Curly Hair Studio in Portland, Oregon. “But the more years I do this, the more I feel like it doesn’t matter. People come in full of silicones and I can style their hair just as good as those without. I’ve had more trouble with oils and butters loaded in the hair than silicones.”

While silicones provide a temporary solution for masking damage, Lorraine Massey also taught us they require the frequent use of harsh sulfate-based shampoos (which she also discouraged”> for removal. Repeatedly stripping the hair of its natural oils equated to damage. And so, they created a viscious cycle of sealing/drying. THIS, as I understand it, is where the real damage came in. And so I totally bought it–I then eschewed products containing them, just as many of you did. But about a year into my journey, I started hearing chatter online about so-called evaporating silicones, or others that only adhere to damaged areas of hair, others that are water soluble, and those that aren’t. So I began to think, maybe they aren’t all the same. Could some be beneficial over the short term? Alone, are they really damaging over the long term? Could some be more easily removed than others? What if they have evolved just as the rest of the industry has?

Merian, owner of and formulator behind the Bounce Curl brand, shares an image of her hair (L”> after using silicones for many years, and (R”> after 5 years using non-silicone-based products, namely her own brand.

Turns out, there’s a whole world of ‘cones.

“There is a whole new generation of water-soluble silicones, derived from natural plant sources that provide benefits and have the same effects of traditional silicone,” Greg and Joanne of Innersense Organic Beauty shared with me. A couple of their products do contain plant-based, water-soluble silicones, and they are transparent about them on their labels and in discussion. “If a product user is experiencing buildup and finds they need to chelate (clarify”> their hair often, then those products aren’t the ones that are good for their curls.” They made a good point: Everyone’s hair reacts differently to different ones.

So I started experimenting with hair products containing different types of cones, seeking out different kinds for different purposes. I discovered I really liked amodimethicone–which is said to target damaged areas without building up–for the thickness it seemed to add to my hair (I tried it in Dippity Do Girls With Curls Curl Defining Cream”>. Dimethicone made my hair overly soft, slippery, and unable to hold a curl–even with a hard hold gel on top (it was in several ApHogee products I tried”>. A good curl-friend of mine swears by Cyclopentasiloxane, which is used to enhance spreadability of a product, but mostly evaporates within a day, and is easily washed out with a sulfate-free shampoo. Which brings us to the next question:

How to really remove them?

Again, Wendy is my go-to here: “To remove silicones, you can use almost any shampoo, mild or otherwise,” she says. “The only thing that won’t do a very good job at removing them is a shampoo in which Decyl glucoside is the only detergent.” If there’s serious silicone accumulation, she adds, you may need to shampoo twice. I, personally am a get ‘er done kind of girl, so my go-to is Suave Daily Clarifying shampoo, followed by a good long deep conditioning session. I may prefer a squeaky-clean slate, but apparently, that’s not necessary. You can refer to what just might be the most comprehensive list of silicones and the best way to remove them, via Wendy’s blog (be sure to read the comments section also”>.

Silicones Summed Up…

I can’t advocate the absolute need to include ‘cones as part of what would otherwise be a CG-friendly routine. In fact, I am convinced that avoiding them for as long as I did was instrumental in revealing the true state of my hair, to help me to ‘get to know it’. To know when it needed moisture or protein, and to understand the real effects on my hair of using silicone-free products like creams, enhancers, and gels. Being silicone free for so long also showed me, with extreme clarity, how much I hate the feel of certain silicones on my hair, especially dimethicone–making it slippery soft and heavy and destroying my curl clumps.

Despite all that, I have come to this conclusion:

Silicones are not the permanently damaging monster ingredients many of us have come to believe they are. There could be a place for them in your routine, in a season, if they work for your hair type/texture/porosity, the look you want to achieve, and for whatever other reason. And–here’s the most important part–you DON’T need to feel bad about that.

How do you feel about using this type of ingredient on your hair? Have you seen/felt a difference?

Let us know on Facebook!

“You look like a mushroom,” were the words that echoed sharply through the swim team locker room. And echo, sometimes still, in my head. It was 1994. The end of the first week of my freshman year of high school. As an impressionable 14 year-old girl, all I could really do was look at my half-wavy, totally frizzed-up, poofy hair in the steamy mirror, and feign amusement as I agreed with her. While she laughed at me, I couldn’t help but consider the wasted time I had spent, early that morning (I could have slept in!”>, straightening the life out of my wavy hair, just to avoid discouraging moments like this. Well, here it was, unavoidable. That voice in my head thought maybe she was right. Did I really look like a little 5-foot-tall mushroom, every hair on my head doing its part to salute the Texas humidity?

My skin, then, was indeed thin.

Today, however, I regularly tell that voice to take a hike. Successfully, most of the time. But I’m certainly not the only one who’s ever encountered an uncomfortable, let alone downright discriminatory, comment about their hair. Many, many others have endured much, much worse. My point? We’re all in this together: this journey of self-acceptance, self-appreciation, self-love. Each of us desires to take pride in our appearance, and I believe our own opinion about our hair consumes at least a whopping 50 percent of that. It. Matters.

And wavy girls: You matter here. You count here.

Yes, you get to count yourself among the members of this curly community. Yes, your type 2 curl pattern is enough. Yes, your hair is wavy enough to benefit from a Deva cut, if that’s what you want. Yes, you can wear your hair wavy if ever/whenever you want to, even if your daughter rolls her eyes, your husband hasn’t gushed over it, and your father-in-law asks if you plan to ever brush your hair again. Please, let go of the mentality that you “might as well straighten it,” if that is something you no longer want to do. Your hair is not some in-between. It IS wavy. And it IS all you and all wonderful, just as it IS. If it’s helpful AT ALL, my 10 Commandments for Being a Wavy video might help you gain some curl-power, especially as we’re heading straight into this holiday season.

So, what to do now that you’ve decided to embrace your waves? Allow me to step off my soapbox and share with you my top 5 tips to embracing, improving, and appreciating your wavy hair. In my 18 months of exclusively being a wavy girl, I’ve found these to be the most important keys to getting started and sticking with it.

1. Read The Curly Girl Handbook, by Lorraine Massey. In a nutshell, it’s about giving up ingredients that aren’t good for your hair (daily use of sulfates and silicones”> in favor of botanical ingredients to nourish your strands and increase hydration/moisture content over time. But there are lots of other great tips, tricks and DIY recipes you might really like.

2 Accept that there will be a transition period. During this period, both your wavy hair AND your mind are adjusting to this change. We’re so used to the face and hair we see in the mirror, it can be a bit jarring, mentally, when you start wearing your hair’s natural texture. It’s bigger, and may look a bit unkempt/wilder to you at first. As you and your hair get used to this change, my advice is to compensate with extra makeup and jewelry! Who doesn’t love sparkle? Updos are always an option, as well.

3. Hydration is key. Achieved with the right conditioner(s”>, regular deep conditioning treatments, implementing the ‘squish to condish‘ technique, and using a cream under your gel when styling can all help boost moisture in your hair, which is key for achieving definition in your waves.

4. Keep a hair journal. There are at least a dozen ways to do it, but my personal favorite is the Evernote app. Record the products you used, from washing to styling, and any styling techniques, then snap a couple selfies to go along with the details. I also like to include the date, so I can track my progress and figure out which products work consistently well, and those that don’t, during different seasons of the year.

5. Don’t forget to clarify! This is probably the number one mistake I see wavy girls make when they start embracing their natural texture. Hydration is definitely important, but sulfates are NOT the bad guy. We need them—just not as often as Suave Daily Clarifying shampoo’s name would imply. Once every 3-4 weeks, followed by a 30-45-min deep conditioning session, should do the trick for most.

it can be a bit jarring, mentally, when you start wearing your hair’s natural texture. It’s bigger, and may look a bit unkempt/wilder to you at first.

In closing, I’ll leave you with one last bit of advice: Look online for wavy hair inspiration. We wavies are a little harder to find than our curly kin out there, but our little online community is growing, supportive, and full of actionable ideas to help you start embracing your waves. You are not alone in this journey, friends! Some wavy ladies you might appreciate:

• The Polished Curl – Becky shares her tried-and-true advice for beginners and those more advanced on YouTube, Instagram, and in articles here on NaturallyCurly.com. I learned SO much from her when I started my own journey.
• RockynCurls – Raquel’s YouTube videos span from the beginning of her high-porosity journey to more recently, where her hair is damage-free, low-porosity. It’s fascinating to see how different products and techniques have worked for her at different times in her journey.
• CurlyPenny – Peniel is not only hilarious, she is also a master at creating short, to-the-point videos where she basically lays down the curly hair law. Her DIY product recipes are also incredibly useful.
• FitKat Style – Katina shares ingredients knowledge and know-how for her high-porosity, low-density hair, which those of us without crazy thick movie star hair can definitely relate to.
• And I can’t leave out a few of the most helpful, knowledgeable, and supportive (mostly wavy”> curl-friends I have found on Instagram: @curlysue291, @curlygirlinz, @vmuse919 (not a wavy, but she will kick-start your product ingredients knowledge tenfold in ten seconds”>, @embracingthegrey, @powerdomi, and @alongwavetogo. Go forth and follow them all!

Okay—so back to 1994—maybe I did look like a mushroom that day. But today, thank goodness, natural texture and volume are more on-trend than ever, so it’s become that much easier to embrace my ‘shroom’ look, with pride. Appreciating my wavy texture for what it is, good hair day or not, and getting on with enjoying my day, has become a daily exercise in self-acceptance and self-love.

And that’s really why we’re all here, is it not?

Follow Alyson, Real Life + Curly Girl on Instagram for more on her hair journey!