I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with my curls. As a child, my mom and I fought and wrestled them, trying to tame my ridiculously thick, wiry locks with not much luck. Mom has fine, wavy hair so she was at a loss as to how to care for my locks, especially back in the eighties and nineties when people didn’t understand that curly hair has to be treated differently than straight hair. It wasn’t until I was in ninth grade and went to Great Clips for a regular hair cut that the stylist told me my hair felt like straw and just needed to be moisturized. Then, things started to turn around! No longer did I fight my curls, but learned how to care for them and accept them as a beautiful part of myself, and not a deformity!
So, after 30 years of experimenting, trial and error, pain, tears, and eventually compliments and smiles, I have finally figured out how to keep my locks happy. My true curly hair awakening started with the book, Curly Girl: The Handbook by Lorraine Massey
This is a must-have for any curly girl. It teaches you about your curls so you can learn how to care for them, including all-natural home made products.
Choose a Stylist Who Specializes in Curly Hair (Deva Trained)
I was always jealous of my straight haired friends’ – how they’d go to the salon and leave with gleaming, shiny hair that’s perfectly coiffed. Whenever I’d leave the salon, I looked like a lion who’d gotten in a fight with a hair dryer and it was obvious who’d won. I just got used to going straight home after the salon, washing out all the yucky, sticky products and redoing it myself, only to be disappointed again when it dried as it stuck out like a triangle.
Once I was in my twenties, I came across a Canadian stylist who specialized in curly hair, and for the first time in my life, I left the salon actually liking the way my hair felt and looked. She had a patent for her “C cut” where she cut curly hair curl by curl along the C of the curl. Gone was the triangle effect, a.k.a. Mount Everest, and my hair really started looking beautiful.
Once you understand how your curls work, the next step is to find a stylist who understands curls. In my experience, all hair stylists say they know how to cut curly hair, and 99% of them don’t. I don’t wanna offend anyone, but it’s just a fact. Hair stylists who understand curls DO NOT cut them the same way they cut straight hair, for instance, my hair is cut dry since it is a totally different length when wet.
I found an awesome salon from naturallycurly.com in my area (Salon Bliss) and the stylists are all Deva trained, which I’ve found to be the best training program out there for curly hair. Use the Deva salon finder to find a stylist near you!
Questions to ask the salon to see if they are truly trained on how to cut curls: (taken from http://www.mydevacurl.com/curly_stylist_finder)
- Is the stylist skilled at cutting curly hair?
- Does the stylist cut curly hair while it’s dry?
- Will the stylist see me for a consultation before a curly cut?
- Does the salon offer hooded dryers and diffusers as an alternative to blow drying wet hair?
- What products does the salon use?
Use Gentle, Sulfate-Free Shampoo and Moisturizing Conditioner
Deva products are specially designed for curly hair, and almost all are mostly poo-free (no harsh synthetic detergents, or sulfates). I have used their products for years, including the DevaCurl No-Poo, and DevaCare Conditioner. That is until I started creating my own shampoo and conditioner from baking soda and apple cider vinegar (see my post on how to do it)! This has been the best thing I’ve ever done for my hair. My curls have never been happier – they are now truly healthy from the inside out.
More Tips and Tricks
Here are more things in my curly hair routine that have made a big difference in the health and beauty of my hair.
- I have a $35 Culligan shower head filter to soften the water. This has made a huge difference in my skin and hair because we have very hard water, and the filter is only $11 and has to be changed every 6 months. Pretty cheap!
- I wash my hair every 3-4 days. In between washings, I spray my hair with filtered water mixed with 10-15 drops of Lavender for scent to freshen up the curls and reduce the frizz, then do a little finger combing. I never ever comb my hair dry – a big no no for curly hair!
- Then, and most importantly, I do not towel dry my hair. My DevaCurl-trained hairdresser taught me this. Right after I get out of the shower, I flip my head upside down and I take my TIGI Catwalk Curls Rock gel and scrunch it into my soaking wet hair. This way, the gel can lock in the water, ensuring that my hair holds in the moisture. Then, I take an old t-shirt and scrunch the water out, then air dry. If I have to go somewhere, I will blow dry my hair with a diffuser, but only until damp, not completely dry.
- Another idea for an all-natural hair gel that one of my readers suggested is to use Aloe Vera Gel, which you can buy organic and raw, so it is a chemical-free, safe option.
- I also take Fish Oil on a daily basis, which helps with numerous things like my heart, cholesterol, and digestion, but also improves the condition of my skin and hair.
This is a great post with great information. I have crazy curly hair with a mind of it’s own sometimes. I added your button to my links page!
Thanks Nichole! I hope this helps you to love your curls. It did for me! Thanks for adding my button to your page! I’ll do the same to mine.
Curly haired girls unite!!!
Thanks for this wonderful information! Gonna share it with my sister. We both have some crazy curls!
Love it – unite! We totally have to. It is hard being curly in a world that expects you to be smooth and straight
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This book has changed my life! When I was a kids I was made fun of because of my horrible hair. Like you my mom didn’t know how to deal with it. It makes me feel good that I’m teaching my daughter to love her curls!
New follower from Musings of an Imperfect Mom
I’m so glad to hear that you know and understand your curls now
. Your daughter will be forever grateful! I’ll have to hop over and check out your site soon!
Love this. I wish I had curly hair. I have a link party, and I would love it if you would link this post. It is called Wednesdays Adorned From Above Link Party. You can find it at
http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/08/natural-translucent-face-powder-update.html
I hope to see you there. Have a great Day.
Debi Bolocofsky
Adorned From Above
http://www.adornedfromabove.com
Oh, cool, Debi, thanks for sharing! I’ll check out your party. Thanks for visiting!
Instead of hair gel, I’ve been using 100% aloe vera gel for years! The hairdressers always seem a bit surprised when I mention this but my curls are defined and I like that it’s less likely to get that awful crunchy feeling I always hated with gel…bonus, I do believe it’s moisturizing.
The no-poo (sodium laureth) is definitely the way to go for curly hair. Interesting post!
Thanks so much for sharing! That’s a great tip. I’ll have to add it to this post. Aloe Vera Gel is very moisturizing and a great idea to use as a gel all by itself.
I tend to mix in a little bit of hair serum or cream (silicone-free) with the aloe vera gel, 3 pumps of aloe gel for one pump of serum or cream. Maybe mixing some of your natural hair cream with aloe vera gel would make a nice moisturizing gel. I’ll try and give the hair cream recipe a try…but first, I’m working on the natural cleaning products. Thanks for the recipes! Interesting blog!
Another great idea! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing all these great tips with us!
My main issue with my curly hair is what do with it at night. When I wake up, it’s a big mess and my curls are mostly gone. I’ve tried putting it into a braid and it helps a little but it still doesn’t look good. Any tips?
Hi Amel! Thanks for visiting. Now that my hair is so healthy from using these homemade products, I can wash my hair at night and when I wake up in the morning, I just spray it with some lavender infused water (the lavender isn’t necessary – just smells nice!) and fluff it up with my fingers (never brush or comb it dry – in fact, I never use a comb anymore. I finger comb my hair in the shower while its wet). But, my hair never loses its curl, it justs gets a little squished at night. When are you washing your hair – at night? It might help to wash it in the morning, then you don’t sleep on it and mash it up
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Thank you for the the fast reply
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Yeah I wash my hair at night because I get up at 6am to go to work so I don’t really have time to do it in the morning. Especially because it takes a long time to dry and I try not to use a hairdryer as much as possible.
I’ve tried your baking soda and ACV regimen for the first time today and I’m really impressed with the results so I’m gonna keep doing it and I’ll hopefully see some improvement soon
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Sure! You’re welcome. Oh great, hope it’ll work out for you. It takes patience, but it’s totally worth it, I promise! It’s so ridiculously cheap and works very well.
You have some great info here! My hair isn’t quite as curly as yours. It’s more loose, bigger curls past my shoulders and extremely thick. I found a DIY baking soda/ ACV rinse on pinterest that I decided to try. THis is my second week and My hair feels dry, sort of like straw, and tangles extremely easily. I’ve read on some other sites that it is because I have used too much baking soda.This is my first time doing a no-poo so I have no idea what I’m doing! Here’s the recipe:
Baking soda cleanser: 1 quart of boiling water, 1/4 cup: apply liberally to head!
ACV rinse: ¾ c distilled water, ¼ c apple cider vinegar, 2 T aloe vera gel, 1 T honey, 8 drops of peppermint oil, and 8 drops of tea tree oil.
I really want to try this no poo out but it just is’nt working out too well!
Sorry for the whole book of a post! Thanks!
Hi Sadye! That’s funny you write about the baking soda shampoo and ACV conditioner because I wrote about that, too, and it is by far my most popular post! I have a very easy and simple recipe that’s just baking soda and water, and ACV and water. My hair is completely happy with it! You’re brave to try it for the first time, so you’re doing great! Yes, I would also suggest to reduce the amount of baking soda in your shampoo and increase the ratio of ACV in your conditioner. Each person’s hair is so different, so it will take a bit of experimenting for you to get just the right concoction for your hair.
You’re comment about going straight home after getting your hair cut to re-wash and figure out how to re-style it cracked me up! I used to do the same exact thing! I also agree that 99% of stylists have no clue what to do with curly hair. Unfortunately, where I live, there aren’t any stylists that specialize in curly hair (at least that I know of ). I am a huge fan of Ouidad products though. I always tell my hair stylist friend that I will pay for her to get Ouidad certfied
!
See, us curly girls understand each other
. I didn’t think there could be any Deva salons in my old area, either, and then, to my surprise, found one at naturallycurly.com! Maybe you’ll get lucky like I did…
I have very very kinky curly wavy hair. It does it all!! I had a hair stylist recommend the aloe vera gel for my hair back when I was pregnant (16 years ago). I’ve used it ever since. I love it. You can even add a drop or two of vitamin e oil to it to make your hair shinier.
Thanks for the great tip, Ginger! I have used aloe vera gel on my hair too, the pure kind that is very liquidy, and my hair is so thick and heavy that it just didn’t do anything. But it sounds like you have hair like mine, so I’m curious if you used the pure kind, too?
I use the Fruit of the Earth brand, 100%, clear. My hair is naturally very thick and unruly. The aloe vera holds the wave and keeps the frizz down to a minimum, but only as long as you don’t brush it (lol).
Thanks for the info, Ginger! That is a good brand.
I have a question…I have curly hair that is turning gray! I started using Surya Brasil Henna Cream to cover it, would the baking soda hair wash strip the color out? I figured I’d ask before I try it!
Hi Claire…shhhh….I have a secret! I’m only in my early thirties and have grey hair coming in myself. I use Herbatint to color my hair and it doesn’t fade one bit with this method. Baking soda is so gentle – it does not remove or strip color. The ACV, I’ve heard, can slightly alter blonde hair color, so you might be careful with blonde hair.
Thank you for your advice Sara! I’m going to give it a try! I started going gray in my 30′s and now I’m 45 and have to color it, and with the curls and the gray it looks frizzy and now it’s even thinning! So time to try a natural & gentler regimen, I’ll post my results. I tried the ACV rinse for the first time this morning… I did smell it for a few hours, but by the middle of the day the smell was gone!
Hi Claire! Hey, thought I’d share my experience with you. I just turned 50 three weeks ago. The last couple of yrs I’ve noticed thinning. I was also very stressed, but it kept going and got worse. I was very upset. I started taking a tbs. of silica (liquid) everyday. About once a week I put olive oil mixed with a little tea tree oil on my hair and cover with a shower cap and very warm towel. The real difference came when I start taking a nutritional drink with a 21 servings of antioxidents a day. Strange bc I’m a nutrition freak and eat awesome already. I was so impressed that I became a distibutor! I personally know of three other people that have been able to grow their hair longer now after taking this product. I look a lot younger than I am and have always been known for my hair so this was super upsetting for me! Anyway, here’s my personal email if you want any more info. Not sure about product posting rules here. sdroberts63@yahoo.com
Sara, great post! Quick question: I’ve tried the Baking Soda shampoo/ ACV conditioner method before, but chickened out less than a week in due to looking like Medusa, ha! Since then, I’ve moved to a different area where the water is not nearly as hard, so I’m about to try it again…However, when I last attempted this, I was using the shampoo and conditioner every day. My hair sounds similar to yours; would you recommend washing only every 3-4 days, even in the beginning? If this ends up working, it’ll be worth it in the long run, even if I have to endure looking like Medusa for a month!
Sara, I just thought of one more question to ask: I work as a lifeguard, and I am also an avid swimmer. When I swim, I’m able to save my hair from the chlorine for the most part by and wetting it in the shower beforehand, maybe rubbing in some coconut oil, and then sealing it up in a swim cap. However, as part of my job, we have to perform surprise lifesaving drills at least once a week, which means I have to jump in and perform a mock rescue with no prior warning or time to put on a swim cap, so my hair is due to get saturated with chlorine at least once a week…do you have any idea or advice as to whether the BS/ACV method will even be worth it with this weekly exposure to the chlorine? Thanks for your time!
Hi Lisa! I’m sorry for the delayed response – I’ve been on maternity leave. I used to take aqua swim classes at the gym and the water would always get into my hair. I found that I had no problems if I used apple cider vinegar to rinse out my hair right after getting out of the pool, then wash it with baking soda and then did apple cider vinegar again. Another thing I would do is to coat my hair with coconut oil to protect it from the water. So, yes, I think this method still works even with chlorine!
I would recommend washing your hair more often at the beginning, but truly, there’s no right or wrong way to do it. So, I think you should do what will work best for you and your hair. I’d hate for you to look like Medusa, too!
Hi again Sara,
Thank you for the very helpful reply! Right now I’m on Day 17 of no-poo using the BS/ACV method, and (knock on wood) Medusa has not come close to making an appearance yet, yay! I’ve also been using Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera gel with good results. I’m no Pantene model, but my hair is actually starting to come out of the greasy phase and look good again – and it feels great! Not having hard water in this area, along with taking your advice about using lukewarm to cool water in the shower, rather than warm or hot water has made a HUGE difference from the last time I tried to do this. Thanks again!
Great, Lisa! I hope you continue to have success with it!
I, too, discovered the Deva method almost 2 years ago, and no longer hate my curly hair!
I do wonder though, is there an odor withe the DIY conditioner? I’d love to try it, but I’m afraid my hair will smell like vinegar.
Thanks Sara!
Hi Brooke! I only have a problem with the vinegar smell if I add too much vinegar to the water, so it takes some experimenting to see how much your hair will tolerate. I’d start with the recipe – 1 tablespoon per cup of water and then if you need more (if you notice your hair is a little dry), then add more. Add more until the smell bothers you!
What is the reason for drying your hair with a t-shirt instead of a towel??
That’s what they teach in the DEVA method. Terry towels are very fuzzy and those fibers supposedly ruff up the cuticle of the hair, causing it to frizz. By using jersey cotton, like t-shirt, the fibers are smooth and won’t cause frizziness. I notice a big difference when I use an old t-shirt.