How do you get soft curls?

SmallFry · 02-04-2007, 04:03 PM

I wonder what that's like, soft curls. It seems every product I have or tried gives me crunchy curls (crunchiness varies with product).

Normally I use a leave-in under my product(s). I apply to very wet hair. For a while I've used only gels, but I've since ventured out to creams and mousse. But I get crunchy curls from everything.

So how do you get soft curls? Tips, tricks, techniques, product recs?

btw, going productless is not an option for me.

medusahair · 02-04-2007, 04:06 PM

Doesn't your hair feel soft after you scrunch out the crunch? I use gels too and even my leave in seems to give me at least a little crunch but I just scrunch it out.
Leave in then conditioner and then when dry scrunch it should work.

SmallFry · 02-04-2007, 04:09 PM

Yea I suppose scrunching it out helps a little but it doesn't help that it still looks wet after scrunching out the crunch.

So I should style my hair with a leave-in and then conditioner over it?

sounds interesting, I haven't tried that before. thanks

Brio · 02-04-2007, 04:11 PM

Kiss My Face Upper Management Gel gives me the softest curls of any gel I have tried.

My problem, though, especially during the winter, is almost opposite of yours: everything leaves my hair too soft and my hair starts to droop. I think they put alot of water softener in the water around here where I live. I know when we first moved here, I always felt like I had a film on my skin after a shower. Took me forever to get used to.

icequeen · 02-04-2007, 04:14 PM

Using the Mop Top line per the instructions has given me the softest curls ever.

SuZen · 02-04-2007, 04:16 PM

You might want to try a cream styler instead of a gel. They tend to give a softer feel.

samftracey · 02-04-2007, 04:21 PM

For the last week or so, I've been using re:coil followed by HE Body Envy. My curls are a) back (which is always nice!), b) full, c) defined, and d) SOFT! My hair hasn't looked better in as long as I can remember.

--Samantha

curlyjenn · 02-04-2007, 04:27 PM

Smallfry, do you use alot of product? I used to get stiff curls with that wet look, but since experimenting I've realized that I was just using way too much of each product. Now, I use less product and rake it through my hair. Any crunch that my hair dries with, I just scrunch it out. That gives me soft curls.

The best product I ever used for soft curls was Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding. I didn't shingle with it (not enough curl for that), I just applied some to my hair over my leave-in conditioner. It dried *really* soft and pretty curls! I've got some pictures in my fotki of that hair.

SmallFry · 02-04-2007, 04:41 PM

Curlyjenn,

Funny you ask that, because I am a bit heavy handed when it comes to products

I do use kind of a lot.

You have GORGEOUS curls!

Maybe I can just take your hair! It looked really nice and soft with the curly pudding but i'm afraid that will never be in my budget.

I'll have to experiment with using less product. It'll be hard because I'm always thinking that, I NEED lots of product to control my hair

since its pretty thick and has large amounts of volume!

Clarita · 02-04-2007, 05:29 PM

I get really soft curls that still have definition when I use Jessicurl's CCSS. I've also had less crunch when I go easy on the product application with whatever I'm using.

I tend to be heavy handed when applying gels/creams, too. The CCSS kind of forces me to use less because it gets flaky and filmy when I apply too much!

medusahair · 02-04-2007, 06:07 PM

Oops I wrote that wrong, leave in conditioner then gel. Make sure you put it in really wet hair.
You should always be able to scrunch out the crunch. Maybe you're using a gel with too much hold or just too much of it. I use gel and the crunch completely leaves when I scrunch but I do tend to use medium hold gels

sfisher323 · 02-04-2007, 06:09 PM

I wish I knew.

I either get crunchy curls (that get kind of soft when I scrunch out the crunch) or curls that are too soft and just fall out a few hours in to the day. I want soft curls that stay put!

samftracey - do you use a leave in under your re:coil/HE Body Envy routine, or no? I've been liking re:coil, so perhaps I'll have to pick up some Body Envy.

And Clarita - do you use CCSS alone? I've only ever used it in combination with RR . . .

Clarita · 02-04-2007, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sfisher323

And Clarita - do you use CCSS alone? I've only ever used it in combination with RR . . .

Yes. I was using it w/ RR, but it my hair would always turn out stringy and poofy. Since I'm 3C, I figured I didn't really need help w/ curl formation so I omitted it. What's working for me now is to start with soaking wet hair, rake in about a quarter size blob of TS, then follow that with another quarter of CCSS. I divide my hair into four parts to apply products so I'm just guessing how much TS and CCSS I use total. hth

sfisher323 · 02-04-2007, 06:39 PM

Gotcha. You have beautiful hair.

And, oddly enough, mine is like yours - no matter what I do to it, it seems, my left side always comes out better!

parzy · 02-04-2007, 07:02 PM

I get the bounciest softest curls with less product. I leave a good bit of OneC in soaking wet hair, then I use just a bit of Angell (like the size of a quarter).

Once my hair is dry I scrunch in a dime size or so worth of shea butter and my hair is so soft that my biggest problem is keeping my hands out of it

Clarita · 02-04-2007, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sfisher323

Gotcha. You have beautiful hair.

And, oddly enough, mine is like yours - no matter what I do to it, it seems, my left side always comes out better!

Thanks! I refer to my right crown area as "the BAD section" although maybe it's getting it's feelings hurt!

toosweet118 · 02-05-2007, 06:00 AM

Smallfry, if you use honey you will need to rinse all of it out, that can give crunch. For me FOTE Aloe gel, doesn't give crunch just definition. I would also sugesst moistening your hand before applying the gel it would help you to use less, because it thins out the product. If you you don't mind making your own gel, I use Flaxseed gel that givess a soft hold and lots of shine and moisture. Boil 2tbsp Flax with one cup of water for 10 min medium heat. Strain let cool. Put in a bottle in the fridge. Add a couple drops of any oils you have on hand...that is if your hair likes oils otherwise you can skip the oils.

SuZen · 02-05-2007, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clarita

I get really soft curls that still have definition when I use Jessicurl's CCSS. I've also had less crunch when I go easy on the product application with whatever I'm using.

I tend to be heavy handed when applying gels/creams, too. The CCSS kind of forces me to use less because it gets flaky and filmy when I apply too much!

CCSS combined with Rockin' Ringlets probably gives me the softest curls of any product I've used. Unfortunately, I also get more frizz than I'd like, but it's worth a try.

kjwavy · 02-05-2007, 09:16 AM

I tend to be heavy handed with products (& tend to use hard holding gels), but I always scrunch out the crunch with a cream styler. I've used AG Re:coil, Curl Junkie Guava Curl Creme (something like that), ISO Bouncy Curl, Boots & Rusk Being Gutsy.

curlyjenn · 02-05-2007, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmallFry

Curlyjenn,

Funny you ask that, because I am a bit heavy handed when it comes to products

I do use kind of a lot.

You have GORGEOUS curls!

Maybe I can just take your hair! It looked really nice and soft with the curly pudding but i'm afraid that will never be in my budget.

I'll have to experiment with using less product. It'll be hard because I'm always thinking that, I NEED lots of product to control my hair

since its pretty thick and has large amounts of volume!

Awwww....thank you so much! I think you should try using less product. It really helps if you'll rake it through your hair, then scrunch at the end. Raking gives you more of that "coated hair" feeling. I need that, too!! LOL