My Curly Hair Regime

I've been getting a lot of questions as to what I use on my curls or what is my hair regime. So I figured I’d give you the rundown of what I've been doing as of late. I have noticed as I've gotten older my hair has changed a lot. My new growth is not the same as the rest of my hair, in curl pattern or texture. I use to be a one product brand type of girl, if it worked for my hair I stuck with it for like ever! But like I previously said, with age came a change in my hair. So I have abandon my old faithful and have ventured out to see what other products might fit the bill. My current regime has been working very well for me and will stick with this for a while. Here’s what I've been doing…

1.  Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Co-wash Conditioning Cleanser

Curly hair already tends to be dry and in need of moisture, so I don’t use shampoo to wash my hair. I prefer to use a co-wash or a conditioning cleanser. It does the exact same thing a regular shampoo does but without stripping the hair of its natural oils and moisture. The Shea Moisture Co-wash is amazing, it not only cleanses my scalp and hair but it softens and detangles as well. And don’t even get me started on the smell, makes me feel like I’m on an island in Hawaii! I need a lot of slippage in my products because my hair is super dry from being color treated and I don’t take care of it like I should (shame on me!) This helps with detangling and shedding when I comb it out.

2. Shea Moisture Coconut &Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner

Wide Tooth Comb

After I use the co-wash, I follow up with Shea Moisture Curl & Shine conditioner. I separate my hair in two parts and slather on a generous amount of the product. Once the product is applied, I detangle the hair. It’s best to use your fingers to detangle your hair but I prefer to use a wide tooth comb because I don’t want to be in the shower for hour’s lol. This conditioner detangles my hair so well, I don’t even hardly have to fight with my comb to get it through my hair. Leave on for like 5 minutes and rinse with cool water. Never use hot water to wash or rinse your hair. And again, the smell….YUM!

3. Mixed Chicks – Deep Conditioner

Hot Head Microwaveable Heat Cap

My hair is super dry and frizzy, it needs as much moisture as I can give it. So a deep conditioner is a must for me every time I wash hair. I normally try to wash my hair twice a week (That doesn't always happen, shame on me again!). Now if your hair is in better shape than mine, you can probably deep condition once or twice a month. I prefer to do it every time I wash because my hair needs it and I’m trying to get my hair to a better state. Again, I separate my hair in two parts and slather a generous amount of the product, comb it through with my comb to make sure it’s distributed evenly. I twist each part and clip them together with a hair clip. 

At this point, I usually slap on a plastic cap and continue with my shower, I shave, wash, etc while the deep conditioner does it stuff. But now after I’m done with my shower, I like to use my dandy little “Hot Head” microwaveable heat cap for extra deep conditioning. With dry hair like mine, it’s usually recommended you apply heat to your conditioner for 15-30 minutes to help it penetrate through the hair follicles and get better results. This extra step has definitely helped with making my hair super soft and manageable. Once that’s done, rinse out with cool water.

4. Kinky Curly – Knot Today Leave in Conditioner

After I've rinsed out my deep conish, I squeeze very little of the water out. Products are best dissolved and distributed more evenly into your hair when it’s super wet. To add more moisture to my hair, I always apply a leave in conditioner. Now again, this doesn't apply to everyone but my hair needs the extra moisture. I tend to switch up my leave ins. I was using Mixed Chicks leave in for a long while but I decided to switch back to one I've tried before. Kinky Curly’s leave in is great, it’s not too heavy and it also doubles as a detangler. which is a plus. I part my hair again in 2 and apply about a quarter size amount to each piece and finger comb it into my hair. Once I've applied the product to both parts, I start to scrunch my hair upward with my hand to get my curl pattern going.

5. Deva Curls – Ultra DefiningGel & Curls – Goddess Curls Botanical Gel

I've used Deva Curls brand and Curls brand by themselves for years and swore by them. After a while they weren't working like they used to, but I do love both brands gels. Some people like to use styling creams, curl milks, mousses etc and that’s fine if it works for you. I on the other hand prefer to use a gel. I find that those other products don’t elongate my curls the way I like them to be. They make my hair spring up too much and don’t define my curls. I know you may associate gel with being a product that makes your hard, crunchy and sticky, but these two gels do the total opposite. I have used the gels separately but I just started to use them together and I love the results. These gels define and separates my curl so well and they both smell amazing. Like before, I separate my hair and finger comb in the product as well as scrunching it in. This gets the curl pattern going and helps with defining the curl. Remember it’s best to apply these products when hair is super wet. This prevents frizzing of the hair and the products dissolves into the hair better. I cannot stress this enough. Once I've applied the gel, I like to flip my head over the sink and scrunch the excess water from my hair. When I’m done, I flip my hair back and just let it air dry. Now if you’re under a time constraint, you can use a microfiber towel or an old t-shirt to squeeze out the excess water. NEVER EVER use a terry cloth towel to dry your hair, they remove too much water and will only make your hair frizzy. You can also use a diffuser attachment on your blow dryer to help the drying process along. I prefer to air dry my hair, it just comes out better this way. That’s why I devote a whole evening for my weekly hair regime lol! Once my hair is completely dry, I flip my head over again and crunch to break the cast that the gel leaves to reveal soft, define and bouncy curls!

To maintain my curls, I use the "Pineapple Method" (see here) and wear a satin cap when I sleep. This helps to preserve my curls and prevent frizzing. I know this may seem like a lot of stuff to achieve the perfect curls but these are the products/methods that currently work best for me. I am in no way telling you to run out and try these, as every ones hair is different and might not work as well. But if you’re interested in trying any, I always suggest buying a trial size because some of these products are pricey and if you don’t like them, that’s money wasted (been there done that!).

Hope this answers any questions or inquiries you may have about my hair regime but feel free to leave a comment below if you have any other questions about my curls, products etc.. To see some of the other products that I've tried, check out my Pinterest page here.

Thanks for reading!