Going Curly...Again

Dear Em,
While you're a blondie & I'm a brunette, we have do have hair similarities. You have the most adorable ringlets in your hair that I'm sure are going to grow into my hair type: Curly hair. Actually, yours may be even curlier since your daddy also has curly hair.

You may be shocked as I write this because my hair is almost always straight. At least it has been for the last six years or so. I used to rock curly hair all the time. Yes, I have naturally curly hair, but my curls were never the neat & perfect banana curls you see in magazines. Growing up, I envied my classmates with silky, straight hair. I envied the fact they could shower, brush & let their hair air dry without having to worry about looking like a chia pet hours later. Meanwhile, I was using mousse & almost always using the curling iron to mix some perfect non-frizzy curls into my hair.

So, then I went straight...for a long time. I like sporting straight, smooth hair. There's just two things. My hair mostly turns into a frizzball as soon as any moisture comes in contact with it & it takes forever to blow dry my hair straight EVERYDAY. It's actually one of the reasons I've kept my hair mostly short the past few years. It doesn't take as long to straighten shorter hair.

Recently, though, I've been inspired by my best friend & her gorgeous curly hair. I don't typically envy curly hair, but hers looked so amazing I kinda did. So, I picked her brain about what she was doing & what products she was using. The next time I went to the hair salon, I also asked my hairdresser about what to do about curly hair. She suggested a bunch of products that have the word "organic" highlighted on them & were organically expensive (which I promptly bought because I'm a dummy).

Then I read a couple blog articles about curly hair. Did you know there is a Curly Girl Method? Megan from Not Martha posted about her experience with it & her hair washing methods for curly hair (& a super inexpensive shampoo conditioner from Trader Joes). Jenny from Karma (Continued...) posted about what's working for her with the Curly Hair Method.

Today is day five of going curly for me (which is 4 more days in a row than I've had in 6 years), & I wanted to write about some of the things that have worked for me so far (in hopes that this might help you rock curly hair too).

- Shampoo/Conditioner: So everyone is pretty much in agreement. No sulfates & no silicones. That pretty much eliminates all of my typical choices. I'm still using the wicked expensive shampoo & conditioner I purchased at the salon, but when I'm out I'll be heading over to Trader Joes for their Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo and Conditioner. I've heard really good things about it from a bunch of people, even my best friend. The best part, though, it's only $3.99 at Trader Joes. Take that wicked expensive organic salon stuff!

I've also only been washing my hair with shampoo only a couple times a week. I've found that I have to start over with wet hair each morning (I have serious, non-reparable bed head each morning). Most mornings, I wet my hair & gently massage my scalp with my fingertips to loosen up dirt & oil. I rinse before applying conditioner to the ends of my hair & then rise again.

- Towels: Apparently, regular towels are also out...when it comes to your hair anyways. I do as little as possible with my hair when I get out of the shower. I wrap my hair turban style in a micro fiber wrap that I picked up at the dollar store (I've read that t-shirts also work well) & let the wrap soak up some of the moisture while I continue to get ready. My hairdresser had told me to eliminate anything that would weigh my curls down, & water does just that. Using the blow-drier seriously frizzes my curls out, but wrapping my hair allows the moisture to go out without letting frizz in.

- Product: I've tried a bunch of things that have either made my hair feel greasy or crunchy, but there are two things I've been using recently that have been pretty great.

Davines Sea Salt Primer: I spray this into my hair starting at the roots. Then I use a large tooth comb to comb it through from the roots to the ends.

Davines Moisturizing and Anti-Frizz Protective Fluid: I put a little, the size of a nickle, in the palm of my hand, work it into both hands, & scrunch it into my hair.

After that I make sure my hair is parted correctly, let my hair air dry, & play with it as little as possible. Wicked easy.

I'm not going to lie, I DO still use the curling iron a little. I just use it for a few curls to try to form my bangs the way I want them. There are days where frizz really starts to pop-up at the end of the day (I need a good end-of-the-day-curl-fixer product), but it's way better than it's been for a long time. It's also way quicker to do my hair each day, leaving me time for...well, everything else.

Here I am, rocking the curls, with my curly hair best friend. It's so nice to have someone to bounce curly hair tips off of. I'm going to keep with it & see if I can be a curly hair girl permanently. 

I love you so,
Mommy

* Readers, what am I missing? What tips have worked well for you & your curly/wavy hair? *