It’s safe to say that women born with curly hair have spent most of their childhood and teenage years hating their hair. Blame it on movies and shows that tell us straight, black hair is the parameter for beauty, or even the salon guys asking us why don’t we just ‘get rebonding done’.
We say screw that, and embrace those beautiful ringlets. Don’t know how to manage ’em? We’re giving you five ways to get the best curls you’ve ever had.
Curly hair by character is dry, which means it needs to be handled with a little more care. And that cannot happen if you’re using shampoos that contain sulphates {SLS, SLES, & ALS being the most commonly found ones}, which are harsh detergents that strip the hair of its natural oils—something curly hair is already short on.
So pick a shampoo sans sulphates, but keep in mind that it will not lather and foam like its sulphate counterpart. To make sure your hair’s clean, work the shampoo on your scalp with your fingers and massage for a couple of minutes before rinsing.
#LBBPicks: Khadi Natural Woody Sandal & Honey Herbal Shampoo
Price: INR 210.
Buy it here.
While we’re slowly catching on to the sulphate-free phenomenon, most of us, unfortunately, are not paying attention to the cons of silicones. Silicones and sulphates go hand-in-hand; while silicones in conditioners give the appearance of shiny, smooth hair, most of them are not water-soluble {look out for names ending with ‘cone’, ‘conol’, ‘col’ or ‘xane’ in the ingredient list}, which means you need a shampoo containing sulphates in your next wash to remove it, or else face product build-up over time. It’s a vicious cycle, one we’re all too happy to be out of.
Instead, look out for thick, creamy conditioners containing natural moisturising agents such as shea butter, glycerine, honey, coconut oil – they’ll heal your dry hair for real.
#LBBPicks: Giovanni Smooth As Silk Conditioner
Price: INR 366
Buy it here.
You’ll have to go the trial & error route with this one to figure out which product works best for your kinda curls—mousse, leave-in conditioner, or gel. From what we’ve seen so far, mousse works best for folks with fine, wavy hair, leave-in creams for super-tight, kinky curls, and gel on in-between hair. Steer clear of those with alcohol in the ingredient list—they’ll dry out your hair even more.
Just flip your hair upside down, smoothen the product evenly on your hair, and then scrunch.
#LBBPicks: The Body Shop Wheatgrass Fixing Gel
Price: INR 645
Buy it here.
Ditching fine-tooth combs and hair brushes is perhaps the best thing you can ever do for your curly hair. Seriously. They are the primary reason your curly hair is not clumped into perfect ringlets and looks frayed, frizzy, and, frankly, a little bit frightening. Get yourself a sturdy wide-tooth comb that will not split into two upon confrontation with the curls.
And remember – the only time you’re allowed to use it is in the shower, to detangle hair that’s soaking with conditioner. Start detangling from the bottom of your hair, and then make your way up. Gently.
#LBBPicks: Basicare Rake Comb
Price: INR 3,393.
Buy it here.
Another great thing you can do for curly hair is ditch your regular towels and opt for microfibre ones instead, which are super-absorbent and quite gentle on your hair. Don’t rub your hair like those maniacs in shampoo and hair oil commercials though—it’s a sure-shot way of making your hair frizz up. Just gentle squeeze the water out, scrunch lightly, and let it air-dry.
PS: You can even use a regular cotton-jersey T-shirt to dry your hair!
#LBBPicks: Nabaiji Microfibre Towel
Price: INR 99 – 499 {depending on the size}.
Buy it here.