If you were born with curls or inherited them later in life you have probably worked out that not all products are created equal and help you achieve great results for your hair.
So many product companies launch a "curly" product or moisturising product to their range. Usually its the heaviest in butters, oils and leaves hair feeling heavy to help 'suppress the frizz'.
This is just untrue, to prevent frizz is to give the hair what it needs which is WATER!
Products that are water soluble and don't leave residues on the hair is exactly what curls need.
So read on to help eliminate unnecessary purchases and find the right products for your curls
TIP 1: Curly girl approved, you may have heard this term thrown around as CG approved or curly girl approved. What the world hasn't told you is what it means. Its avoiding certain ingredients and its a good start to ruling out unsuitable products for your hair. But due to product marketing its easily achievable to say a product is approved but is it doesn't tell you if its full of great ingredients for your hair.
CurlyGirl (CG) avoids sulphates, drying alcohols, waxes and silicones now we are not all experts at reading product labels so here is your first point of call when considering a new product.
Copy and paste the product ingredients into curlsbot.com it will tell you if it contains any of the above and help eliminate a pile of 'to be purchases' that will no doubt disappoint you.
Tip 2: Avoid heavy butters, Flip over the bottle and look for high listed butters especially shea butter (Butyrospermum parkii) its a cheap but widely used butter that at room temperature is grainy texture can leave a water barrier on hair if not balanced well in the formula. This eventually leads to wet frizz and dullness to hair.
TIP 3 : Use the gentlest cleanser for your scalp and hard water needs. You might have heard about curly hair cleansers and co-wash products. If you haven't that's ok, curls don't really love many shampoos. Most are too cleansing and dry the hair out. The new way is cleansers, made up of gentle compatible surfactants with conditioning ingredients to gently cleanse the scalp. Finding the perfect cleanser varies based on your age, natural oil production, water purity and frequency of washing. I am a solid believer of sourcing Australian made products for this category as they are designed for our water needs. Some areas have hard water and require more cleansing ingredients then someone with rainwater.
Tip 4: What are your hair goals. As a curl specialist I hear what your curl type and most people have no idea. I believe it isn't that relevant in choosing a product routine. Two people with identical curls could want completely different looks, one wants fullness and volume, the other compact and defined.
What is important is what you want your curls to look like. General rule, if you want more volume use sprays, mousses and gels will be your more suitable product choices. For definition and control lean more towards curl creams and hydrating gels.
TIP 5: Test products properly, one of my common services is detoxing new clients hair before hydrating. Most of the time I use gentle shampoos or my newest cleanser to gently cleanse all the hair until it lathers or detangles easily. Commonly products that build up can be tricky to cleanse so when swapping to a new range its important to start with a clean base. Sometimes multiple washes are required.
TIP 6: Avoid the irritants. What's worse then buying a new product only to then find out it makes your scalp itch. Well let me let you in on secret, some of this error can be avoided. The itchy Ms we like to call them is a common preservative which is associated with irritation. Methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone are usually listed towards the end of your ingredient lists. I would strongly advice to avoid products with this preservative as it he scalp can become irritated with continuous us
Tip 7: Don't believe the front label. Products can make all sorts of claims to confuse buyers. Organics ingredients, curly hair, frizz free are trend words that can be used to help persuade a purchase. One thing that doesn't lie is what is in the ingredient list
TIP 8: Less is more, Curls love water, hydration is water and delivering it so your hair can receive it. Quality products come in a concentrated form so you typically apply to wet hair and use very little to distribute through the hair. Quality products might be a larger investment but I constantly hear from repeat clients how they are shocked with how long they last.
TIP 9: Keep it simple, with the right products you should only need 3-4 products. A Cleanser, a Conditioner and a gel with a possible volumizer or curl cream. If you have been searching online looking at tutorials that use 6, 7,or even 8 products in a massive sequenced order just remember who is creating the content. Influencers get paid from you making purchases. They are constantly coming up with new trends to hope to go viral.
Curls don't need complex routines and bundles of products, they just need a few very specific ones targeted for your goals.
TIP 10: Ask an expert, do u you know we basically do online consultations for free. You pay $35 which is 100% redeemable off products. It takes all the guess work out of buying products. Yes this is time I devote to these consults but I don't believe in just selling products. I believe in changing your life and to do that, you need the right product for your hair goals with the right advice. thecurlybird.com.au
Hope this helps you on your way to your best curl days ever.
Danika Durack
Curl specialist / Owner at The Curly Bird Hair Sanctuary
Product designer and creator The Curly Bird products
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