It's hard to resist the charms of curly hair, but sometimes it's just as hard to keep it healthy, nourished and shiny. Caring for such hair can be more demanding, but with the right products, techniques and adopting the habit of caring for a voluminous "mane" – the results are quick and very visible.
Choose a silicone- and sulfate-free shampoo (most of the time)
A good shampoo, conditioner and mask can be called the foundation of quality hair care, especially curly hair. The choice of these products very often depends on the first impression of the attractive packaging and our preferences for a pleasant smell, but as a rule this should be the least important. Curly hair, due to the hair structure, is much more susceptible to drying out and therefore needs care with texturally rich products.
In addition, it is often low-porous - very difficult to absorb nutrients - which is why products should be chosen with extra caution. Strong surfactants and silicones are very often the reason why curly hair looks lifeless, dry and unshaped. Surfactants SLS and SLES enable shampoos to create a rich foam, but such foam, in addition to fats and impurities, also washes naturally present oils from the hair, which nourish the hair and make it elastic and shiny. Milder surfactants of plant origin, which are more common in natural shampoos , will not foam as much, but they will not dry out the hair and scalp either. Of course, every rule has an exception, so it is not necessary to completely write off shampoo with stronger surfactants. After coloring your hair or using styling products with silicone, it will help to wash off the film that prevents the absorption of masks and conditioners from the surface of the hair.
Determine whether your hair needs moisturizing or protein care
How to know what the hair wants and needs? Actually, it's very simple, all you need is a glass of water. You don't have to drink it (although that is always desirable), but put one of your hairs in it, push it with your finger and watch what happens. If it sinks to the bottom, it is high porosity hair, and if it floats on the surface, your hair is low porosity. After that, do the elasticity test - take one hair and stretch it. If it breaks immediately, your hair definitely lacks elasticity, which affects the very definition and appearance of the curls. These two simple tests will show you the direction you must take when choosing masks and conditioners , as well as styling creams. Namely, high-porosity hair will adore protein treatments (look for the words protein, keratin, collagen and the like!) and packs with nourishing butters, while low-porosity hair will benefit most from lighter oils and product textures aimed at hydration.
Introduce care with natural oils
Natural oils are something that will suit each of the 4 types of curly hair and specific porosity, it's just important to find the right one. Once a week pre-wash treatment on dry hair together with a warm towel or turban, will balance the porosity of the hair, thus sensitivity to weather (un)opportunities, and restore elasticity and shine to the hair . What to choose? Depending on the porosity and condition of the hair, look for shea butter, coconut and castor, almond and sunflower oils, as well as ingredients such as panthenol and vitamin E.
Diffuse the hair, and collect it in a "pineapple" overnight.
In addition to products, luxuriant curls also require special techniques for shaping and maintaining their definition. The diffuser, i.e. the "rose" attachment for the dryer will enable a circular flow of air that easily gives volume, especially when the hair is dried alternately facing down and then in a standing position. In order to survive the night without frizz and loss of definition, you can also use the so-called "pineapple" method. Tie the hair with a silk scarf (and hairpins) in an inclined position of the head so that there is a bow above the forehead, and there is a cluster of hair on the top of the head that resembles - a pineapple. Curls "tidyed up" in this way will retain their original shape and freshness much more easily, and along the way you will also prevent split ends.
