Curly Girls: It’s Time to Tame That Mop!

Having curly hair can sometimes feel like an expensive accessory you didn’t ask for. Many curlies share the sentiment of spending a good deal of their time searching for products that keep their hair maintained and pretty, without breaking the bank. The DevaCurl line is one of the most popular brands for curly hair, but with a full-size bottle of their shampoo costing $46, it’s unreasonable to think that this is our best option. 

As someone who’s the only one in my family with curly hair, I’ve been mostly responsible for navigating how to care for my hair. I’ve tried countless oils, leave-ins, masks, gels, and mousses and have developed some important opinions on a variety of products. I also have a tried & true hair routine that’s totally worth trying out yourself!

First of all, when it comes to washing curly hair, there are so many conflicting instructions. But to make it simple, I’m gonna share my wash routine that’s proved successful in terms of hair growth and appearance. My first piece of advice would be to invest in a WetBrush. This brush is a miracle worker and allows you to detangle your hair with ease in the shower. I even use mine while I still have conditioner in my hair! On the topic of conditioner, it’s not super important which brand you go for. However, I’ve learned that some of the more expensive brands (like DevaCurl or Redken) aren’t nearly as effective in their conditioning power as some traditional brands like Pantene or Suave. My absolute favorite conditioner is from the Suave line. This conditioner is best utilized if you mainly apply it to the ends of your hair, but your roots deserve a little moisture too. Be careful about applying too much conditioning product to your scalp though, because this can cause buildup and weigh your hair down. I recommend conditioning curly hair at least 3-4 times a week. You can alternate between shampooing AND conditioning on these days, or just co-washing. Co-washing is when you condition your hair without washing it with shampoo beforehand. The idea behind this is that shampoo can be super drying for curly hair, so it’s best to use it sparingly. One of my favorite shampoos would have to be this one by Shea moisture. It’s amazing at getting rid of any buildup in your hair and isn’t super drying. I recommend shampooing curly hair no more than 3 times per week. However, if you’re super active or sweating a lot throughout the day, you might need to shampoo a bit more often. 

After shampooing and conditioning your hair in the shower and running a WetBrush through it (while there’s still conditioner in it), I recommend immediately detangling your hair with a wide-toothed comb as your last step. Quickly doing this after getting out of the shower will ensure that your hair doesn’t have enough time to dry or get tangled and difficult to work with. Wide-tooth combs are pretty standard, but here’s the one I use. It’s both a wide and narrow-toothed comb, so you can alternate between the two sides as needed. After detangling your hair with the comb, the basic products that I recommend are this Argan oil from Trader Joe’s, this leave-in conditioner from Garnier, and finally, this gel from the KinkyCurly line. These are all products that I’ve tried (and currently use) and can vouch for in terms of their price and effectiveness! 

First, I would recommend applying a very small amount of the Argan oil to the ends of your hair and raking it through. You can swipe some over your roots, but it’s not necessary and can lead to oily looking hair. Then, apply a small amount of leave-in conditioner by raking it through from roots to ends. Finally, use plenty of gel to scrunch your curls with; I’d recommend flipping your head upside down and letting your curls hang that way when styling them. Then, you can begin scrunching your curls upwards with the gel to create more defined coils.

The last “style” element that I would recommend incorporating into your curly hair routine would be investing in a DevaTowel. This is the one DevaCurl product that’s definitely worth the extra money, trust me! I’d recommend first blotting any excess water that’s in your hair, and then tying it up in the towel. I personally sleep with my DevaTowel on my head, but you can also just leave it on for the duration of you getting dressed or ready! Definitely leave it on for at least 10-15 minutes to allow for some drying time. I recommend this because any extra heat (even through a diffuser) is harmful to curls. So, dry with the DevaTowel first and then air dry the rest of your hair!

And… that’s it! You’ve got a full wash and style routine that isn’t going to cost you a fortune or take up too much of your time. Below, I’ll link some other miscellaneous hair products that I really enjoy using, and I hope you will too!

You can find the best hair tie for curly girls here AND I highly recommend them for decreased breakage!

And here you can find the best refresher spray for the days that you don’t wash your hair! 

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• curls
• DevaCurl
• FSU
• natural hair
• self-care