Daily Curly Hair Routine
Very recently I made a major decision to chop off 5+ inches of hair. I’ve never had my curly hair short before and I was in desperate need of a change. The ends were dry and brittle and my hair had lost its overall shine. Chopping off my hair was the best decision I’ve ever made, and it’s kept it super healthy. Today, I wanted to share the products I use on a daily basis to keep my curls bouncy and almost frizz-free!
Welcome to the struggle bus known as trying to maintain a mane of curly hair. Curly hair is very moody and does whatever the heck it wants no matter the day, important event, or special moment. It’s taken me 19 years to finally figure out what works for my hair, and as a fellow curly-haired girl, I find the need to share the products and techniques that work for me to maintain the frizz. All of these products can be found at your local Target and Sally Beauty because this girl doesn’t have the budget for high-end hair products. I’ve stuck with these products for the past several years and they’ve never let me down!
STEP 1: Shampoo & Conditioner
The Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Shampoo and Conditioner has been a tried and true part of my curly hair routine for years. I’ve used other shampoos and conditioners, but I just keep coming back to this one! It’s so hydrating and is one of the key reasons my hair isn’t dry and frizzy. I used to wash my hair on a daily basis, but when I started having to buy my own shampoo and stuff, I switched to washing every other night (night-time washing is key to this). It’s better on my wallet and made a vast improvement to the quality of my hair.
Once a week I use the TRESemme Botanique in-shower conditioning treatment. It’s a deep conditioner I apply after I shampoo and leave in for the remainder of the shower. Using it weekly really helps keep the moisture in my hair.
STEP 2: Overnight Products
Immediately after the shower, I throw my hair up in a towel for a few minutes to get a lot of the excess water out. I’ve also heard people say to use a t-shirt, but I’ve yet to try that. Have you tried using a t-shirt instead of a regular towel for your hair?
After my hair is not dripping wet, I add about a quarter-ish size drop of the Garnier Fructis Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment and run that through my hair, focusing on the front pieces and the ends (basically all the pieces that get super dry and frizzy). In the palm of my hand, I mix together a quarter size dollop of the Generic Value Products Sebastian Potion 9 (this is a generic version of Sebastian Potion 9 which is very expensive), a quarter size dollop of the Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioner, and one pump of the Garnier Fructis Anti-Frizz Serum. I run that through my hair, and once it’s integrated, I brush my hair.
Sleeping with my hair in a loose bun is essential to my curly hair routine. I feel that this really helps the products soak in for a long period of time, and the heat from your head also helps the products soak in. I then hit the sheets to get those much-needed zzz’s.
STEP 3: Get That Morning Curl
Taking my hair out of the loose bun from the night before, it’s typically still slightly damp. I then re-wet my hair to reactivate the products and create the natural curls. I do this as well on the days where I didn’t wash my hair the prior night.
Regardless of whether or not I washed my hair the previous night, I If I just washed my hair the previous night, I add another small drop of the Garnier Fructis Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment to keep the frizz down. If I did wash my hair the previous night, I add one to two pumps of the L’Oreal Curve It Curl Taming Cream, flipping my hair upside down and scrunch it in my hair. If I didn’t wash my hair the night before, I spray my hair down with the Pantene Scrunching Spray Gel. This just reinforces the curling power of the L’Oreal cream.
If I have time, I’ll blow dry my hair with a diffuser until it’s slightly dry. I don’t dry it all the way because it makes it too poofy and poofy is not the look I’m going for. I’ll then take a 3/4″ barrel curling iron (similar to this one) and curl the pieces that frame my face and some of the other pieces that didn’t curl properly.
Well there you go! That’s a look at my daily curly hair routine! I’ve had this same routine since middle school and it’s treated me well. Check out my daily makeup routine that I typically wear with my hair.
Do you have curly hair? If so, what are your go-to products? Even if you don’t have curly hair, what are some of the products that you can’t live without?
~abigail gray
