Routine & tips for how to look after curls for you to try and more
SHAMPOO/Cleanser: Sulphate Free Shampoos
Pour a 50cent size shampoo into your palm and emulsify to a cream paste, then scrub your scalp using your fingertips pads to remove product build-up, dead skin cells/dirt & stimulate blood flow (a scalp massage brush could also be used) & promote healthy hair growth. Drizzle water on top for suds to go down the hair. With hands gently pull suds along the length of your wet hair, scrunching as you go, right to the ends of your hair without rubbing at all, and then RINSE THOROUGHLY OUT gently scrubbing roots and lifting at ends. Remember with curly hair moisture/water is key.
Tip: Use less shampoo to start and add more if needed.
Tip: try adding more water first.
Tip: try applying shampoo upside down to get at the scalp better.
Tip: for non-foaming shampoo add more water by cupping your hands and fill with water and tip over head and scrub again. You may need to do this a couple of times.
Tip: Co-washing: if you just co-wash; we recommend shampoo at-least now and then. When co-washing make sure you still scrub your scalp well. You may need to add more water like in the tip above to really spread it through. This still needs to be treated like a shampoo. You could also rotate between co-washing and shampooing/cleansing.
Tip: if you find it hard to get to your scalp or hard to scrub your scalp; a scalp brush/massage brush can help.
CONDITIONING:
Take approx. 20 to 50 cent piece size, emulsify thoroughly through palms and starting at the bottom of your hair, press in the conditioner in sections like holding a rope, glaze lightly over the top of head, then begin to rake (finger comb/wide tooth comb or wetbrush) from the ends upwards to the crown with fingers, then scrunch the conditioner in. Clip hair up. Wash the rest of your body, unclip hair, then drizzle SOME water to re wet and rinse.
Tip: rinse all out, if you try to rinse some out, it will be uneven due to the shower.
Tip: try the bowl method especially if you have thick coarse curls.
Tip: for better conditioner distribution: try a wide tooth comb or wetbrush
Tip: try not to apply conditioner to scalp (if you get a dry scalp, you could apply to scalp at the very last minute before rinsing to moisturise your scalp.
Hydration continued on from conditioning: Emulsify a pea size of conditioner-Scrunch into top area, and then section your hair (clip if you want to) into 4 sections - From middle of forehead down to your nape and then ear to ear. Begin to comb the conditioner through with your fingers to detangle; using a wet brush or a wide tooth comb is ok after you have got the major knots out. "DO NOT APPLY CONDITIONER ON SCALP»
Once the conditioner is spread evenly through the first section of hair and there are no knots/tangles, begin pressing the conditioner in (Like milking a cow). You want to feel a cream feeling first, if not Add a pea size of conditioner to achieve the creamy feel. Once achieved, drizzle some water down the section gently caressing (NOT PRESSING) to get slip (Think seaweed or cooked noodles feeling). Move onto the next section and repeat until all sections of your hair feel slippery.
Add some water and "squish to condish" your hair, listen for the sound, it should sound like "wet sandshoes". Then with tepid water, low water flow and head tilted forward moving gently from side to side, TRICKLE rinse all of conditioner from your hair.
For Wavy Hair, reduce finger combing and apply products with more squeezing in and 'roping at a variety of different lengths.
STYLING: FILLER/Leave in conditioner/heat protection & SEALER/Gel/Foam/Mousse/Curl Cream:
While hair is still soaking wet, squeeze approx. 20-50 cent piece size of your *filler product' 1# into your hands and emulsify. "DO NOT APPLY ON SCALP" With your head bent over, Scrunch in from the ends a couple of times at different lengths to disperse the product through the curls, finger comb (wide tooth comb, wetbrush or Denman brush) or use "praying hands" motion to your hair or Gently rope hair into clumps for clumpier hair if need be, (Should always have that slippery feeling) then gently scrunch your hair with cupped hands while head is looking forward/down and then to the left and right to encourage curls and create formations (columns). If you have tighter curls, do more finger combing to elongate them. Add more water & repeat the same steps with your "Sealer Product".
Tip: finger raking, wide tooth comb and wetbrush will give you different curl clumps.
Tip: Denman brush styling will give you a more polished finish.
Tip: Finger curling will give you more a polished finish.
Tip: Try Rake and shake method.
Tip: if frizz is a huge problem: try roping in your filler/leave in conditioner and Sealer/gel
Tip: more water in hair when applying sealer/gel the less “hold/crunchy” but more hydrating. The less water the stronger the “hold/crunch” but less hydrating.
TIPS:
You could try plopping your hair before applying Sealer. Then after the sealer is applied, to remove excess water, (Best done with head to the side then front, then other side) Rotate head backwards! With your T-Shirt, collect portions of hair, lift & squeeze gently to encourage curl. For a longer curl look, squeeze from root to ends. Scrunch in more Gel for a stronger hold!
Use your chop stick to move wet hair, a chop stick is great as it is smooth and creates less frizz.
Clip hair to create volume. Keep hands out of wet hair - Once hair is dry, break the Gel cast, by scrunching hair with head bent over to break the cast and ruffling the roots to add some volume.
If you get a dry scalp now and then; use a facial or body moisturiser on your scalp (best applied upside down). Your scalp is still skin and may need moisturising especially in the dry periods of weather (winter).
You can plop hair with your t-shirt/towel/microfibre towel etc. for 15-20 minutes before clipping and leave to dry as well. With Sealer/gel: the more water left in your hair when applying the hydrated your hair will be, but the less hold you may get. Less water left in your hair, means less hydrated but possibly more hold.
Volume: Try root clipping, lifting with chopstick as your diffusing, afro combs interlocked, diffusing upside down, a claw clip or flip upside down and blast the roots dry (without a diffuser), when dry flip upside down and apply hair spray towards the roots
Refreshing: the main methods are: just spritzing (lightly or moderately) with water (or water and conditioner), spritzing with water and adding more gel or foam/mousse, or just applying foam/mousse. Sometimes you may need to fully rinse (not shampoo or condition) and applying leave in cream/filler and then gel. This is all trial and error.
Curly Hair Groups are great for help especially their files that they have. Also www.naturallycurly.com or devacurl.com or clevercurl.com.au or ouidad.com are great websites too. Just remember there is no right or wrong way. This is just a guide to help you along your Journey!
Ingredients to look out to avoid or to use:
CLEANSING SULFATES to avoid: • Alkylbenzene sulfonates • Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate • Ammonium laureth sulfate • Ammonium lauryl sulfate • Ammonium Xylenesulfonate • Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate • Sodium cocoyl sarcosinate • Sodium laureth sulfate • Sodium lauryl sulfate • Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate • Sodium Xylenesulfonate • TEA-dodecylbenzenesulfonate • Ethyl PEG-15 cocamine sulfate • Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate
GENTLE CLEANSERS to look for: • Cocamidopropyl betaine • Coco betaine • Cocoamphoacetate • Cocoamphodipropionate • Disodium cocoamphodiacetate • Disodium cocoamphodipropionate • Lauroamphoacetate • Sodium cocoyl isethionate • Behentrimonium methosulfate • Disodium lautreth sulfosuccinate • Babassuamidopropyl betaine • Sodium myreth sulfate
CONDITIONING SILICONES TO AVOID: • Dimethicone • Bis-aminopropyl dimethicone • Cetearyl methicone • Cetyl Dimethicone • Cyclopentasiloxane • Stearoxy Dimethicone • Stearyl Dimethicone • Trimethylsilylamodimethicone • Amodimethicone (apparently ok) • Dimethicone • Dimethiconol • Behenoxy Dimethicone • Phenyl trimethicone
Ingredients that look like silicones, or are water soluble silicones.
These are Silicone EXCEPTIONS that are OK: • Behentrimonium methosulfate • Lauryl methicone copolyol (water soluble) • Lauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 Methicone • Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein • Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane (water soluble) • Dimethicone Copolyol (water soluble) • PEG-Dimethicone • any other 'cone with "PEG-" suffix (water soluble) • Emulsifying Wax • PEG-Hydrogenated Castor Oil • Natural oils: Avocado oil, Olive oil, Coconut oil, etc. • Benzophenone-2, ( or 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) - sunscreen • Methychloroisothiazolinone - preservative • Methylisothiazolinone - preservative
MOISTURIZING ALCOHOLS THAT CAN BE USED • Behenyl alcohol • Cetearyl alcohol • Cetyl alcohol • Isocetyl alcohol • Isostearyl alcohol • Lauryl alcohol • Myristyl alcohol • Stearyl alcohol • C30-50 Alcohols • Lanolin alcohol
DRYING ALCOHOLS TO AVOID • Denatured alcohol • SD alcohol 40 • Witch hazel • Isopropanol • Ethanol • SD alcohol • Propanol • Propyl alcohol • Isopropyl alcohol
WAXES AND NON-NATURAL OILS to avoid: • Mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum) • Petrolatum • Waxes: bees wax, candelilla wax, etc.