Curly girls rejoice, taming your curls is as easy as 1, 2, 3 and 4! If you’ve got curls, you’ll know caring for your hair is not simple, but what if we shared with you 4 simple steps to tame the madness.
Generally speaking curly hair is naturally dryer than most other hair types, so in order to get those lovely curls frizz free, you have to look after them in a certain way. It all starts by taking a look at the back of your shampoo bottle.
As a curly girl, there are a few ingredients that you need to keep an eye out for when buying your shampoos, conditioner and even your styling products. These ingredients include:
Sulfates
Sulfates are found in a number of products, like dish liquid and laundry detergent. They can also be found in shampoo. Sulfates aren’t technically bad for you however they do strip natural oils and moisture from your hair and scalp, which curls need. Look out for sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate and ammonium laureth sulfate in the ingredients.
Silicones
Silicones are found in your conditioners, there job is to repel water and create a film over hair that prevents moisture from penetrating the hair shaft. This silicone film may leave your hair looking nice and shiny but over time creates a buildup that can only be removed with a hardworking shampoo. Look out for dimethicone, amodimethicone, phenyl trimethicone and ~cone, ~conol, ~xane.
Water Insoluble
Insoluble comes from the latin word “that cannot be loosened”, meaning it can’t dissolve in water. Like silicones, hair care products that are water insoluble create a barrier between moisture and the hair shaft. Look out for mineral oil (parrifidium liquidium), petrolatum and beeswax (cera alba), as these are water insoluble ingredients.
Drying Alcohol
Drying alcohol is found in some styling products to quicken the drying time, they can also dry out your hair, leading to frizz.
Now that we know what ingredients to avoid when buying hair care products, how do you tame the curl in 4 simple steps.
- Skip your shampoo and just use a conditioner. If you can’t go past shampooing hair, use a sulfate free shampoo weekly or fortnightly. Juuce shampoos are not only sulphate free, but vegan friendly.
- If you’re happy to skip the shampoo, replace it with a conditioner to cleanse your scalp. Try AG Hair Natural Boost Conditioner, formulated with apple cider vinegar, it smooths hair cuticles and seals in moisture. Or designed especially for curly hair, a hydrating conditioner, AG Hair Curl Thrive.
- Style curly hair with a curly hair friendly gel or mousse. Davroe Formation Styling Lotion contains conditioning agents and is perfect for strong curl definition. A curl activator AG Hair Curl Re:Coil separates and holds, giving curls that little bit of encouragement. Let hair air dry, then scrunch out the crunch.
- Deep condition hair weekly with Matrix Biolage Hydra Source Conditioning Balm. Inspired by the aloe vera plant it locks in moisture and seals the cuticle to leave hair hydrated and soft.
Bonus Tip: If you can’t air dry hair, use a diffuser on a low heat: Heat is no friend of the curly girl.
Note: Your hair may get oilier and frizzier when you first start out skipping the shampoo. This is due to the silicones from your old conditioner leaving your hair, causing an overproduction of natural oils to quench your thirsty hair. Make sure you are deep conditioning weekly to help moisturise your locks or use a leave-in conditioner like AG Hair Natural Remedy to detangle, reduce frizz and lock in moisture.