1. Know your texture
First and foremost, know and embrace your natural texture. Don’t waste time trying to turn your hair into something it’s not. While it may be in your feminine nature to want to explore and experiment with different styles and products, once you find a look, technique and regimen that’s tried and true for you, stick to it!
If you haven’t found just the right products for your regimen, look to curlies with similar textures and ask what they use. NaturallyCurly.com and YouTube have countless resources to help you find your holy grails.
MORE: What is Your Texture Type?
2. Moisturize
The secret to great curls is moisture! Use a nourishing, non drying shampoo (I love Clear Ultra Shea Shampoo). I also like to further flex my multitasking muscle in the shower by choosing a conditioner that not only covers the basics (slip for detangling, moisturizing, and residue/buildup free), but also smells fantastic!
The right scent can turn the shower into a mini spa escape. I love the sweet peachy scent of Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner. Try coating your tresses in conditioner and covering it with a shower cap or damp towel. Take your time scrub-a-dubbing, maybe even take a moment to shave your legs (another luxury), while the steam from the shower helps the conditioner penetrate the hair shaft.
MORE: 4 Ways to Moisturize Your Curls
3. Detangle
Another method I like to utilize to make the most of my shower time, is dry detangling my hair the night before I plan on washing. Using my fingers, or a wide tooth comb, and a light oil (I prefer coconut oil or Mizani’s Supreme Oil), I work through small sections of hair to gently detangle them and put in two strand twists. The next day, I enter the shower with the twists still in place, this way it is easier to concentrate the shampoo on my scalp, and my hair remains untangled through the washing process.
After working the shampoo over my scalp, I remove the twists, section by section, and work the shampoo through to the ends. After thoroughly rinsing, I then use conditioner, and often times, because I saved time by detangling beforehand, I splurge and apply a deep conditioner (I’m obsessed with Curl Junkie Curl Rehab Moisturizing Hair Treatment) to give my tresses a little extra TLC.
MORE: How to Detangle Coily Hair
5. Versatile products
Another simple way to save time (and valuable counter/cabinet space) is to look for products that work for multiple members of your household. As a mommy to 3 girls, all with different hair textures, I know that this can be a bit daunting, but it’s well worth it in the long run.
Some products that I have found to be tried and true for all textures are:
I find that each of these products work for all of us, it’s just a matter of how we use them and the results we’re trying to achieve.
Just remember, the less stressed and frazzled you are, the better it is for you and your little ones. So make sure to take full advantage of those precious moments of “me time”, to relax, rejuvenate, and pamper. A happy you leads to a happy house and having a well maintained head of waves, curls, coils, or kinks is just one simple way to get there!
