Curly Hair and Products - What to Use and How to Use It

I am glad the duck bill clips are working for you! It sounds like you have a styling technique that works for you.

If sectioning your hair while applying your lotion is not working, then skip it. You are right on the money when applying your gel in the shower on soaking wet hair. This technique works great.

I would, however, suggest wrapping your hair in an old t-shirt instead of a towel (check out curlslikeus.com) The towel can take out too much moisture and create frizz.

Some gels I suggest are: Deva Curl, Ouidad and Mop Top. These product lines are all made for curly hair. They will rinse out with water and not build up.

A little clarification ... some gels are referred to as lotions because they are a creamy consistency. Gels are usually clear. I have referred to gel as lotion in other columns I have written. I hope I have not given the impression body lotion is okay for hair, because it is not. It will be too heavy and create build up. If you have been using body lotion in your hair for a while I would recommend using a gentle clarifying shampoo to get rid of build up. Then use a deep treatment from one of the product lines listed above. This should get you back on track to healthy, moisturized curly hair.

Thank you for your comments. I wish you all the best.

Nicole

Hi Rae,

I would give the Deva Curl line a shot before you head to the ethnic product lines. Especially if the ethnic line you're looking at has a lot of oil that will build up and dry out the hair over time.

Not all oils are created equal. Some build up on the outer layer of the hair and others penetrate the hair shaft and can do some good to the condition of the hair. It takes a little research to know which is which.

The Deva line is a botanically based line. It is the most moisturizing line I know of. I have many clients with hair that sounds like yours. They have been very pleased with the results. Follow directions for gel application on this Q&A forum and use the DVD Deva has available for viewing (they also have a Youtube video).

Keep in mind that this product works best if you give it a good two weeks solid. It won't matter how often you wash, just make sure that you don't alter it with any other products. Strictly use the Deva product and see what happens to your curl. 2-4 weeks and you should see progress with your curl structure, bounce and shine. Let me know what happens and I can suggest the next steps to happy curly hair!

Best of luck, Nicole

Dear Julia,

swimming in chlorine does do a number on curly hair.

There is a product called Water Works by Ouidad. This shampoo helps neutralize chemicals in the water. This would be a good product to use once or twice a week when you are swimming. I would alternate it with the low-poo shampoo by the Deva Curl company. This is a good light "everyday" shampoo that won't dry the hair out too much. Follow up with a leave in conditioner.

Check out deep treatments on this site for how to keep your hair in good condition. Something else that might help is to pre-wet your hair and use a leave-in conditioner before you put it under the cap. This helps by filling in the porous hair with "clean" water and conditioner instead of chlorinated water that will dry it out more. Doing this will also help prevent the chemicals from overpowering the hair.

Best of luck, Nicole

PS: I would love to take a look at your hair in person to better assess it. I work at Salon Nordine in Reston, VA! Hope to see you soon!:)

Chlorine and Curly Hair

What you could do is apply conditioner in your hair before you go in the pool, and after the class you can simply water wash your hair or not do anything if you prefer it that way. Applying conditioner will definitely protect your hair from frizz and getting dry.

Cheers:)

Dear Shannon,

there are many products on the market these days that are made for curly hair. I really like the Ouidad Climate Control Gel. It is great for humidity. Make sure you work it in from root to end, section by section. As far as a shampoo I like the Deva Curl No-poo shampoo and the Ouidad balancing Rise conditioner. This conditioner is light so you can leave a little in on the ends. Also, for a great deep treatment try the Deep Treatment from Ouidad it is a little pricey but it is worth it.

Good luck, Nicole

From India too. I know for I've been there.

Use conditioner with dry therapy. Loreal's is the best. Then use leave-in conditioner. Then anti-frizz serum again from Loreal. Then style it when it is still wet. If you have thick hair like me, don't leave it open. Now style it. If you want to look good, for a special occasion, wash your hair at least 6 hours earlier. And don't forget to use as many good quality dry therapy conditioners as possible if it's within budget.

Dandruff in curly hair

Shannon, Nicole talks about the two different types of dandruff and what you can do about them here. I hope her answers will resolve that part of your problem.

Products to use on curly hair after shampoo and conditioner would be a good leave-in conditioner and styling gel.

There are so many products to choose from for curly hair. A lot of it is trial and error because what might be great for one person, might be just okay for another.

I have had great reviews from my clients on these different product lines: Deva Curl, Ouidad, Mop Top, Fuzzy Ducks, Curlisto. All of these product lines have a styling gel. Each of their gels varies slightly from the others, but they all give nice controlled curl and are made for curly hair, meaning the ingredients are water soluble and gentle on curls.

Check out questions on this site for help on product application.

Best of luck, Nicole

Curl style.

In the shower - I use Frizz Ease serum, and apply while wet.

After towel drying - I use a leave in conditioner - Color Extend Leave in Conditioner. Makes my hair soft and silky.

For styling, I use Biosthetics Beam Cream - I LOVE THIS STUFF. I apply while my hair is towel dried, after using the leave in conditioner. My hair is soft, and it gives me a controlled ringlet that always looks perfect. :)

At night, I put in some olive oil before I go to bed. It conditions my hair, and makes it easier to style next day. I wash it out in the morning.

Dear Jan,

I like the Deva Curl AnGel. It is light. If you want a lighter hold still, use less product. I definitely recommend the Deva Curl No-Poo shampoo and conditioner. It is very moisturizing.

You have beautiful curl! I would suggest, if you are wanting a different style but want to keep the length, try long layers and angle up around the face. Start the angle just below the chin. This will soften the strong perimeter line.

Good luck, Nicole

La Bella Lots of Curls Gel

Hi, Jan! I've lived in Florida all my life, so I know all about the humidity here! Our curls look very similar, except I haven't worn bangs in years. By the way, I think you would look great without them!

I discovered an inexpensive gel that I love and thought it might work for you, too. It's called la bella Lots of Curls, and I buy it at Walmart. It costs less than two dollars for a 22oz bottle! No alcohol, No silicones, No build-up! It's in a big clear bottle and the gel is pink so it should be easy to find.

My hair is a little shorter than yours and I wear it in long layers. I went "no-poo" about 3 months ago with wonderful results and I'll never go back!

Good luck with your beautiful curls!:)

Product

Try Aveda confixor or their curl cream

Curls are a series of "S" shapes. They may be tight or loose. If your hair is an "S" shape you can wear it natural and have it look great with the right cut and product application.

If your curl is more like a "Z" it does not curl as nicely and takes on a more frizzy look. Therefore, it gets chemically straightened. There are many products on the market for curly hair; stick to products that are water soluble and try to avoid synthetics.

Check out other questions on products on this site for more product knowledge.

Best of luck,

Nicole

To loosen your curl you can do a chemical straightener but have the stylist just loosen the curl, not take it straight.

There is also the keratin treatment on the market. Be cautious of the brand the stylist uses, though. Some keratin treatments, like the Brazilian Blow Out, have very high levels of formaldehyde (a known cancer causing chemical). Find a stylist that uses the Coppola keratin treatment or the keratin express - these two release a much lower amount of formaldehyde.

The keratin treatment is made to take the curl straight for up to 5 months, but by altering the temperature and amount of times the flat iron goes through the hair you can keep the curl and just minimize the frizz.

The last option: just wait a year or so and all the kinks in the keratin products will probably be worked out and you won't have to worry about the chemical exposure.

Best of luck, Nicole

Hello Catherine,

I would suggest looking online for a curly hair salon in the UK. That salon should carry a line of products you can try before you buy. Just go in for a wash and style. This will also give you a good sense of the stylist doing your hair. It will be your mini interview before letting him/her cut your hair.

Best of luck, Nicole

Aparna,

thankfully most of the curly hair products I suggest can be found online. I would contact the company of the product you'd like to use and see if they ship to your area.

I like the Nap Knots and the Doubletake looks from my book Strictly Curls. There are pictures and step by step instructions for the Doubletake right here on this site. If you leave a little fringe around your forehead it may not feel so long.

Good Luck, Nicole

Frizzy Curls? A Homemade Remedy!

Ingredients:

* one avocado

* one egg yolk

* one mashed banana

* extra virgin olive oil

Mix the first three ingredients and add the olive oil as little or as much as you want (depending on the thickness of your hair). Leave it in for 20 minutes or so and wash out with cold water.

Hope it works. Bye!!!

Hope this helps x tell me how you get on

I tried this last night and this has helped my hair so much.

I am of mixed Jamaican origin. When my hair is wet it looks great and when it dries I look like an oversized powder puff.

But after using this my hair is more manageable and a lot easier to brush. The times stated on here are a guideline but I left it on a lot longer. If you leave it as long as you can the better it will do.

Just make sure when you wash it out that the water is quite hot - not hot enough so you hurt yourself, but hot enough to dissolve the honey. I hope this helps you as much as it helps me x

Banana smoothie for hair ? not for drinking! Mix 1 mashed banana, 1 full egg, 3 tablespoons of honey, 3 tablespoons of milk and 5 tablespoons of olive oil. Make sure it's well combined and then apply to hair. Leave for 15 - 30 minutes and wash out with a gentle shampoo.

Hi Shannen,

yes, I would try more product. You actually live in a great place for curly hair. I would suggest going to the Deva Chan Departure Lounge (SOHO) or the Ouidad Salon.

Either of these salons will be able to show you how to apply the gel. Even if you just went in for a styling session and not a haircut it would be worthwhile. You could get a haircut when you feel comfortable with the stylist. Each of these salons teaches different methods in working with curls but both are helpful.

Best of luck, Nicole

Hi Jocelyn,

instead of using a gel you could try a leave in conditioner. The conditioner will not give you much hold but is much lighter than a gel.

You might want to check out the e-book: Live Curly, Live Free. The author mentions paying attention to the dew point in the air and adjusting your product application to the amount of moisture in the air. This may be helpful to you because depending on the day you may not need to use a gel. You may find you need less of everything. It could be a fun experiment and who knows, you may discover how to never have another bad hair day!

Best of luck, Nicole

Hi Eleonora,

to help keep your curl more uniform and lasting, try scrunching in a strong hold gel. After working in the gel on dripping wet hair, cup your hand and gently place your curls in the palm of your hand while moving your hand towards your head. Make sure you start with the ends of the hair. Then dry your hair.

Check out ways to apply hair product on other Q&A on this site.

Also, check out how to de-crunch the product after it is dry. It is important to let the gel get to the crunchy state before de-crunching because this will help hold the curl.

You may need to try different gels because they all have a different hold memory. Try the Arc AnGEL by Deva Curl.

Best of luck, Nicole

Hi Becky,

It's good to know what you're allergic to. That will help you narrow down products to try.

I know the Deva company recently re-formulated their products to take out the parabens. I checked out the No-poo cleanser and it doesn't have anything hydrolyzed. The One conditioner has the hydroxpropyltrimonium chloride in it but that is to help with detangling. Ouidad may be something to look into again since they re-formulated.

Best of Luck, Nicole

When choosing products remember that curly hair needs to be able to absorb moisture. Try to avoid using products with a lot of silicone. Silicones create a barrier on the hair which makes it hard to get the proper nutrients to the hair.

Check out products I like on this Q&A page.

Also, use the Ouidad deep treatment. This will help repair your curls and keep them healthy and bouncy!

Best of luck, Nicole

Hi!

Gel usually dries crunchy because it needs to crystallize to set the curl. The best way to de-crunch the gel is to take your hair into a low pony tail and twist all of your hair all the way down to the ends. Then, gently untwist the hair and it should be a softer texture.

De-crunching works best on water based gels such as Deva Curl gels, Mop Top, Ouidad and more. Just check to see if they are water based products.

Best of Luck, Nicole

Hi Cindy,

try the Deva Curl, Mop Top, or Ouidad products. Whichever you choose, make sure you give the product a good try. Use it without changing products for a good two or three weeks and see if you notice a difference in your curl.

Also, work in a Ouidad deep treatment within that time. Also, check out other Q&A on products I like on this site.

Best of luck, Nicole

Ellie,

a lot of times a product will say if it is tested on animals or not right on the bottle.

However, this is when marketing can get tricky. It may say on the bottle not tested on animals because their specific product is not tested on animals but if you break down the ingredient list you'll find that many of the ingredients have been tested on animals - that's how we know they are safe for humans to use.

Check out www.ewg.org - they have a great list of products and some break down of ingredients, to tell what effect those ingredients had on the rodent involved. You could then make a mental list of what ingredients were used on rodents to figure out what products you don't want to use. Just a suggestion.

Good Luck, Nicole

Hair Products Not Tested on Animals

The PETA website maintains a database of companies that don't test their products on animals.

You can search by company or by product type. You can search under "Hair Care," for example, and then under 7 subcategories: Dandruff Shampoo, Hair Care and Styling, Hair Color, Hair Loss Products, Hair Styling Products, Hair Styling Tools, Permanents, Hair Bleach, and Henna Hair Color.

You can also search PETA's database for companies that do test on animals.

PETA stands for "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals".

I like the Deva curl line of products. They are the most moisturizing. You could also try: Mop Top, Ouidad, or Curlisto.

You can find any of these online.

Best of luck, Nicole

I am happy to say there are many products on the market for curly hair these days.

First of all make sure the products you are choosing are made for curly hair. Avoid products with ingredients such as:

Ammonium Xylenesulfonate - a cleansing agent usually found in drug store products that can be harsh on the hair;

Balsam - an astringent. Some people are sensitive to it, and it can leave the hair brittle.

There are other ingredients listed in the book Curl Talk if you are interested.

The best thing to do to help frizz is to get a great deep treatment that works from the inside out. Avoid hot oil treatments, these only coat the hair and actually do more harm that good.

I really like the Ouidad deep treatment.

The styling product I LOVE right now is Mop Top. (moptophair.com) It is soft and leaves the curl defined.

To achieve a defined curl, instead of scrunching the gel in, try sectioning your hair. If it is too short to physically clip into sections then just focus on one part of your head at a time.

Take the gel and work it into the hair from the root area to the ends. Use your fingers like a rake and rake in big congested sections encouraging your curls to stick together.

After you have raked, you can then scrunch lightly. I prefer lightly lifting the hair in the palm of my hand to enhance the natural bend, as apposed to an intense "scrunch".

After the gel is applied, air dry or diffuse. Try to not toss your hair around too much - simply hold the drier where you want your hair dried.

Once the hair is about 80% dry take and pinch or twist the curl to alleviate the crunchy feel.

Good Luck!
Nicole

I am a minimalist when it comes to using hair spray. Depending on the brand of spray you use, it can be drying to the hair.

I suggest using a gel to control the frizz, and hair spray to hold the curl or create more volume.

In order to minimize frizz your hair needs a good balance of moisture and protein. Using a good moisturizing shampoo and conditioner (Deva Curl product) is a good way to start the de-frizz process.

Check out other tips on this site for getting the frizz out!

Bottom line - hair spray is not the best way to make your hair less frizzy.

Take Care,
Nicole

If you feel the weight of your cut is not flattering to your face shape, then I would definitely go to your stylist and see what he or she can do to alter the front, to give you the volume you're looking for.

Kerastase does have some great conditioners. If you are liking the product then I say stick with it. If you are looking to change product, I would recommend giving Deva Curl a try! It is a water soluble product line made for curly hair. I have had a great response from my clients who use this line of product!

Check out other products I recommend on this site.

Just keep these points in mind when picking product:/ra mousse is used for adding volume and fullness, with less definition;

a gel is used to define the curl and control frizz.

I am not familiar with the almond oil treatment, but in general oil treatments are not recommended for curly hair. Oil treatments basically coat the hair and weigh it down. Over time they build up, suffocating the curl and not allowing it to bounce as truly healthy hair would do.

The best way to condition your hair is to use a moisturizing deep treatment with a little protein. I recommend the Ouidad deep treatment, because it works from the inside out to connect the bonds in the hair. This your own natural lustre and bounce.

Best wishes,
Nicole

It's hard for me to say what you can afford, because I think if there is something you really want and you know it will help your curl you can work it in the budget.

I can tell you this though, I'm 99% sure what you're buying from the store is not going to be as beneficial to your curl as a product that is made for your curls. "Made for curl" products are found on-line or in salons.

Web sites like this and Naturallycurly are great product resources. If you enter some of the chat rooms and ask people how they like their product you could save yourself some money, because you will already have an idea how it works.

Ask specific questions in the chat room like: hair type, curl type. See if it resembles yours. Also, ask about product texture and smell. Products that I really like are: Devacurl, Moptop, Ouidad, Curlisto.

When I talk about "cutting with the curl" your stylist observes the curl pattern and cuts with the curl. Down the hair shaft. Usually in the concave of the wave. Being very careful to not be to aggressive or you will lose big chunks of hair.

The objective is not to take out the curl pattern but to enhance it by taking out a little bit of hair where the hair is very dense. Never use thinning shears (scissors). This turns your nice "s" pattern into a figure "8", exploding your curl.

(It is kind of hard to explain. It is much easier to show. If you're ever in the Washington D.C./Virginia area let me know. You and your friend could come in and she could watch me cut with the curl).

Good Luck,
Nicole

To help your curls look cute let's start with product application.

Section your hair in 3 sections using clips to pull your hair up and out of the way.

Start with the bottom section first and apply your gel from root to ends, working the product in really well.

Make sure you are using a product line that is ONLY for curly hair. I say this because all products are not made equal. If you stick to a product line for "curly hair only", more than likely the ingredients in the product will be beneficial to your curl.

(Gels I like: MopTop, Ouidad, Deva Curl, Jessicurl)

After you have worked the gel into the bottom section, take down the next section of hair and do the same. Continue this process until your hair is covered with gel.

Then use duck bill clips to lift the root of your hair, and air dry or diffuse. Take out the clips and gently pinch or twist the crunch out of your hair.

Good luck and have fun.
Nicole

There are two things that can help with frizz.

You can do the temporary fix by using a gel daily. I like the Mop Top gel and the Deva Curl gel currently. (Check out styling and product applications on this site for styling ideas.)

If you are hoping for a more lasting remedy for frizz, you will want to look at the inner integrity of the hair. Get a good deep treatment that will work from the inside out. The Ouidad deep treatment, although a little pricey, does work and will help de- frizz your hair by feeding your curl the nutrients it needs.

Good Luck,
Nicole

Gel

Well, when I use gel I make sure I put it on when my hair is wet. It's also nice if my hair is well conditioned. I usually will rub the gel all over my hands and then run my fingers through my hair. I don't run my fingers through too much though. If there is still any frizzy hair I brush that strand of hair to make it curl.

The best shampoo and conditioner I have ever used was Burt's Bees. After I used that I didn't even have to apply so much gel and my curls were very well defined.

Mousse

Try applying hair mousse instead of gel. Gel makes your hair scrunchy and crunchy, but mousse defines your hair and does not make your hair hard with frizz everywhere.

Gel

Hey, I'm in VA too. I guess you can feel my pain about curly hair in this humid weather. Where can I find the gel that you like? Does it contain alcohol? I know that everyone says alcohol free products are the best, but I find that my curls are MUCH BETTER when I use a gel that has some alcohol as a main ingredient, and it holds better and longer.

Rachelle

Product Idea

Another great product is LA Looks Cashmere Curls. Works great on my curly hair! Stops the frizz and my hair is so soft.