Curly/wavy hair, need product recommendations

[DawnM]

So, I have decided to make my wavy hair curlier and am looking at products.

My hair is VERY dry.....I must put a lot of moisture in it to not have tangles and frizzy/super puffy hair.

I bought some Aussie products and not only do they not really work, but they are making my hair come out in handfuls.

I tried some Diva curl conditioner and it was like not even putting conditioner on.

I don't want to keep wasting $$.

Ideas?

 

[4everHis]

I use Suave clarifying shampoo, IF I use shampoo, then flip my hair upside down(in shower) and squish fructus damage eraser into hair. I usually don't get near roots. Then I put Not Your Mother's curl Defining Cream and/or curl gel. Then I plop/wrap in flour sack towel. https://www.target.com/p/garnier-fructis-paraben-free-damage-eraser-fortifying-conditioner-21-fl-oz/-/A-51851255?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000012510706&CPNG=PLA_Beauty%2BPersonal+Care%2BShopping|Beauty_Ecomm_Beauty&adgroup=SC_Health%2BBeauty&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=m&location=9017040&targetid=pla-896404422375&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=CjwKCAjw3riIBhAwEiwAzD3TifDQ-pRcMCE8sbb8WCLDKNGLIpUHPGmIpXsb5ZqR29gYkRTwsWC8PxoCN14QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Corraleno]

I really like the products by As I Am; I've used their Coconut Cowash, Leave-in Conditioner, and DoubleButter Cream. They work really well and they smell amazing. The DoubleButter Cream was too heavy for my hair, but might work for yours if it's super dry. My favorite styling product for curly hair is MopTop Curly Hair Custard. It gave my hair the best defined curls without being at all stiff or crunchy.

[smstjohn]

If you go to reddit for curlygirl they have a getting started section with cheap options. I think the startup cost with that method is maybe $10 or so.

One reason you might not find that those things are actually moisturizing your hair though is because you might have too much product buildup. So it might be best to start off with a clarifying shampoo and then trying the other curly hair products recommended.

[Carol in Cal.]

I have tried a lot of approaches, and what seems to work best for me is Philip B Forever Shine Conditioner.  The matching shampoo is fine, but not crucial, as long as I use that conditioner.  It seems to moisturizer, smooth, and release the curliness in my hair.  When I am in the Sierra, which has the driest air for miles and miles, I also use their Detangling Toning Mist afterwards, and it takes the effects of the conditioner even further.  This has no discernable effect in less dry air of Silicon Valley though.

For shampoo I use any mild shampoo that is for color treated hair.  Occasionally I do an oil treatment before shampooing with the Philip B Rejuventating Oil, and when I do that I follow it up with their Peppermint Avocado Shampoo for the first wash, but really the main bang for the buck (and to me these products are quite expensive) comes from the conditioner mentioned above.

 

[lauraw4321]

Lus. Makes my daughter’s curls gorgeous. 

[DawnM]

17 minutes ago, lauraw4321 said:

Lus. Makes my daughter’s curls gorgeous. 

 Where do you buy this?

[DawnM]

39 minutes ago, smstjohn said:

If you go to reddit for curlygirl they have a getting started section with cheap options. I think the startup cost with that method is maybe $10 or so.

One reason you might not find that those things are actually moisturizing your hair though is because you might have too much product buildup. So it might be best to start off with a clarifying shampoo and then trying the other curly hair products recommended.

I have looked there.   I can get my hair well moisturized, so I don't think it is product build up, but the Aussie products aren't doing it.   I am now reading they are full of junk and bad for your hair and scalp.

I am returning the Aussie and going with something else.

What I may end up doing is going to ULTA and getting a few sample sizes.....just not sure I have the energy.......ha

 

[MooCow]

I have super curly hair. I only wash it 2-3 times a week.  I use suave clarifying shampoo, then sometimes head and shoulders for the itch control if it's been longer than 3 days. I put my hair in one of those turban towels and then continue the rest of my shower. When I get out of my shower I immediately take off the turban towel and put on some Moroccan oil that I've put in my hands first and smush it together. Then because I live in a high humidity area, I use a moose called totally twisted number three and then I put on a clean turban towel. I give it about 20 minutes to dry and then I take the towel off and I'm good to go for a couple of days at least.

I had to change my routine when I moved to the South because in the South curl cream does absolutely nothing for my hair it doesn't matter what kind I use.

Eta: I use amika conditioner. 

Edited August 7, 2021 by MooCow

[KungFuPanda]

I love ouidad products and right now I'm giving the Curlsmith light protein cream a try.  Apparently protein  is a thing we're supposed to figure out, or so says my friend who is better than me at curl care. A less expensive route to get moisture into your hair would be to give up shampoo for a while and condition with Trader Joe's tea tree conditioner.  It's about $4 a bottle.  If you can't give up shampoo entirely, switch to a sulfate free one.  

ETA: If you're washing every day you'll want to give that up.  Daily washing would make me a fuzzy troll pencil. I wash about twice a week and pineapple so I don't ruin my curls at night. They look better on days 2-3 anyway.  

Edited August 7, 2021 by KungFuPanda

[KungFuPanda]

Maybe you'll like this woman:  

 

[littlebug42]

I use the Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus products.  You can get them at Amazon but also at Target, CVS and Walgreens, I know for sure.  These products have done amazing things for my curls.  Love them.  I use specifically the shampoo and conditioner with the curl and style milk.  In the winter, I will probably need more moisture and will use the smoothie product then.  

 

Amazon.com: SheaMoisture: Coconut & Hibiscus

[Junie]

51 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

Daily washing would make me a fuzzy troll pencil. 

So much yes to this.

[DawnM]

1 hour ago, KungFuPanda said:

Maybe you'll like this woman:  

 

I watched her the other day.   I wish I had these curls, I don't, but I do know what unbalances vs. balanced looks like in my own hair.

[DawnM]

I have spend this afternoon watching this woman.   My hair is probably more like hers in that it is wavy and not curly.

https://www.youtube.com/user/cduncan8987

[Junie]

I just remembered the best product I have recently purchased for my hair:

A Brita showerhead.  We have very hard city water and the filter seems to be helping my hair.  We've had the new showerhead for a few months now, and my hair is much, much softer and less wiry.