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I have mixed race, thick, curly hair; what those is in the natural hair community would call 3C hair. My biggest woes are: frizz, dryness, and lack of curl definition in certain parts. (And EVERY product claims to define curls. SO not true!)
I've tried soooooooooooo many curly hair products, I could start a small store out of the trunk of my car! UGH. Im so sick of the frizz and feeling of dryness. I do color my hair, and I know that's contributing to the dryness aspect, but even when I blew my hair out all the time and flat ironed it, it was dry. I suffer from dry skin as well.
One thing I have learned is that my curly hair hates products that contain non-natural ingredients. For instance, products with lots of alcohol, sulfates, words ending in -cone, and anything else I can't pronounce. My hair is very porous, and I haven't figured out yet if it loves or hates products with protein.
Here are my staples that I either use regularly, or can go back to at any time and I know they work:
Tresemme Naturals sulfate free conditioner. (I use it as a leave-in)
Ouidad Climate Control Gel. (I use it in combination w/moisturizing products, or it dries my hair out)
Giovanni Direct Leave-in Conditioner
As I Am Coconut Co Wash
Kinky Curly Curling Custard
Trader Joe's Tea Tree Shampoo
Devacurl AnGEL hair gel
I'll be going to the Devachan Salon in New York City August 13th for my first haircut in a long while. After much research, I chose famous senior stylist Anna, who's Brazilian with curly hair of her own; she's said to be a literal sculpting artist when it comes to cuts. In fact, over half the stylist in this salon have curly hair themselves! I'm excited to see how it turns out. At $165, it betta be awesome!
What are your curly hair challenges?? What are your go-to products?
How often are you shampooing your hair? Try using a sulfate-free conditioner instead of shampoo. I am down to one hair product, it is a very light oil called Neutrogena Sesame Oil. On a day when you don't have to leave the house, coat your hair in oil, don't rinse. I can actually get comb through my hair, even when my hair is dry it does not frizz. I also stopped coloring my hair, and stay clear of the blow drying and curling iron, except when at the stylist. I let my hair grow past my shoulders. The weight of longer hair, along the oil gives my hair a nice soft wave.
My curly challenges:
-I have curly hair that has been damaged by coloring/bleaching and heat. It no longer looks curly on top- more just like a frizzy mess (but the underneath is curly).
-finding products that won't leave my hair crunchy/wet looking but still manage my hair
-having wet hair all day if I want to wear it curly (diffusers leave it frizzy)
-triangle-shaped hair
The only product that I would repurchase is cristophe argan oil. I used to use some sort of Redken foam for curly hair but they changed the product and my hair doesn't like it anymore. I'm interested to see what other products work for people.
How often are you shampooing your hair? Try using a sulfate-free conditioner instead of shampoo. I am down to one hair product, it is a very light oil called Neutrogena Sesame Oil. On a day when you don't have to leave the house, coat your hair in oil, don't rinse. I can actually get comb through my hair, even when my hair is dry it does not frizz. I also stopped coloring my hair, and stay clear of the blow drying and curling iron, except when at the stylist. I let my hair grow past my shoulders. The weight of longer hair, along the oil gives my hair a nice soft wave.
I don't use shampoo except for once or twice a month to clear away product build-up, and it's always sulfate and paraben free. I wash my hair once per week with As I Am Coconut Co-Wash; it's basically a cleansing conditioner, not shampoo. I started coloring my hair a year or so ago because I have grays here and there that have started to pop up, but I only color the roots. I blow dry and flat iron only on special occasions, and most definitely NOT in the summer! It's just not worth it. I have dry hair and skin, and always have. I have found that that Tresemme Naturals as a leave-in softens it nicely, but not as much as I would like.
Not familiar at all with the Neutrogena Sesame Oil.
My curly challenges:
-I have curly hair that has been damaged by coloring/bleaching and heat. It no longer looks curly on top- more just like a frizzy mess (but the underneath is curly).
-finding products that won't leave my hair crunchy/wet looking but still manage my hair
-having wet hair all day if I want to wear it curly (diffusers leave it frizzy)
-triangle-shaped hair
The only product that I would repurchase is cristophe argan oil. I used to use some sort of Redken foam for curly hair but they changed the product and my hair doesn't like it anymore. I'm interested to see what other products work for people.
Hmmmmm, interesting challenges. First off, you need a really good haircut, and for a couple of reasons: One, it will get rid of your triangle hair. I have triangle hair right now, because I'm long overdo for a cut! I'll be flying to Boston in a couple of weeks to visit some friends, and then we're driving up to NYC for me to get my hair cut at Devachan Salon; they only do natural and naturally curly hair. In fact, half the stylists have curly hair themselves! Anywho, secondly, you need to start over by cutting out the hair that's been damaged by color and heat; although, I don't know if you're still doing that on a regular, or when the last you did it. If are still coloring your hair, then conditioner is your friend. A good one to use and rinse out after washing, and deep conditioning treatment once per week.
Can you tell me more about your hair type? This will affect what products I would recommend. I can tell you right off that Aussie Moist Conditioner is great to use after you shampoo; leave it in for three to five minutes, then rinse.
I agree about the good cut. I can also recommend argan oil. Just put it on your hair and put a plastic bag over it on a day when you aren't going anywhere. Then shampoo and style. For color, have you tried henna? It's an all natural plant that conditions wonderfully. It looks like mud and you slather it all over your head and do the plastic bag thing. I usually leave it on for 5 hours or so and it does wonderful things for my hair. There are lots of shades available but most are in the reddish brown family. And it's cheap. I buy it at the Indian grocery and about $4 will buy enough to color my hair several times.
The frizz bugged me the most. Plus there came a time in my life where I just had more important things to do than futz around with my hair. So I got mine cut pretty short. It is so much easier to look neat and well groomed.
I have fine, wavy color-treated hair. When the stars align, it's soft and shiny with defined curls....I have a love/hate thing with humidity. Too much makes my hair (and me!) miserable, but just a touch of moisture in the air is my friend.
Like everyone else, I've spent a pretty penny on products. Silicone is just too heavy for my hair, so it's been difficult finding a good match for my locks....For the last year or two, I used Giovanni leave-in and liked it, but it seems to have disappeared off of store shelves. I tried the Alba Botanica leave-in and liked it, but it started to build up. Grrrrr. Back to the drawing board.
I read some wonderful, and I mean glowingly wonderful reviews for Paul Mitchell Full Circle Leave-In Treatment. I haven't used any Paul Mitchell products in years, but I thought "What to heck?"...I LOVE THIS STUFF! It's a bit pricey, and there's a learning curve on how much you have to use, but it's been great for my hair. It's light, it does the trick and it doesn't build up.
Here's my routine: Regular store bought shampoo, followed by a salon conditioner (I like Biolage moisturing balm.) and then a small amount of the PM Full Circle Treatment, and I always air dry.
Hmmmmm, interesting challenges. First off, you need a really good haircut, and for a couple of reasons: One, it will get rid of your triangle hair. I have triangle hair right now, because I'm long overdo for a cut! I'll be flying to Boston in a couple of weeks to visit some friends, and then we're driving up to NYC for me to get my hair cut at Devachan Salon; they only do natural and naturally curly hair. In fact, half the stylists have curly hair themselves! Anywho, secondly, you need to start over by cutting out the hair that's been damaged by color and heat; although, I don't know if you're still doing that on a regular, or when the last you did it. If are still coloring your hair, then conditioner is your friend. A good one to use and rinse out after washing, and deep conditioning treatment once per week.
Can you tell me more about your hair type? This will affect what products I would recommend. I can tell you right off that Aussie Moist Conditioner is great to use after you shampoo; leave it in for three to five minutes, then rinse. My hair grows in the humidity! I don't mind big hair as long as it looks curly and not a frizzy mess
I'll be getting my hair cut tomorrow (thank goodness!). It wont be as good as your sounds (you'll have to post before and after pictures- they sound like curl experts!), but at least it'll get a lot of the split ends and weight off. I usually just go for layers all over and sometimes they thin-out my hair.
I do still color my hair, which I know is counter-productive, but I just hate my natural color. I used to use that conditioner and loved it, but I stopped using it because the smell used to bug me LOL. Do you know of any other rinse-out conditioners or could recommend a deep treatment brand? I'm willing to try anything Mousse's are too heavy and crunchy, but creams don't give enough hold.
My hair is like... if you look up pictures Taylor Swift's natural curls... the underneath is like that (less damaged) and the top is just frizz. It would be like if she brushed the top layer of her hair but left the curls alone underneath. Just damaged, I guess.
I have wavy hair, not curyl, but i use it straight
It is a pain in the a**, tbh, so difficult to handle and i have to use the straigthener every day and constantly use special conditioners and treatments.
I'll be getting my hair cut tomorrow (thank goodness!). It wont be as good as your sounds (you'll have to post before and after pictures- they sound like curl experts!), but at least it'll get a lot of the split ends and weight off. I usually just go for layers all over and sometimes they thin-out my hair.
I do still color my hair, which I know is counter-productive, but I just hate my natural color. I used to use that conditioner and loved it, but I stopped using it because the smell used to bug me LOL. Do you know of any other rinse-out conditioners or could recommend a deep treatment brand? I'm willing to try anything Mousse's are too heavy and crunchy, but creams don't give enough hold.
My hair is like... if you look up pictures Taylor Swift's natural curls... the underneath is like that (less damaged) and the top is just frizz. It would be like if she brushed the top layer of her hair but left the curls alone underneath. Just damaged, I guess.
Like I said, I just color my roots, but any color does leave your hair a bit striped feeling. Wow, good description on the Taylor Swift story, lol. Like I said before, Aussie Moist conditioner and Tresemme Naturals are great rinse out conditioners. For styling, I would try the following:
Curls Rock Curling Cream (gives good definition)
Ouidad Climate Control or Curl Quencher Gel
Devacurl Ultra Hold AnGEL hair Gel
Joico also makes good gels
We gotta keep fighting the curly hair fight till we get it right!!!
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Mousse's are too heavy and crunchy, but creams don't give enough hold.
