How to care for curls-
Taking care of curls and learning which products to use depends greatly on your curl type. Thus the importance of first identifying your type. Many stylists have their own personal product favorites, and below are my recommendations from experimenting with many different product lines throughout my 17 years of service.
To care for all curls there are a few things one must do and tools one must own no matter what the type of curl. First, let's start with the "must haves" inside the shower: shampoo and conditioner made for curly hair or that is hydrating/moisturizing. I recommend the product lines Surface, Pureology, and ColorProof. Not only are they semi- to fully organic, but they are non-drying and color protecting as well.
Second, when you get out of the shower, squeeze your hair with your hand to remove as much water out as possible. Then use the towel to squeeze more water out. Never ever use the towel in a rough manner, as this breaks the natural curl pattern and can cause frizz. Always gently squeeze. Now, I know many of you may want to then brush your hair, but this is a no-no. If you feel you need to brush, always do it on dry hair with a natural bristle brush, preferably before you take a shower. A wide-tooth comb is an acceptable tool after you get out of the shower; however, I personally recommend either leaving it alone or combing it only after you've applied a leave-in spray conditioner such as Surface's Trinity Repair Treatment and Moroccan Oil. A diffuser is the best tool for blow drying.Now, let's customize according to curl type: For those with soft wavy curls like Sheryl Crow, apply one pump Moroccan Oil Light to damp hair, spritz on a little Surface Sea Salt spray and either air dry or diffuse on low speed, high heat, head straight up. Finish with a light hold hairspray such as Shaper Plus when it's dry.
For those with a curl like Sara Jessica Parker, apply one pump Moroccan Oil to damp hair, one pump of Moroccan Oil Curl Cream and diffuse completely dry while tilting head side to side and upside down. I set the dryer to high heat and high speed. Dry gently and keep fingers out of your hair -- that is what the diffuser is for. Once dry, scrunch more Moroccan Oil through and apply a light-hold hair spray. If more volume is needed at scalp area, use Surface's Push Powder. For a beach wave curl, you can spritz Surface Sea Salt spray when hair is wet .
For the tighter curls like Princess Merida or Taylor Swift, add two pumps Moroccan Oil and two pumps Moroccan Oil Curl Cream. Diffuse on low speed, high heat or allow to air dry.For the corkscrew curls like Troy Polamalu, I recommend 2-5 pumps Moroccan oil with one pump Moroccan Oil Curl Cream. Using your fingers to twist the curls into place while wet can help the curl find its natural placement. Air dry.
If you have coarse curls, I also recommend only washing your hair every 2-3 days because shampooing can be drying. For those days when you feel it's needed,
spray on a dry shampoo like TIGI Catwalk Session Series Dry Shampoo.
Some of the best knowledge comes from you, the person with curls. Please comment and let me know what your secrets to fabulous curls are!
