Hey, friends!
I made a post about this last year, but right after that time, I changed up the products I was using and today, I wanted to talk about what I’m using now and how I take care of my hair! I love having curly hair and watching hair routines to try new things on mine. So if you have curly hair (or your hair has any sort of wave), read on for my favorite products right now & curl routine.
pacifica curl defining shampoo
I got this from Amazon, and it’s not my favorite because I feel like it dries my already dry hair out more. I haven’t been able to find a shampoo I really like yet (I’ve tried Herbal Essences, Aussie, Not Your Mother’s, and a couple of other ones), so let me know if you have any suggestions!
cantu for kids conditioner
My little sister has curly hair too, and so I’ve been stealing her conditioner because I ran out, and I think it’s great, haha. I’m going to order their normal, not kids one and hopefully I’ll like it as much.
cantu leave-in conditioner & maui curl quench coconut oil smoothie
Like I said, I have very dry hair, and leave-in conditioner + hair masks are a lifesaver. The Cantu leave-in conditioner works so well and makes my hair way less dry. I also love the Maui curl quench smoothie!
cantu coconut curling cream & not your mother’s curl talk defining cream
This is the first step in my “real” curly hair routine. If you’re new to taking care of your curls, you should always start your routine with cream, then mousse/gels, diffuse it or let it air dry, and then oil to get rid of the gel cast. I’ve used Not Your Mother’s cream for a long time and liked it, but recently I tried Cantu’s cream because I was looking for something clean and made with better ingredients, and it works really well, too.
cantu avocado hydrating mousse
Mousse is something I’ve used on and off, but I’ve started using it again because I feel like my curls hold so much better when I use it. I’ve just been using the Cantu one because that’s what my mom had, but I’ve also liked the Not Your Mother’s and Herbal Essences ones.
not your mother’s curl talk frizz control sculpting hair gel
I’ve tried a lot of different gels, but this is the one I keep coming back to. It always holds my hair well, and I have a lot less frizz when I use it. Suave also has a very cheap gel that I tried, and it’s surprisingly good for how inexpensive it is.
coco magic nourishing hair oil
Like mousse, I haven’t always used hair oil, but I’ve been trying to diffuse my hair more lately and I need oil to get rid of the crunch. This stuff has also helped keep my hair moisturized and looking healthy, which I love.
other tips
- Use a microfiber towel – I wasn’t doing this until recently, but it helps so much!! My hair dries a lot quicker, there’s less frizz, and it can also help prevent hair breakage.
- Wash your hair less – I only use shampoo in my hair once a week because no matter what amount of conditioner I’m using, it gets so dry. I usually do a full wash one day a week, and then the rest of the time I just shower or spray and do the rest of my curl routine.
- Sometimes your hair will just not look how you want it to & you have to accept it – this is something I’m realizing is that I can do the same thing and have my hair look great one day, but bad another. Sometimes, no matter how much product I use, it still looks frizzy and not great, and that’s annoying but fine. 😂 No one but you is going to notice if there’s a bit of frizz.
- Try a lot of different techniques and routines! There are so many other things you can do for your hair from finger curling to scrunching and diffusing to plopping. It’s really about seeing what works best for your hair and the kind of curls you want to have.
- Plopping works great if you shower before bed & want to do your routine at night, then you only have to do a little curl refresh in the morning!
now, it’s your turn!
Have you ever tried a curly hair routine? Also, if you have curly hair, give me your advice on sleeping with curls! I’ve tried a couple of different things, and nothing seems to work for me, haha.
Thank you so much for reading!!
Pearl 🤍
Ah this is such a good post! Love it, Pearl 😀
I have curly hair as well, so I loved seeing the different products you use! My hair isn’t particularly dry, but I use the Shea Moisture shampoo and conditioner (and sometimes the masque as well!) and it works great! It leaves my hair feeling softer and healthier than any other shampoo I’ve tried.
I also use the Not Your Mother’s mousse, and I LOVE it! It doesn’t leave a ton of crunch (or any at all if I use less), and with diffusing it usually holds the curls until day 3!
I haven’t used oil yet but I’ve been meaning to 😀
As for sleeping in curls, I either put my hair in a loose braid, or in one of those satin head bonnet things 😀 The bonnet tends to work better but it depends on how much patience I have to get all the hair up in it. XD It works best when I have my head down and slightly bunch the hair together before slipping on the bonnet.
Such a great post! Thanks for sharing 😀
loved hearing your routine, a’riana! thanks so much for reading & commenting ☺️
this was extremely helpful. I’ve been struggling with my curly hair routine (the back is always frizzy), so the tips were great!
I have very dry hair myself, and it gets worse because I have to use a special shampoo (cause I have eczema). I use ogx brand coconut miracle oil conditioner. I can find it at my local Walmart.
it’s definitely a struggle sometimes!! something that helps me get the back of my hair less frizzy is making sure there’s enough product in that area. so glad this was helpful and thanks for reading!!
So fun! I like looking at curly hair routines too although my hair is just wavy, and also extremely easily weighed down by product, which makes things difficult.
My absolute favorite shampoo + conditioner is the Pur’aDor scalp therapy set. It does a great job of deeply cleaning my hair and scalp without completely stripping it of moisture. Can’t recommend it enough from my experience!
I might have to try a curl cream and just use a little bit so my hair doesn’t get weighed down. I usually skip straight to gel when I try a hair routine so maybe that’s my problem.
Thanks for the fun post!
-Allison
i’ll definitely look into that shampoo and conditioner. thanks for commenting and reading, allison!!
Hey Pearl! I too have curly hair and let me tell you it has been a journey to get a routine I love.
For shampoo and conditioner I really like L’Oréal’s Elvive line (in the orange bottles). I wash my hair twice a week and about every 3 washes I use a clarifying shampoo. This strips your hair of any leftover product and helps reduce build up of product on your scalp.
I’ve gone back and forth on what I like for products. I used to use a shea moisture but now I find it’s too sticky.
Currently I use a mic of the same cantu cream you use and the girls with curls gelee. I just kinda alternate product until I have a good amount in my hair. It is not a science by any means lol.
For sleeping I like to pineapple my hair with a scrunchie (silk works best but I use whatever I have). My hair tends to do well after this tho normally needs a spray of water to refresh it.
Oh my goodness, Belle. I’ve been meaning to ask your curl routine because your hair is always so pretty! Thanks for sharing.
yeah for sure 😂 i definitely need to try a clarifying shampoo. so far, doing a pineapple + spraying with water and scrunching in some curl cream the next morning has worked the best for me. thank you for reading & commenting!!
Loved reading this post! I use the not your mothers routine and I absolutely love the gel!
I also tried the pineapple curls shampoo and didn’t really like it. 😂 Now I use Imbue’s curl shampoo mostly, and about once a month I use Twist clarifying shampoo to really cleanse and get rid of any buildup.
I sleep with my hair in a loose bun and wear a satin bonnet. It doesn’t really stay on all night but oh well 😂
I’ll definitely have to try out some of these products! Thanks for sharing, Pearl!
yesss me too! same about the shampoo, the more i use it, the more i don’t like it 😂 i should look into those products. thanks for reading & commenting!!