The Foundation for Healthy Curls

All too often, we search for an easy fix for our problems. This can be true for our health, our lifestyle habits, and our hair. When it comes to curls, the most common mistake is overlooking the shower routine and constantly searching for the magical leave-in styling product that will make your hair do exactly what you want it to.

The conversation I have on repeat goes something like this:

New Customer: "My hair is dry and frizzy. How do I make my curls look more like yours?"

Me: "I think the Aqua Aura Shampoo and Conditioner would be a great fit. The shampoo cleanses away buildup without stripping your hair, and the conditioner gives you that nice seaweed feel you look for in a conditioner along with a keratin protein blend that enhances your natural curl pattern and helps your curls clump together better."

New Customer: "I rarely wash my hair with shampoo. I just use conditioner and oils because it is always so dry. What leave-in do you have that will help?"

Me: "Well, cleansing your hair is very important for healthy curls. Without regularly cleansing your hair, the conditioners and oils you put in your hair build up along the hair shaft preventing hydration from entering. By using conditioner only and then adding oils, you may be exacerbating the dryness issue."

New Customer: "I'll take this curl cream."

Me:

The most important message I can give those on their curly hair journey is this:

Your styling products preserve the curls you have, they don't create the curls you want. Curls are made in the shower.

I will share with you the 3 most important parts for nourishing your curls to health. These steps are fundamental to the foundation for healthy curls.

1. Cleanse Regularly

We've all heard it. "You're not supposed to wash curly hair with shampoo!" This myth is something that has been at the heart of curly hair care for decades. And back when drugstore shampoos from the big box stores were our only options, I can see why washing sparingly was a better option. Most shampoos, cheap and expensive, are made with harsh cleansers like sodium lauryl sulfate. Those are absolutely drying to the hair and can cause irritation at the scalp. Now, though, we have so many better options for washing our delicate curls.

Our shampoos are mild, yet effective at cutting through buildup on the hair shaft without stripping our hair and making it feel dry. For a more in depth look at the composition of our shampoos, read 3 Reasons Our Shampoos are Mild.

Some people are built for the once a week washday. If your lifestyle isn't super active, your hair is on the dryer side, and you are using water soluable stylers then this may be an option for you. If you only wash once a week and are happy with the moisture level of your hair and how your hair behaves, then keep on with your routine.

However, if you are only washing once a week (or even less with shampoo) and you feel like your hair is dry, unmanageable, and you aren't happy with your curls, you could benefit from washing more often. Buildup is the bane of curly hair. If you are coating your hair with conditioners, leave ins, and oils, there is no way water, nutrients, and proteins from your products are penetrating into the cortex of the hair strand. It is here, in the very center of your hair shaft that proteins work their magic. Not to mention, buildup gets heavy, and the more we add to our curls the heavier and droopier they can get.

Soultion: Use a mild and effective shampoo to bust through buildup. If you are a chronic under-washer, try washing 2-3 times a week to really set your curls free.

The Silver Aura Shampoo is really great for gently lifting more stubborn buildup, but any of our shampoos will prep your curls for intaking hydration and proteins.

2. Condition for that "seaweed" feel

The absolute best way to hydrate your hair is...... WATER! And a lot of us don't actually use enough water in the shower. If your hair is high-density, it can be hard to get it completely saturated. This, however, is crucial for replenishing hydration into the cortex of the hair shaft.