Curly Hair Products - Colleen Charney

When it comes to having curly hair, it can be tricky taking care of it. Here are Curly Hair Products That Every Curly Girl Needs In Her Life.

Every curly girl knows the struggle of growing up in a home with parents who didn’t know how to take care of their curls.

This is why I spent the majority of my childhood with “Lion’s Mane” as my nickname.

Are you struggling to find the right curly hair products? Girl, I get it! There are so many products on the market it can make your head spin!

Having curls my whole life, I have spent hundreds of dollars on curly hair products. And it can be so discouraging investing in products that don’t work or even worse damage your curls.

So I developed a 4-step system for choosing the right curly hair products and I compiled it into a downloadable file as a quick guide to help you make an informed decision when purchasing products. You can print this download or save it to your phone as a quick reference.

>>>>>>>>Click here to get the 4-step cheat sheet for choosing curly hair products

Those who don’t have curls are somehow under the impression that curly girls just wake up to soft bouncing curls.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had people tell me how lucky I am to have curls because they are”so easy” to care for.

Little do they know that there is a lot of work that goes into having gorgeous curls.

Though I wouldn’t call it easy, once you learn and implement a few core curly hair techniques it becomes easier.

If you are struggling with caring for or loving your curls, I highly recommend giving the curly girl method a try.

It completely changed my curls and my mindset about them.

If you are not familiar with the curly girl method, it is bascially a method of caring for curls.

You can read more about the curly girl method here.

This is my personal 3 month curl transformation.

My favorite high-end product

Note: My curly hair product recommendation list is continually updated since I am always testing new product lines.

My latest curly hair product fav is a line called EVOLVh.

EVOLVh is a high-end curly hair product line that that is committed to formulating innovative products that heal your hair from the inside out.

Many companies fill their products will harmful ingredients that act as a band-aide for your hair but don’t deal with the root issue. Long term, this causes your curls to become dependent on harsh ingredients.

EVOLVh’s products are formulated with clean ingredients that are friendly to the environment. Their goal is function and performance.

A couple of things I love about EVOLVh

The products have a light pleasant smell – Strong smells in products give me a headache after a while
Formulated with clean ingredients – It’s a great way to swap out your toxic hair care line with a clean toxic free line
The products last a long time – A little bit goes a long way
Free from: Sulfates, gluten, parabens, propylene glycol, silicones, phthalates
Hydrates, without weighing down – It’s the perfect amount of moisture for my 3a curls
Medium hold – I love the super defining cream because it offers the perfect amount of hold.

I use and highly recommend EVOLVh. My curls are loving these products! You can check out my full EVOLVh product review here.

>>>>>>Click here to shop EVOLVh products

Curly Hair Products That Every Curly Girl Needs In Her Life

This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning that If you purchase through clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

While healthy habits and techniques are vital to having beautfiul curls, there is no denying the fact that every curly girl needs just a few things to make the curly life a bit easier.

Throughout my curly girl journey, I have tested and reviewed many products. I have complied a list curly hair products that every curly girl needs in her life.

A good clarifying shampoo:

Because curls need a good amount of product to hold your culry pattern, that product eventually builds up on your hair strand.

Every curly girl should incorperate a clarifying wash once per month.

Note: Becasue clarfiying your hair can dry it out, always follow a clarifying wash with a deep condtioning treatment.

These are my favorite clarifying shampoo’s:

The right detangling tools:

Proper detagnling for curls is crucial to keep your hair healthy and see sigificant hair growth.

There are many different techniques to detangle but my favorite way to detangle is by doing a pre-poo.

You can use any oil, conditioner or deep conditioner.

Simply apply the product to your hair and gently detangle using a brush or your fingers.

If you are not properly detangling your hair, you can cause damage and even hair loss.

You can read more about how to pre-poo here and how to detangle here.

These are my favorite products and tools to detangle:

Classic Denman Brush
Wet Brush Original Detangler Hair Brush
Kinky-Curly Knot Today Leave In Conditioner/Detangler
Jamaican Black Castor Oil (this is especially good for hair growth)

A gentle cleansing shampoo:

Cleansing curly hair is particularly important because traditional shampoos remove the good natural oil from your hair (that creates your curl pattern) and can dry your hair out.

The traditional curly girl method encouraged curlies to ditch shampoo completely. This sounds great but can cause problems with your scalp becoming oily or dry and itchy.

I recommend swapping shampoo for a co-wash or no-poo option.

Cleansing Options:

Co-wash: Short for “conditioner-only washing.” It means skipping shampoo and relying solely on conditioner.

Many curlies use a co-wash to replace the traditional method of shampooing your hair.

Since shampoos are harsh on your hair and can damage your curl pattern, a co-wash is a gentle way to give your hair that clean feeling without damaging it.

These are two curly girl approved co-wash products:

Low-poo:

This is a shampoo designed to cleanse curly hair without interfering with your natural curl pattern. It contains low or no lather.

Low poo shampoos are for curlies who just can’t seem to fully ditch shampoo completely. If you struggle with an oily scalp, a low poo may be a good option for you.

I have used and love both of these low poo options.

Smart Hydrating Wash by EVOLVh – I love this cleanser because it is gentle, and doesn’t cause buildup.

The right styling products

This is where the magic happens.

How your style your curls will determine weather your curls last 1 day or 5 days.

Styling can be broken down into three parts. Moisturizer, hold, and application. Each of these is just as important as the last.

The first step in the styling process is to use a leave-in conditioner:

It’s important to choose a leave-in that is right for your hair. If it is too heavy it will either make your hair oily or weigh your curls down causing them to be stringy.

Apply leave-in conditioner using praying hands method (tipping head upside down and smoothing your hair between your hands like you are praying).

As you apply if you notice any rough spots, add a bit more leave-in conditioner and massage it into your hair.

These are two of my favorite leave-in conditioners

Curls Cream Brule Leave-in conditioner
EVOLVh smart curl leave in conditioner – This is the best light conditioner and I love that it comes in a spray bottle.

The second step in the styling process is applying a gel to hold your curl pattern:

What type of gel you choose completely depends on your curl type.

I recommend starting with a medium to max hold gel to seal in moisture and lock in your curl pattern. If you are worried about your curls becoming crunchy read this post.

Crunchy curls are typically caused by how you apply the gel rather than what gel you are using.

Hands down my two favorite gels to get started with are:

Kinky Curly Original Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel
Aussie Instant Freeze Sculpting Maximum Hold Hair Gel with Jojoba Oil
DIY flax seed gel. (see my favorite recipe here)
My favorite cream gel is EVOLVh’s super curl defining cream

I use and recommend using all three of these. They compliment each other well and offer really great hold.

The right drying technique

Drying curly hair is completely different than traditional hair drying methods.

Curly hair drying techniques are broken down into four types.

Air Drying:

After you are done styling, let your wet curls dry naturally.

This can be a great method but reduces the volume in your curls and can take a long time.

If you do choose to air dry, I highly recommend root clipping to increase volume.

I love these.

Plopping:

A method using a T-shirt or microfiber towel to scrunch your curls up toward your head and tie.

This allows your curls to dry while encouraging curl pattern.

Best plopping towel:

Curly Girl, Curly Hair Towel, Large Microfiber
Or can you use an old t shirt.

Diffusing:

Using a diffuser attachment to distribute airflow evenly without causing frizz.

Hybrid Drying (my personal favorite):

A combination of the above three. I typically plop my hair for 15 minutes, diffuse for 20-30, then finish with air drying.

Note: To create more volume, clip hair at the roots.

My Favorite diffusers are:

I personally use this one
If cost is not an issue for you, get this one. It is pretty much amazing and will be my next big purchase. I have read dozens of great reviews on this diffuser.

A method to keep your curls safe

One of the many benefits of having curly hair is that if you are taking proper care of it, you will only need to style it 1-3 times per week.

Use this two-step process to preserve your curls throughout the week.

Pineapple:

is a way to protect your curly hair when you sleep.

Gather all your curls to the very top of your head (almost to your forehead and secure with a nondamaging hair tie.

Night Protection:

Always sleep on a silk pillowcase or with a silk bonnet.

Silk helps hold in moisture and cause little friction which can lead to breakage and frizz.

When it comes to eliminating damage and keeping your hair healthy. Sleeping on silk is one of the best things you can do for your hair.

Scalp massage:

I do a scalp massage every night before bed. This helps increase blood flow (which increases hair growth) and keeps your scalp healthy.

I use an oil & a scalp messager. It is literally so relaxing.

I use all of these products for night protection:

In Conclusion:

Taking care of curly hair is no easy task. But once you’ve mastered a few basic curly hair habits, you will be able to finally embrace, enjoy, and love your curls.

These curly hair products that every curly girl needs in her life have been a game-changer throughout my curl journey.

If you feel a little overwhelmed and don’t know where to start as far as buying products, I recommend starting with this package.

It’s the perfect sample pack to get a good idea of what your hair needs.

Have more questions about products? Hop over to Instagram and send me a message! I would love to answer any questions you have.

xoxo

@curly_colleen

P.S >>>>>>>>Click here to get the 4-step cheat sheet for choosing curly hair products