Curly hair is absolutely gorgeous. It’s big and bold, just like you. It attracts attention with its beauty and those tight coils are hard to resist. But let’s be honest — it’s an absolute pain in the butt to take care of every day! When I was 10, my mom put a relaxer (something that destroyed my curls) in my hair and retouched that relaxer every few months for 3 years just so I wouldn’t have to deal with maintaining my curly hair. When I finally decided to grow the curls out, I dedicated my time to make sure I was using the right products and washing it at the right time for the right effect, and boy, was I treating my hair wrong all those years.
First, let’s start with curl types. For perspective, my curl type is 3c. Each number (1-4) references a certain texture of hair. Type 1 is straight. Type 2 is wavy. Type 3 is wavy. Type 4 is coily. The letters (A-C) references how tight the curls are within those numbers. So I have curly hair and the tightest curls which means I have 3c hair. Type 2 hair is wavy hair and the most common hair type.Type 3 hair starts looking like springs and loops. Type 3a still looks like a “S” but obviously is more coiled and looped than type 2c. 3b and 3c have a springier texture and are more tightly coiled. If you can stick a drinking straw through a lock of hair, you are definitely thinking of type 3c! Type 4 hair is tightly coiled with a wire-like texture and fluffs out.
After you’ve identified a curl type, you should go shopping for your typical hair products, but don’t go taking Pantene samples hoping for Selena Gomez’s luscious locks. People with curlier hair tend to flock towards products that are geared towards their texture. Pantene is better for people with type 1 (pin straight) and 2 hair than it is for people with type 3 or 4 hair. TreSemme is also good for type 2.
When looking at the ingredients list, try to avoid sulfates, silicones or parabens. If you definitely trust a brand that uses sulfate, make sure it’s at least the 7th ingredient on the list. The ingredients are listed in order of how much is used. For example, a shampoo bottle will almost always list water as the first ingredient. Water will make up 80% of that bottle. Sulfate is not good for any hair type so if it’s the 7th ingredient, you’re safe. It’s a harsh surfactant (or cleanser) that gives your hair that squeaky clean feeling, however, it does strip your hair of your natural oils. People that have type 3 or 4 hair tend to lack natural oils which is why using sulfates (the two most common “Sodium Lauryl Sulfate” and “Sodium Laureth Sulfate”) will end up stripping that hair too much which is why curly girls go towards products that use mild cleanser. Some common brands include Cantu, SheaMoisture, Alaffia, OyinHandmade and the Mane Choice. They utilize mild cleansers such as coco glucoside or cocamidopropyl betaine. It’s usually a good sign if you can recognize the ingredients that are on the list such as aloe vera, shea butter or argan oil. Other ingredients that you may not recognize include panthenol which is Vitamin B. Vitamin B or specifically Vitamin B12 aids in hair growth by helping the production of oxygen-rich red blood cells which feeds your hair follicles, therefore, stimulating growth. Tocopherol is Vitamin E. Vitamin E has a natural antioxidant effect which maintains hair growth and is generally very healthy for your scalp.
For conditioners, the intention is to soften the hair to make it easier to comb. Good ingredients in conditioner include water, essential oils (I recommend argan, coconut, avocado, macadamia seed, eucalyptus, chamomile, olive and grape seed but that’s a personal preference), panthenol, benzyl alcohol (which is okay in conditioner but not shampoo), citric acid, disodium EDTA (which should be towards the bottom), shea butter, mango seed butter, clary sage, mallow, chamomile rosemary, balm mint, yarrow and common hop. Things to avoid in in conditioner: sulfates, parabens, silicones, isopropyl alcohol and polyethelyne glycol. Fragrance (parfum) in all products is generally a bad idea. It tends to be a synthetic fragrance and cosmetic companies aren’t required to disclose to you what they include in fragrance which means that there could be some potentially harmful ingredients in that “secret combination.” I personally trust products that use Fragrance (essential oil blend) but that’s equally as risky because I wouldn’t know which oils. However, at least I’m guaranteed that the essential oil blend is organic. If fragrance (parfum) is the last ingredient, it won’t have a deeper effect.
For anyone who uses something besides shampoo and conditioner, other hair products should be used for curl definition, increasing shine, moisture and strengthening hair. There are lots of products for people with curly hair. There are styling creams, gels and edge stylers. For maintenance, there are Denman brushes for detangling and styling. Microfiber towels or cotton T-shirts maintain curls. Satin pillowcases or bonnets reduce frizz. Diffusers or air drying are good methods of drying curly hair (I personally try to go heat-free unless I’m in a rush.) There are also a variety of shampoos and conditioners. For example, there are clarifying shampoos and hydration shampoos and for those who don’t know the difference or what they need, clarifying shampoos cleanse the scalp and should be thoroughly massaged into the scalp down to mid-shaft while a hydration shampoo should be applied from the mid-shaft down to the ends. Typically, people will use a hydration shampoo if they have a frizz or moisture issue which is a common symptom of high porosity hair. Try the strand test to see if you have low, balanced or high porosity to customize which products you should be using.
I’ve gone through tons of bloggers with curly hair like mine to try and find optimal hair products. I’ve mixed and matched what seems best to me and compared reviews and ratings. Some great brands include: Cantu, SheaMoisture, Phillip Kingsley Elasticizer, Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingler Conditioner, Boing!, Hair Dew, The Mane Choice, KinkyCurly and more! These products are recommended for people with type 3 hair. People with type 4 hair need stronger products that lock in the moisture, define the curls, and softens the hair for combing. Cantu will only keep type 4 strong enough for a few hours before drying it out and making the hair brittle. Aussie, Ors Olive Oil, Tripic Isle Living Jamaican Black Castor Oil, and Aunt Jackie’s Curl Custard are great products for type 4.
Once you’ve picked out your products, the actual process of washing your hair is another story. People with pin straight hair (or type 1 hair) wash their hair every day to eliminate grease or dryness, which can lead to dandruff, but people with curlier hair shouldn’t be washing it as often. For example, type 2 hair can be washed every 3-4 days. Type 3 and 4 hair, the curliest of the spectrum, should wait 5-7 before washing their hair. Washing 3 and 4 hair too regularly will lead to dry and brittle hair and combing it too often can lead to too many split ends. The temperature of the water also has different effects on the hair. Hot water removes dirt, oil and build-up, but it also causes frizz, makes hair dye fade faster, and leads to dry and brittle hair. Cold water seals the moisture, increases shine, and increases smoothness, but it also makes the hair look flat and less bouncy.
Overall, maintaining curly hair is very hard. When I was a kid, curly hair wasn’t accepted. It was too big, attracted too much attention and got in the way of other people. I felt so insecure just wearing it loose that I got a relaxer that killed my hair and made me look and feel awful. After assimilating, people thought I looked “better” and “more feminine” but curly hair isn’t unfeminine at all. Just because I don’t have waist-length tresses doesn’t mean my large and wild hair isn’t beautiful. Having curly hair is great and now that I know how to maintain it, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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