Working with curly hair is truly an art form. It can be extremely stubborn and inconsistent and downright rude sometimes!!

After years of straightening out my kinks, I have fallen back in love with my natural lioness locks. Still slightly confused as to why I ever hated them so much growing up!

I have finally come up with a routine that yields pretty consistent results as long as I don’t try to rush the process!

I have found day 2 and 3 hair is my absolute favorite. The curls have fallen just slightly and the roots hold their volume so much better!

My Hair Care Routine 

First and foremost the most import part of this whole post is the shampooing and conditioning process!

This is a step I’ve recently learned {this post should be called things I wish I’d known about curly hair}

#1 Shampoo 

When shampooing only apply the shampoo to the roots and scrub the scalp. Shampoo tends to strip your hair of its natural oils so you want to try and avoid the ends which tend to already be dry and damaged.

Use a good moisturizing shampoo that is sulfate and paragon free! Deva Curl Original is my shampoo and conditioner of choice. It’s great stuff and made specifically for curly hair.

{This is not a sponsored post… this is just the brand I’m currently loving!}

Limit how much you wash your hair! The worse thing you can do is wash your hair every day!!!

#2 Conditioning 

A while back I did some research on curly hair and found out that you are supposed to massage the conditioner from the roots to the ends. Who knew!!..butttt it makes perfect sense. If you’ve ever seen hair under a microscope you’ll see a scale like texture. When you massage the conditioner into your hair you are smoothing those scales flat. Smooth scales means smooth freeze free hair!

It is important to make sure every stand gets conditioned so separating your hair in sections and applying the conditioner is important.

As I apply the conditioner I detangle with my fingers then smooth the strands down over and over.

This process is easier in the bathtub. Once I’ve conditioned my whole head I clip my hair up and let the conditioner work its magic.

#3 Rinse in COLD water

Cold water locks in the moisture and has been the key to repairing my hair. I rinse my hair on the coldest setting possible … I do this leaning over the side of the tub after a hot bath because I’m in no way submerging myself in ice cold water!

Lightly ring out hair. You want to keep your hair dripping wet. I wear a towel wrap while my hair dries. I’ve found that even a shirt can absorb too much water from my hair and the curls don’t turn out as pretty.

DO NOT PUT HAIR IN A TOWEL. I use to always wrap my hair in a towel to avoid the cold water dripping down my back. What I didn’t realize is the towel completely dries your hair out leaving you with a frizzy nightmare.

Healthy springy curls need lots of moisture!

Styling

#1 Curl Creme and Moose

Just as I condition my hair I apply the conditioning creme and moose.

Separate your hair into sections and make sure every strand gets coated in product. Don’t go too heavy on your moose you’ll end up with extra crunchy hair. 

I use the Deva Curl styling creme and have found the TRESemme extra hold moose works fine for me.

If your hair starts drying out spritz with water… this is very important. As annoying as it is you want your hair dripping wet.

I typically stand on a towel as I work the product to contain the dripping mess. If your hair isn’t leaving droplets of water and product on the floor it’s not wet enough!

Once I’ve worked the product into my hair I scrunch the ends and let hair dry.

This step requires patience! You want your hair to dry about 80-90% before you mess with it. I know this sounds painful {at least it is for me lol} but What I’ve learned is curly hair takes time and planning for a consistent result!

If you notice your ends drying too quickly spritz with water. They don’t need to be dripping wet but you don’t want frizzy ends either!

#2 Defuse

Using a defuser is crucial to avoid frizzy curls! I flip my hair upside down and gently press the defuser to my head and hold a few seconds before moving to the next section.

Put the flat iron down!! Embrace the curls you won’t regret it!!

Curly hair don’t care!! It could be a movement …. maybe it should!!

Let me know your curly hair tricks in the comments!

-Ann