This may come as a surprise for my readers that don’t know me in real life but I actually have very curly hair. If you’ve only been following me on the blog and on Instagram, you’ve probably never actually seen a picture of me with my natural hair. I definitely prefer to wear my hair blown out on days that I know I’ll be taking pictures or going out, but in day to day life you will actually most likely find me wearing my hair curly. If you’re interested in how I get my curly mane blown out and what products I use for that, you can read all about that in this post. If you’re here to read about what kind of products I use when I wear my hair curly, I will now get into just that.

I may not be exaggerating when I say I’ve probably tried close to thirty or forty products for curly hair throughout my life. I remember the good old days in middle school when I used to use the LA hair gel (I’m not sure this is even on the market still) and put my hair up in a ponytail, get it wet and put the gel in and that was my signature hair style. I’m very thankful that those days are behind me and I will never be wearing my hair like that again. I then transitioned to high school where I am pretty sure I straightened my hair almost every day and barely wore it curly at all but when I did, I would use some Tresemme mousse and that’s it. Just one product. Now, more than 7 years later, my curly hair routine has completely changed and involves a lot more than just one product and is constantly changing. One thing that all curly haired gals can probably agree with is that no matter what routine you follow, you can do everything exactly the same but your hair will end up looking different each time. Even though that is still the case, I have found some products that I almost always use when I wear my hair curly. So let’s talk about them…

I usually let my hair air dry for only a few minutes after I get out of the shower before I start putting products in when I know I’ll be wearing it curly. Lately, I’ve been using a leave in conditioner spray by Briogeo ( you can find it here) but I haven’t used it enough times to label it my go-to product yet. If I continue liking the product, it will most likely end up in my monthly favorites at some point. I also just recently picked up the R & B Hair Moisturizer by Lush that I read amazing reviews about but it’s also too early to tell how I really feel about that one ( what I know for a fact already though is that I am not a fan of the scent). After the leave in spray, I move onto a leave in curl defining cream. My go-to for that currently is actually also a Briogeo product.

Briogeo – Curl Charisma Rice Amino + Avocado Leave in Defining Cream – This product is pretty lightweight but definitely gets the job done. I squeeze out about a quarter sized amount and rub it in between my hands and start spreading it out through my hair. One thing to note with curly hair is to never ever brush it once you start putting products in. The only time you should even be brushing/combing curly hair is in the shower after you’ve put conditioner in. Otherwise you’re just asking to look like Mufasa and that’s just not a good look.

After I put in the leave in conditioner and/or defining cream, I go for the product that will actually hold the curl. I alternate between three different products when it comes to this : a mousse ( I use the Tresemme one still), a gel ( gels have come a long way and now if you end up looking like you have wet, crunchy curls that’s all due to user error) or my favorite which is a lightweight product that I believe is one of a kind which is the Curl Keeper. Let’s talk about the ones I use in detail:

Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper – This one product alone makes the years I spent being subscribed to Birchbox worth it. I got this product in one of my first birchboxes years ago and have not stopped using it since. The only way I can describe this product is a watered down gel. It literally has a consistency that’s just a little bit denser than water which I believe is what makes it look so invisible in the hair. This makes your natural curls look just that – natural. No crunchiness, no wet look, just nice, defined curls. I actually buy this on Amazon now as I believe that’s where you get the best deal and that’s why I’m linking the product there.  I’ve tried several products by that company and a lot of them are good but nothing beats the original Curl Keeper itself. I highly recommend all curly haired gals to pick up this product.

Deva Curl Ultra Defining Gel – This company is all about curly hair so you can trust that every product you buy from them will be worth it. This gel is great for humidity as it keeps the frizz away and does a great job defining your curls. You have to be careful not to use too much though as since this is a gel, it can still make your hair look crunchy if you over use it. So use sparingly. I usually get my Deva Curl products at Ulta but there are other places that sell this line.

Tresemme Flawless Curls Enhancing Mousse – This product is an OG for me as I’ve probably been using it for 7-8 years now. It does a great job holding the curls and keeps the frizz away as well. You can overuse this one so be careful with how much you’re putting in. I use an egg sized amount for one side of my hair and the same for the other and that usually is just the right amount to make the curls look nice without being crunchy.

The last step of my curly hair routine is an oil spray. Since oils are heavy and can penetrate through almost anything, I save that step for last since if you used the oils first, none of your other products would “get through” the oils and have any effect. The two oils I usually use (not at the same time, one or the other) are the Organix Kukui Oil spray (the spray bottle it comes in makes for super easy application and it smells amazing) and the Madam CJ Walker Coconut Oil ( this one I’m not as huge of a fan of as it smells a little too coconut-ey for me but if you’re all about that coconut smell then you will love this). The Organix spray is way more affordable so if you’re not looking to spend a lot on the products, then stick with that one. You can pick that up at your local Walgreens or any other drug store that sells Organix. The Madam CJ Walker oil is sold at Sephora.

The other important thing about making sure your curly hair doesn’t get frizzy is making sure you’re not constantly touching your hair. The oil from your hands will make your hair more frizzy so it’s important to play with your hair as little as possible while you’re waiting for it to dry.

Let me know if you have any questions about any of the products I mentioned above and I would love to hear what other fellow curly girls use in their hair. As always thanks for reading! 😊

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