It’s no surprise to anyone that my hair is EXTREMELY long and curly… but it took quite some time to get that way. Like most mixed-race children – or anyone with extremely curly hair for that matter – I’ve gone from loving my curls, to hating them ten times over. I’ve had my hair relaxed and used to straighten it multiple times a week in high school (…sigh), but have finally come to a stage in my life where I’m fully embracing my curls and figuring out how to best take care of them. With that being said, over the last 2-3 years I have really made an effort to find techniques and try new products that give me smooth, spirally curls.
Here’s what products I’m using and where you can find more resources:
Favorite Brands
Ouidad. The thing that has by far taken me the longest to find is a great deep conditioner. After spending a ridiculous amount of time online reading reviews of deep conditioners, I came across the Ouidad Curl Immersion Triple Threat Deep Conditioner and loved it from the start! I will separate my hair into 4 sections and comb the conditioner through my hair and let it sit for about 20 minutes before I rinse it out. My hair is so smooth and easy to detangle after. Because I liked this product so much, I decided to try several other products, including some shampoo and gel – now both staples in my hair product essentials.
Redken. One of my close friends, who also happens to do my hair, gave me a few suggestions during my deep conditioner research and suggested I look at the Redken All Soft line of products, and I am so thankful for her suggestion! From what I know, this line is meant to help soften dry, brittle hair, which is extremely useful because my hair does lose hydration easily. Because of this, I use the All Soft Conditioner, the All Soft Mega Hydramelt Creme, and the All SoftMega Mega Mask. Just like the Ouidad deep conditioner, I use the mask once a week (I switch back and forth between these two products) as an extra conditioning treatment on my hair. This has really helped reduce the amount of breakage and tangles my hair gets.
Other brands I recommend. Ouidad and Redken are typically my go-to brands, but I have also had some luck with Not Your Mother’s Kinky Moves products (I was not a fan of their Curl Talk line), and I also like Mixed Chicks products (I highly recommend their Curl Sculptor). Everyone’s hair texture and curl pattern is different, so it’s definitely going to take some time to figure out what works best for you!
Favorite Products
Wet Brush. I have been using a Wet Brush for several years now, but it wasn’t until about 6 months ago that I decided to try the Flex version of the brush. It detangles my hair so fast and painlessly – I’m actually really sad that I didn’t find this brush sooner! It’s also a lot easier to clean because of the way it was designed.
Hair Ties. I go through so many hairs ties it’s not even funny. I can’t tell you the number of times they have broken in my hair – or like every other girl – they randomly go missing and are never seen again. My mom gifted me some Invisibobble hair ties in my stocking a few Christmases ago, and I’ve been in awe ever since. They don’t leave kinks in my hair, they magically hold all of my hair, and they don’t break! I think these are some weird voodoo magic. All I have to say is buy a pack (or two) and try them for yourself – you won’t regret it!
Diffuser. Most days I let my hair air dry and do its own thing, but I’ll occasionally use a hair dryer and diffuser to get bigger, bouncier curls. I found this GIGANTIC diffuser on Amazon that attaches great to my hair dryer and gives me the big, full curls that I crave!
Favorite Resources
Just because I have curly hair doesn’t make me an expert on curly hair, which means I do a lot of research and follow hair stylists who focus specifically on curly girls. Here are some of my favorite websites and social media accounts to follow:
- Shai Amiel aka The Curl Doctor
- Charnelle C Williams aka the Curl Supply
- Ouidad blog
- DevaCurl blog
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