The Best Products for Curly Hair

Any girl with curly hair knows that keeping it manageable is a delicate dance of finding the right products and the right ways to use them. The best products for curly hair can be found in upscale salons and regular retail stores alike. It doesn’t have to be products that cost a ton.

Start with a Good Shampoo

A typical shampoo is full of sodium lauryl sulfate. This salt and cleanser is fine for straight hair, but much too harsh for curly hair. The chemical leaves hair cuticles dry, which leads to the frizziness that curly-haired girls have nightmares about. A good solution to this is finding a sulfate-free formula. Sulfate-free shampoos can be found at your favorite salon and at places like Target. Another solution is something called “co-washing.” Co-washing is when a person uses conditioner to wash their hair. This allows for cleansing but at the same time being able to keep the hair and follicles moisturized.

 

Style When WetFor curly hair, it is recommended to apply your daily styling products before touching a towel. Use your fingers as your styling tools and apply gel or mousse that contains very little alcohol. Just like in the body, alcohol has dehydrating properties. Alcohol-based gel and hairspray can make curls feel stiff and crunchy. Also, be sure to use a leave-in conditioner, even if you use a conditioner in the shower. With curls, there is no such thing as too much conditioning. Curly hair needs as much moisture at the root levels as possible. If you use a blow dryer or curling iron, this is especially important. Even the chemicals in your everyday life around you can suck the moisture out of curls, leaving them lifeless and limp.

Final TipsOnce you find the best products for curly hair that you like, there are some simple tips that can make them work even better. The first is not to use a regular hair brush. It may seem strange, especially if you are used to relying on one, but your fingers should be enough to tousle your curls and keep them smooth and soft. Too much manhandling can exacerbate any frizzy strands. Finally, lower the amount of heat that you use on your hair. A lot of heat, from a blow dryer or flat iron, can literally burn your curls. This is not good for the hair for very obvious reasons.