Short story time - (I know you might skip this but bear with me!)
When I was born, my mother was surprised to see my curly hair. So, she decided to shave my head off in the hopes of getting straight hair.
Now, before ya'll get pressed, its a ritual in India called "Mundan" which is done after 4 months and before the baby turns 3 years old.
To her surprise, my new hair kept getting curlier. She proceeded to repeat this process two more times but to no avail. I would love to thank her for my current hair to be honest!
Now, lets talk business.
This post will be divided into ----- phases, and i will be attaching as much of pictorial representations as I can, to make your understanding easier.
Since this post is long, here is a short guide you can use to navigate to the section of your liking -
Basic Baby - basic products you NEED
Ground Work - understanding your hair type
Holey Grail - porosity knowledge with ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS you should use, all linked!
Tease Grease - the only curly hair oiling guide you'll ever need!
Swish Swash - how to properly wash your curly hair + tips and products!
Style - correct way of styling AND drying your hair.
Mama Bear - curly hair care tips + essential products linked
Phase I: Basic Baby
Vilvah's shampoo and conditioner were the first ones i tried when i started my curly hair girl journey! Links - Shampoo , Conditioner
I will recommend these 2 products to every beginner. SO the products that i have linked in the further points, please keep in mind that those are the ones which you will use ALONG with these 2.
Phase II : Ground Work
Understanding curl type.
Firstly, check your natural hair type! I am saying natural, meaning go wash your hair, do NOT put any products (just shampoo and conditioner) and let it AIR DRY.
source - https://notyourmothers.com/blogs/news/curly-hair-101-identifying-and-styling-different-curl-patterns
Phase III : "Holey" Grail
Haha yes, pun intended
Porosity check
So basically, your hair has holes or pores. The number of pores in your hair decides how much moisture your hair holds and how much work you'll have to put in for the hair to absorb the moisture.
To check your porosity level, click here!
High - easily absorbs and loses moisture. Try dding more protein in your hair. You hair might be a bit elastic (try pulling a single strand out, it might stretch).
Products - Protein styling duo
Low - Heat is your bestie! It will let your hair absorb moisture better. For a budget friendly option, use a shower cap once you oil your hair (more on oiling later on!)
Use light oil and use a cleansing shampoo once a week. I personally have low porosity, and wash my hair every 5th day. So I alternate between a cleansing shampoo and a moisturizing shampoo.
Products - Cleansing Shampoo , Shower cap
Medium - you guys have the best of both worlds! So sit back, relax, and use the basic hair care products linked above. You can choose to add more moisture or protein according to you hair needs.
Phase IV : Tease Grease
Oiling! One of the most important step for prepping you hair before washing it.
How long to keep the oil for - not more than 3 hrs. The overnight method doesn't really work for my hair as it makes the roots weaker, leading to more hair fall.
You are free to experiment with the timing!
Which oil should i use - Lancemade's hair oil has worked WONDERS for me. It lightweight, slowly infused and doesn't have a strong smell! click here for the link to their oil.
Should I brush after oiling - NO. the oiling process makes you hair roots weaker, leading to more breakage. Thus, brushing should be avoided after oiling.
How to oil curly hair - take a small amount of oil in your palm, and massage it into your scalp. Apply some oil to the length of your hair, and focus more on the ends, as they tend to get brittle. DO NOT OVER SATURATE YOUR HAIR WITH OIL!
TIP- invert your head while oiling (face downwards and let your hair hang). This increases the blood flow to the scalp and has resulted in an increased hair growth rate.
Once you're done with oiling, you can tie you hair and secure it with a claw clip or make a pineapple bun
For low porosity hair folks - after oiling, tie a shower cap or any plastic bag around your entire hair to ensure the oil is absorbed better.
Phase V: Swish Swash
My hair wash routine + tips
Take a small amount of shampoo and massage it into your SCALP ONLY. Please spare your hair length.
Tip - If you're starting out with a new brand, try mixing shampoo with small amount of water in a mug and then washing your hair. It will be more gentle on your scalp.
I use a scalp massager to stimulate better blood circulation into your scalp while washing your hair.
Next step - conditioner. Take a dollop of your conditioner (i have linked the products above) and apply it to the LENGTH OF YOUR HAIR.
How to apply conditioner - Split your hair into 2 sections. Hair needs to be wet. Apply conditioner on one side. You can use the praying method or the raking method Once the hair is saturated with the conditioner, take your curly hairbrush and GENTLY de-tangle your hair.
Products - Curly hair brush or you can use a wide tooth comb.
How to de-tangle - Always start from the bottom. Slowly move upwards. De-tangle one side at a time. Remember to be gentle as your hair is a bit sensitive at this moment! Once you completely remove all of the knots, I like to flip my hair in different directions and comb through my hair.
After de-tangling, wet your palm and scrunch your hair up! You need to hear a "squish" noise while doing so. If you don't, hydrate your hair with water and keep scrunching upwards.
Leave the conditioner on for 3-4 mins. I like to tie my hair up with a clutcher. If you want the hair to be further moisturized, you can tie you hair in a shower cap.
Go about your normal body washing routine while the hair absorbs the conditioner.
Wash your hair in NORMAL water.
Truth Bomb - Cold water never really gave my hair any shine. All it did was give me terrible cold :) . Don't use hot water, your hair will die.
Phase VI: Styling
Products needed -
Any cotton t-shirt.
For giving your hair more protein - styling duo
For hydrating your hair - hydrating duo
Tip - You can make your own flax seed gel. It is the most hydrating, nourishing and natural gel you can apply to your hair for styling it.
DIY Flax seed Gel -
Take 1/4th cup flax seed and 2 cups of water in a saucepan
Boil it until you see a white foam
Reduce the heat to a simmer and keep stirring (i use a whisk, a spoon would do too)
The longer you boil, thicker will be the gel
Once you are satisfied with the consistency of the gel, turn off the heat.
You can mix a few drops of essential oils as well.
Take a strainer and IMMEDIATELY strain it, otherwise it will be difficult to separate the seeds from the gel.
Remember - the gel will thicken more once it cools down.
Tip - For the excess, you can store them in ice trays and use them whenever needed!
How to style my curly hair -
First, apply the leave-in conditioner/cream to the length of your wet hair using the raking method and scrunch up!
Try moving your head sideways for a thorough application of the product.
Next, apply the flax seed gel. The more gel you use, the crunchier your hair will become. So try using a small amount.
You can use your styling hair brush to evenly spread the products.
How to dry my curly hair -
Plopping! It will maintain your curly hair pattern.
Video tutorial - click here!
DO NOT EVER USE A HAIR DRYER unless you want to destroy your hair :).
If you're in a hurry and need to dry your hair ASAP, you can use a diffuser. I know, its a bit expensive, but I promise you the investment will be worth your money.
For those who don't want to invest a huge amount (like me lol), you can use a hair dryer which comes with a cold setting.
Phase VII: Mama Bear
Now that you're done washing and styling your hair, I'm sure you are sleepy as hell, just like me!
But wait! Don't go and plop on your pillow just yet! Instead, buy a satin pillowcase for your pillow. This will prevent any frizziness and reduce the knots in your hair.
If you don't want to buy a pillowcase, you can purchase a satin cloth from any local cloth store.
For tying your hair - use a satin scrunchie! The above link will give you scrunchie + a satin pillowcase.
This will allow you to preserve your curls and is gentle on your hair.
SO there you have it! My in-depth, no nonsense, budget friendly curly hair care routine!
You can connect with me via email for any queries or suggestions you may have.
Thank you for joining me on this wild and wacky blogging adventure. Your unwavering support, laughter, and occasional eye-rolls have made it all worthwhile. You're simply the best! Virtual high-fives and a million thanks!❤
Yours ,
Sejal
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