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There’s no time like the present to give your curls all the love they deserve. Quarantine has given us all a lot of downtime to reflect and take a look at how we are practicing self-care. As we move into the summer months, it’s extremely important to start building a hair care regimen that gives your curls all the TLC and nourishment they deserve. Whether you are just starting to build your hair care regimen for the first time or looking to give your current regimen a much needed update, here’s some tips, products, and guidance for simplifying your hair care regimen.
Understand Your Hair Type
The first step to building your hair care regimen is understanding your hair type. Curlies all over the world come with different texture combinations that make up our fabulous curls. You may have heard terms like 2b,3a, 4cand wondered…what is that? Those numbers reflect your curl pattern, porosity, and can help to guide you in choosing the right products for your hair. Your hair type is made up of the shape and size of your hair follicle, thickness, length, and how it retains moisture. If you are unsure of your hair type, take our customized hair type quiz that will help guide you to understanding your hair type.
Put the “P” in Porosity
One of the important aspects of maintaining your curls is understanding how your curls absorb and retain moisture which is defined as porosity. Porosity can be divided into three categories: low, normal, and high. Understanding your hair’s “Porosity” doesn’t have to be a rubix cube, you can start by performing the strand test.
- Start by taking a strand of hair and placing it in a clean glass of water.
- If it falls to the bottom your hair has high porosity, if it’s midway then your normal, and to the bottom means that your strands have low porosity.
- Low porosity means that your hair can’t easily absorb moisture and you want to avoid products with alot of oil or butters.
- Normal porosity means your hair can hold and absorb moisture which is a great sign of healthy hair.
- If you have high porosity hair your curls may absorb a product quickly but then lose moisture. In this case you want to avoid using oils and butters to help your hair lock in moisture and incorporate using protein treatments into your hair regimen.
Hair Care Essentials
Building out your stash of hair care essentials will be an ongoing process as you continue to understand your hair. With the thousands of products that hit the shelves seasonally, there are a few essentials you want to start stocking up on.
Suggested Cleansers:
SheaMoisture Jamaican Castor Oil Strengthen and Restore Shampoo
As I Am Coconut Cleansing Cowash
Whether you call it a cleanser or “shampoo” this is a product that works to clean your scalp from product build-up and dirt while providing your hair with much needed nourishment. Cleanser’s are an essential part of your hair care regimen because they are the foundation for your wash day and can revitalize your hair from all the products that accumulate on your scalp. Clean hair is healthy hair and whether you go for a sulfate-free shampoo or a clarifying cleanser, find a product with ingredients you love and make it a staple of your routine.
Suggested Conditioners:
SheaMoisture Coconut Hibiscus Curl and Shine Conditioner
SheaMoisture Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil Hydration Intensive Conditioner
Conditioners play a duel role in your hair care regimen by giving dry and frizzy curls the moisture it needs. A great conditioner features oils and vitamins that blend together to make your curls strong and healthy. Conditioners can come in liquid and heavier textures that you use daily in your hair. While a shampoo works to clean your hair from product buildup, conditioners give your hair the moisture it so desperately needs.
Suggested Deep Conditioners:
Jessicurl Deep Conditioning Treatment-No Fragrance
Our hair all needs a little more intensive TLC from time to time and a deep conditioner is great for restoring moisture to your dry hair. Deep conditioners are very nutrient rich with a blend of essential vitamins to work against breakage and frizz. You can deep conditioner once weekly with your favorite product for 15-20 minutes.
Suggested Leave-in Conditioners:
Alikay Naturals Lemongrass Leave-in Conditioner
The holy grail of all your hair care essentials, a quality leave-in conditioner keeps your curls beautiful from day to day. Leave-in conditioners have the essential nutrients and vitamins that makes your hair strong and soft. Leave-in conditioners can blend ingredients like coconut, flaxseed, essential oils, to enrich and moisten your hair every day.
Suggested Styling Products:
Rizos Curl Refresh and Detangle Spray
Avocado and Rose Oil Clum and Define Cream
Ecoco Eco Styler Professional Styling Gel With Argan Oil
Once you’ve established a shampoo and the types of conditioners you want to use, you can mix it up with your styling products. Styling products help to create your go-to styles or protective styles like twists, bantu knots, braids, and more! They can range from mousses, styling creams, butters and gels. Just like with any product you want to research the ingredients and see how it will work with your hair type. Not every styling product works the same with every texture, always read reviews and do your homework before you buy.
Suggested Oils:
You may be seeing oil and thinking I don’t want my hair to be “oily” or “greasy,” but oil is what helps seal in moisture for our curls while giving it an undeniable shine. Hair oils work just like a deep conditioner, except you can use them as a treatment or for everyday use. There are so many oils to choose from whether you want argan oil, morrocan oil, almond oil, coconut oil, the list goes on and on. You can bring your curls back to life with a good oil treatment and help to prevent damaged and dry ends.
Suggested Scalp Care:
Eden Bodyworks Papaya Castor Scalp Cleanser
If you want to keep your curls healthy and growing, you have to take care of your scalp. Having a healthy scalp can lead to thicker and healthier curls because you are giving focus to your hair follicles. During cold month’s when our curls need all the moisture, using a scalp treatment can help retain moisture, deduce frizz, and get rid of dead skin cells that prevent your curls from growing.
Always remember that building your hair care regimen takes time and patience. The fabulous aspect of curly hair is that more and more products are created each season to help us tough out damaged hair, dry hair, frizziness, and everything in between. As long as you start with the essentials, you can only grow up from there!
