®
Most women with curly hair seem to feel societal pressure to straighten it. It’s as if a message has been communicated- if only subtly- that straight hair is preferable. Is curly hair not good enough? I have observed this phenomenon in all types of woman: Caucasian, Afro-Caribbean, Asian, Hispanic- the list goes on.
Strong Anti-curly Cues
This message is so strong that demand has created not only straightening balms, industrial strength blow dryers and flat irons, but also more permanent solutions, like hair straightening processes – some taking 6-7 hours.
I’m OK, You’re OK
As a curly cue myself, it took me a long time to accept my curly situation. I realized I needed to commit to who I was and let my hair be. Who I was was good enough- great, even. All I needed to do was find the right products.
It’s All About the Products
Finding the right products for curls can be akin to a science experiment. You have to be patient and willing to try different combinations of products to see how they work together with your hair. I have tried so many different products in so many different categories! To some extent, I tweak my regimen depending on the weather or season and occasionally due to new product finds.
Here’s my current regimen:
Shampoo Daily
I either use Caretrico’s Type H Shampoo or Philip Kingsley’s Re-moisturising Shampoo. This shampoo can be found in PK’s Smooth & Shiny Jet Set. I recommend trying both for a period of 4 weeks each to see if one is better for your hair. If you like them both, rotate seasonally. You may find that one works better for you in colder weather, etc. Also, depending on where you live, one may react better with your water supply. Here in New York City we have hard water, which is tough on dry, curly hair. In the Caribbean, or other parts of the world where the water is soft, you may find that your hair dries nicer, softer and/or shinier.
Use a Leave-in Conditioner or Leave Your Conditioner In
This particular step is one that many hair care professionals will not advise. But if this is wrong, I don’t want to be right. It works! My favorite, absolutely can’t live without hair product is Caretrico’s Moist Bounce Treatment. Ishi introduced this product to me. It is meant to be used as a conditioner or 10-20 minute hair treatment. Since there is not enough moisture for my hair (my hair is coarse, curly and bleached), I actually leave it in, and once applied, run my Du-Boa’s Scalp Massager through my hair to distribute the product.
Use a Scalp Toner
Right out of the shower, use Philip Kingsley’s Scalp Toner. Healthy shiny hair, starts with a clean scalp.
“Priming” Products
Start with a quick spritz of Vine’s Care Water. This boosts the efficacy of all the styling products that you use subsequently. It also defrizzes and adds volume to fine hair! If its good enough for NASA, its good enough for me!
- Winter Hair Primer: This winter I have been using Philip Kingsley’s Preen Cream. It adds a little extra moisture to my hair, pre-styling product application.
- Spring & Summer Hair Primers: In the summer I substitute this product for Caretrico’s Enrich Milk, and use Arimino’s Bamboo Moisture Veil in the summer.
- After Coloring or Going to the Beach: If you have just colored your hair, or you plan on going to the beach, use Arimino’s Aqua Moisture for this step. (Yes, I am completely OCD about this entire process.)
Styling Products
I use M.O.P. Defining Cream followed by Ouidad Climate Control Heat and Humidity Drops.
Note
All these steps should be done separately and you must flip your head over and scrunch to make sure you coat every hair with product.
For a step-by-step how-to guide, please see the below video.