Between making sure that your curls are well defined and fighting frizz, caring for your curly hair can be a lot more time consuming than naturally straight hair. Check out the best curly hair hacks, that will solve problems and improve the look of your hair.
From co-washing to the best anti-frizz smartphone apps, here are a few great ways to ensure that you’re giving your curly hair all the attention it deserves for a gorgeous look.
1. Turn a T-shirt into Your New Towel
Regular towels are simply bad for your hair, whether you’re worried about frizz or breakage. Hand-loomed organic cotton is the best way to go, but when you don’t want to invest is an expensive towel, simply use a T-shirt. Even if it’s softer, you still shouldn’t rub your tresses with the fabric, or twist them while covered by the tee. Pat and gently squeeze to leave you hair looking better after drying.
2. Make Conditioner Your Shampoo
Co-washing (“conditioner washing”) is definitely one of the best curly hair hacks. You might still need a clarifying shampoo from time to time, but using a good conditioner as shampoo will lock moisture much better in your curls, giving them shine and bounce. Try cleansing conditioners that basically clean your hair as well as shampoo without stripping the natural oils from it.
3. Keep Your Curls Intact with a Hairnet
If you’re dealing with fine curls, the best way to keep their definition while you wash your hair is using a hairnet. You don’t need a thick hairnet like those used in the hair industry, go for a fishnet style hairnet. Using it every time you get your hair wet will allow you to clean it while also managing to avoid any curl structure damage.
See also: Natural Remedies for a Dry Scalp
4. Comb from the Ends to the Roots
Whether you’re combing or conditioning, one of the best curly hair hacks is always going upwards, from the ends of your hair to the roots. If you start at the root, either with conditioner or a wide tooth comb, you might run into trouble as you detangle and increase breakage. Stay away from brushes, unless they’re especially designed to detangle curly hair without damaging it.
5. Control Frizz with the Right App
Using too much anti-frizz cream can create build up, so you’re better off checking the weather before you decide to apply products that fight frizz. Curls On the Go (available in the App Store and Google Play) includes the Frizz Forecast, which can even recommend products based on humidity and other environmental conditions. Another excellent app that provides the same service Avon’s Frizz Outlook (available just in the App Store), which identifies the level of absolute humidity, making it easier to know how much product you need every single day.
6. Stick to “Good” Silicones
Most silicones are not water-soluble, which makes them “bad”, because they create build-up that’s hard to remove. Clarifying shampoos do it by using sulfates, which dry your tresses. Definitely one of the best curly hair hacks is to look for “good” silicones in your hair products (stearoxy dimethicone, dimethicone copolyol or behenoxy dimethicone). The ones you should avoid include cetyl dimethicone, cyclomethicone, stearyl dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, cetearyl methicone, dimethicone, trimethylsilylamodimethicone, dimethiconol and amodimethicone.
7. Stick to a Family of Hair Care Products
Brand loyalty can prove to be a great thing for your curls. By using products from the same family, you know they’re designed to interact with other in a good way, instead of different formulations from different brands working against each other.
More: Best Hair Styling Hacks
8. Condition While Working Out
One of the best curly hair hacks is conditioning your tresses while you exercise. Use a styling cream before securing your curls, and you’ll get a more beneficial effect because of your raised body temperature.
9. Keep Your Kitchen Hair Free
Detangling doesn’t include a long clean up process. Simply cover your kitchen in saran wrap while you detangle and just throw all the hair away at once.
10. Try Satin Pillow Cases
Fighting frizz like no other fabric during your beauty sleep, satin pillow cases are one of the best curly hair hacks you should be using already.
