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My Secret Weapon For Refreshing Curly Hair

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One of the huge benefits of wearing your hair curly is the ability to style and do a simple refresh for multiple days. Some curly girls can go 4-9 days without washing their hair. While how far you can stretch your wash day varies from person to person, today I want to share with you My Secret Weapon For Refreshing Curly Hair.

But before we get started, if you are on the struggle bus when it comes to caring for your curls, I have a gift for you. 

I created this simple curly girl cheat sheet to walk you through the exact steps you need to take to transform your curls. 

>>>>>>Get the FREE curly girl cheat sheet here

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Here are a few posts I think you will love:

Before I started wearing my hair curly, I had to wash my hair every other day. And on the off week that I went farther than that, I would get an incredibly itchy scalp.

One thing that drew me to the curly girl method was the idea of not having to wash my hair as much. 

However, that is much easier said than done. 

Many curly girls will boast about how little they have to wash their hair but it’s not that simple. 

It took me a year to find the right moisture and protein balance that would allow me to wear my hair curly for multiple days without getting itchy scalp side effects. 

Now, I can wash my hair 1-2 times per week, and it’s good system for me. 

When it comes to being able to stretch my wash day without getting an itchy scalp, there has been one product that has been a game-changer. 

The thing I love about curly hair is that you will find success in the most random (and inexpensive ways). 

I have spent tons and tons of money on products and I have to say that sometimes less is more when it comes to curly hair products.

My Secret Weapon For Refreshing Curly Hair 

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning that at no cost to you, I may make a small commission on anything you purchase through my link. But don’t worry, I never promote products that I don’t believe in or truly love <3 

Fermented Rice Water 

Early on in my curly hair journey, I stumbled on the idea of rice water for curly hair. I read a handful of tutorials on rice water, how to make it, and how to do a treatment on your curls. 

After many experiments, I found that fermented rice waterworks the absolute best or my hair.

You can find my rice water recipe here

Benefits Of Rice Water For Curly Hair 

The very first time I did a fermented rice water treatment on my hair, I saw immediate results. I was shocked how much it was conditioned by the hair but even more shocking was how much it brought my curl back. 

So I did a deep dive into the benefits of rice water when it relates to curly hair and it turns out that rice water has a slew of amazing benefits for curly hair. 

It turns out that the secret ingredient in rice water that makes it oh so healthy for curly hair is a nutrient called Inositol. This ingredient can penetrate the hair shaft and repair it from the inside out. Pretty cool, huh?

rice water

Does RIce Water Have Too Much Protein?

I used rice water for the first year of my curly girl journey by rinsing it through my hair during my wash and then following up with my typical cleansing and deep conditioning routine. 

Then after bumping into another curly girl at whole foods one day, she told me she used fermented rice water rinse as a leave-in and to refresh with.

I loved the idea, but my one fear was that it may have too much protein. And too much protein can cause a protein overload which is not a good thing. 

So I experimented……

Test one: I added fermented rice water to a spray bottle and diluted it. Then I used that spray bottle to refresh for a week. 

My curls were coiled, I had minimal frizz, and my hair felt soft and healthy.

Test two: I did my usual fermented rice water rinse but this time I did it after I cleansed and conditioned and didn’t wash it out.  I used it as a leave-in.

The results were great for day one, but by day two my curls were more stringy and a little harder then they were before. 

The important take away here is to always test and take detailed notes about what is working, and how your hair reacts to each product you use on it.

That’s why I always recommend keeping detailed notes of everything that works and everything that does not work for your curls.

>>>>>Click here to get your custom daily curl tracker

During this experiment, I discovered that by watering down the rice water in a spray bottle, it diluted it enough to get my hair the protein it needs without overdoing it. 

My Secret Weapon For Refreshing Curly Hair

To refresh with fermented water

Dilute your rice water in a spray bottle (keep it in the fridge). Spray your curls until they are 20% damp using the rice water avoiding your roots and scalp. 

Always avoid your roots and scalp when you refresh because that is where all your day 2 and 3 volume come from. 

Curl Friendly Brush 

Because curls love to do their own thing, I like to tame any rogue curls on day 2-5 using a curl friendly brush. 

It’s important to use a brush specifically designed for curly hair because they help increase your natural curl pattern. I use and love the Behairful brush.

Section out any rouge curls and get them wet. Like wetter than the rest of your hair. Use your brush to help recreate curl clumps and scrunch. You can check out my Instagram video here.

I use the Behairful brush because it is designed to clump curls together without creating frizz. You can see my full review here.

>>>>>>>>Click here to get the Behairful brush

Light curl cream

Once you’ve dampened your hair and used your Behairful brush to re-gather rouge curls, use a light curl cream to give your curls added moisture.

The reason I prefer curl cream over leave-in conditioner is that a curl cream is a good mix of moisture and hold while the leave-in conditioner is just moisture. 

For my 3a curls, if I use too much leave-in conditioner, it tends to weigh my curls down making them stringy.

My favorite curl cream is bounce curl clump and define. It’s the perfect amount of moisture without weighing my curls down.

>>>>>>>Click here to get bounce curl clump and define

Light hold gel (optional)

The last step to a perfect refresh is adding a tiny bit of hold.

I prefer using a light or cream-based gel so it doesn’t make your curls feel crunchy. A good rule of thumb is to only use strong hold gel on super wet hair. 

Note: If you add a strong hold gel to a slightly damp refresh, it will make it stringy and crunchy.

Add a dime to quarter size amount to your hands and run it through your hair using the praying hand’s method. 

Gently glaze it over your curls to lock in the curl pattern. 

I use and love bounce curl’s light cream-based gel because it is high in protein and my hair loves protein. 

>>>>>>>>>>Click here to get bounce curl light cream gel

Dry your hair as usual.

In conclusion:

When it comes to refreshing curly hair the secret weapon comes down to finding the right moisture protein balance for your specific curls. 

And since all curls are different, the best way to find out what works for your curls is to experiment, experiment, experiment, and track your results. 

Because when it comes to learning about your curls and what they need, the only one who can figure that out it you. 

That’s why I designed this custom curl tracker to help you track your entire curly journey and find out exactly what your curls need. 

Start by spritzing fermented rice water on your curls, tame rouge curls with the Behairful brush, add curl cream for moisture, and use a light gel to lock everything in.

Xoxo

Colleen

P.S >>>>>>Get the FREE curly girl cheat sheet here

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