I’ve got naturally curly hair that I finally learned how to manage when I was roughly 40 years old. For the last few years, I’ve stopped straightening my hair and embraced the curls. I get lots of questions about how I fix my hair so I finally decided to put it all in one place for y’all!
First of all, if you Google: “curly girl method,” you will get much more information than I’m giving you here. This is what I’ve found that works for me but there are tons of great products out there.
- Shampoo & conditioner. No sulfates, parabens or silicone! Most products state this on the front of the bottle. I’ve used a bunch of different brands but for the price, Cantu has become my favorite. Super affordable and you can buy it almost anywhere– Walmart, Target, grocery stores and pharmacies. Or for $17 you can order it from Amazon. (That price is for one full size bottle of each!)
- On wash days, I use the shampoo and conditioner and comb through my hair with a wide-tooth comb while the conditioner is in my hair.
- Once I’m out of the shower, I spray this leave-in conditioner all over my hair, concentrating on the ends and not the scalp. One of the biggest mistakes I made with my hair for the longest time was not using enough products. I always felt like things would weigh my hair down or make it crunchy. I was WRONG.
- This is the best product EVER. It’s a gel AND curl cream together. On the back of the tube, there is a small circle that shows you where to place your fingers to squeeze out the product for the right ratio of gel to curl cream. I use about a quarter size dollop. Rub your hands together then begin to work the product into your hair. I sort of rake it through my hair with my fingers then use “praying hands” to create clumps of curls.
- This step is optional. HOWEVER, you can use a Denman brush to create more definition. If you are going to do this step, watch this video. You will use the brush on small sections of your hair, right after you use the curl cream/gel. Your hair should still be very wet. Or you can skip this step.
- Plopping. If you’ve read anything about the CGM, you know about plopping. It’s a way to let your hair dry without heat, while giving your curls a bit of help to set. All you need is an old, soft t-shirt and to watch this 1 minute video. Sometimes I plop overnight or while I’m hanging out around the house, but most of the time I only do it while I’m doing my makeup. But you can also skip this step and go right to diffusing. (So you can really skip steps 5 & 6 if you want.)
- Time to diffuse. I have used all different types of diffusers, including the DevaCurl that is supposed to be the “best.” It was expensive, cumbersome, and eventually broke and I wasn’t sad. I got this super cheap collapsible one at Sally’s. Fits my hair dryer and easy to pack! There are 2 different ways to diffuse– from the side is to set your curls and for definition. Or “cupping,” where you use the diffuser to cup your curls close to your scalp. Flip your head upside down and on a low and warm setting, get yo hair dry. I try to keep my hands out of my hair during this because scrunching at this point can cause frizz.
- If I need a little more volume at this point, sometimes I’ll use a couple of pumps of this mousse and scrunch it through my hair with my hands. I linked to Amazon but it’s $3 at the store.
- Friend. At this point your hair should be mostly dry and a lil’ bit crunchy. Never fear–hair oil is here. No, it won’t make your hair greasy, but also don’t rub it on your scalp. You just need a pea/dime size amount, use a little more if you have lots of long, thick hair. Rub it together on your hands and scrunch like cray. The oil will soften the crunch and you’ll be left with bouncy, soft and defined curls! The Olaplex ($28) is little more expensive than the argan oil. ($6-10 depending on where you find it.)
Important things! There are a lot of things you can do at night to save your curls. Sleeping in a bonnet (This is similar to the one I have, but I got mine at a local Black owned beauty supply shop. There aren’t enough words for how much us curly girls owe to the expertise of Black women when it comes to doing our own hair.) and/or with a silk or satin pillowcase will help immensely. (I love this pillowcase. It comes in a standard size AND a king size, so make sure you order the size you need.)
To refresh my hair the day after wash day I use this spray bottle which is filled with 1:1 water & Cantu Comeback Curl. The spray bottle is a continuous mister and it makes it so easy to dampen but not soak your hair. I might add a little mousse or Tender and Bouncy, scrunch with my hands and diffuse for a few minutes. It just depends on what my hair looks like on any given day!
I hope this helps! Let me know your favorite products and tips for curly hair in the comments!
*All links are Amazon affiliate links
