Curly hair is beautiful, challenging, and without a doubt nuanced. Unlike straight hair, curly hair is prone to frizz, flyaways, and dryness. But don’t get the wrong idea, it’s a love-hate. We love our curly locks because they’re so uniquely gorgeous and they give us stunning volume and dimension, but they can also be so irritating! One day your curly hair is bouncy and defined and the next day it's a frizzy mess.
Herein lies the topic of today’s blog post. Today we’ll be discussing how to take care of curly hair. The tips we share come from expert hair stylists. We’ll even include some of our favorite products that we offer here at Optima Beauty. Now, let’s get into it!
Hair Washing and The Best Shampoo for Curly Hair
Hair washing is a topic that always comes up when we talk about curly hair care. When it comes to hair washing, there is no one-size-fits-all! While one of your friends might have luscious locks despite washing their hair every day, this is not typically the reality for curly hair! The greatest challenge with curly hair is frizz and dryness. And, every time you wash your hair, the natural oils from your scalp are stripped away. While cleaning your scalp is important to ensuring a healthy scalp and establishing a blank slate for styling, it’s important not to over-cleanse your hair!
Dre Demmry-Sanders is a professional hair stylist based in Brooklyn, New York and she recommends washing your hair at least once weekly. Physical activity levels, styling, and the products you use will all determine how frequently you cleanse your hair, but at minimum, you should wash your hair once weekly.
Our best shampoo for curly hair recommendations include the following:
Each of these shampoos offers a low lather so that they won’t strip your hair! They offer gentle cleansing that’ll fight build up, while leaving curls healthier and defined.
Conditioner for Curly Hair and How to Use It the Right Way
We all know how to use a conditioner, right? Well it turns out that probably isn’t exactly true.
Prepare for everything you’ve thought or been told to be completely debunked! Do you leave your conditioner for curly hair on longer in hopes of having smoother and softer hair? Well, it turns out that this might be doing more harm than good. Shocking, right? We aren’t talking about leaving it on for just a few minutes. We’re talking about applying conditioner as a treatment and leaving it on for longer than suggested on the bottle (usually 2 to 5 minutes).
Professional hair stylist Dre Demmry-Sanders says that when you leave your conditioner on for too long it can result in clogged cuticles and difficulty absorbing styling products. It turns out it is important to use your hair conditioner for curly hair exactly as directed and to rinse it out thoroughly to avoid creating a barrier caused by excess build-up on the lengths of your hair.
At Optima Beauty, we recommend the following conditioners for curly hair:
- Truss Curly Conditioner
- DevaCurl Curlbond Re-Coiling Cream Conditioner
- Living Proof Curl Conditioner
Conditioners for curly hair work to provide weightless hydration that makes detangling easy to prevent the breakage of delicate curls. Not only that, but they make curls significantly stronger! The DevaCurl Curlbond even re-coils curls to enhance definition and reduce frizz.
Detangling with a Leave-In Conditioner for Curly Hair
Curly hair girls know the struggle! Detangling is never a fun or easy task. And, the tendency might be to avoid this task altogether, as brushing out your curls inevitably results in frizzy and shapeless curls. That’s why, we always recommend detangling your hair both before and after washing, even if that only occurs every few days!
When detangling your hair before showering, it’s important to take special care to avoid breakage. Sectioning hair, using the right tools, and applying a moisturizing product will all help reduce hair manipulation that leads to breakage!
When detangling your hair before showering we recommend using a wide toothed comb, water, and a detangling spray or leave-in conditioner. You may think that leave-in conditioners are only to be used after showering, but when mixed with water they’re great for creating the slip you need to detangle hair gently and avoid breakage! Also, always remember to detangle from tip to root.
This same process of applying leave-in conditioner for curly hair should be used directly after showering! Applying a high quality leave-in conditioner will leave textured curls and ringlets more defined and moisturized, while fighting frizz and tangles.
Here are our recommended detanglers and leave-in conditioners for curly hair:
- AG Hair Care Conditioning Mist Detangling Spray Moisture
- Skala Expert Mais Cachos Hair Creme
- DevaCurl Leave-In Decadence Moisturizing Leave-In Conditioner
- Truss Curl Enhancer Leave-In
Of all the curly hair products, leave-in conditioner for curly hair is amongst the most important! This is one product and step of curly hair care that you should never skip. Each of these products is designed to protect your hair from breakage and leave curls looking shiny, defined, and healthy!
Other Tips and When to Apply Curly Hair Care
Here are a few bonus tips that we couldn’t help but share with you!
To protect your curls overnight, there is no one-size-fits-all method. However, here is one you can try! Start by simply tying your hair up on the very top of your head loosely with a scrunchie. Next, take a silk scarf or wrap and wrap it around your head. You’ll also want to consider investing in a silk pillowcase. These can be a major game changer for hair, as they reduce both frizz and breakage.
Leave your curls alone between washes! Touching and playing with your hair will lead to a frizzy mess. We know it’s tempting, but resist the urge!
When applying curly hair care products, always apply them to wet hair! Even if you’re using the best curl activator or a leave-in conditioner for curly hair, it’s important to always apply them to wet hair. This will ensure reduced frizz, enhanced curls, and a defined hair texture.
Conclusion
Curly hair care is definitely a nuanced process that can feel frustrating and costly! But, when done right, it is well worth the effort. And while we know that everyone's hair is different, each of these tips come from expert hair stylists that are experienced with curly hair. Take special care when washing, conditioning, and detangling by investing in the right curly hair products and using them the right way!
At Optima Beauty, our collection includes some of the best curly hair care products. Discover our collection today and be sure to let us know if this guide helped!