NaturallyCurly: Please introduce yourself!
Kristen Gluch: My name is Kristen Gluch. I am 24 and I have been married for the past two years. I received my bachelor’s in Elementary Education and I’m currently working as a nanny. I’m not sure if teaching is in the cards yet, but we’ll see. I’m also very big on the social media front and I spend a lot of my free time online, sharing my hair journey and encouraging other curly girls to embrace their natural selves.
NC: How and when did you start embracing your curls?
KG: The first time I went out in public with my natural hair, I was 22 years old. From the time I hit puberty and for the decade following, I straightened my hair religiously. That meant one hour of quality time with my blow dryer and flat iron every day, no exceptions. My friends had no idea that my hair was naturally curly, and I even kept it from my husband for the first year of our relationship.
Letting my hair be curly was simply not an option until I stumbled upon NaturallyCurly.com. Because I was constantly frying my hair with heat and dyes, I had only ever seen my natural hair as a nest of brittle, frizzy straw. The before and after photos of women who did the CG routine made me think, “What if my natural hair only looks terrible because I don’t take care of it? What if I put down my brush, flat iron and shampoo and completely change the way I treat my hair?” I began my natural journey in December 2011 and I refuse to look back!
NC: What is your current routine?
KG: I am notorious for my two-day, three-day and sometimes even four-day curls! I only condition my hair a couple of times a week and I cleanse it about once a week (only on the scalp). On those days, after allowing the conditioner to sit in my hair for a few minutes, I gently comb my hair with a wide tooth comb or with my fingers, working my way from the bottom up. I also use a cotton t-shirt to lightly dry my hair instead of wringing it out with a terrycloth towel. I gently scrunch generous amounts of my favorite products into my hair, section by section. Then I use the plopping method if I have time or I will diffuse my hair—I try to keep away from heat unless it’s absolutely necessary.
NC: So from start to finish, on a curly day, what’s your process?
KG: Every day is a curly day! On the days that I don’t wash or condition my hair, I wake up, spritz my hair with a homemade lavender spray (I found it in Curly Girl: The Handbook, and I love it), and run out the door. That’s it!
Sometimes, if my hair is extra frizzy, I’ll dilute some gel with water and gently pat down any flyaways and frizzies. My hair is super low maintenance on days that I don’t get it wet.
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