Healthy hair is the key!
Sooooo as a curly girl, I get tons of questions about my hair regimen, but I have never actually shared my go-to products. This is partly because I am a product junkie. I am always changing what I use because I like to try new things to perfect my regimen. Because I have tried 1000 products, I have found some great ones for curly hair. Not all curls are the same however. For example, I consider myself to have 3C curls. For anyone interested in finding out their hair type, this is a good place to start. Many of these products are great for all curl types though, so check them out.
My biggest rule regarding my hair products is that they cannot contain dimethicones. Dimethicones (any word in the ingredient list that ends in -cone) are added to products to improve hair shine and reduce frizz. They do this by coating your hair with a seal that can only be removed with surfactants (ingredients in shampoo which dry out your hair). Long story short, I aim to use more natural gentle products. If you are interested in learning more about dimethicones check out this article. All the product below are thus dimethicone free. Regardless of whether you use dimethicones or not, the most important thing for beautiful curls is hair health! The first and most important step to healthy hair is doing weekly hair treatments.
Favorite Treatments/Masks
My hair loves moisture, and I do hair masks/treatments every week to get my hair in the best condition possible.
Olaplex: This product is A-MAZING. Since I have been using it, I haven't had breakage. My hair is so strong and healthy. I use this every other week to maintain strength and shine. This product strengthens the disulfide bonds which make curly hair curly. This product was MADE for curls. A little goes a long way and the price is 100% worth it.
Briogio: This product is one of my favorite conditioners. It is super moisturizing and makes your hair soft and shiny.
Shampoo/Co-wash
Co-washing (with low/no sudsing products) is my go to. This helps my scalp stay clean and fresh without drying my hair. I also like to use a clarifying conditioner once a month to keep my hair clean and ready to receive moisture.
My favorite shampoo
This smells amazing. All their products are great and this line probably smells the best of all the curly products I have used. Plus my curls immediately feel moisturized and are easy to detangle.
Clarifying Shampoo
This product is meant to clear all the residue off hair producing those shiny bouncy curls that I love so much. I only use this once a month to avoid drying my hair too much.
Conditioner
This conditioner is pretty inexpensive (curly girls know how much conditioner we run through). It is also really emollient meaning it helps to detangle your hair while it moisturizes. It also doubles as a leave-in conditioner. I apply this product in the shower and rinse lightly leaving the most of the product in. This saves time and $$ since you won’t need a separate leave-in conditioner.
I just love how this product smells. My curls also feel super moisturized every single time I use this conditioner.
There are lots of detangling brushes out there. I like using this in the shower with my conditioner to detangle. It’s gentle enough on strands to use on wet hair (wet curls are the most delicate). Since using this brush, I stopped getting those annoying knots at the end of my strands. If you know you know.
Leave in
This is my go-to conditioner and leave-in. It doesn't leave a ton of build-up and mixes well with lots of different curl products.
Miss Jessies Leave-In Condish
This is the leave in that I'm using currently. Usually I just leave my conditioner in and don't fully rinse, but on those days when I need some extra moisture, or on second or third day curls, I will use this product.
Curl Product
When I say this product is amazing..... it's amazing. I live in miami where humidity is a beast and ruins curls. When I use this product, my curls come out perfect every time and look pristine for at least 2-3 days.
Miss Jessies products are moisturizing and leave you with soft bouncy curls. I love volume. The bigger the curls the better. If you feel the same, definitely check this product out. They have lots of different curl creams (I have tried them all), but this one is a staple.
How to Style
There are lots of ways to get defined curls.. I like to use a Denman brush after applying my curl product to sopping wet, freshly washed hair. I then use the rake and shake method. My last step is to finger curl the very front pieces that frame my face to get the most beautiful defined curls where it matters the most.
I let my hair air dry and avoid touching it. NO TOUCHING AT ALL. NONE. If you touch my hair while it's wet, I. Will. Cut. You. If you prefer to diffuse thats fine. Just make sure your hair is all the way dry before touching to prevent frizz.
Hopefully this gives you some ideas for your hair regimen! Let me know what you think and if you have luck with any of my faves.