Tame that Beast of Hair

Oct 21st, 2008 | By The Conscious Snob Community | Category: Conscious Beauty

Rating 4.00 out of 5

tamecurls4 Tame that Beast of Hair

As the proud owner of attention grabbing ringlets for well, all my life, I happen to know a thing or two about curly hair. After years of tangled affairs with various shampoos, conditioners and styling products, I finally saw the light. For years I thought my hair was just bad, difficult, straw-like, and hard-to-manage — until I approached my strands differently.

Curly hair is naturally dry. The upside of this is that you don’t need to shampoo every day, but the downside of this is that curly hair without product becomes a frizzy nightmare. I like to restore the moisture in my hair by using sulfate-free shampoo, a conditioner that doesn’t make my hair feel heavy, and a styling cream that is free of alcohol. (Sulfates and alcohol are known to cause dry hair so that’s why I steer clear of them). One thing you have to figure out is the style you’re seeking. I like texture and definition with a loose hold, which means that my curls are never crunchy, just defined, smooth spirals.

So if you want to take control of your curls, here’s what to do.

Fully soak your hair, put a glob of shampoo on your roots and rub it through your scalp. Some women put conditioner on their ends before shampooing but I always skip this step for reasons unbeknownst to me. I love DevaCurl’s No-Poo, but I’m also a fan of Healthy Sexy Hair’s Chocolate Soymilk Shampoo (both sulfate free!).

After you rinse the shampoo out, put another glob of conditioner on your hair, comb it through, and then pin it up while you finish your business. You want to let the conditioner penetrate a bit. I make sure to rinse out only about 80% of the conditioner. Once you’re out of the shower, squeeze your tendrils gently with a absorbent towel. After this step, shake out your hair. Then start with styling cream and run it evenly through you hair. I love Frederic Fekkai’s Luscious Curls Cream and Bumble & Bumble’s Grooming Crème. As a cheaper alternative I also use Garnier Fructis Curl & Shine Leave in Conditioning Cream. If cream is not your thing, you can always substitute the hydration with a leave in conditioning spray, such as Infusium 23’s Moisturologie formula. After your hair is set, you want to go through it again with gel, paying special attention to the hair on your crown and your ends.

On days when I don’t have as much time, I give my freshly washed curls a little shake, finger-style a little bit, then I air dry or use a diffuser. Once I’m all finished, I admire my curls from afar –because once these tendrils are dry, it’s hands off!

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This article was contributed by Michelle Reyes. Michelle lives in New York City and is a features writer for The Conscious Snob. In her free time, Michelle enjoys frequenting beauty shops, catching up with friends, and stealing a bit of the ever elusive nap.

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