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I think I have always had hair envy for Katie. She has the perfect hair. It’s straight. And fine. *And* blonde.
What about me? My mom has thick hair. My dad has ringlets. So naturally, I have thick ringlets! Dark, coarse, tight ringlets.
Don’t get me wrong, I have come to peace with my hair. I fought it for a while and tried to straighten it, but the pain and the time investment (hours and hours) broke me of that.
Finally, I learned how to care for my hair. So while I still occasionally have a pang of hair envy for straight hair, I love my own hair now because happy hair is pretty hair.
Caring for Curls
Due to the shape of curly hair strands, the hair tends to be under-moisturized. The curly-haired scalp, on the other hand, can get very oily. Curly hair care comes down to managing these two competing demands.
See, your scalp produces natural oil, sebum, to keep your hair soft and to protect it. Straight hair wicks the sebum down the shaft easily, so that the whole length of the shaft is moisturized. Brushing aids this process by distributing the oils thoroughly (thanks, Scarlett O’Hara, with your hundred-brush-strokes-a-day routine!).
Curly hair, on the other hand, is shaped irregularly and the oil has a hard time wicking throughout the length of hair because of the bumps and ridges. It’s also impossible (and often painful) to brush when dry, so brushing can’t help, either. In fact, brushing curly hair often damages it.
So there we have it. Your poor curly, dry hair is exposed to the environment without anything to buffer it from the wind or the sun, and so gets damaged easily. Further, the unused sebum ends up sitting on the scalp collecting dust… Literally.
Grossed out? I promise I’ll teach you coping mechanisms in a minute.
The Rules of Curly Hair Care
Once you understand the relationship between your scalp and hair, there are certain rules that make sense:
Curly hair has one Great Commandment: Thou shall not brush thy hair when it is dry!
This wrecks your curl pattern by breaking up the hair strands that are forming curls. These groups of hairs are called “clumps.” Breaking up your clumps will make look like that triangle-headed girl from the Dilbert comic: frizzy. Not attractive.
Further, because your curls resist the brush (understatement of the year), brushing can yank your hair out at the root or break it into split ends (or probably both!). Remember, you are more likely to damage the hair shaft because it is not protected at all!
Always (always, always) detangle your hair wet, preferably with conditioner in it so it has something protective coating it.
Shampoo and Conditioner for Curlies
How often should you wash your hair? It is different for everyone. I know curlies who wash every day. I know people with straight hair who have to go several days in between washings or their hair will dry out. Experiment!
If you notice your hair is always dry, try waiting a day to wash it… You might just solve your problem that way! I wash my hair every two days. More frequently makes my hair dry, less frequently and my scalp gets itchy and oily. When it was very long I would go three days.
A Word About No-Poo and Co-Washing
If you have been trying to learn more about how to care for curly hair, you have probably heard of these methods. What are they? Well, they are essentially the same thing.
The idea is that traditional shampoo is far too harsh for curly hair. Curly hair is not sufficiently oiled, so it takes a beating. It’s already fragile enough without marinating it in chemicals. Instead, you should use a combination of conditioner and gentle friction to cleanse your scalp.
Sounds logical so far, right?
For me, it breaks down in the practical application. My hair is really thick. Most conditioners are so creamy that I can’t actually get them to sink through all the layers of hair to reach my scalp. It’s really frustrating. What ends up happening is that the hair on top of my head gets moisturized but my scalp doesn’t actually get clean. Instead, I get dandruff-style flaky buildup that is really embarrassing (and obvious since it is front and center).
Modified No-Poo Method
I find that a combination of the no-poo philosophy of gentle cleansing together with a natural cleanser works best for me. I look for products that are a thin consistency but are detergent free. This modification to no-poo that I use is known as “low-pooing” or low detergent shampooing.
Just Water Method (Not Recommended)
A lesser known (and less popular) variation is water washing: you use only water and friction to clean the hair. You can certainly try it, but I haven’t heard of many people with curly hair who found this a good routine. We use too many stylers for water to really cleanse our hair, and the friction without a protective oil or cream can be damaging. It works better (so I hear) for folks with straight hair.
How to Wash Your Curly Hair
Shampoo/cleanser is for your scalp. Conditioner is for your hair. Don’t get it twisted.
In the shower:
- Wet your hair. Apply sufficient cleanser to your palm and massage it into your scalp ONLY. Do not rub it throughout your length. The detergents in shampoos can be very drying, and if you don’t have oil in your hair to protect it you will abrade and possibly even burn the shaft. Even if you are using a gentle cleanser like a no-poo/co-wash, the agitation still does just that: agitate or irritate the hair. Try to avoid doing that. Angry curls are no fun to be around; they don’t tip at restaurants and generally embarrass you in public.
- As you rinse the shampoo from your hair, continue to massage the scalp to help remove any buildup.
- Now load up your hair with the conditioner. Even if you plan to rinse it out, you still want use the moisture in the conditioner to help release the knots in your curls and relax them gently so that you can comb your hair. Note that you should concentrate the conditioner on the length of your hair, NOT your scalp. Remember, your scalp makes all the moisture it and your hair needs; It just never distributes down the length of your hair. Therefore you need conditioner on your hair to replace the sebum that your hair needs but isn’t getting.
- Distribute the conditioner as you can. If your hair is very tangled, squeeze the conditioner into the knots and (gently) worry at them with the comb to unravel. Otherwise cover your palms with conditioner and use your fingers to rake through your hair to distribute. This will start the detangling process.
- Then follow with a wide-toothed comb to make sure you get all the small snarls out.
Choose Your Own Adventure Haircare
Now from this point it gets tricky, and routines start to differ. There are a couple of schools of thought on leave-in conditioner, and how to do so. You will likely need to experiment. (Can you tell I like to experiment?!)
Here are your options:
- leave it in
- rinse it out
- both
Let me explain…
Leave-In
If you leave in, do just that. Finish detangling, turn off the shower, and move on.
You may want to do this if your hair is hard to style without the slippery conditioner to help smooth it out, or if you hair is very dry. This is what I do currently. Even with very short hair, the difference is tangible if I don’t leave in some conditioner. I simply cannot get my stylers to distribute throughout my hair.
Rinse Out
Rinsing out is also simple. Just rinse the conditioner out of your hair. Some people like to use cool water to do this. It can improve the shininess of your hair, but I find this uncomfortable.
You are a good candidate for cool rinsing if you find that your hair gets really frizzy really quickly once you get out of the shower.
Combination
Then there’s the combo. I did this back when my hair was long enough to brush my bum a couple of years ago.
Basically the idea is that if you leave the conditioner in straight from the shower, you may remove some of it when toweling your hair dry. Not a problem in itself, but if your hair is finicky and really needs that conditioner (like mine did), then if you remove it unevenly it can cause problems. Rinsing and then reapplying conditioner allows for greater control.
This is a good solution for people with really thick hair… or with hair OCD 😉
How to Choose the Best Natural Products for Curly Hair
Products are really personal. You can make your own, or you can research and purchase from a retailer that you like and trust (like my Wellnesse brand shampoo and conditioner for curly hair!). I am a big DIY fan, but I find that curly hair usually needs the real, lab-formulated, deal.
Some basic rules:
Avoid Sulfates and Silicones
Sulfates/sulfites are the harshest of detergents and surfactants. They are extremely drying to the hair and should be avoided.
Silicones are plastics. Their job is the coat the hair to make it look shiny. Sounds good, until you realize that because they are synthetic they can only be removed by sulfates: natural cleansers just can’t get the plastic off. So the choice is between nasty persistent buildup (eeew) or sulfates (which are to be avoided because they barbecue your hair).
Plus, while they make your hair look shiny, silicones actually block healthy oils and moisture from getting to your hair shaft.
Some silicones are water-soluble and identified by the suffix PEG. Those do not require sulfates to be removed. I still avoid PEG-type silicones because I don’t like to put plastic in my hair and even water-soluble silicones block that ever-important moisture.
Avoid Parabens
Avoid parabens (synthetic preservatives) because cancer. ‘Nuff said.
I suggest trying new products out for at least a week (or several applications if you wash your hair less frequently) before trying something different.
Important Note: Sometimes your hair will need to detox or get used to a certain product. It may not immediately recognize that it loves something.
Natural Shampoo and Conditioner for Curly Hair (That Work!)
There really are great options out there, with a little trial, error, and patience to find them. My favorites are:
The Best Curly Hair Cleanser/Shampoo:
For a cleanser, I start off looking for something without sulfates in it. And beware, silicones do end up on shampoo too! You are less likely to find them, but check anyway.
You may need to test out several cleansers to find one that works. In practice, I look for a cleanser that distributes to my scalp easily. Also, after you rinse, compare how your hair feels to how it felt before you cleansed it. You should not be able to feel a coating of any kind, but it should also not feel dry.
If it feels dry, the cleanser is probably too harsh and you need to find something gentler or more moisturizing. Still give it a week! Your hair can change its attitude. Your hair should feel like your body does after you wash with good soap, not like it feels after you wash the dishes, if that makes sense.
Options to Try:
- Wellnesse Smoothing Shampoo for Wavy or Curly Hair – Thank you Katie for answering the plea of curly-haired ladies everywhere! These products are silicone, sulfate, and paraben free and use natural vitamins and moisturizers like shea butter and keratin to protect and lock in shine. Also available is the Curly Hair Kit if you want both shampoo and conditioner.
- I’ve also liked Shea Moisture products, specifically their Moisture Retention Shampoo and Curl and Shine Shampoo.
The Best Curly Hair Conditioner:
Conditioners come in all kinds of textures and consistencies. I look for a few things. First, does it distribute well throughout my hair? If it is made of angel tears and unicorn oil but it won’t go where I put it, it’s useless.
Second, I pay attention to “slip” (i.e., how slippery my hair feels). We are using it to detangle, after all. This slippery feeling is what makes it release those snags and snarls.
It shouldn’t feel too slimy, but you want a silky, soft feeling. Think wet seaweed, not pond scum. And I want it to play nice with other products. This is only really important if you want to leave it in.
I once found a lovely conditioner that I really liked, but it would produce icky white flakes if I left it in and used anything else to style my hair. I had to toss it in the trash and start over. It may not be a concern for you, though.
I love (very rich, good to leave in), and (extremely slippery, will literally melt your knots). If your hair is happier with a lighter conditioner, you might even try
It’s sort of the melding of both: a rich conditioner and marshmallow root, the active ingredient from the Knot Today. It’s a solid DIY that really works.
Options to Try:
- Wellnesse Enriching Conditioner for Wavy or Curly Hair – Finally, Katie’s very own hair care recipes can be yours, no mixing required! She uses shea butter, argan oil, and safflower combine to deeply moisturize curly hair (without the problematic ingredients we covered above). Or get the Curly Hair Care Kit to get shampoo and conditioner for less.
- SheaMoisture – Moisture Retention Conditioner
- SheaMoisture – Curl and Shine Conditioner
- SheaMoisture – Restorative Conditioner
- Beautiful Curls Leave-in Detangler
- Kinky Curly’s Knot Today Detangler (a favorite)
- If you DIY – Katie’s homemade detangler
Best Styling Products for Curly Hair
Ok, there are soooooo many styling products out there! Here is a basic rundown of what each type does and how it may help you.
Creams: labeled as creams or smoothies, these tend to be a combination of butters, oils, and waxes. The majority of your DIY stylers will be creams, as they can be easily made with readily available ingredients (Katie’s whipped body butter is excellent example, although that is not the use she probably had in mind!).
Heck, I bet her magnesium body butter would give great curl definition! Cream stylers are ideal for people with dry hair that is thick and naturally voluminous.
If you have fine hair, you will likely want to avoid creams because they can be heavy and weigh your hair down. They can also make fine hair appear oily and limp. A little tends to go a long way.
Creams:
- Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie – Again, Shea Moisture for the win with the best ingredient line-up I could find (until Katie launches her curly hair styler, that is!).
- Shea Moisture Frizz Defense Styling Gel Cream – A gel/cream combo free of the major offenders.
Gels:
The half of DIY stylers that are not creams are usually gels (flax seed variety). Some are natural, some are not, and most tend to be translucent and slimy/gummy. They come in lots of different hold levels and tend to make hair shinier than creams, but can be drying (especially the chemical-laden ones).
Many contain silicones to make hair shiny so beware if buying from a store. The safest bet may be trying plain organic aloe vera gel as a gentle gel.
Mousse:
Long touted as the ideal styler form for curly hair, mouse is a light foamy concoction that works with the natural buoyancy of curls. Sounds good until you start reading labels and see that most a filled with alcohol (drying) and silicone (plastic). I haven’t found any with a clean enough ingredient line-up to recommend (hint hint Katie!).
I find that mousse is good for folks with fine or limp hair, but I personally find it too drying.
Also, it is virtually impossible to make mousse yourself! I’ve never even seen a recipe for it. If you find one, let me know!
Pomade:
Pomade is a styler that adds shine and hold to your hair. There are a few different kinds. Basically they are either waxy and stiff, or oily and smooth.
Waxy tends to give more hold than shine, and vice versa with the oils. They are good for putting your hair in an updo or if you have short hair like mine (hello, Mohawk!). You can make either at home, although oil-based pomade is simpler.
Until better natural products (that actually work) become available, you can either make a combo of liquid oils in a tincture bottle (like this nourishing hair oil recipe) or you can make a solid bar of it (like these DIY lotion bars).
Power to the Curls!
Folks, keep in mind that these tips are not just for curlies… if you hair is dry, you might try something you see here. You might just discover the cure for your hair woes! Learning to care for your hair properly can be a path to finally loving your hair.
Do YOU have curly hair? How do you care for your hair?
About Julia: Julia is the owner of the gorgeous curly hair in this picture and the mom of that adorable little girl.
I like Morrocco Method too, but every few months I think it is good to use something with a little bit of detergent to shampoo and kind of strip the accumulated protective oils on your hair. It felt like I had lots of styling product even though I hadn’t used ANY (although I loved the curl definition I had! ) My hair needed clarifying, and then just continue using the MM as usual. I hated how my hair was very flyaway again but after a week (2 more shampoos with the boar bristle brushing at night) my hair was healthy, glossy, and protected, and still felt clean. The boar bristle brushing is important for all hair types. It is not supposed to style, of course it will separate curls, but it will distribute oils and balance the oily scalp with the dry strands. Then you style. 🙂
Brushing curly hair is a no-no, it should never, ever be done.
When do you brush your hair during the shower? Also do you recommend a special type of brush ? When i don’t brush my hair The first day (after the shower) it would be amazing but by the second day it starts getting frizzy and tangled up the curls are also as not defined or volumize *note:this is what ends up causing me to brush it. What you would you recommend from your experiment?
I have straight hair, but my daughter has curly hair that is kinky around her hair line. She pretty much only has her hair shampooed at the salon and I stick to using conditioner at home. I use a wide tooth comb while she’s in the bath then follow up with a leave in after the excess water is squeezed out. Using only a comb was leaving pinhead sized knots in her hair so the last time she went for a trim the stylist used a Tangle Geezer brush and it got all those knots out so I bought one. I works wonders while her hair is damp and sprayed with conditioner. I also use coconut oil occasionally for a deep condition.
I, too, have long curls but not necessarily thick. I’ve been cleansing with just conditioner for years and never looked back. I use Say Yes to Carrots conditioner to cleanse and condition (I get it at Target). Just scrub the scalp and rinse, flip my hair over/down, condition, detangle and rinse. I do try to leave a bit in when I rinse. For styling I use Jessicurl products (Rockin’ Ringlets and Confident Coils). It’s been a long time since I read through the ingredients but I don’t recall any scary stuff…but I do admit I don’t want to find out now since I love her stuff! It can be a bit pricey, but I wash about every 3 days and wait for free shipping, which she offers a few times a year.
Hi Tracy! I used to love Yes to Carrots! It was probably the best cleansing conditioner I found. Then my local Target stopped carrying it and I gave up. Jessicurl made my hair really crunchy… I think it has too much protein in it for me, but they have super-nice customer service and the stuff smells amazing!
~Julia
I use Jessicurl Rockin’ Ringlets & Confident Coils too and highly recommend them!
I’m white with big banana-curl type hair. I originally bought Jessicurl because it doesn’t have any pore clogging ingredients so I wouldn’t worry about it on my pillowcase. (I had really bad acne) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00684AWF0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00684AWF0&linkCode=as2&tag=wellnessmama-20&linkId=K7C72D56DZ7DAZMB
I had some pretty good success making a homemade flax hair gel (just flax seeds boiled in water, strained & with some vitamin E and a drop of essential oil for some fragrance). I actually really like it for when I wear my hair curly, I just hate that I have to keep it in the fridge & that it has a short shelf life. I end up blowing out my hair (with various pure oils) because I can go longer between washing- and sleeping on my curls basically wrecks them. Great article & comments. I am looking forward to trying some of the recommended products.
I used to have the same problem with sleep screwing up my curls. I have 3c curls that are last my shoulders. Thankfully, I found a way to do it and now I go 4 days between washing. Four whole days!
On nights that my hair is dry I use the pineapple method https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/kinky-hair-type-4a/how-to-pineapple-your-hair. I’ve noticed that I get some pretty awesome volume on top now.
I wash on the 4th night and put it in a curly tee towel (found one on amazon, pretty amazing) after putting my products in and go to bed. In the morning I just take it off and let my hair air dry while I get ready. I also never use a regular towel because it breaks my curls apart before they even have a chance.
It’s pretty awesome for how low maintenance I like my hair routines.
I have naturally curly hair and the older I get, the curlier it gets. Two years ago, I started making my own shampoo blend and I wouldn’t trade it for the world! It’s inexpensive and very effective for my hair. I use one small bottle of Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soap (any scent) mixed with one can of coconut milk. That’s it. More recently, I have been adding about a tablespoon of castor oil to that blend to see if it will help my hair get thicker. I like the extra oil on my curls and I literally use no styling products. Usually, I just air dry and go.
What size bottle of Dr. Brother’s and what size can of coconut milk? Do you store in the shower? Does it spoil? Do you use a conditioner?
I also have long, thick and curly hair. I used to only use Herbal Essences Mousse, but I have been making my own Curl Boosting Spray now for several months, and I’m loving it. Sometimes when I feel I need a little more hold I also combine it with a home made Flax gel – the basic 2 cups water to 1/4 of seeds recipe and boil for 10 minutes. For the curl boosting spray I use a 6 oz bottle: 1/2 distilled water, a bit less than 1/4 glycerine, and same amount 1/4 aloe gel juice – leaving enough room for 1 tsp vodka and 2 tsp of aloe gel. Shake and spray – also helps to de-tangle.
Thanks for this! I’ve been using baking soda and then an ACV rinse on my curly hair for a few years. Then I recently read that this is damaging to your scalp and hair. I’ve now started using the Shea Moisture co-washing conditioner, and my hair is much happier. I liked the no-poo because it made my curls look so much better and I never needed products. It’s been fun to see how the natural things really make a big difference for the better. But I was getting the dry scalp/flaking you mentioned. I’m definitely going tot ry the Knot Today product you use!
Try using the baking soda and ACV once a week, once every 2 weeks or whenever your hair looks a little blah… This is what I do and it works wonders!
I used baking soda and ACV, it really hurt my scalp because its pH balance is off. Now I use a pH balanced ‘shampoo’ made of coconut milk and aloe vera gel (recipe found here: https://www.thankyourbody.com/ph-balanced-shampoo-recipe/ I love and suggest you try it out!
I hope you like it as much as I do,
Ruby xx
I see recommendations for Shea Moisture everywhere and I can not take the smell of any of their products. Does anyone have another “not smelly” recommendation for curly/wavy thick coarse hair?
Thank you so much!
These! https://wellnesse.com/products/curly-shampoo-conditioner
if you haven’t tried Ava Anderson non toxic you should!! Hands down the best non toxic line that works amazing.
I’m a licensed cosmetologist with thick curly/wavy hair. I’m a white girl, but I find myself getting hair advice from African American natural hair blogs. My hair isn’t nearly as curly, but it’s dry and frizzy so what works for the bloggers usually works for me!
I can’t stress enough that cheap drugstore shampoo isn’t going to do your hair any favors. You NEED to invest a little more to get the best results. A big advantage is that since professional products aren’t excessively watered down like drugstore brands, they actually last longer and you need to use less.
I haven’t experimented with too much, but so far I’ve found that Davines, a high end Italian line of hair care products, has been some of the best stuff I’ve used. They are very devoted to environmental causes and they don’t use sulfates, parabens, or silicones.
While at the salon store to buy some Moroccanoil shampoo and conditioner, which is fantastic but probably has artificial fragrance, the lady there told me that Keune is similar to Davines. She recommended a curl lotion that smells like flowers. Absolutely divine! I can’t wait to try more of their products and learn more about the company.
A less expensive and probably easier to find brand that also doesn’t use sulfates, parabens, or silicones is AG Hair Cosmetics. Their shampoo and conditioner is a little runnier, but that’s fine because it distributes more evenly throughout the hair. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve heard great things about Devacurl too.
For styling, I recommend hair oils (argan and roucou are my favorites) and a hair lotion. Mousse can be drying and more often than not, gives you an 80’s look. However, I’ve actually had some success with Davines’ curl enhancing mousse. Hair lotions seem to be a mixture of a conditioner and a gel so you get the benefits of both. High quality gels with a medium hold are great for definition.
Air drying is best for all hair types, but if you need to blow dry your curly hair, get a diffuser for your blow dryer. Most dryers come with a diffuser attachment now. Devacurl’s is apparently the best, but once again, I haven’t used it so I can’t say for sure. One thing that’s really important to know about diffusers is that you don’t completely dry the hair. You want it to be just a little damp. Also, don’t move the diffuser around your head, it will just get frizzy. Try not to touch the hair either, use a tail comb or something similar to nudge the hair into the diffuser.
Sorry for the long post, but I hope this has been informative! Good luck!
Hi Victoria! Thanks for your comment! I have spent a ton of money on products at all levels of expense and exclusivity (although thanks for feeding my inner product junkie… now I have to go try Davines), and I am simply sharing what works best for me… In this case, a couple of drug-store items and a couple of high-end items. Thanks for mentioning blow drying… I don’t do it myself (I’m an air-dry girl!) so I totally neglected it. You are absolutely correct about using a diffuser and leaving it damp-dry.
~Julia
I have dry hair and recently discovered de la cruz rose water and glycerin as a light leave-in conditioner. No chemicals at all and the rose fragrance is natural. Dilute the glycerin with water to suit yourself. That makes it less sticky. I bought a pink spray bottle. It is a great non-petroleum skin moisturizer, also. Just spray it on.
Hi Julia, I’m glad my input was helpful! I thought I’d mention blowdry in since a lot of people do it. I do it sometimes just because my hair takes hours to air dry, but I prefer to let it air dry when I can. I think it’s a great idea to talk about high end and drugstore products since some of us just can’t splurge on something like Davines. I love the stuff and I don’t buy it often! Drugstore products are great for what they are, however, high end products do go further since they tend to not be as watered down as their drugstore counterparts. I see high end products as an investment.
Once again, I’m glad I could add a little bit of my knowledge to this post! Love the blog so much!!!
Hi~~
Unfortunately Davines DOES contains silicone… ” dimethicone.
I’ve tried literally everything on the market, natural and not, and have spent thousands over the past 10+ years searching for something to make my curls manageable and even beautiful. I’ve been using Morocco Method for a year now and although it worked wonders in the beginning, for the past two months my hair felt dry and my scalp was oily and flakey which is strange for me. I decided on a whim just last week to try my Dr.Bronner’s mild unscented liquid soap on my hair as a shampoo. After rinsing I used a diluted 50/50 acv mix and left that on for a few minutes, then rinsed. I cannot even explain how lovely and smooth my hair feels and my scalp has never felt so comfortable. My hair even stayed amazing for four days which is unbelievable for me. Please everyone give this a try!!!
I, too, have discovered this method of using a natural shampoo (i use nature’s gate…no sulfates) and a mixture of apple cider vinegar (acv) and water for conditioning. AMAZING! My ratio is about 2 Tbsp per 6-8 oz of water and use a repurposed squirt bottle for this. I place 4-5 squirts throughout my hair and work it through my hair. I leave it in as i would any conditioner then rinse. I promise it will not smell like vinegar when you are finished. I use plain old argan oil (i believe it is what’s in moroccan oil but it has no additives. Just straight up) for curl definition. I use about 15-20 drops for my whole head. I used to have really long hair now it is above shoulder length and i use the 15-20 drops. Much more and I get oily. Also, i have really thick hair. Thinner hair would not need as much. My hair is also a relaxed curl, so if you have really really curly hair like julia (who wrote the article) you may need more drops. I love the oil for curl definition. I will never use mousse again. It is nasty and gives me a headache now with all of the chemical odors.
just to clarify, the argan oil i use after towel drying my hair.
I love argan oil! I have a new head of relaxed curls (courtesy of chemo) whereas it was once straight as a pin and it has taken me months to figure out how to care for my curly hair and scalp! I had decided before my hair even grew back in that I wanted to go natural and cut out commercial products, but it is amazing how individualized hair is! I tried so many DIYs for curly hair and natural products, but nothing really worked until I started using Organixs Moroccan Argan Oil shampoo, conditioner, and mousse. I’ve been thinking of using Castile soap and making my own argan oil shampoo, but I may just try using it straight up in my hair. I’m also trying to help the growing process along and I’ve heard putting argan oil on your scalp is like a god-send. Its funny how its typically used to straighten hair but actually makes our curly hair look fantastic and defined!
I love the 50-50 acv method. I do that once a week.
I pineapple my hair up at night loosly with a bandana or 100 percent cotton tshirt and secure using three bobby pins. My curls used to to super flat the next day. Now they work with me.
I use coconut oil to style. I use about a half teaspoon in the AM and at night. I use morcan oil sparingly