Caring for curly hair is no easy feat!
There’s knowing how to wash and condition your hair properly, then you’ve got to think about moisturizers and leave-in conditioners.
But wait – what about deep conditioners? Which protein treatments work best for curly hair?
It can all become quite exasperating … but not if you’ve got the right guide to help you along the way.
We’ve got it all covered from washing and moisturizing to styling. Ready to help your curls look healthier than ever? Keep reading on!
Shampoo & Conditioner – The Foundation of a Great Curly Hair Routine
The shampoo and conditioner you use provide the blank canvas on which the rest of your products work.
If your shampoo leaves your hair dry and frizzy, it’s likely that your hair won’t work with your other products as well as it could.
To avoid this, you want to find a shampoo and conditioner duo that complement each other – preferably from the same line or brand!
Moisturizing shampoos and conditioners are the best bet for curly hair, and it’s even better if you can find a sulfate-free shampoo!
You want to keep as much moisture in your hair as possible and avoid any stripping of your hair’s natural oils.
Two great choices? We love Shea Moisture’s Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Renewal System shampoo and conditioner duo.
It’s a vitamin-packed wash combo that keeps hair hydrated while cleansing away dirt and build-up easily.
We also love Aussie’s Mega Moist shampoo and conditioner. This line really stands up to its title, as it promises deep hydration and softness for any curl type!
The shampoo won’t strip your hair, while the conditioner smoothes frizz and softens your hair to prepare it for your next product – your moisturizer.
Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
Curly hair thrives best when it’s well-moisturized. Moisturizers that keep your hair feeling soft and healthy throughout the week are the ones you want to look for.
A good moisturizer contains nourishing ingredients, water, and sometimes protein. The right moisturizer for your hair could be a thick butter or a runny cream product, but the one you choose should depend on your hair type and thickness.
Heavy butter filled with oils is great for high-porosity hair that’s also thick with large strands.
Light creams often suit fine hair better, as they don’t weigh down the strands and make them appear greasy and oily.
Prefer high-end products? Design Essentials Natural Moisturizing Hair Lotion combines the moisturizing properties of avocado, almond, and jojoba oil to richly nourish hair from the inside out.
Oils seal water into the hair to keep your strands hydrated for much longer! This moisturizer is truly a curly girl’s best friend.
For a more affordable moisturizer for ladies on a tight budget, Cantu’s Shea Butter Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream is a staple in many textured girls’ lives.
It gets the job done pretty well while also being easier on your pocket, which is a win in our books!
Deep Conditioner – Curly Hair’s Lifesaver!
Conditioner and moisturizer sure are important for curly hair care regimens, but every now and then, your hair needs a penetrating boost of hydration to maintain its strength, elasticity, curl pattern, and softness. Here’s where deep conditioners come in!
As their name explains, deep conditioners provide a deep treatment to your hair from the inside out.
They contain penetrating oils, softeners, and even protein to keep the hair shaft strong and healthy. This is why they are one of the absolute must-haves for curly-haired beauties.
Deep conditioners can be either moisturizing deep conditioners or protein deep conditioners.
Both are equally as important and should be used together to keep your hair’s moisture/protein balance at a healthy rate.
A moisturizing deep conditioner we really love is Kanechom’s Shea Butter Hair Treatment. It’s unbelievable how affordable this deep conditioner is because of how amazingly it works on curly hair.
A little goes a long way with this product, too, so you can be sure that you’ll be getting all of your cash’s worth!
When it comes to protein-packed products, ORS’s Hair Mayonnaise is a great choice. It contains hydrolyzed collagen to keep your hair strand in great shape, and also has safflower oil and olive oil to keep things from becoming too dry.
Stylers – the gels, mousses, and jellies
Stylers are meant to do just that: help you achieve a style. For many products, this means that there’s little to no focus on the nourishing aspect of the product, as long as it does what it promises to do.
Products like these are often filled with drying alcohols, silicones, and other synthetic ingredients that do nothing for the health of your mane.
It’s important to always prioritize the health of your curls over the look of your curls because, at the end of the day, a good product will ensure that both are taken care of.
EcoStyler Gel (comes in olive oil, Afghan oil, protein, shea butter, coconut oil, and more!) helps you to achieve smooth, slicked-back styles as well as curl definition without drying out your hair like other gels.
Camille Rose Curl Maker helps you to perfect the definition needed for twist outs, coils, or even a wash and go. It even dries soft, so there’s none of that pesky crunchiness involved.
We know how tricky it can be to master curly hair, thankfully, you don’t have to do it on your own!
Finding a good brand to trust is often half the battle. Now that you’ve got a few of your best picks at your fingertips, simply pick and try a few to see how you like them.
You’re one step closer to the hair you’ve always wanted – thick, strong, and healthy curly hair!
