Search Results: Lindsay Wilson
Table of contents
- Problem 1: Thinning/Debulking/Razoring/Texturizing/Slicing/Carving Haircuts
- Solution 1: A Dry Curl by Curl Haircut
- Problem 2: Heavy products
- Solution 2: Lightweight Products
- Problem 3: Lack of Protein in Hair Products
- Solution 3: Let Go of the Fear of Protein
- Problem 4: Your Hair is Easily Weighed Down by Layered Products
- Solution 4: Use Conditioner as your Styling Product
- Problem 5: Your Roots Lack Volume
- Solution 5: Root Clipping While Drying, Side-Parting & Fluffing the Roots on Dry Hair
- Problem 6: Hard Water Buildup
- Solution 6: A Chelating Treatment
- Problem 7: Your Hair Becomes Weighed Down by Air Drying
- Solution 7: Diffuse Your Curls
I love experiencing the fullness of life when I’m surrounded by nature. One of my favorite things is observing plants and appreciating each of them in their uniqueness! When plants are healthy, they look robust, strong, and bright. Their flowers bloom with life, and so do their leaves. Curly hair is like plants in this sense.
Hydrated and healthy curly hair will always look full, defined, bright, strong, and full of life, resembling a beautiful garden growing out of your scalp. Limp, stringy, and weak curls indicate something isn’t quite right. If you are experiencing limp curls, you need to reassess your curly hair routine to pinpoint the problem. Listening to your hair’s wants and needs is the key!
Image Source: @sogoodhair.com_official
It goes without saying that if you occasionally use tools that produce high heat (blow-drying, flat-ironing, or curling wand) on your hair and notice limp curls that refuse to form, the only solution to this problem will be to have a haircut to cut off the heat-damaged areas of your hair and let go of your heating tools habit. Heat damage is entirely irreversible, and it is not possible to restore hair that has been melted.
Here, I will share seven problems and their solutions for limp curls that are free from heat damage.
Problem 1: Thinning/Debulking/Razoring/Texturizing/Slicing/Carving Haircuts
These kinds of haircuts tend to cause irregular curl patterns. They create expansion at the root area and limp, frizzy ends, resembling the appearance of heat damage. Sliding shears onto the hair shaft, breaks off hair cuticles, leaving the hair exposed to further damage.
Solution 1: A Dry Curl by Curl Haircut
Image Source: @locks.by.libbybrenner
Lorraine Massey created this wonderful technique for cutting curly hair. She says: “It’s about cutting your curls individually and when they are dry, in their natural state. We can have multiple curl textures in one head. We are not ‘one size fits all.’ When you’re having a dress or suit fitted, it’s not fitted on wet fabric because it will shrink and seem ill-fitted when dry. The same applies to hair. Hair is a fabric, so you are tailoring a shape that is coutured for you.”
A curl-by-curl dry haircut enables the hair to be itself. It also imparts a lot of volume to curly hair because each curl is uninterrupted and looks wholesome after styling.
Image Source: @curlyworldllc
The individual curl pattern is uniform, and the curls last a very long time. You can go up to six months between haircuts with voluminous curls.
Curl specialists Lucas and Nikki from Project One Hair Salon in Sydney, Australia, say, “Custom, dry, curl-by-curl cutting allows for varying curl patterns and lengths to be matched up to create continuity in all forms of curly hair, and especially in finer or limper textures to ensure maximum body and volume.”
Problem 2: Heavy products
Image Source: @curly_barbie
Products that are buttery, oily and full of silicones will greatly affect the curl’s ability to form. Curls need water and nourishment to thrive, not heavy or greasy products. Greasy or silicone-filled products are set on top of the hair and weighed down.
Solution 2: Lightweight Products
Water and weightless silicone-free products are the perfect romance for curly hair. Weightless products are great conductors of water. If you are using heavy products and experiencing limp curls, it is a good idea to reassess your choice of products.
Problem 3: Lack of Protein in Hair Products
Image Source: @curlcodeblack
Very often, I hear curly-haired women saying that their curls are experiencing limpness. Sometimes, when I give suggestions about products to use, they tell me that they can’t use a certain product because they are “protein sensitive.” I don’t believe that protein sensitivity is truly a thing because our hair fibers are made of Keratin, which is a protein.
Further, I have not found any studies on haircare that diagnose protein sensitivity in hair. In my conversations with several curly hair stylists, all agreed that protein sensitivity isn’t a real diagnosis for hair. At the same time, protein isn’t the miracle-solver of all curly hair problems.
The truth is that when your hair is well-hydrated with enough amounts of water and conditioner, protein usage isn’t a problem. Stiffness or hair that feels like “straw” often indicates that the hair is dehydrated rather than “sensitive to protein.”
Solution 3: Let Go of the Fear of Protein
Hydrolyzed proteins in hair products are great for curly hair. They help the hair stay hydrated for longer periods and strengthen the hair fibers, which means the curl will hold its shape for longer. You can use these products without fear. They naturally add volume and definition to curly hair.
According to Wendy M.S., the scientist who runs the Hair Science-y Blog, “Hydrolyzed proteins are not whole, intact proteins like those in foods. They have been broken into smaller pieces (smaller molecules) through treatment with acids or fermentation.”
Large proteins like those in foods are not very beneficial to hair, but hydrolyzed proteins can do a variety of things, like form a clear, flexible film over your hair that slows water loss. Some proteins penetrate below the outermost cuticles to hydrate hair at slightly deeper layers. Protein in products can also add a little extra support to hair. Protein is used for strength, shine, hydration, and to reduce breakage. Protein helps temporarily repair damaged areas in hair by filling in gaps in the cuticle. Protein keeps hair hydrated by slowing the loss of water from hair.”
Problem 4: Your Hair is Easily Weighed Down by Layered Products
Image Source: @kayscurlies
Some hair types, especially very fine hair, don’t work well with several layers of product. They become easily weighed down. If this is your problem, there is a solution.
Solution 4: Use Conditioner as your Styling Product
In a previous article, Evan Joseph addressed his secret for volume. He said, “Just leave the conditioner in as your styling product. When a conditioner isn’t too heavy and melts easily into the hair, it adds incredible volume. You can also layer a foam or mousse if you need a little more control.”
Problem 5: Your Roots Lack Volume
Image Source: @hanzcurls
There are many reasons for this.
Sometimes curly hair looks limp because the curls weigh down the roots, especially when there is a lot of density. This also tends to happen while the hair is drying on wash days.
In other cases, roots lose their volume after sleeping, especially in those who wear a buff or a silk cap to protect their curls overnight.
Solution 5: Root Clipping While Drying, Side-Parting & Fluffing the Roots on Dry Hair
Image Source: @hanzcurls
Root clipping will hold and aerate your roots while you are drying your hair, creating lift and volume. The video below has many visual examples of clipping:
Fluffing your roots when your hair is dry or the next day after sleeping also works wonders. I always use my scalp massager for this. You can also use a pick comb to lift your roots.
Side-parting is great for volume as well. It adds incredible lift to your roots.
My favorite hack is spraying some alcohol and silicone-free hairspray on the ends of my scalp massager before lifting my roots and side-parting. I tilt my hair to the side, allowing my side part to fall naturally. Then, I use the scalp massager with some hairspray to set the volume and help the hair stay in place. My favorite hairspray for this hack is the Honeybee Gardens Alcohol Free Hairspray. It has incredible hold.
Problem 6: Hard Water Buildup
Image Source: @kassiemaelove
Hard water can be a real problem for some curly girls, including me. Hard water build-up also presents itself in the form of limp curls.
Curl specialist Saulo O’Dearin, founder of The Curly Look Salon in Dublin, Ireland, says, “Water quality is important. It’s important to watch how your curls and waves respond to the water. For example, some areas here in Dublin have hard water, and this affects the performance of your cleansers and products over time. If hard water is a problem, I recommend a second cleanser with non-drying surfactants to lift residues and remove hard water build-up.”
Solution 6: A Chelating Treatment
Chelating treatments are effective because they lift minerals from your hair, allowing them to be rinsed out by water. The majority of chelating treatments usually contain harsh detergents that are too drying for curly hair.
If hard water is a problem for you, I recommend a once-monthly chelating treatment with Malibu C Hard Water Demineralizer. This is a unique and effective product for curly hair because it contains no sulfates (detergents) or (harsh ingredients). It comes in the form of a powder contained in sachets. When you mix the powder with water, you feel a creamy texture in your hand. A once-monthly treatment with this product is more than enough to keep hard water problems at bay.
Problem 7: Your Hair Becomes Weighed Down by Air Drying
Hair that is extremely fine tends to be elongated or pulled down by the weight of water and products while air drying. Water and weightless products are important for curls, but sometimes they weigh certain types of curls down. If this is a problem for you, you can solve it by diffusing your hair.
Solution 7: Diffuse Your Curls
Using a diffuser with a hairdryer on the lowest heat setting is extremely safe for curly hair. If your hair is weighed down by air drying, you can resort to diffusing without any guilt in your curly mind! In fact, this same tip is included in the Curly Girl Handbook, by Lorraine Massey.
My favorite diffuser is the Xtava Black Orchid Diffuser. It is extremely gentle! It also has drying vents at the ends, so you get simultaneous air flow at both the root and the ends. This is amazing for volume and drying speed.
The Xtava Black Orchid diffuser.
If you have natural curly hair that is free from heat damage and you are experiencing problems with limp curls, consider these seven solutions:
– A dry curl-by-curl haircut or trim
– Use lightweight products and avoid heavy ones
– Use products with hydrolyzed proteins
– Use conditioner as your styling product
– Use root clips while drying, side-part & fluff your roots once your hair is dry
– Do a chelating treatment for hard water
– Diffuse, rather than air dry
Are you experiencing limp curls in your journey? Was this article helpful to you?
Let me know in the comments below!
You finally decided to start your healthy curly hair journey with the Curly Girl Method. “Embrace my curls” or “Curly and proud”, you repeat to yourself. A few website clicks later, and you find products that are labeled “Sulfate and Silicone Free”. You decide to take the plunge and purchase them without checking the ingredients because you trust the labels. Now you have $70 worth of hair product on its way. Recommendations continue to pop up on your social media feed, and $300 later you still haven’t found what works for YOUR HAIR!
“You’ll just have to try it and see if it works for you!” or “This is all about trial and error!“, others would gently say.
I am here to tell you that there is another way to choose your products instead of trying everything that is on the market. Understanding how to read ingredient lists has transformed my curly hair journey without decimating my bank balance!
“Sulfate free” doesn’t always mean sulfate free
In the very early stages of my journey with the Curly Girl Method, I made these mistakes several times. A shampoo would have the label “Sulfate Free” at the front, then later I would have a hard time dealing with dryness and would finally see a Sulfate listed in the ingredients. From my experience over time, I came to understand that when advertisers label “Sulfate Free” at the very front, they are referring to one of the harshest Sulfates: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. However, this does not mean that the product is entirely free of Sulfates. On several occasions, I have found other drying Sulfates in the list, despite the “Sulfate Free” label.
Curly Girl-friendly ingredients to look for
In the Curly Girl Method, we avoid harsh Sulfates and drying Alcohols (they dehydrate the hair”>, Silicones, Waxes and Mineral Oils (they build up”>. As replacements, we look for ingredients that are mild, moisturizing and soluble for curly hair in order to minimize dryness and foster better moisture retention.
If you are following the Curly Girl Method like me, look for cleansers that are mild for curls, such as:
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Coco Betaine
- Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
- Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
- Sodium Cocoamphoacetate or Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
Devacurl Low Poo Original is a great example of this. I personally prefer Devacurl No Poo Original or Decadence because I co-wash and these two also contain mild cleansers.
Not all alcohols are bad for curls. There are moisturizing alcohols in ingredient lists that are good for hair. Some examples are:
- Lauryl alcohol
- Cetyl alcohol
- Myristyl alcohol
- Stearyl alcohol
- Cetearyl alcohol
- Behenyl alcohol
You can read more about the differences in alcohols here.
Slip is very helpful for detangling curls because it decreases friction. Silicones are used in traditional mainstream products to add slip and shine. The issue with Silicones is that they don’t penetrate the hair shaft to make it better and they also build up. They are removable with Sulfates, but in turn, the frequent use of Sulfates dehydrates the hair. It becomes a vicious cycle. Soluble ingredients for lubrication, on the other hand, make the hair better over time. They also add shine and flexibility to curly hair. If you follow the Curly Girl Method like me, you can replace Silicones with soluble ingredients that are located near the top of the list, such as:
- Behentrimonium Methosulfate
- Behentrimonium Chloride
- Dicetyldimonium Chloride
- Distearyldimonium Chloride
- Polyquaternium 55
- Cetrimonium Bromide
I came to learn this helpful information through Wendy (scientist”> on the Hair Science-y Blog and Tonya Mckay here on NaturallyCurly.
Ingredient amounts in products
The Natural Haven Bloom Blog has helped me to understand the importance of ingredient concentrations in products. For example: just because a product is advertised with an “Argan Oil” label doesn’t mean that this product has high amounts of this oil. When ingredients are listed, they appear in descending order, calculated by either mass or volume. As a result, when we read lists, we should always focus on the first five ingredients, because they are the main ingredients (in higher amounts”>. A product that is labeled “Argan Oil” may well have some Argan oil included in the list, but the amount should be the most important thing to look for. If Argan oil is included near the end of the list, the amount is very small and insignificant.
Allergic reactions to products
If you have an allergy to a specific ingredient, relying only on front labels is likely to cause problems. Here I am sharing four steps that you can take to safeguard yourself:
- Read ingredient lists very carefully;
- Try a single new product at a time. This is helpful because if something unusual happens, you will know that the only difference in your routine was the brand new product;
- Patch test the product on your skin before using it for the first time, even if you can’t spot any ingredients that are harmful to you: Apply a small amount of the product on a patch of skin that is located on the inner, lower arm. Rub it in and allow it to dry. Avoid washing the area for at least 24 hours and then watch for signs of a reaction;
- Observe closely how your scalp reacts after product application, even if the product has passed the first three steps above. If you notice a burning sensation, itching, redness, lumps or anything unusual on your scalp, you will know that this product isn’t suitable for you.
Always remember: If you happen to have a serious allergic reaction to a product, please seek medical attention immediately.
In summary: if you are looking for a product that is healthy for curls, focus on cleansers that are mild and won’t dehydrate your hair. Choose conditioners and styling products that have soluble ingredients for slip and elasticity. Reading ingredient lists is a good habit to have when you are caring for your curls and overall health. It also saves money and time. The more you practice, the easier it becomes.
Do use the curly girl method when using products? Let us know in the comments below.
Read more about the Curly Girl Method:
26 Favorite Curly Girl Method Products for Wavy Hair
My Experience with Curly Girl Method | Before & After Photos
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Follow Lindsay (curlygirlinz”> on Instagram for more on her hair journey or if you would like to ask her any questions!
It has now been more than two years since I made the life-changing decision of following The Curly Girl Method. Time surely flies! The curly girl journey has been very fulfilling, and I’m never turning back. The truth is that I have tried a lot of products over these past two years! The constant trial and error trend can take a toll in our pockets, so I decided to keep track of all the products that performed the best in the long term. Here I am sharing a comprehensive list of all the products I have found to be most beneficial and reliable for curls. From my curl diary to you: let’s dive into it!
My natural curls, cleansed, conditioned & styled with CurlyWorld products.
Cleansers
When it comes to cleansing scalp and hair, I like to use two types of products: a conditioning cleanser (no-poo”> or a conditioner suitable for cleansing (co-washing”>. A good conditioning cleanser is a non-greasy conditioner that contains a mild surfactant in a small amount. A conditioner suitable for co-washing is always botanically-derived and should be enough to leave a clean feeling on the scalp, without any buildup.
My favorite conditioning cleansers:
1. CurlyWorld Sham-Free Hair and Scalp Cleanser
2. Boucleme Curl Cleanser (green color”>
3. NYC Curls The Curl Cleanser
CurlyWorld Sham-Free cleanses the scalp very well, adding a “cooling” sensation to the skin. I did a thorough review of the entire CurlyWorld line here. It continues to be a favorite of mine. The NYC Curls Cleanser has a similar effect and cleanses the scalp very well. The Boucleme Curl Cleanser is also a favorite of mine. Each of these cleansers are perfect for all kinds of curl.
The best conditioners for co-washing in my opinion, so far:
4. Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind Avocado + Quinoa Co-wash
5. Long Hair Don’t Care Conditioner
6. Everescents Organic Fresh Mint Conditioner
7. Giovanni Tea Tree Invigorating Conditioner
The Briogeo Co-wash is very easy to use because it comes in a large pump bottle. Long Hair Don’t Care is a minty conditioner that cools your scalp. I did a thorough review of Long Hair Don’t Care here. The Everescents Organic Fresh Mint Conditioner adds the same cleansing and cooling effect while moisturizing very well. Everescents is a local Australian and organic salon brand that designs high quality products, including products suitable for curly hair. For those who prefer to use budget friendly products, the Giovanni Tea Tree is an affordable conditioner that leaves a clean feel on the scalp and hair.
Results using Giovanni & AG products.
Conditioners for Hydration
A good conditioner, in my opinion, is easily dissolved in water, botanically derived and does not leave an oily feeling on the scalp and hair when left in. I always prefer lightweight conditioners for hydration and shine. I also like to leave some conditioner in the hair, by performing a “trickle” rinse on the scalp.
The best conditioners that I have come across so far:
8. CurlyWorld Terms and Conditions
9. Boucleme Curl Conditioner
10. NYC Curls The Curl Conditioner
11. All Everescents Conditioners
12. AG Boost Apple Cider Vinegar Conditioner
13. Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deeper Moisture Conditioner
14. Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Hydrating-Calming Conditioner
Leave-in Conditioners
Leave-in conditioners are “lighter” versions of regular conditioners. They can also be used for hydration. They are designed to be left in the hair. Personally in my routine, I either use a regular conditioner or a Leave-in conditioner. I don’t usually use both at once.
My favorite leave-in conditioners are:
15. Kinky-Curly Knot Today
16. Innersense Sweet Spirit Leave in Conditioner
17. Slick Kids Natural Plant Based Hair Detangler
18. Curl Keeper Leave-in Conditioner
19. Ash:ba Botanics Leave-in Conditioner
20. Giovanni Direct Leave-In Weightless Moisture Conditioner
Kinky-Curly Knot Today is a great leave-in conditioner for dry climates. Innersense Sweet Spirit and the Slick Kids Hair Detangler come in spray form. They work for anyone, including children and adults with the finest of curls. My coarse curly hair loves then both! The Giovanni Weightless Leave-in Conditioner is also very popular among fine haired curlies. Curl Keeper and Ash:ba leave-in conditioners are easy to distribute and add a lot of shine to waves and curls of all kinds.
Curls styled with Ash:ba Botanics Leave-in conditioner and gel.
Styling Creams and Lotions
I like using styling creams and lotions whenever I have a special occasion on, or when I want my wash days to last longer. Styling creams and lotions are really good for enhancing natural curls and providing mild, touchable hold without the crunch. They work perfectly under a gel. A good styling cream or lotion for me is one that doesn’t feel tacky, crispy, oily and one that doesn’t weigh any type of hair down.
Some top quality styling creams and lotions:
21. Devacurl Styling Cream
22. Everescents Universal Styling Cream
23. AG Hair Re:coil Curl Activator
24. Innersense I Create Volume (lotion”>
25. Curl Keeper Original (lotion”>
Devacurl Styling Cream provides definition without any residues. Everescents Universal Styling Cream does the very same. AG: Hair Re:coil is an amazing curl definer because it contains Amino Acids and Magnesium. Innersense I Create Volume adds amazing shine with impeccable volume and frizz control. Curl Keeper Original is extremely effective with frizz control in humid weather.
A simple routine using Long Hair Don’t Care conditioner and Ecoslay Orange Marmalade Gel.
Gels
Gels are incredible for curly hair because they have the ability of providing long lasting hold. They add a protective layer to curly hair styles. A good gel for me is one that doesn’t stay crunchy once the gel cast is scrunched out, yet offers long lasting hold and definition.
The best gels that I have come across:
26. CurlyWorld Leave in Lover
27. Innersense I Create Hold
28. Slick Kids Natural Plant Based Hair Gel
29. NYC Curls The Curl Gel
30. Kinky-Curly Curling Custard
31. Trepadora Acai Berry Fix Defining Gel
32. Ecoslay Orange Marmalade
33. Ash:ba Botanics Curl Defining Gel
34. Beyond The Zone Bada Bing Extreme Hold Gel
35. Giovanni LA Hold Styling Gel
36. Bumble and Bumble Curl Anti-Humidity Gel Oil
Curl Keeper Gel
Curls styled with Kinky-Curly Knot Today & Curling Custard.
Foams
In my opinion, a good foam has the ability to enhance natural curls and impart mild hold with volume. Foams are good multitaskers. You can use them under a gel or in place of a gel. I prefer to use them under a gel, as a replacement for a styling cream. The best thing about foams is that they dry faster than creams.
My favorite foams are:
37. AG Hair Cloud
38. Innersense I Create Lift
My curls in a gentle bun, using the Slick Kids hair spray.
Hairsprays
Finding a hairspray suitable for the Curly Girl Method is hard, because the vast majority of hairsprays are full of drying alcohols. I was lucky enough to find budget friendly hair sprays in larger bottles that are fully Curly Girl friendly, and they work wonderfully! I love using hairspray on days that I don’t feel like dealing with my hair. My go-to style is a gentle bun using a large donut, bobby pins and a Curly Girl friendly hairspray that doesn’t harm my curls, to keep the style in place all day long.
My favorite hairsprays are:
39. Honeybee Gardens Alcohol Free Hair Spray
40. Slick Kids Natural Alcohol Free Hair Spray
Deep Conditioners
Deep conditioning is an important part of restoring curl health. Good deep conditioners have the ability to penetrate deeper into the hair shaft, adding a boost of moisture for the days to come. I like deep conditioners that don’t weigh my hair down.
My favorite deep conditioners:
41. Everescents Organic Remedy Treatment
42. Everescents Organic Cinnamon & Patchouli Deep Treatment
43. Everescents Organic Berry Blonde Treatment
44. Kinky-Curly Stellar Strands
45. Matrix Biolage Hydrasource Balm
46. Devacurl Heaven in Hair
47. Boucleme Intensive Moisture Treatment
Very shiny curls after deep conditioning with Kinky-Curly Stellar Strands.
Products for Refreshing
These days I am not very big on refreshing. This is because re-wetting my curls on non-wash days can cause a lot of frizz, to the point where I need to wash my curls again. I have found that the best way to make a light refresh work for me involves applying a small amount of product on dry hair with either dry or wet hands, depending on the weather. The products below have worked wonders for me in the past two years.
My best refreshers:
48. CurlyWorld Leave in Lover
49. Innersense I Create Volume
50. Kinky-Curly Spiral Spritz
51. Curl Keeper Tweek
Day 3 curls, lightly refreshed with some CurlyWorld Leave in Lover gel.
Keeping a record of the best performing products in your journey will save you money in the long term. Having a curl diary will help you enormously with this. I have found these products to be extremely beneficial for my curly girl journey. Do you have your own list of holy grail products? If you do, feel free to share with us in the comments section below!
Over a year ago, I discovered the wonders of homemade Flaxseed gel for curly hair. Flaxseed is an incredible hydrator, and it makes curls shine. My only problem with Flaxseed gel is the lack of hold. It defines, and hydrates curls well, but the amount of hold never lives up to the expectation. But that was until recently! During conversations with members of the curly hair community, I came across a fabulous natural hair gel made from Flaxseeds, and it has incredible hold! It’s the Orange Marmalade Flaxseed and Aloe Curl Definer by Ecoslay.
This magic potion in a bottle was created by Adria Marshall and let me tell you, it is quite popular! Adria is the superwoman behind Ecoslay, and today I am reviewing her gel.
The Story
Adria started embracing her curly hair 16 years ago. During that time, there weren’t many hair brands that catered for her hair type, so she used a lot of experimentation. The “trial-and-error” trend quickly began to take a toll on her wallet. Hair products are expensive! That’s when she decided to become familiar with ingredients. Not long after, she had the ability to ignore what a product claimed it would do on the label and forecast how her hair would react by reading the ingredient list.
Adria realized that natural ingredients worked better for her own hair and from this realization, Ecoslay was born. Ecoslay was created with the intention of providing an all-natural one-stop-shop product line. After successfully creating the Ecoslay bamboo edge brush, Adria reached out to a chemist and created several products: The Apple Sauce Edge Control Gel, the Hot Sauce oil treatment, the Peppermint Schnapps Hair Wash and the Moonshine hair & body oil.
Adria had always wanted to create a hair gel but found it extremely daunting for many years. For her, the perfect gel would have natural ingredients, superior hold, add shine, smell good and come in a pump bottle. Was this hard to create? Very! Adria had made several attempts with failures, but with the assistance of her chemist, she finally managed to successfully create Orange Marmalade. She says, “Seriously, Orange Marmalade was created in 2 weekends! I tweaked it for a couple of months after that, just to make it perfect. My story of creating Orange Marmalade can be summed up by Winston Churchill’s quote, ‘Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever give up’.”
Image Source: @girl_sams_curls’ hydrated waves, using Orange Marmalade.
Adria never imagined that her creation would become so successful: “I knew that it was the best gel on the market, but I never imagined that it would blow up like it did. And, that’s the advice that I would give anyone starting their small business: create something that you love. Don’t worry too much about it being embraced by others. If you’ve created something that you are proud of and you feel is superior, you’ve won. The rest is just gravy.
I knew that my hair looked amazing every single day. I knew that I only had to wash my hair every 8th day because of the amazing holding power of Orange Marmalade. I knew that one day, someone else was going to notice! I receive so many emails and messages from curlies who thank me for their 2nd, 3rd, 4th day hair! They tell me how it’s changed their lives, allowing them to embrace their natural selves. Honestly, those are my favorite moments, and that’s what keeps me going.”
Image Source: @mymanecurls’ shiny curls, using Orange Marmalade.
Image Source: @curlygingerjulie’s luscious curls, using Orange Marmalade.
The Ingredients
When it comes to ingredients, the formulation of Orange Marmalade is very clear, simple and effective.
This is the ingredient list: Flaxseed extract, Agave nectar extract, Pectin, Aloe Vera juice, Marshmallow Root extract, Vitamin E, Xanthan Gum, Optiphen Plus, Sweet Orange Essential Oil.
This is a breakdown of the main ingredients:
Orange Marmalade feels very smooth when applied to the hair. It doesn’t have a stiff feeling once applied, but don’t be fooled: it has ultra-high hold! Orange Marmalade can be very economical for this reason. You don’t need to use too much to get good curl definition with superior hold. In fact, the key with this gel is a “less is more” approach.
My results using Orange Marmalade.
Image Source: @annzcurls’ lovely curls, using Orange Marmalade.
How to Use
Because Orange Marmalade has superior hold, I personally find that styling creams are not necessary with it. Orange Marmalade works perfectly well as a curl definer and a gel at the same time.
Here’s how I use Orange Marmalade:
- After applying my favorite conditioner, I do a “trickle” rinse on my scalp.
As the water runs through my hair, I use my fingers to comb the water into my hair. - Then, I gently “squish” once.
- I use four pumps of Orange Marmalade on my entire head.
- I have high density curls, but this is just enough.
- I apply Orange Marmalade using the “praying hands” method, then I rake the gel through my hair for even distribution.
- Finally, I scrunch gently and diffuse using medium air flow and low heat, until fully dry.
Orange Marmalade has enough hold for multi-day hair, depending on how you preserve your curls overnight. I like to use a silk pillowcase and a silk cap made for long hair.
Image Source: @actuallyalicia.curls’ sunning curls, using Orange Marmalade.
My Conclusion
In my opinion, Orange Marmalade is a 10 out of 10.
It defines, hydrates and holds curls extremely well.
It doesn’t build-up, it is fully plant derived, curly girl friendly and it fosters a simple curly hair routine.
Ecoslay Orange Marmalade can be purchased directly from Adria at her online shop. It’s also available across different shops around the world.
In the US, it’s also available at Salon 305 and Curly Girl Solutions (subscription box”>. In Australia: Curls Only, Curly Hair Shop and This Little Curl. In India: Honest Products Here. In the Netherlands: Me Gorgeous. And finally, in the UK: Beauty by Zara.
Have you tried the Orange Marmalade gel by Ecoslay? What are your thoughts? Share with us in the comments below!
To frizz or not to frizz? That is the question!
Your wash day happened yesterday, or maybe a few days ago. You wake up with voluminous curls that have expanded in comparison to your day 1 hair. Your curls are still defined and healthy looking, but you look in the mirror and see some frizz. What do you do?
You can embrace your healthy frizz. In fact, healthy frizz is completely normal, and it can belong in your curly hair routine, if you want it to.
According to Lorraine Massey, “frizz is a curl waiting to happen”, and “a curl asking for moisture”. As followers of the Curly Girl Method, many of us are wearing our healthy frizz-free curls with pride, and this is a huge achievement. But in many cases, healthy frizz is acceptable and completely normal as well. To discuss this topic and share useful tips, I reached out Lorraine Massey herself, and curl specialist Saulo O’Deoraín, from The Curly Look salon in Dublin.
Young Lorraine, with healthy frizz.
My healthy frizz.
Are there situations when frizz is considered healthy?
Lorraine shares: Once you become an advanced curly girl or guy and acclimate yourself to your curly ecosystem, frizz doesn’t have to be a dirty word anymore. A whole head of voluminous curls is greater than the sum of its parts. Not only does the hair benefit from healthy frizz, but so do you, because it means that you can stop being a “helicopter curly girl” who looks for the perfect curl every day. By understanding what functional frizz is with a bit of volume and a few days of product evaporation, you can have a new perspective and look. Many people say that they like their hair when their curls are more open, a few days after washing. I do too!
Saulo shares: Frizz is a state and not a permanent condition! It’s important to always keep in mind that curls are meant to move and be touchable and have what many call “functional frizz”. This is part of the whole canvas that is curly hair and embracing imperfection as an agent of balance is healthy and absolutely curl friendly. It’s also important to highlight that volume and frizz are not necessarily the same thing. When you get to know your curls from all different sides, you will appreciate your hair more expanded as a way of expression.
Photo courtesy of Saulo.
Frizz is a theory of relativity.
How can we identify the difference between frizz that is healthy and frizz that is unhealthy?
Lorraine says: Unhealthy frizz is a result of curls being constantly changed, disrupted and bombarded by major heat and chemicals. Often, I think it stems from childhood hair trauma and negative hair experiences. The fact that we can’t control frizz is the reason why so many women do weekly “blowfries”, chemically straighten their hair or choose wigs/weaves, hoping that the frizz will be obedient and silenced into a “straight-jacket prison”. In fact, this unwanted frizz and the curly girls and boys who have a predisposition to it, are responsible for keeping the hair care industry in the billion-dollar range in the USA alone.
There is a big difference between healthy defined frizz and unhealthy frizz from outside impositions and damage. We can distinguish healthy frizz from unhealthy frizz depending on the varying degrees of hydration or dehydration within the hair strands. For example, my curls have been on the Curly Girl Method for many years, and I felt that they reached the level of hydration I wanted when I first started my curl journey. As a result, I craved volume and expansion. That is what we call “hygral fatigue”. So, I started using less product: “hair traffic control”. This allowed my curls to stay defined, not closed and frozen, but open and expanded, appearing freer and lighter.
Saulo says: Normalizing frizz really is very important because hair strands are constantly being renewed. It’s also important to highlight that excessive frizz is mainly caused from over-manipulation, excessive styling/diffusing, product build and color abuse. Unhealthy frizz is caused by prolonged lack of moisture, causing dullness and hair that feels quite brittle at touch. As a natural pattern from nature, curls need to be perceived as a product of nature that doesn’t need to be controlled but enhanced.
Lorraine’s healthy frizz.
What are some practical tips for embracing (rather than shaming”> healthy frizz, and using it as a tool for volume?
Tips from Lorraine: Disrupting curls and routines may not be for everyone. I fully admit that it has taken me this long to love my hair when it reaches an acceptable voluminous frizzy expansion. I prefer my curls bigger with a slight halo a lot more than when my curls were overly weighted with products, separated and contained. Now they show more of their true nature and personality, and I don’t stress over “special occasions”. I get a lot more compliments when the curls are out and about, as opposed to small and contracted.
I also know that my curls are a conditioner away from not being frizzy, if I choose.
It’s like tuning in to your hair frequency; you can turn the volume up or down. It is YOUR choice, depending on your product choice, applications and technique.
Make sure that your curls are not weighted down or lethargic due to build-up of microplastics and silicone. Many products contain these ingredients, even when they don’t say so. Silicone barriers can starve the hair, leading to dehydration and frizz that makes the hair look weak, feel like Velcro and appear undefined, even after deep conditioning treatments.
Try this: take a before and after picture. Take the first picture with your hair more contained.
For the second picture, bend your head forward, spread your hands around your scalp, massage, and fluff to aerate.
Compare the pictures and you will see the difference.
There is double bonus in doing this for scalp health because massages are a stimulant, which is great for the skin and blood circulation, and your hair will look great too! I do this a few times each day, and it truly wakes up my curls. Wear your hair, don’t let it wear you!
Tips from Saulo: The best tip that comes to mind is cultivating a better relationship between you and your curls. Settle expectations according to your hair type, letting go of the pressure of perfection and watch your curls transform throughout the week from super moisturized and defined to more expanded, until the point where you’ll need to refresh your hair, but only on areas where the frizz might have changed the shape of your curls. You might be surprised when you notice how long you can go between washes, simply because you took a step back to focus on simplicity.
Photo courtesy of Saulo.
Healthy frizz is a thing. If your curls are healthy, you don’t need to disdain frizz anymore, because you know where the frizz comes from.
Do you have healthy frizz? You can embrace it in all its glory. You can wear your healthy frizz with pride, in the same way you can wear frizz-free curls. The power of choice is completely yours.
Are you ready to embrace your healthy frizz? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Life can be busy at times! Travelling, working, studying, looking after our homes, taking care of our children, ourselves… and our curls! When our life’s schedules take a toll on our curly brains, we strive for simplicity, and this includes our hair product choices. We all value products that we can multi-task with. Personally, when life is busy, I want three basic things from a single conditioner:
- A conditioner that is suitable for co-washing;
- A conditioner that feels hydrating when left in the hair;
- A conditioner that does not cause any build-up side effects.
For more than one year, I’ve been using a conditioner that has become a sensation in the world of curls. I’m talking about the Long Hair Don’t Care conditioner. I first heard about this product while learning the MAP Method, taught in the Cultivate Your Curls course, by Scott Musgrave. After using my first bottle, I decided that it would become a staple in my curly hair routine!
The Goodness is in the Details
Alcides Rodriguez is the mind behind Long Hair Don’t Care. He has an amazing head of long curls! He started creating this product for his own hair in 2010, but began to take it seriously after a motorcycle accident in 2013.
He never anticipated that Long Hair Don’t Care would become so successful.
I asked him if he would like to develop more products in the future. He said that he is open to the idea, perhaps including a new conditioner with a richer oil content, and a shampoo.
Long Hair Don’t Care is a botanical conditioner that has no sulphates, silicones, waxes, artificial oils or drying alcohols. This clean conditioner is 100% suitable for the Curly Girl Method.
It adds a cooling effect when applied to your scalp. It smells like mint, and adds a boost of hydration to any curl that feels dry and thirsty.
It makes your curls shine, it doesn’t build up and it cleanses well when used as a co-wash.
Here is a breakdown of its main ingredients:
How To Use
I always open a bottle of Long Hair Don’t Care when life is hectic and I need a simple routine. I use it to cleanse and condition. I also leave some of the conditioner in, before applying gel.
When I cleanse, I apply some Long Hair Don’t Care on the tips of my fingers and apply it throughout my scalp, with a gentle massage, for 1-2 minutes. Then, I fully rinse.
When I condition, I apply generous amounts on the lengths of my hair using the “praying hands” method. Then, I trickle some water on the hair for extra slip, and detangle with my fingers, from ends to roots, in a downward motion.
Finally, I trickle some water on my scalp, and don’t rinse the conditioner, before applying a gel and diffusing until 100% dry.
This is a very simple and effective routine, for any busy curly girl.
One of my results with Long Hair Don’t Care in 2018.
Shiny curls with Long Hair Don’t Care and a Gel in 2019.
For All Curl Types
Long Hair Don’t Care can be used in any curl type.
Wavy, Curly, Coily… Fine, Medium, Coarse… You name it!
It doesn’t weigh any type of hair down, and it always brings out the best in them.
Shiny waves that were cleansed and conditioned with Long Hair Don’t Care.
My Conclusion
I genuinely believe that Long Hair Don’t Care is a top quality conditioner, suitable for any type of curl. Whether you’re a curly girl on the go, or a curly girl with a lot of time in your hands, I think this conditioner has all the potential to improve the condition of your hair overtime, if you stay consistent with your routine.
Long Hair Don’t Care is an amazing multi-tasker. You can use it to cleanse, condition, as a leave-in… and as a deep conditioner!
Alcides sells Long Hair Don’t Care directly to the public through his Etsy Shop, but his product is also sold across several curly hair salons in the United States. Long Hair Don’t care is also available in salons and online shops in Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
Have you tried the Long Hair Don’t Care conditioner? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
You’re looking forward to an easy wash day because you’re in a rush to go out. You turn the shower on, and patiently wait for your curls to get wet. However, you’ve been standing under the water for literally five minutes, and your curls *still* aren’t wet. Glancing in the mirror, you find that the water droplets are simply lying on top of your hair, without properly absorbing into it. A quick examination of your length leads to you finding that some areas are wet, while others are not. If this sounds familiar to you, then your hair is repelling water.
One very important thing to do before taking any actions is ask yourself why. Why is your hair repelling water? Is it because of the products you’re using, or because of your hair’s porosity?
Heavy Products
Sometimes people are quick to diagnose their hair as “low porosity”, without realizing that product build-up is one of the main issues behind hair repelling water, according to curl stylist Alicia Torrens from Brandon Hair Salon in Florida. Silicone, oils, and even hard water cause build-up.
“When some of my clients use a lot of heavy products, I give them a detox in my salon. I use a mixture of Malibu C Crystal Gel with Malibu C Un-Do-Goo Shampoo. After this, I highly recommend switching to water-based products,” Torrens says. “Water-based products help to nourish the hair, and as the hair begins to absorb moisture, it becomes healthier. After detoxing, I recommend a non-lathering cleanser, and a water-based conditioner without silicones or heavy oils. Curly hair care is all about hydration.”
Alicia demonstrates this water repelling action perfectly in a video.
Her client was told that her hair repelled water due to having low porosity, but as it turned out, it was repelling water due to her choice of products.
Embedded content: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn59lMUlbDE/?taken-by=torrensaliciaLow Porosity Hair
If you’re using light-weight and silicone-free products, and your hair still seems to be repelling water, you could have hair that is low in porosity, or simply not porous.
You might wonder how you can determine your porosity; the best way is by simply observing your hair.
Porosity refers to the behavior of the cuticles in your hair. When the hair isn’t porous, its cuticles lie flat, resembling shingles on a roof that overlap each other. The fact that the cuticles are tightly closed and overlapping each other means that water and product absorption can be difficult at times.
Hair that isn’t porous is usually very shiny without products. Despite avoiding oils and heavy products, those with low-porosity hair may also notice that their products don’t absorb as well as they should.
Hair that isn’t porous is usually easy to maintain in a healthy condition.
There’s no reason to try to make low porosity hair act more porous for product application. Low porosity hair is considered healthy hair, because brand-new hair that comes out of your scalp is low in porosity. Low porosity hair is hair that hasn’t been damaged.
Three Simple Tips For Low Porosity Hair That Repels Water:
1. If your hair is repelling water from the moment you’re trying to get it wet under the shower, use a cowash as a wetting agent.
Apply your cowash to all the areas of your hair while it’s still dry.
Then, turn the shower on.
Allow the water to run through your hair.
As it runs through, squeeze the water into your hair strands by pushing them all throughout your length.
By doing this, you are pressing the water into your hair.
You should hear a squishing sound whenever you do this.
2. Avoid silicones, butters, and heavy oils in formulations. These ingredients will make the situation worse and your hair will repel water even more. You need to assist your hair when it comes to absorption, rather than coat it.
3. Choose products with film-forming humectants. Film-forming humectants are large, complex molecules that attract water, but also form an invisible, water-hugging film on your hair. They improve hydration, and water is hydration.
Some examples of film-forming humectants:
1. Flax seed gel (linseed”>
2. Okra gel (made from okra seed pods”>
3. Aloe vera
4. Hydroxyethylcellulose
5. Pectin
6. Xanthan gum
7. Guar gum
8. Marshmallow root
9. Slippery elm
10. Carrageenan (also known as Irish moss or seaweed extract, sea emollient, sea algae, sea vegetable”>
11. Nettle leaf tea or nettle extract
12. Panthenol
13. Hydroxypropyltrimonium honey
14. Hydrolyzed proteins
When hair repels water, it is usually for two reasons: choice of products or porosity.
By avoiding heavily-coating products, or implementing these simple tips for low porosity, you will find that your life will become easier, and your wash days will become simpler over time.
Is your hair low porosity? Tell us your challenges and victories in the comments section below, and learn about products that work well for low porosity hair here.
Over the past few years, thousands and thousands of curly girls and boys around the world have bought into the idea that to have healthy curls, they need to overload their hair with complicated routines and a series of heavy products.
The term “tame” continues to be in the vocabulary of many people and hair products across the globe, as if curly hair is a beast that needs to be controlled daily. Yes, we have made enormous progress in the world of information when it comes to curly hair, but for some reason a lot of people’s concerns remain the same.
With the aim of simplifying the lives of curly people worldwide and under the vision that “less is more,” Lorraine Massey has recently launched her brand-new line of products: CurlyWorld. They are artisanal botanical products that are completely free of sulphates, silicones, waxes, artificial oils, and drying alcohols. They are perfect products for the original version of the Curly Girl Method, as written in Massey’ book, “Curly Girl: The Handbook.”
I’ve had the opportunity to use each CurlyWorld product on my own curls and on the curls of other women. After testing, studying and finishing each product, I decided to write an honest and detailed review.
Today, I’m sharing my review of CurlyWorld’s Sham-Free (the curl conditioning cleanser”>, Terms & Conditions (the conditioner”>, With or Without Hue (a conditioning toner for silver & blonde hair”> and also sharing a sneak-peak of Leave In Lover (the curl hydrating gel”>.
Let’s get into it!
The Packaging
Each product has been packaged in a way that is friendly to the environment: in stand-up pouches. These stand-up pouches are made of 100% recyclable materials. They require less fuel during transportation because of their light weight. They are also landfill friendly. CurlyWorld’s packaging contains scientifically developed layers of FDA-approved food-grade film.
The Sham-Free Hair & Scalp Cleanser
This is a cleanser that has conditioning ingredients in high amounts. It has a minty botanical smell. It does not lather, but cleanses the scalp very well, adding a “cooling” sensation to the skin. After being cleansed with Sham-Free, my scalp always feels clean, fresh and moisturized at the same time.
Australian curly Sam Pearce has used CurlyWorld products, and says, “I love the products. I’ve never found a cowash that I’ve liked before, but CurlyWorld is minty and fresh. It actually feels like it cleans like shampoo.”
Sham-Free takes away the fear of not using shampoo. It also cleanses and moisturizes curls. It’s not heavy or greasy at all.
How I Use Sham-Free:
I like to detangle with Sham-Free as well. After fully wetting my curls in the shower, I apply a generous amount of Sham-Free to my fingertips and cleanse my scalp with gentle, circular motions for one to two minutes. Then, I apply a palmful on the lengths of my hair, using the “praying hands” method. I trickle some more water in. The water helps to create a very slippery feeling. Finally, I begin to finger-detangle in a downward motion, starting from the ends and making my way to the roots. Once all the knots are gone, I fully rinse.
If you have any areas of your hair that repel water, you can use Sham-Free as a wetting agent by applying it to dry hair before wetting under the shower. This will help your hair absorb the water in a more effective way.
Sham-Free feels very slippery on the hair, while cleansing thoroughly.
This breakdown of ingredients explains why:
In any given formula, the five top ingredients are the ones in highest amounts.
- Sham-Free’s seventh ingredient is cocamidopropyl betaine, which is a gentle cleanser.
- The ninth ingredient is menthol. It has a cooling and stimulating effect on the scalp. It also cleans skin pores of irritants.
- The tenth ingredient is a rare, five-star ingredient for hydration and shine: Selaginella Lepidophylla (resurrection plant”> extract. This is a very powerful and effective emollient, with the ability to moisturize, enhance, protect, and soothe your scalp and hair. This extract can improve the health of hair in the long term.
- Sham-Free also has bamboo extract as the fourteenth ingredient. Bamboo can promote hair growth and moisture retention. It helps hair stay elastic, shiny, and soft. Bamboo extract also helps by cleansing hair of pollutants, product build-up, and dead skin cells. It appears as ingredient number 15 in Terms & Conditions.
Terms & Conditions Conditioner
Terms & Conditions is a botanical, lightweight conditioner that melts into the hair like a balm. It adds slip and incredible shine to curls. It was designed to be left in the hair for true hydration.
How I Use Terms & Conditions:
After fully rinsing Sham-Free, I flip my hair forward and apply Terms & Conditions to dripping wet curls using the “praying hands” method. Once the conditioner has been applied to all areas of my hair, I finger-comb my curls with super wet hands to ensure even distribution.
If I notice that some areas feel like wet hair rather than wet conditioner, I apply a little bit more and gently scrunch. Terms & Conditions melts into the hair, becoming one with the water that is already in it. Although it contains some shea butter, it does so in trace amounts, as the tenth ingredient. Terms & Conditions does not feel heavy or greasy whatsoever. It is also suitable for the finest of curls. I always leave Terms & Conditions fully in my hair. I don’t feel the need to rinse any of it.
Here is a breakdown of the ingredients we haven’t already seen in Sham-Free:
- As its sixth ingredient, Terms & Conditions has stearalkonium chloride, which can minimize frizz in dry weather. It also increases luster and improves the feel for detangling.
- Resurrection plant extract appears again as the eighth ingredient.
- Rose oil appears as the ninth ingredient in Terms & Conditions and as the eleventy ingredient in Sham-Free. This is an oil that strengthens roots in the scalp. It helps the follicle to hold onto the root instead of shedding it. This antiseptic oil also adds shine to the hair, combats dirt and bacteria on the scalp, and unclogs hair follicles.
- Mix 1 part With or Without Hue in a spray bottle with three parts lavender or distilled water.
- Spot spritz on dry strands to target visually brassy or yellow areas.
- You can use it as a leave-in or allow it to absorb as a pre-wash toner before cleansing your hair in the shower.
- Hydroxyethylcellulose is a natural, film-forming humectant. It attracts water very well and forms an invisible, water-hugging film on your curls. It has styling and hair-health benefits in the long term, such as shine and hydration, because it does a very good job of keeping moisture in your hair for longer periods of time. Film-forming humectants are great moisturizers across all kinds of hair porosity and quite fantastic for curly hair that is dehydrated.
- Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride is a hair conditioning agent that reduces friction, adds slip and weight to your hair for a smooth look and feel, better definition, and bounce.
With or Without Hue Toning Conditioner
With or Without Hue is a blue-toning conditioner, created to target or prevent brassy or yellow tones in gray hair. It also targets or prevents brassy tones in blond hair, or brings out cool tones in brunettes!
Silver-haired Katherine Howard says that she noticed a change in the crispness of her natural color after using With or Without Hue. Although she doesn’t usually experience high amounts of brassiness, she noticed a deeper effect in her natural color after using it. She also really liked Sham-free and Terms & Conditions.
My natural brunette curls in cool tones, after using With or Without Hue and Terms & Conditions. This photograph has not been altered in Photoshop.
How To Use With or Without Hue:
There are several ways to use this conditioner. You can apply it to your hair and leave it on for as long as you like, then fully rinse. With or Without Hue rinses off fully without problems. I applied it to all areas of my hair before conditioning with Terms & Conditions, left it in for 10 minutes and fully rinsed. You can also use it as a leave-in. Just make sure you use a dark microfiber towel to dry your curls and a dark pillowcase (to avoid staining”>. Another clever way to use it is by targeting individual areas on dry hair.
This is a recipe by Lorraine Massey herself:
Beth’s blonde and Katherine’s gray curls, after using With or Without Hue. These photographs have not been altered in Photoshop.
In terms of formulation, With or Without Hue has the same core ingredients as Terms & Conditions. At the end of the list, it contains a blue coloring pigment.
Leave In Lover Gel
Leave In Lover is the perfect cherry for the curly cake that all CurlyWorld products help to create. While it’s not on the market yet, it will be soon, and I got a sneak preview. I believe many curly girls will love it.
Leave In Lover is a clear gel that truly does love curly hair. This is because it’s a true hydrating gel. It marries and holds water extremely well, adding shine, definition and hold without any crunch.
Leave In Lover is fully compatible with Terms & Conditions. They do not become flaky on the hair. Together, this pair will allow you to have a real experience with your curls, without stiffness, greasiness or tackiness. Only amazing and shiny natural curls!
My day 1 natural curls after using all CurlyWorld products. Sham-free, With or Without Hue, Terms & Conditions and Leave In Lover.
The shine that Leave In Lover offers is incredible. I was honestly very impressed!
Leave In Lover does not have any crunch to scrunch out, yet offers a firm, natural hold to curls.
It contains two amazing ingredients in high amounts: hydroxyethylcellulose and guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride.
Leave In Lover also features resurrection plant and and bamboo extracts for extra retention of moisture.
My day 2 curls completely untouched, after using all CurlyWorld products on day 1.
How I Use Leave in Lover:
After applying Terms and Conditions and leaving it in, I apply Leave In Lover to all areas of my hair using the “praying hands” method.
Once the gel is applied to all areas of my hair, I finger-comb my curls with super wet hands and some more emulsified gel, to ensure even distribution.
I scrunch my hair gently and diffuse on low heat and medium air flow, until the hair is fully dry.
Finally, I give my roots a shake and gently part my hair to the side.
Leave In Lover can also be used to lightly refresh multi-day curly hair.
For refreshing, I simply emulsify some Leave In Lover with a sprinkle of water on my hands and apply to dry day 3 curls using the “praying hands” method. Then, scrunch and air dry.
Day 3 curls, lightly refreshed with Leave In Lover and a sprinkle of water.
The Conclusion
I believe that CurlyWorld products take away the complication of caring for curly hair. They have truly become some of my favorites, because they allow me to have a simple and curl-forward routine with beautiful, healthy, and shiny curls at the same time.
Rather than “tame” or “control”, CurlyWorld does the exact opposite: they give curls what they need, releasing them to simply bloom and be themselves, in an uncomplicated way.
CurlyWorld has become a top winner in my book.
What about you? Have you already tried CurlyWorld in your curls? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Sometimes with the change of seasons, curly girls feel like changing the color of their curls for a fresh start, or to match the new season! It is no different with the arrival of fall.
If you are thinking about changing the color of your curls to celebrate the arrival of autumn, then you’re in the right place! I’ll be sharing the most popular color trends for this season, in consultation with some very special curl experts. The most popular colors for fall have everything to do with warm tones.
According to curl specialist Evan Joseph, who is the founder of Evan Joseph Salon, “Changing your hair color for fall can be an amazing way to change things up. Popular colors are caramel, copper and red.”
A little reminder is necessary for blondes, though, says Joseph. “If you are blonde and choose to go to dark in the fall and winter, you cannot magically go blonde again in the spring and summer without putting stress on your curls!”
He recommends that blondes choose a shade no more than one to one-and-a-half times darker, or pick a shade at the same level they already have, in a warmer tone.
“This way it can fade by the time spring comes back around. At most salons, this can be done in the sink. These are called ‘toners’ or ‘glosses’ and are less of a commitment than coloring your hair in a single dark shade. They also provide more dimension because they are opaque, showing off the highs and lows in your hair, for a more natural effect”, he says.
1. Caramel
Caramel colored curls, image via @evanjosephcurls
Caramel is very popular during fall and winter seasons. This is a warm tone that can lighten up your entire look in a discreet way. This color looks beautiful on any curly girl, and particularly so on curly girls with warm skin tones.
Caramel colored curls, style and image via the Curl Doctor @shaiamiel
About achieving the beautiful caramel curls above, Shai Amiel (aka The Curl Doctor”> says: “This client came in with over-processed bleach that dried out her curls, leaving them limp and lifeless. She had been following me on Instagram for awhile and was inspired by HEALTHY curls.”
Amiel says his client was hoping to get curls like those of the women in Amiel’s social media posts. “She had asked for a short cut that would give her more volume, but because it was so damaged, I didn’t have any other option than to add some depth to the hair,” he says. “I decided to ‘gloss’ her hair with a caramel gloss. It gave her a warm overall look, but keeping her highlights.As a result, they stood out as a contrast. It added dimension to her color. It added shine and complimented her skin tone better than over-processed bleach. In the end, it felt like her hair actually grew out of her head in this way.”
2. Copper
Bright copper colored curls, image via @cheyhair
Copper is another very popular and flattering color choice for curls during Autumn. Curl specialist Cheyenne Hairston, who also works at Evan Joseph Salon, says “Bright coppers will always be popular fall hair colors. They are so bold and beautiful and a nice way to transition your previous blond highlights from the summer.”
3. Red
Red colored curls, image via @evanjosephcurls
Lastly, if you want to go for a bolder statement look for your curls during fall, red is a great option. In fact, autumn is the perfect season to rock this color on your curls, because it matches the season beautifully as leaves change color, and temperatures begin to decrease. Red is the perfect way to add warmth to any cold day!
Are you thinking about changing the color of your curls as the fall season arrives? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
No one else would be more qualified to close off our three-part series of advice from “curl heroes” than the original curly girl herself: Lorraine Massey.
Hero movies have been quite the Hollywood trend over the past few years. Troubled backstories, an underdog who overcomes their fears, faces their weaknesses, finds a humankind-saving solution, marches toward victory and then sets their eyes to the horizon to create a legacy and deliver mankind.
Minus the special effects and overly dramatic music, Massey’s curly journey has all the hallmarks of a hero story, to which we can all relate. The struggle for acceptance of our curly hair, the fear that accepting it for what it is will lead to criticism and insecurity. The struggle to find methods that work, and then, of course, a journey of solutions that has the potential to deliver all curl-kind from “kryptonite” (silicones, sulfates and hair straighteners”>.
Today I bring to you a real and honest conversation with my personal inspiration and curly hero, where she talks honestly about her own journey, struggles with curl acceptance, and her words of advice for those who are just starting the Curly Girl Method and are feeling overwhelmed.
Lorraine, how did you decide to fully embrace your hair?
I didn’t really decide; my curls decided for me. They had a plan that was stronger than me. They would react with the weather (I lived in rainy Britain”>, becoming frizzy and knotted at every turn. They frizzed regardless of my efforts to stop them. It was hard enough trying to fit into society as a child, but even worse not being able to fit in with my own hair. The only time I didn’t fight with my hair was when I was sleeping. Before bed I would pray asking that my curls would be gone when I woke up and replaced with Farrah Fawcett’s hair (straight-haired American actress”>.
What is the full story behind your Curl by Curl hair cutting method?
When I was 16, I had my very last wet haircut. My hair dried shorter than it had appeared and totally uneven. It was up to my chin on one side, with the other side grazing my shoulders. I asked the stylist why it was uneven. He replied, “It’s even when it’s wet.” But I don’t wear my hair wet! I felt devastated. For years as it grew, I started to think about what it meant to have a technical haircut. Looking back, I am now grateful for that haircut because it pushed me to figure out how to be happy with myself and my curls. They existed for a reason; there are no mistakes in nature. Why do so many of us have curls and waves? I was searching for something that did not yet exist in the natural realm of coils and curls.
This was how I developed my Curl by Curl cutting method. It’s about cutting your curls individually and when they are dry, in their natural state. We can have multiple textures of curls in one head. We are not “one size fits all.” When you’re having a dress or suit fitted, it’s not fitted on wet fabric because it will shrink and seem ill-fitted when dry. The same applies to hair. Hair is a fabric, so you are tailoring a shape that is coutured for you.
When you decided to go fully natural back in the day, did you have any struggles?
My curls taught me everything that I know. They taught me how to adjust to the uncertainty of having curly hair and to ultimately flow with its nature, not deny it. They taught me that people, even those closest to you, can be mean because they want you to “look” neat and tidy and they believe that your neglected curls is a reflection on them. My result was feeling ashamed when they were angrily brushed, parted, and flattened. Now, my curls and I are the best of friends. I celebrate all that they are with so many other curlies around the globe and the only tiny struggle I have is deciding whether I am going to cleanse, condition, spot cleanse, or do nothing at all each day. You know, we don’t always see our curls like others do. Sometimes I think I’m having a bad hair day and I get more compliments than ever. I think sometimes it’s a good idea to ease up on our self-induced routines and relax.
There is a lot of information-overload in the world of social media with an enormous number of products and routines being advertised. This is daunting to a brand new curly girl. What are your words of wisdom and advice about this?
I think that some of the advice and sharing is wonderful. I follow some curlies intently on social media and I call it “The Revenge of The Curly Girl” because not long ago, we lacked information. However, the product applications and recommendations can be daunting. In this sense, bloggers have established a vanity vehicle for their own opinion. I see a lot of arrogance on social media and it drives me nuts because as curly hair stylists behind the chair, we are the ones who are seeing and literally feeling the aftermath, because we work with hair all day long and meet curlies from all around the world. We see, touch, smell, and feel it, so we have a good sense about which products are in the hair. The hair speaks volumes! On my book travels this past year, I’ve had the great opportunity to spend time with licensed pioneers and curl specialists in this field. We all feel the same about this situation: it seems to have reached a critical mass. This is my analogy of it. A curly hairstylist is like an organic gardener. We sense that the topsoil is eroding and changing. This is why nothing is growing in the way that it should at this moment in time. In the last few years we have noticed a huge shift in the hairs presented to us at the salons. They are becoming water resistant and impenetrable due to heavy usage of raw oils or silicones. It’s almost as if they are on fat diets, lacking simple, pure, abundant oxygen and hydration!
In my understanding, unless you are a newbie, a child, or you have been ‘natural’ for less than a year, curls should be ahead of this drought situation. There is a constant need for clarifiers or detoxes! If you start your curls on a simple lifestyle diet of water-soluble, hyper-hydrating cleansers, conditioners and penetrable conditioning stylers, you will be on auto-pilot and your hair will simply be free to be itself.
My dream is to see more beauty blogs and posts about how we can influence our followers in more purposeful ways. Social media posts can’t just be about how beautiful you look today. Let’s try to go beyond the “ME” and aim at the “WE.” Let’s integrate and encourage philanthropic ventures in our daily pictures and posts!
If you’re new to the Curly Girl Method, use the three steps in your routine (cleansing, conditioning and styling“>. Your curls know what to do when you listen and respond. They don’t need to be avalanched and hidden under a mountain of products.
Curly girls sometimes become frustrated and resort to straightening or blow-drying their hair. At times this is due to growing out chemical treatments or not being patient enough with the process of growing and cutting off damaged curls. Do you have any words of wisdom for women who are going through this phase?
I think this is the ultimate confrontation of truth of one’s own. It’s either for now or they may be putting it off for some time in the future. There is an inevitable and often inconvenient truth in trying to be straight. It’s a battle you may not win. Nature cannot be cornered for long. When you allow your hair to recover and heal after years and years of blow-frying or chemical abuse, you can’t expect it to come around immediately. It takes time. We want everything yesterday and this is where your curls may put you through the test. You may have to earn the right to be curly. You will be forced to stay consistent with your precious locks and get to know them as they are. No one else can do that for you. It’s all about you.
Teach a curly girl how to blow-fry her curls and she may be happy for a day (unless it rains”>. But then, teach her to love her curls and she will be happy for life!
Do you have any tips to share for newbies in transition?
Stay consistent in your routine, even if it may not seem to work at first. The more consistent you are, the more consistent your curls will be in return.
You will never have the same hair day twice in a row and don’t expect to, otherwise you will be disappointed. That’s why you can never be bored with your curls’ character: they are dynamic and ever changing. I welcome whatever my curls give me. If I have halo frizz, I know that I am just a conditioner away from making it look better. Even then, I welcome healthy frizz at times. Some people say that they like to blow-fry for a change: this is unoriginal and compromising your curls’ hair fiber! It is not a positive change, since you can’t unfry hair. So, try an “updo” or something more original, using your own natural curl formations.
I have never met a curly girl who says that people chase her down the street when she had a blow-fry or used a flat iron, but I hear stories of many curly girls being chased because of their natural curls.
Remember: every curly day is a new day.
If you worry about weather and dew points: don’t take the weather personally! We cannot worry about what has not happened and we can’t live trying to control the uncontrollable.
Love the curls you have and you will become a point of inspiration for other curlies who are yearning to be set free. Be the curly girl or boy you wish you had met as your younger, struggling self.
In closing, I am going to share Massey’s own words of inspiration as you start and walk your journey of curl care and acceptance:
Frizz is just a curl waiting to happen and curls are not a trend; they are a lifestyle. With a cashmere sweater comes a care label. Human hair falls under the same molecular structure as fur, wool, and feathers. If your curl care label could speak, here is what it would say:
I am made up of organic matter of various layers and structures. As you wear me in the real world, I change depending on the way I am treated and with atmospheric conditions. However, this is what gives me character!
- No washing with detergent shampoo (I am like wool, I will shrink and dehydrate”>
- No brushes or combs when I am dry (I will frizz, fray and break”>
- No cutting me when I am wet (because I do not stay wet and I can shrink many inches”>;· No carving, slicing, thinning or razoring (my hair fibre is not meat or wood”>
- No blow-frying (you can’t unfry my fibres”>
- Don’t hide me for long periods of time under somebody else’s hair· You take me wherever you go. I can be considered your finest thread and accessory
- Love me consciously with 100% sulfate- and silicone-free conditioners (these chemicals also hurt our waters”>.
Lorraine is currently on a world book tour for her “Silver Hair: The Handbook” and “Curly Girl: The Handbook.” Her brand-new line of products for curly hair is called CurlyWorld and is coming out in August. If you’re interested in knowing about her ventures or whether she’ll be coming somewhere near you, make sure you follow her on Instagram at @curlyworldllc to find out.
I hope this three-part series has been enlightening to you. If you haven’t read the previous parts of this series: you can read the first part here and the second part here.
Are you going through a transition phase with your curls? What are your struggles and victories?
Let me know in the comments section below.
### The Early Days
Saulo’s journey began back in Brazil, in August 2007. After becoming a qualified Cosmetologist, he would see many clients who were searching for the best way to take care of their curls, however, somewhat ironically his greatest progress in knowledge came when he started a Bachelor of Communications course in University. Through lack of time his curly hair grew long and his eagerness toward curly hair grew. But enthusiasm without resources and awareness often leads to frustration. The need for curly knowledge was there, but the resources and products simply did not exist or at least seemed not to. Curly hair was being neglected by the industry. What kind of industry do we have where a hairdresser can’t find the right information? Undeterred, Saulo dove into his pursuit for knowledge, and once he graduated from University, started to see clients again, but this time his work was exclusively about curls. Later, he met Lorraine Massey at a Beauty Show in Brazil and she became a mentor to him. This was a turning point for Saulo. Her passion for curls truly inspired him and years later Saulo became Deva certified as a result. Finally, in 2013, after a trip in Europe, the unique opportunity of working with curls in Ireland came up and he founded The Curly Look in Dublin. Saulo is now a member of [Curly Hair Artistry](https://www.curlyhairartistry.com”>, which is a non-brand based education company focusing on teaching hairstylists the art of embracing all types of wavy and curly hair, founded by curl artist Scott Musgrave. Saulo was nominated Curly Hair Artist of 2018 by Curly Hair Artistry.
### Back to Simplicity
### What lessons does Saulo have to teach us as we each continue in our own journeys of curl-care in the midst of so much information, DIY recipes, video tutorials and products being advertised on the internet?
“Simplicity”, he says. “After the release of the second edition of ‘Curly Girl: The Handbook’, written by Lorraine Massey, I understand that the internet has appropriated the culture of the handbook and people began to complicate things that were supposed to be simple: the usage of botanical conditioners, water soluble products and the importance of moisture for curly hair. Within the context web culture, we see many people sharing their personal experiences with products and techniques, which is excellent. However, I’m also seeing a lot of curly girls resorting to unhelpful DIY recipes. Many curly girls come into my salon and tell me they are using recipes they have found on social media or browsing the internet. These recipes contain foods, such as eggs, mayonnaise, banana, etc. The truth is that food particles are naturally too large and not refined enough to be able to penetrate the hair shaft. As a result, these DIY treatments are causing a placebo effect and accumulation of residues, preventing water from penetrating the hair in the way that it should.”
About DIY haircuts, Saulo shares, “The internet is a powerful tool for communication and it must be used wisely. We need to be cautious with all information being shared. I’ve had clients come to see me to fix DIY haircuts that turned out badly and these cuts can take between 6 months to 1 year to recover from. It’s important to have a curly hair professional in whom you can trust, knowing that they have the qualifications needed to assist you with your hair.”
### Product Junkie Syndrome
With so much advertising happening on the internet, it is easy to feel tempted to buy every single product that we see on our screens. This is because we see someone else’s results and feel as though we need the same products to achieve that elusive curl goal. However, the best thing to do is focus on your own hair instead. Saulo says, “Before buying the next big product line, you need to evaluate how successful your own routine has been. I don’t believe that curly hair is meant to be about ‘trial and error’, like a lot of people keep repeating online. A curly hair professional can better advise what products and what type of application would better suit your curl type, depending on what you’re trying to achieve. If you feel that you’re spending too much money on products, perhaps it is a good idea to reach out to a curl specialist near you.”
### Saulo’s Tips for Routine and Products
When it comes to routine and product choice for healthy curly hair, Saulo believes that simplicity, effectiveness and hydration are extremely important: “Curly girls are experiencing dryness, breakage and scalp problems due to excessively heavy products containing butters. When butters are present in a product and they are not refined several times, they cause issues with build-up, coating the hair and preventing water absorption. Butters should always have good quality and be cold pressed. When this is not the case, butters cause similar results to silicones on the hair. For cleansing, I recommend a cleanser that doesn’t lather, with the similar texture of a conditioner. Water quality is also important. It’s important to watch how your curls and waves are responding to the water. For example, some areas here in Dublin have hard water and this affects the performance of your cleansers and products overtime. If hard water is a problem, I recommend a second cleanser with non-drying surfactants to lift residues and remove hard water build up. As for other products, I recommend an excellent water-soluble conditioner and possibly a gel, if you’re searching for hold. I always say that moisture is the main need for curly hair. If you work at keeping moisture in your hair, you’ll have happy curls as a result.”
Here is a list of Saulo’s favorite products:
### Cleansers:
– [Boucleme Hydrating Hair Cleanser](https://www.boucleme.co.uk/collections/cleanse/products/hydrating-hair-cleanser”>
– [Trepadora Gojiberry Mint Reviving Hair Rinse](https://www.trepadora.com/collections/cleanse/products/gojiberry-mint-reviving-hair-rinse-200ml”>
– [Trepadora Hibiscus Pink Cleansing Clay-Wash](https://www.trepadora.com/collections/cleanse/products/trepadora-hibiscus-pink-cleansing-clay-wash-200ml”>
### Cowash:
– [Boucleme Curl Cleanser ](https://www.boucleme.co.uk/collections/all/products/curl-cleanser”>
– [Long Hair Don’t Care Conditioner](https://www.curlyhairgoodies.com/products/long-hair-dont-care”>
### Conditioner:
– [Boucleme Curl Conditioner](https://www.boucleme.co.uk/collections/condition/products/curl-conditioner”>
### Deep Conditioner:
– [Trepadora Quinoa Repair](https://www.trepadora.com/products/trepadora-quinoa-repair-deep-conditioner-200ml-1″>
### Gels:
– [Boucleme Curl Defining Gel](https://www.boucleme.co.uk/products/curl-defining-gel”>
– [Trepadora Papaya Slip Potion](https://www.trepadora.com/products/trepadora-papaya-slip-taming-potion-100ml”>
– [Trepadora Açaí Berry Fix Defining Gel](https://www.trepadora.com/collections/styling/products/trepadora-acai-berry-fix-defining-gel-200ml-1″>
The keys to a healthy routine are hydration, simplicity and avoiding the dreadful “product junkie syndrome”, according to Saulo. If you’re a curly girl or boy in Dublin, Ireland, be sure to check his beautiful artistry. He knows what he’s talking about. He has killer curls and experience as a stylist to tell the story! You can follow him on Instagram at [@thecurlylookdublin](https://www.instagram.com/thecurlylookdublin/”>.
__What are yout top questions for a curly stylist? Let us know in the comments. __
When the subject is curly hair care that is simple and effective, there is no better advice than the one from a respected curl professional who has understanding and experience. I’ve had the opportunity of chatting with stylist Evan Joseph, the founder of Evan Joseph Salon in Columbus, Ohio. We talked about his story, cutting curls and helpful tips to make our lives simpler, plus things NOT to do before your appointment.
Curly Beginnings
Evan, tell us what motivated you to start working with curls and how it all came together. . .
I cut my first head of curls around age 12 or 13 on my friend with a pair of kitchen shears in the bathroom. I cut it dry and in its naturally curly state. What I didn’t know is that about 20 years later, that small moment in my life would be the thing with which I would become absolutely obsessed. I grew up in my mom’s small one-woman shop, which was attached to my childhood home via a separate entrance. I sat in that salon almost every day after school, starting at kindergarten age. I went to college and here I was: cutting hair with a pair of kitchen shears in my dorm (again”>, so I decided that I should make it official. I quit college and enrolled in a small cosmetology school on the west side of Cincinnati, called Western Hills School of Beauty. I obtained great knowledge in traditional hairdressing, which is a great place to start. A couple years into my very first salon job, I discovered Lorraine Massey’s book Curly Girl: The Handbook (this was over 10 years ago!”>. Once I was enlightened to the wants, needs and true beauty of naturally curly hair and how traditional hairstylists had it all wrong, I just couldn’t turn a blind eye to a change that needed to happen in our industry. We needed to start giving curly haired people a safe place to feel beautiful. So, I left the big salon and went back to my hometown, working alongside my mother at her salon. Back then, unless you were in NY or LA, there weren’t really many options for people wanting to wear their hair curly. This move really gave me the freedom to concentrate on naturally curly hair. That’s when I started to experiment with different products and textures. I started saying no to “blow-outs” and yes to “wash and go”.
How did you start working with different types of texture, including coily hair?
When women with textures, unlike mine, curiously wandered into my salon, I’d sit and talk with them, asking questions about their wants and needs. I’ve never turned a client away because I didn’t know how to do “their hair”. Then I’d come up with a plan and set realistic expectations. Listening is more important than knowing. If I was ever in a critical situation, I’d text Lorraine Massey and she would send me some guidance, which I’m very grateful for. It worked well because I believed in what I was doing.
Who created the Curl by Curl method for cutting curly hair?
Lorraine Massey was the creator of this method. There are many people out there who want to own and trademark everything. Lorraine created Curl by Curl to end her own dissatisfaction with getting her own haircuts. She’s a genius! If you ever have the chance to watch her or get your haircut done by her, you’ll see that it’s incredible! Lorraine shared her skills with us long before curly hair “blew up”, as I like to say. No one was insta-famous and there were no bloggers, Facebook groups, and conferences to go to. There were just people with curly hair who were desperate for a good haircut. Curl by Curl came from her heart. She shared it with all of us because she really cares about people with curly hair. She didn’t want it to belong to anyone. The things we do are supposed to belong to all of us. It’s a shared experience and it’s forever changing, just like our hair. When people try to “own” things related to curly hair, they’re missing the point and stealing the joy from it all.
Why is this hair cutting method so important for curls?
If you’re going to wear your hair curly, it must be cut in the way you wear it for optimal results. You wear your hair curly, so we cut your hair curly. It’s simple. Each curl on the head expands and contracts from wet to dry. Each curl needs to be treated as an individual. You cannot connect all the different curl patterns when they are stretched, straightened or wet. It’s physically impossible.With traditional haircuts, you end up with a mixture of different lengths all over the head, or the dreaded “Jellyfish Cut”: the tighter curls on the top are stretched and cut beyond their natural length to connect to the loser curls around the bottom, so you’re left with a disconnection from the top to the bottom. The curls at the top create a mushroom shape and the loser curls hang down like the tendrils of a Jellyfish. Cutting curls dry in their naturally curly state is simple. It makes sense and I’d never do it in any other way.
Tips on Preparing for a Salon Appointment
What are your DO’s and DON’Ts when it comes to preparing for a salon appointment with a curly hair specialist?
I can’t stress enough the importance of following the recommendations of the salon you are going to. Any reputable Curly Salon should send you a confirmation or welcome email prior to your appointment. You cannot get optimal results if you don’t follow these recommendations.
Here is what we ask of our customers before visiting our salon:
- DO cleanse, condition and style your hair curly (with product”> on the day of your appointment. It’s important that you present your best curls when coming for an appointment.
- DO have your hair thoroughly dry. We need your hair to be dry and time spent under the dryer will take away from the time we could be cutting and shaping your curls!
- DO come with an open mind, ready to accept and love your hair in its natural glory! This may be a different experience for you. Don’t try to enforce traditional salon standards. The reason why you came to a curl specialist is for something different. So, sit back and enjoy this unique experience created just for you.
- DON’T arrive with a ponytail, bun, twist out, roller-set, perm-rod set, curl-former, etc. or any style that stretches or changes your hair’s natural curl pattern. The whole point in getting a curly cut is so that your hair may be shaped in its natural state, so that you don’t have to spend hours manipulating your hair. If you plan on wearing twist outs or straightening your hair, a salon like ours might not be the right fit for you.
- DON’T brush, pick or comb your hair out on the day of your service. Brushes and combs not only disturb your natural curl pattern, but also rip and tear your delicate curls.
- DON’T style your hair with products that are excessively sticky or greasy/oily. For example, shea butter or coconut oil.
We ask this for two reasons:
1. We need to get water into your hair for optimal styling results and these products block water out. We don’t use harsh cleansers, so your style might not turn out as good as it could.
2. We don’t work with heavy products like this in the salon and it is quite uncomfortable for us to work with oils all over our hands and shears.
Routine, Products & Simplicity
You often say that not all silicone/sulfate free products are good for curly hair. Why is that?
Not all products are created equally. Just because it says “silicone or sulfate free” doesn’t mean it’s good. It’s about quality. A lot of the products on the market with these labels today aren’t up to the standard of ingredients or formulation. Some are creating an epidemic of frizzy, dry, limp and unmanageable curls.
What are your tips for choosing good quality hair products that are suitable for the Curly Girl Method?
If you have salons like mine in your area, start there. We work with curly hair daily and truly know what works from experience. People who use certain products have the same problems. Those who continue to use them, stay the same. Those who follow our recommendations see big results.
Other tips:
- Get the product wet: use a drop on your hand and wet it. If it doesn’t dissolve in water easily, it’s a no.
- Try to clean it from your skin without detergents. If it doesn’t come off, it won’t come off easily from your hair.
- Stay away from products that are heavy, oily, greasy, buttery – this doesn’t mean that oils and butters can’t be mixed into your products. You shouldn’t feel them in your hair or on your skin.
- Stay away from Silicones.
- Cleansers should never lather – this is an important one. Many companies are using natural detergents that aren’t technically Sulfates.
- Do not use RAW oils and butters directly on your hair. If you must, mix a few drops into your favorite conditioner or styler.
What is the best way to maintain color treated curls?
The Curly Girl Method is great for color treated hair because it’s very gentle. Harsh detergents strip color away. It’s amazing how much longer color lasts when shampoo is out of the equation.
Any tips for volume?
Just leave conditioner in as your styling product. When a conditioner isn’t too heavy and melts easily into the hair, it adds incredible volume. You can also layer a foam or mousse if you need a little more control.
There is a lot of talk from curly girls saying that they’re “protein sensitive.” What’s your experience with your clients on this subject and what do you have to say to curly girls who are confused about “protein”?
I’ve never had a problem with protein sensitivity, either with myself or my curly clients. I don’t like to make blanket statements because obviously, this is a case by case situation. A lot of these things are being said without any scientific evidence. For example- you disliked your results. Is that because you’re protein sensitive or maybe you just didn’t like the product? There is no real way to know. Your hair is a fabric, it’s not alive. It doesn’t react to things in the way living things do. If you use things that move freely in and out of the fabric of your hair, these “terms and conditions” won’t be a problem. A lot of the time, terms like “protein sensitivity” are excuses for a bigger problem (heat damage, low-quality products, etc”>. It’s easier to declare that I’m “protein sensitive” than deal with the bigger issue.
Do you have any tips for a routine that you would like to share?
- Never use a cleanser that lathers. It will just make your curls dry and brittle over time.
- One to two styling products with a good cleanser and conditioner is all that you need.
- If you’re using raw oil or butter in your hair, I recommend that you stop. I promise that you’ll see a difference. Our hair needs to be able to absorb water (moisture”>. Raw oils and butters seal the water out and you can’t remove them without a foaming cleanser.
- Try leaving conditioner only in your hair as a styler. It will create both volume and definition.
- Don’t overcomplicate the process. Simple is always better.
Evan always shares openly about his work behind the chair on Instagram with live videos and very informative posts. Make sure you follow him at @evanjosephcurls so that you don’t miss them!
One of the most powerful things in our journeys to healthy curly hair is having people to inspire us and share them with. Social media is an extremely diverse and positive platform for this and today I’m having the amazing opportunity of sharing with you my interview with a very special curly girl from Melbourne, Australia. Her name is Mandy, also known as @thecurlcomplex on Instagram.
Mandy has fine, 3b/c curls with [low porosity](https://www.beautycon.com/article/5-things-everyone-with-low-porosity-hair-should-know”> and uses her platform to empower curly girls and guys of all kinds around the world. Just as it happens to so many of us, her hair changed from damaged to healthy with a routine, and as a consequence, she is committed to helping others as she walks her own journey of curl acceptance.
Mandy with heat damage in 2013.
Mandy, what was your biggest challenge growing up as a curly girl?
“Growing up as a curly girl presented many challenges, but I’d have to say that the biggest one I experienced was how much attention my hair attracted. Up until late high school I was severely shy and I guess that had a lot to do with generalized insecurity. So, anything that made me stand out or attracted attention was unwanted to me. People with curly hair understand that it is a very distinctive physical feature and often the first feature noticed by others. My hair was uncommon in the area of Sydney that I grew up in and that ensured significantly long stares in public areas and comments directed towards it (both positive and negative”>. Curly hair is undeniably loud and as much as I’ve learned to embrace and even love it now, growing up I found it to be undesirable – desperate to just blend into the crowd.”
May 2015: Majority of heat damage was cut off, with a routine in place.
What inspired you to embrace your natural texture and how did it happen?
“Before the age of 21 I had a habit of straightening my hair for any event that involved photographs being taken. If I didn’t have time to do the 3 hour process of straightening my hair, I wasn’t going to that event. I would say I left my hair natural about 50% of the time and felt completely uncomfortable, ugly and unpresentable each and every one of those days. My self-esteem was highly intertwined with my hair’s appearance and my perception of it. I knew my hair was a feature that made me different all throughout my childhood, high school and early university years, but I just felt like I couldn’t get it to do what I wanted, when I wanted. That powerless kind of feeling. Then 2015 rolled around and life happened. Multiple life challenges, losses and hard times came my way and I distracted myself with random Youtube videos on all those sleepless nights (an anomaly I know many are familiar with”>. Then a recommended video popped up on my screen with a cover photo of a girl that had hair very similar to mine but it looked more polished and defined. Watching one tutorial led to watching dozens of natural hair tutorials.
Prior to that night I had never heard the phrases “natural hair care”, “curly hair routine”, “wash and go”, “deep conditioning”, “cowashing” and basically anything relating to the curly hair world. I had no idea that there was a way to maintain and even have some input into how my hair might turn out after washing it. What started out as implementing 1-2 natural hair tips that were successful, slowly turned into a start to finish wash day, weekly hair care routine. The regular compliments and questions, as well as feeling like I had found a new sense of self (a more confident, unique identity”> reflected by my loud hair, were the things that inspired me to truly embrace my natural hair. But initially, it was a lack of sleep, some time on my hands and being too lazy to continue to straighten my hair.”
August 2017: Hair growth.
What was your transitioning hair regimen?
I was fortunate enough to have avoided chemical processing, which meant that I only had minimal heat damage. My hair was at the perfect place to start my curly hair journey without having to deal with a major transition. I’ve also learned that a transitioning hair regimen is just a very intense healthy hair regimen. The regimen I learned to rely on during my short transition was:
- Finger coiling every single wash day; I found this sped up my transition as it trained my curls to spiral. Having type 3 hair meant that finger coiling could get me close to my natural hair texture anyway.
- Deep conditioning once a week.
- Switching to minimal/no sulphate shampoos and minimal/silicone free conditioners and stylers.
- Actually using hair products on wash day (I used to avoid hair product like the plague… I think we all remember that crunch from mousse a parent would put in our hair, eager to help”>.
- Cold rinsing my hair at the end of my showers.
- In-salon [Olaplex treatments](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SNM5US4/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwnaturallyc-20″> with after care at home.
- Regular hair cuts to get rid of the damaged areas slowly, while mostly maintaining my hair length.
- Limiting myself to once a week wash days, so that I would stop drying out my hair.
October 2017: Experimenting with simple curly hairstyles.
What are some mistakes you made along your curly hair journey, which you feel that others can learn from?
“The whole curly hair journey is really a process of trial and error. I made lots of mistakes, but that’s how I learned about what worked for my hair. The biggest mistake I ever made with my hair was actually well after I’d transitioned and even made my natural hair page. Life was getting busy and I was trying to find ways to break up the energy I had to put into my hair on wash day, but still maintaining a good hair care routine. I started to deep condition overnight with good results and continued to do this for about 6 consecutive wash days. What I didn’t know at the time was that I was slowly, but surely doing damage to my hair by throwing it into what is called “hygral fatigue“. I started to notice my hair becoming mushy, losing its structure, being extra frizzy no matter what I did and breaking off very easily. I definitely learned that there is truth to the phrase “too much of a good thing”. Curly hair routines are about learning to balance your hair and doing everything in moderation.”
November 2017: After a specialized curly haircut and discovering a beach hair routine.
What are your current favorite products?
I’m a confessed product junkie, so this is a hard one since I’m always on the hunt for a better product. However, my current and quite long-term favorites are (listed in the order I use them on wash day”>:
- Shampoo: Embrace for Every Curl Moisturising Shampoo
- Deep conditioner: Shea Moisture Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil Deep Conditioner
- Leave-in: Shea Moisture Shea Butter Extra Moisture Detangler
- Curl cream: Davroe’s Curl Defining Crème
- Gel: Bumble and bumble Anti-Humidity Gel-oil
- Oil: Embrace for Every Curl Hair and Body Oil
January 2018: Wearing her hair naturally curly.
What is some advice you would give to a curly girl that is transitioning?
Transitioning is a hard phase to be in – I skipped a lot of the hard parts, but I’ve helped some family and friends through it in person, so I have a good idea of the common struggles people experience. The first concept I explain to someone in the transitioning phase is that the natural hair journey is about more than just hair. It is about:
- A change in their perception of beauty: Being able to recognize that what you think is beautiful has actually been constructed for you over years of media exposure to certain images. The best solution to counter this and start to embrace one’s own natural hair is to make sure that you actively take control of what images you are being exposed to. Following dozens of curly hair pages on media that you use regularly and making sure you capture a variety of natural hair textures. Curly hair is beautiful because it is unpredictable, looks different every single day and no one can have the same exact hair as you. All those little bits and pieces we were encouraged to dislike about our hair are what make it so beautiful in reality.
- A journey of self-care and self-love. This is actually why I’m so passionate about natural hair. It’s because I have grown to believe (mostly from personal experience”> that the whole natural hair journey is a journey of learning to care and love yourself from the outside in. Looking after your natural hair can be a very therapeutic process because it teaches you to let go of things you can’t really control, see the beauty in imperfection and difference, investing time and energy into a part of yourself and nurturing it back to health. It teaches you that taking shortcuts rarely works and that you have to listen to the needs of your hair as it present itself and work with what it’s trying to tell/show you. So, take your time on wash day, find a way to make it enjoyable rather than frustrating and remember that the journey to healthy natural hair is an investment in yourself.
- Finding or creating your own support network. When I started my hair journey, Youtube was my friend. Natural hair pages on instagram were far and few. Those people transitioning now are so lucky to have access to an active and live community that they can ask questions to in real time. I’ve made so many amazing friends because the natural hair community is a very unique. It is so unbelievably supportive of anyone who wants to be part of it. It’s a very positive place to find help, to find support when you are lost with your hair and a place that really empowers women and men from all parts of the world and backgrounds.
For more tips about transitioning and inspiration in your natural hair journey, follow Mandy on Instagram at @thecurlcomplex. Her page is filled with helpful information and motivational posts.
Read more about Type 3 curls: [Best Hairstyles and Products for Type 3 Curly Hair](https://www.beautycon.com/article/best-hairstyles-and-products-for-type-3-curly-hair”> [This Is What 20 Photos of 3b Hair Looks Like](https://www.beautycon.com/curlreading/curly-hair-type-3b/this-is-what-20-photos-of-3b-hair-looks-like”> [20 Curlies Rocking Their 3C Hair!](https://www.beautycon.com/article/20-curlies-rocking-their-3c-hair”>
Photo credit: Roberto Ligresti
Lorraine Massey means a lot to me and many curly girls and boys around the world. Many years ago, she pioneered a worldwide curl revolution when she wrote Curly Girl: The Handbook. She also founded the popular Devachan Salons and cofounded the DevaCurl product line for curly hair, which so many of us love! I strongly believe that it will be no different now with her brand-new Silver Hair: A Handbook. When you hear Lorraine speak or read her honest words on paper, you can attest to the fact that kindness, self-acceptance, and authenticity are at the very core of who she is. I’ve had the pleasure of talking with her about what she’s been up to, all things curly hair, future plans and of course: Silver Curls!
Lorraine, it has been a while since you wrote Curly Girl: The Handbook. What changes have you witnessed in the world of curls since then?
A lot has happened. With the growth of social media, globalization, and the beautiful cross-pollination of cultures, curly girls and boys around the world are now embracing their authentic selves and their natural curls like never before. It’s so exciting to see the many beautiful textures emerging! We are finally realizing and respecting that what we have naturally is far more magnificent than the conformed straightened hair that had become the norm for decades. Naturally curly hair had been both overlooked and forgotten for far too long. Sometimes when we don’t understand certain things that nature gives us, we take it personally, ignore it or in our extreme efforts in trying to control the uncontrollable, make it unhealthy, exhaustive, unsustainable and expensive. I truly believe we are only at the tip of the curly iceberg.
What has changed for you personally and what are your plans for the future?
- I left Deva in 2013 because it was time for me to try something new and branch out.
- There’s a project for an updated version of Curly Girl: The Handbook for 2020.
- In April 2018, after a few years of researching and developing, I’ll be proudly introducing my curated curl potions under my new company, CurlyWorld™. This is a Curly Girl line that offers more natural ingredients with a lower PH. I’m going back to simplicity, back to the basic 3 steps. However, I do have quite a few new disruptive curl products and curl centric implements in the works, all dedicated to making the lifestyle of curlies logically easier.
- I’m opening a brand new Salon Atelier in Tribeca called “Spiral (x,y”>”, offering Immersive CurlbyCurl™️ workshops for Stylists who are eager for more. The salon will offer Hair Be & Be™ residencies for qualified curl stylists who live all over the world and would like to spend a weekend or a week or two at “Spiral (x,y”>” in New York City.
- I’ll be offering a sacred space for curly girls under the hijab, because I find Muslim women multifaceted, exciting, beautiful and sensual. In today’s overexposed world, they maintain a slight mystery, confidence and an intelligence to reserve their beauty where it is relevant in their culture and so many are fabulously curly.
- I plan to host Sunday schools for curly girls aged 6 to 15 and for moms & dads with curly babies, including neighborhood collaborations that the whole family will enjoy.
- Lastly, but not least: I’m so happy to announce Silver Hair: A Handbook! My co-author Michele Bender and I had a lot of fun with this book. It took time and patience for all the beautiful women in the book to use the various techniques to embrace their natural hair color and stick with it, but amazingly, only one of our dozens and dozens of beauties decided it was not her time.
What has inspired you to write a new book about Silver Hair?
Any form of natural hair texture and color inspires me. It can be far more beautiful than anything manufactured, especially if it’s allowed to be nurtured and cultivated to its full potential. When something so natural is worn with confidence, cut and tailored to its organic form, it’s like walking art! When you are not chasing the hair texture you don’t have and embrace what you have, your life becomes easier and so does the maintenance. The Silver Hair Handbook is almost the same as The Curly Girl Handbook in its essence, which is to uncover and discover the beauty of loving and accepting the hair you do have. Right at the beginning of the curly movement, stylists were afraid that they were going to lose money by not blowdrying every curly girl’s hair and yet the absolute opposite has happened. I feel the same will happen with offering a new service for Silver Hair transitions. In more than three decades as a hairstylist, I’ve talked to countless women who wanted to grow out their dyed hair and get out of the coloring cycle, but many didn’t because they saw a stigma surrounding silver hair. We now see that many young women and men are actually dyeing their hair silver, so it has become even more acceptable to embrace this natural hue. This is great news for all the women who actually have it naturally and are looking for a way to escape their colored roots! Like curly hair, once I realized that many women were secretly desiring this kind of freedom, I knew it was time for a show and tell book.
Here we are in 2018. We are making great technological strides beyond our planet, so why are frizz, curls and silver hair still misunderstood?
It always goes back to our education! In cosmetology school, hairstylists and colorists are not trained in curls & silver hair. Our training is to eliminate anything we don’t understand by either straightening curls or painting over any sign of gray hair. In hair school, if a toner turned gray, it was considered a big mistake and now we ironically chase this very elusive tone. Most colorists know that silver/gray toners can often disappear as soon as it reaches the outside atmosphere. So, basically, we had little to education to offer and encourage our loyal clients who had natural curly or silver hair. Since hair is a part of nature, we are still figuring it out as we go and grow.
What is one misconception about transitioning to silver and how do you address it?
A lot of women think you must go cold turkey and live with a big skunk line of demarcation, but as the book says, there are various ways to embrace your natural hue with style. One of the aims of this book is to encourage younger women to embrace their silver from the very first strand and to embrace their silver, metallic, platinum or white strands as another gorgeous natural hair color without feeling pressured to cover the first time they see a light peeking through.
Do silver curls behave differently? And what basic routine changes need to happen to better nourish them?
Silver hair and especially silver curly hair can be dryer or coarser in general, so the way you care for your hair has an impact. Today it’s well known that most shampoos are detergent-based and full of Sodium Laurel Sulfate, which is universally known as a skin irritant. It makes the hair deoxidize, frizz, dry out and turn yellow. For the healthiest silver and curly hair, you should:
- Use 100% sulfate-free cleansers.
- Co-wash if you can’t find a satisfactory sulfate-free cleanser.
- Avoid brushes and high heat tools, such as flat irons and blowdryers.
- Avoid silicone-based conditioners, gels, and oils. These dehydrate and deplete the hair of any natural luster. Use silicone-free conditioners and stylers only.
- Silver hair is very susceptible to yellowing, so you should add a blue conditioning toner, such as With or Without Hue™ by CurlyWorld. This is a Conditioner for silver, blonde, or b’lorange toned hair.
Whatever hair type you may have, if you are consistent in this approach, your hair will appear to be exponentially healthier, allowing the color, shape, and texture to really shine.
What are the benefits of going silver?
- You get precious time back.
- You gain peace of mind knowing that you are not on the color conveyer belt.
- You will save a lot of money! We call this “silvernomics” in the book.
- You reap the health benefits of both yourself and your hair. You’ll be healthier without all those color chemicals.
- Our environment will be much healthier because you’re not sending all those chemicals down the drain and into our waterways.
- Surprisingly, all tones of silver hair look great on almost everyone.
As I mentioned above, all the women with whom we collaborated in the book discovered benefits that were more than hair deep. They were motivated to take better care of themselves, they did some soul searching and felt more released from false expectations. Some of the women in the book said they receive more compliments now on their natural hue than they ever did with dyed hair.
Do you have any tips or words of encouragement to curlies who are feeling insecure about going silver or just getting started?
- Have the patience to know that this is going to be a process. Curly hair seems to grow slower because it grows out in a circular motion rather than straight down. It doesn’t really grow slower because our roots are a visual proof of that, but it may seem like it’s taking longer to grow out your silver. Curly hair helps blend the line of demarcation better than unnaturally straightened hair because a flattened hair surface exposes everything you are trying to hide.
- Give it time! I know firsthand that it’s not always easy. Because the dyed hair is still attached (almost like a chemical straightener growing out of curly hair”>, I struggled together with countless silver sirens during the first few months of growth. Once you get a better view of your new, undyed hair, it starts to reveal the potential that lies ahead.
- Do not put any pressure on yourself. The obstacles might be in your head, not on it!
- Don’t let your mind go to a place where you already hear everyone and their reactions to you doing this (even though you haven’t done it yet”>. Be positive and confident about your decision to go silver.
- If you are covering your roots every 2-3 weeks, it means your color grow-out may be just as quick too! Try allowing one strand of silver hair to shine and grow out first, so that you can acquaint yourself with what lies beneath, then color the rest. At least you are not denying that you are silver, but gently integrating yourself with the possible idea of allowing your light to shine through.
- If you’re not having fun with your color anymore and you see it as ‘that time of the month’ or you are doing this by default, try to find a colorist to help with your transition. Look for support on social media. Search for Silver Hair groups that are helping each other: #silverhair #silvercurls #silverhairahandbook. Countless Silver Foxes will attest that “there is life after dyeing!”
If you are interested in finding support as you transition to silver curls, there is a beautiful worldwide Facebook support group available: Curly Silvers. If you haven’t purchased your copy of Silverhair: A Handbook yet, I definitely recommend it! It’s a stunning, empowering and inspiring book. I stopped coloring my hair 2 years ago and as my silver lights begin to peek through, I am more inspired than ever to embrace them after reading this beautiful piece.
Are you going grey? Share your experience with us in the comments below.
Follow Lorraine on Instagram for more of her curly adventures!
Routine, routine, routine! Wash, detangle, style, dry and repeat! It sounds like a lot of hard work for curly hair, hours upon hours indeed!
How many minutes did you spend brushing your teeth, having a shower, walking the dog or even putting away dishes this week?
You probably don’t know, because they are just little healthy actions that form part of a daily or weekly routine. In the same way, promoting the health of your curls can happen once you establish a routine that works for your hair. Establishing the exact routine that works for you will take some time, but after some persistence, you won’t even notice the small things you will be doing to maintain the health of your curls.
It took me about six months to learn and adapt different techniques to find the exact routine that works best for my 3A/B curly hair. As seasons and circumstances change, so does the routine ever-so-slightly. Initially, I would need to wash my hair every second or third day, but now I only need to wash and style my curls once or twice weekly. My curls are coarse and low to normal porosity. The routine I’m going to share here is quite simple and easy to practice – it works for any porosity as well. Let’s go straight into what the week looks like for my curls!
Wash Day
It’s wash day, finally!
Wash days usually happen on Saturdays for me, because this is when I deep condition my curls. I cleanse my scalp with Devacurl No Poo Decadence in Autumn-Winter or Original in Spring-Summer.
I pour the product onto the tips of my fingers after fully wetting my hair and massage my scalp for about 4-5 minutes – this is essential for a clean scalp. Then, I proceed to detangle my curls with the No Poo as well. I apply a generous amount to my lengths and add more water to my hair – this creates good slip, which reduces friction. I finger detangle my curls in sections, working in a downward motion, starting from the ends, all the way to the roots.
Finally, I rinse all the No Poo off, remove the excess of water and apply a generous amount of deep conditioner to my curls, working in sections.
Once my hair is saturated with deep conditioner, I cover my head with a plastic cap and use my warm Hot Head thermal cap on top. I allow my hair to soak in all the moisture with gentle heat for 30-40 minutes.
Styling & Drying Techniques
After rinsing all the deep conditioner from my hair, I begin the product application process in the shower, with the help of a shower mirror.
The majority of the time I use 3 products for this:
- a primer,
- a leave-in cream/conditioner or styling cream
- a custard/gel
Step 1. I soak my hair in water by flipping my head forward and quickly allowing the water from the shower to run through my curls like a waterfall, one last time. The curls are dripping wet at this point. Why do I do this? To enable better hydration. Water is hydration and the products will seal the water into my curls. Curls need to drink and by doing this, I am giving them what they need.
Step 2. With my head flipped over, I apply a thin layer of a primer – my go-to primer is Devacurl B’Leave-in. Once I apply this product using the “praying hands” method, the curls stop dripping immediately because the water has been sealed in.
Step 3. I apply a layer of either leave-in cream or styling cream to my curls with the “praying hands” method. I never use both leave-in and styling cream, because this would be too much product for me. After applying the cream to my hair with praying hands, I gently rake my hair once to ensure even distribution – if I notice that I don’t have enough slip (a “seaweed” feeling”> in a specific section, I add more cream. The secret with raking for me is that I only rake the product once and no more. Too much raking will break up the curls and they will become limp once dry. Once all my sections feel like seaweed, I move on to the next step.
Step 4. With the “praying hands” method, I apply a generous layer of gel or custard – I tend to use gels in Spring-Summer and custards in Autumn-Winter. At this point, there is no more raking. I simply use the “scrunch and pump” method, with my head flipped forward, for extra volume. Scrunch and pump is a beautiful technique for natural curl formation because it doesn’t manipulate the curls to try and make them behave in a certain way. It simply activates them, rather quickly. I scrunch each section and pump them several times while hearing a very wet, squishy sound. The pumping motion helps to disperse all the water and product further into the hair while activating natural ringlets.
Step 5. I do a “wet plop”. Wet plopping is very practical to avoid frizz. I learned about it from hif3licia on Youtube. It simply means to plop with a plastic cap rather than a shirt. Wet plopping has been a game changer for me. It allows all the product to soak into the hair while I’m getting ready to dry my hair.
Step 6. I remove my hair from the cap and use a hooded dryer to dry my curls with a temperature of 125°F/52°C. My hair takes about 8 hours to air dry and becomes weighed down with all the waiting, so a hooded dryer is a necessity for me. The hooded dryer dries my curls in 1 hour or slightly less – the wonder of a hooded dryer is the fact that you can control the temperature. The temperature mentioned above is considered safe for frequent use. It is the equivalent of the lowest heat setting in your handheld dryer with a diffuser. If I have a special event in the making, I usually diffuse until 70% dry for extra volume and definition, then I finish drying my roots under the hooded dryer.
Step 7. I scrunch out the crunch. I like to use custards and gels that create a crunchy cast on my curls while they are drying for extra protection against frizz. Once my hair is 100% dry, I scrunch out the crunch using the same “scrunch and pump” method I described in step 4. I rub some conditioner on my hands and then scrunch and pump until the curls are soft and ready to go. To me, this resembles the exciting moment of opening a box full of flowers, because once you scrunch out the crunch, you get to see the amazing outcome of all the hard work you’ve applied to make it happen.
Results with the hooded dryer.
Results with the diffuser.
Preserving Curls Overnight
To preserve my curls overnight, I do something very unique. After much disappointment with the pineapple, clipping or even a silk cap on its own, I decided to create my own giant silk cap to allow my curls to be preserved after wash day, while they are growing.
I decided to sew a silk cap and a silk pillowcase together to create space for my curls overnight while avoiding frizz. Besides this, I also use a silk pillowcase on my pillow to avoid friction.
This method allows my curls to last 3 to 4 days, completely untouched. It is the only method that works for me. You can watch how I preserve my curls overnight here:
Middle of The Week
In the middle of the week (usually Wednesdays”>, you will either see me washing my curls or refreshing. Most of the time I prefer to wash again because I feel the need to properly detangle some knots and avoid shedding accumulation. When I wash midweek, I don’t deep condition. I follow all the steps I described above, replacing the deep conditioner with a normal conditioner.
If I decide to refresh, Kinky-Curly Spiral Spritz is the only product that works for me, together with whatever gel I’m using at the time.
I simply wet my hair at 50% level, squishing the water through my length, and then apply a generous amount of the Spritz, followed by a layer of gel. I use the “praying hands” method for this. Whether washed or refreshed, my curls usually last another 3 days untouched and the next time I wash after this is usually on the weekend, once again.
You can watch how I refresh my curls with beautiful results here:
My Top 3 Tips for Curly Hair
Throughout this journey I have learned many things about curls and based on them, these are my top 3 tips for curly hair:
- Avoid high heat. A heat temperature that is above 149°F/65°C is considered dangerous for hair fibers. A safe temperature for curls is the equivalent of a hair dryer with a diffuser on low heat.
- Detangle your curls with your fingers. This is always better and gentler than using a comb. Use a lot of water with conditioner and work your way up in a downward motion, starting from the ends.
- Set time aside weekly to deep condition. Deep conditioners have ingredients that allow deeper penetration for repair. Setting time aside to deep condition your curls at least once weekly is highly important.
Establishing a healthy routine in life is essential for healthy living. This is also applicable to the way we care for our hair. Curls are like flowers. Feed them right and use the right techniques with persistence, and you will see them flourish.
Do you have an established routine for your curls? Let me know in the comments below.
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When I was a little girl back in Brazil, I remember pulling my hair in tears and asking my mother why she had made me with curly hair, because I really didn’t like it. My father had beautiful 4a coily hair and my mother had gorgeous 2b waves. Both brushed their hair constantly and never learned about texture care, so it’s no wonder that I had the same attitude with my 3a+b curly hair.
I lost count of how many times my curls were brushed for photos or blow-dried for church and weddings, because no one had any idea about appropriate ways to take care of my hair, including me.
I grew up believing that I was born with the wrong kind of hair in comparison to what the media portrayed, so I decided to chemically straighten it when I was a teenager (from 13 years old up to 18, retouching every single month”>. “You look so much better with straight hair” was a phrase I heard a lot. Eventually, I became tired of doing touch-ups monthly. The smells were toxic and I wanted to break the cycle, so at the age of 18, I did a big chop.
Teenager me, with chemically straightened hair.
So, there I was, with a blessed head full of curls, but still completely oblivious to the appropriate ways to care for them. This whole misconception of frustration with my hair continued until December 2016, but not anymore! What a powerful thing to say: NOT ANYMORE!
At the very core of my being, I feel like I am walking the unexplored road. I feel as though by walking this journey, I am exploring uncharted territories. I am the only one in a textured hair family who is embracing her curly identity at full speed after 30 years of living. Isn’t this what the entire natural hair journey is about? Self-acceptance. It is about self-acceptance because the very texture that grows out from our scalps have a lot to say about who we are and where we came from. It is my honor and pride to embrace who I am completely. My hope is that by reading about my journey, you can feel empowered to do the same!
My full head of natural curls before The Curly Girl Method in December 2016.
(Notice that the curls were stretched, dehydrated and undefined”>
The Starting Point
As a last resort before deciding to shave my head, I decided to have a dry curly haircut with a local Sydney hairdresser in December 2016 after recommendations from a curlfriend.
As I sat in the hairdresser’s chair and she began to cut my hair curl by curl, she talked about “co-washing” and “squish to condish”. She sent me home with an article to read, which spoke about The Curly Girl Method. Right then and there my curly haired life began to change for the better. I purchased The Curly Girl Handbook, joined a few Facebook support groups and decided to dive head-first into every single principle of The Curly Girl Method.
I removed all the build-up from my hair, by doing a final sulfate wash. After this, I stopped using Sulfates, Silicones, brushes, and straighteners. I began co-washing with Devacurl No Poo Decadence and One Condition Decadence after coming across Ayesha Malik’s YouTube channel. I styled my hair with Kinky-Curly Knot Today Leave-in Conditioner and Kinky-Curly Curling Custard using the “squish to condish” and “super soaker” methods consistently. I also deep conditioned my hair once weekly using Devacurl Heaven in Hair. These products and techniques became my staples during the following winter months and I never looked back, not even once!
How Being Informed Changed Everything
The change in my hair was progressive and consistent, but it didn’t just stop there. I wanted to learn and become educated about everything related to curls, because I believe in the power of information. I wanted to be able to read an ingredient list and have a better idea of what that product could do for my hair.
I decided to spend my spare time doing extensive research about the science of curly hair and ingredient functions in products, using online resources from The Hair Science-y Blog and my university library. As the months went by, I gained more understanding about my curls.
3 months into The Curly Girl Method, in early 2017.
(Notice that the curls are tight, hydrated, and well defined”>
During that time, I created my Instagram profile as a space dedicated to curls. I wanted to connect with other women who were searching for the same answers that I was. To my pleasant surprise, I came across so many supportive, educative and empowering women! Curly hair became my normal language and I have learned so much from this beautiful community. I am here for the journey and I feel blessed to walk it with others.
My Hair Analysis
During the second semester of 2017, I decided to have a hair analysis done with Wendy (scientist”>, who is the writer of the Hair Science-y Blog, to fully understand the properties of my hair. This was a pivotal moment in my journey because she educated me about all the features of my hair, my current hair condition and how I could further improve it with suitable ingredients in products. I was fascinated by it! If you are searching for answers about your hair porosity, elasticity, width and suitable ingredients in products, this is something I highly recommend. A hair analysis can help you by providing a shortcut from spending high amounts of money with product trial and error.
My Education
A final pivotal moment for me was purchasing the Cultivate Your Curls online course by curl expert Scott Musgrave. Scott is an extremely knowledgeable and humble man who fully understands curly hair and loves what he does. What I love the most about Scott is that he is accessible to answer any questions we may have throughout the course, and the course is life-long, with continuity of support. I feel blessed to live in such a time and age where I can access this resource, especially because I live in Australia and attending an appointment with Scott is something that wouldn’t be possible for me. His MAP Method of product application was the final step I needed to cultivate my curls and have even better results in my haircare routine.
If you are searching for a mentor in your journey who has the expertise to guide you in embracing your curls, I recommend the Cultivate Your Curls online course. This is a one-time purchase that will transform your curls for the rest of your life. I know this because it transformed mine. I am very grateful for the opportunity of being mentored by Scott.
My full head of healthy curls, in late November 2017.
Community Support
Community support is very important when you are in the journey of embracing your natural hair, especially during a transition period. I believe in the effectiveness of inspiration and accountability during difficult and victorious times. To finish off, I would like to share about seven people that I have been encouraged by. They have been beacons of inspiration to me in my journey and I feel privileged to have had the chance to get to know a lot of them. They are full of knowledge, love for people and passion for natural hair, just like I am:
- Verna – Verna is a catalyst in the natural hair community. Her knowledge of hair science and ingredients surpass the limitation of texture. She is always extremely humble and willing to help others in their journeys with grace and integrity. You won’t regret following her on Instagram.
- Ayesha Malik – Ayesha was the very first Youtube curly girl who inspired me to find higher standards of products for my hair. She has stunning hair, but not just that. She is the real deal. She has a heart of gold.
- Alyson – Alyson is a knowledgeable wavy who shares her knowledge on YouTube and Instagram. What I love the most about her is that she connects with people and explains things in ways that are easy to understand.
- Evan Joseph – Evan Joseph is a curl stylist and founder of Evan Joseph Salon. His passion for natural textures is contagious and he is so talented! Follow him for curl knowledge and inspiration.
- The Curl Complex – She’s a curly girl in Australia who posts on her Instagram to inspire and empower women with natural hair all over the world. She was one of the first curlies with whom I connected on Instagram.
- Mysti – She’s a beautiful 2c-3a Aussie curly girl with whom I’ve been doing the curly journey with. She knows a lot and loves learning new things, just like I do. She is always willing to answer questions and help people to embrace their hair.
- Anjana – She’s a curly girl who blogs about curls in India. What I love the most about her is her honesty in her product reviews and journey overall. She’s a beautiful woman who loves to help others.
Since witnessing the change that curl education fostered for my curly hair, I have made a commitment to pay it forward. Over 65% of people around the world were born with either wavy, curly or coily hair. My dream is that by sharing my story and the things I have come to learn, you will feel confident and empowered to fully embrace your hair texture. Curl education allowed me to finally accept my hair and transformed the way I care for its health. Now, there is no turning back!
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Follow Lindsay Wilson (curlygirlinz”> on Instagram for more on her hair journey!
Hot chocolate while sitting romantically in front of a log fire. Coats, jackets, boots and so many fun fashion opportunities. Winter has always been a kind friend to me. My curly hair, on the other hand, would be difficult to deal with. The dry and cold air, the low dew points that led to frizz, frustration and not knowing what to do. This was my life for 29 years before I was equipped with the knowledge to take care of my ringlets. Instead of embracing the beauty of my natural curls, I would hide them under a beanie or hat, or have them constantly wrapped in a tight bun. Just as it is with our body’s health, when we don’t take care of our hair’s health, winter becomes a harsh friend that steals joy.
The constant exposure to cold temperatures, frequent rubbing against woolen clothing material and wearing knitted head accessories can cause environmental and mechanical damage to curly hair.
So, how can we keep our curls healthy during Winter?
In the very same way we keep our bodies healthy: by embracing and nourishing them.
Scott Musgrave, Founder of Curly Hair Artistry and Creator of the Cultivate Your Curls Online Course says: “Once you accept the reality of your hair changing in dry air – you then learn to embrace it with taking care of it, instead of trying to make it do what you wish you could have or had in humidity. Embracing reality is a mindset that prepares you for ideal hair later on more so than in the now with an instant gratification that many adhere to.”
I would like to share with you five helpful practices that I implement consistently throughout my Winter routine in order to keep my 3a+b curls nourished, healthy and thriving. My hope is that they can be somewhat helpful to you in your curly girl journey.
1. Pre-wash oil treatments with Avocado oil once weekly, 8-12 hours before washing (overnight”>:
Avocado oil is a hair penetrating oil. I’ve had misconceptions about the effectiveness of oil treatments in the past because often I would simply use too much and would end up with greasy hair, even after a wash. Wendy (scientist”> of Hair Science-y Blog performs hair analysis, and taught me that using just enough oil to make the hair shiny 8-12 hours prior to washing (once weekly”> is very effective without the greasy feeling. She also helped me to understand that hair penetrating oils have the ability to balance the hair (they help to avoid porous ends all year round”>, enhance flexibility, softness and weight. According to superfoods researcher Jim Dillan from Superfood Profiles, Avocado oil is also helpful for dry weather because it’s rich in monosaturated fats. It has a highly nourishing and protective effect against environmental stressors.
2. Co-wash using a cleanser and conditioner that contain a balanced amount of hydrolyzed protein:
Hydrolyzed proteins help curls by keeping them hydrated, because they form a film on the hair. They slow down water loss. During Winter months I like to co-wash my curls with Devacurl No Poo Decadence and One Condition Decadence. This perfect duo is very concentrated for extra moisture and contains balanced levels of Hydrolyzed Quinoa protein. Protein is also great for keeping the hair strong and flexible. During Winter months I tend to leave more conditioner than usual on my hair before styling. This helps to keep my curls hydrated for longer and less affected by the dry weather.
3. Deep moisture treatments twice weekly:
During Spring and Summer you would see me having a Deep Conditioning treatment once weekly, but due to the demands of the dry weather in Winter, I feel that my curls do really well with a deep conditioning routine twice weekly for extra moisture and elasticity. I like to use Devacurl Heaven in Hair whenever I have a chance. It is one of my holy grails for deep conditioning. It has some of the best ingredients for my hair, such as Cetrimonium Chloride (it can penetrate beyond the cuticle layers for deeper effects”>, Cetearyl Alcohol (moisturizer to soften curls, improve slip, and help hair retain moisture”> and Behentrimonium Chloride (for slip, softness, flexibility and definition”>. I always deep condition my hair after it has been cleansed because this helps with better penetration. I section my hair in the shower with the help of a shower mirror and apply generous amounts of deep conditioner. Then I use a heated cap for at least 30 minutes and rinse off most of it. I always feel a difference in the softness, elasticity and definition of my hair afterwards.
4. Occasional protein treatments using small proteins for 30 minutes:
As I mentioned above, balanced levels of protein are very helpful for curls. Due to having coarse hair and already using some protein when I co-wash during Winter, I usually do a deep protein treatment once every 2 months. Fine and Medium haired curlies can use protein treatments once monthly. One of my favorite products for protein treatments is Curly Hair Solutions Pure Silk Protein Deep Moisturizing Treatment because it has a small protein (Silk Amino Acids”>. This is perfect for any kind of hair, including coarse hair like mine. I apply protein treatments, in the same way, I apply deep moisture treatments in the shower, but I only leave the treatment on my hair using gentle indirect heat for 30 minutes, before rinsing fully.
5. Use moisturizing styling products that contain film-forming humectants:
Film-forming humectants act in a similar way to hydrolyzed proteins by slowing down the loss of water. My holy grails for Winter are Kinky-Curly Knot Today Leave-in Conditioner and Kinky-Curly Curling Custard. Knot Today contains Behentrimonium Methosulfate, which is great for maximum slip and weight. It also has film-forming humectants such as Slippery Elm and Marshmallow Root. The custard is also very rich in film-forming humectants, moisturizing and it enhances a lot of shine. I apply Knot Today on soaking wet hair after leaving some conditioner in. Then I use the custard to finish. Finally, I gently diffuse my curls on low heat and airflow until 70-80% dry. Wet hair for long periods can be difficult to deal with during cold months, so a diffuser is helpful. Once my hair is fully dry, I scrunch out the custard’s cast using a very small amount of Avocado oil one last time, focusing especially on the ends for a protection boost against the weather and clothing material.
Dealing with Winter dryness doesn’t have to be a stressful feat. By consistently embracing and nourishing our curls, we can have beautiful hydrated hair regardless of what is happening with the weather outside. It all stems from a patient approach of understanding what our hair needs.
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Follow Lindsay Wilson (curlygirlinz”> on Instagram for more on her hair journey!
How do you combat Winter dryness? Let me know in the comments below.
