After years of being lost on how to take care of my curls, I found an amazing curly hair routine that minimizes frizz and leaves hair soft and defined.
So, like many of us curly-haired girls, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with my hair. Everyone always told me they loved my curly hair, but I always wanted that typical “Pantene Pro-V” straight, silky hair. Fast forward to 2.5 years ago, when the pandemic first hit, I decided to stop using heat on my hair. I finally transitioned to a full-time curly-haired girl.
Recommendation: A Curly Hair Specialized Cut
I got a curly hair cut with none other than the fabulous Loni at Desert Curls Studio in Reno, Nevada. And I slowly began to really embrace my curls. A curly hair routine runs much smoother when your hair is cut adequately for your curls. I realized that, yes, heat can be bad, but I also need to live a little. I like the versatility of being able to straighten my hair sometimes and wear it curly.
To keep things a bit less boring, I slowly began to straighten my hair here and there. And I’ve been extremely careful doing that so as not to cause too much damage. I realize that any type of straightening or heat can cause damage, but, like I already said, I need to live!
Conforming strictly to the whole curly girl method was just not working for me. I need versatility in my curly hair routine, and so I just listen to my hair. If it seems dry, I make sure to add moisture to it, be it in the form of a deep conditioning mask or a protein treatment. I’ll do a blog post about the things I use to bring my hair back to life a little later.
Let’s get down to business and talk about my Curly Hair Routine. After all, that’s why you’re here right?
After I got my hair done with Loni in Reno, I really loved her technique and products she used. When it comes to shampoo and conditioner, I tend to rotate the brands a lot. I love her product line, Innersense Organic Beauty, because it is clean haircare at its finest. It contains no sulfates or parabens. Overall, they leave my hair feeling light, airy, and clean without all the added product buildup that other products leave in your hair. These are genuinely great products to add to your Curly Hair Routine.
Shampoo & Conditioner
As far as my daily shampoo and conditioner goes, I honestly love Paul Mitchell’s line for my curly hair routine. I personally favorites are the Color Protect Daily Shampoo and their iconic “The Detangler.”
Deep Conditioning Mask
When I want a little more conditioning, especially after straightening my hair, I like to use a deep conditioning mask. My favorite is L’Oréal’s Nature’s Therapy Mega Moisture Nurturing Crème. I leave it in my hair for about 10-15 minutes while I shower. It leaves my hair silky smooth.
Protein Treatments are a MUST for your Curly Hair Routine!
I also like to add a protein treatment to my curly hair routine if I’ve been straightening my hair. I personally use Aphogee’s Two Minute Intensive Keratin Reconstructor, though I tend to leave it in for at least 5 minutes. Sometimes I leave it in even longer depending on how bad I feel my hair needs the added protein.
You will learn what your hair needs the more you use these products and test them out. If the first time you do this, it doesn’t look good, do not give up. It will take some time for you to naturally learn how much of each product to use.
At first, this can be difficult, but after a while, you start figuring it out. Be patient. We’ve lived with curly hair all our lives, but a lot of us have never really taken the time to learn about it. You won’t learn everything overnight. So be patient, lol, even though anybody that knows me, knows that’s the least thing I am. Haha. See below a pic of the products I mentioned above so that you have a reference point.
Best Styling Products for my Curly Hair Routine
Now, on to my curly hair routine styling products. I’ve really tried literally almost everything. And, for me, this is what generally works. I say generally because if you have curly hair, you know that some days, it just does what it wants. But, I prefer it doing what it wants with the following products and a little more of that patience that I seem to lack sometimes lol.
There are 4 products I use on repeat for my curly hair routine every time I style my curls. All 4 products are from Innersense Organic Beauty’s line. I know. It almost sounds like I’m promoting this line. But listen to me when I tell you, I am not. This is not a sponsored post and I’m getting absolutely nothing from telling you this. I only hope to help you find your way around those curls on your head. They just genuinely work for me and for my curl type and texture. I hope they work for you too. But, I will also make a blog post later about other products that I use, here and there, when I want to switch up the look of my curls.
The 4 products I consistently use are:
- I Create Volume (gel)
- I Create Hold (stronger gel)
- I Create Finish (hairspray)
- I Create Shine (oil)
Many curly-haired girls don’t realize that they have different curl patterns and curl textures in their hair, and should apply their hair products accordingly to these differing curl patterns. For me, these are the 4 products that work where I can adjust a medium versus stronger hold gel around my different curl patterns; It gives me the results I want and really locks in that moisture without the added frizz.
So, how do I apply these products to my hair and in what order? You know you got to know because it can make or break the way it turns out!
For my curly hair routine, I start with the I Create Volume gel, which is a medium hold gel, and I use praying hands to apply it all over my hair. Make sure to flip your hair around and really get in there because wherever there is no product, you can bet there will be frizz.
Then, I grab the I Create Hold gel, which is a stronger gel, and I apply that all over, but carefully, not too much. The areas that I apply a bit more of the I Create Hold gel are the curlier, coarser areas. These areas, for me and for many curlies, tend to be around the crown area. It is a stronger gel and really gives it a good hard cast around it, sealing in those flyaways and frizzy hair.
After I use that, I grab the I Create Finish hairspray and spray all over my hair about 10-15 sprays. Make sure to really flip your hair around to not miss a spot. For me, the hairspray is super important because it gives your hair that grit and texture it needs so that your curls stay together and not fall apart. I like soft curls, but not too soft. Once I do all this, I normally just let it air dry. I know. Most girls go and diffuse their hair, and yes, I’ve done that too. Both options are fine for your curly hair routine.
Airdry or diffuse – it’s your preference
But I’m always looking for how to make things easier for me and it is sooooo annoying to have to sit there or stand with that dang diffuser and all that heat for 30-45 minutes while my hair dries. So, I let it air dry. While it’s airdrying, it doesn’t look fabulous lol. So, if you choose to air dry, know that it will look good after it’s dried and you have broken up the hard gel cast that’s around it.
Oil for shine and to break up the hard cast from the gel
Once my hair dries, I get the I Create Shine oil and put about a quarter sized amount in the palm of my hand, and scrunch out the crunch with it. This is a crucial step in my curly hair routine. The oil helps break apart the hard gel cast and leaves it with a nice, silky, shiny texture. I do this until it looks the way I want. If I want my hair to last a little longer, I’ll leave more of the hard gel cast in. If I want it to look softer and more flowy, I scrunch out most of the hard gel cast, if not, all of it.
And that’s it! Let me know if you guys tried this and if it worked for you. Feel free to use these products differently and really figure out what works for YOUR hair. We are all different and different things will work for your hair than for mine. But, this is a good starting point and they are great, clean products. They are at Ulta Beauty, but normally they sell out at my local Ulta Beauty Supply Store so I just order online directly from their website www.innersensebeauty.com.
A reading I recommend if you’re looking to have that glowing skin that looks like a filter from social media, then check this out: https://lifewithdenise.com/2022/06/glowing-skin-products/
