WEEK 1: KEEP IT SIMPLE: ASSESS THE SITUATION
Shampoo, condition, and dry as usual. Do not add any other products and let your hair air dry. Let’s see what your hair wants to do and decide on a plan of action according to what we observe.
While there are other ways to test hair porosity, an easy way to test it is based on drying time alone, here’s what we can establish:
If your hair dries within 2-4 hours, your hair is high porosity. This means it is THIRSTY. You will most likely need highly moisturising products in the forms of butters, or creams.
If your hair dries within 4-6 hours, you have medium porosity hair. This means you are quite lucky as your hair retains moisture easily, and does not lose it quickly. Your hair will enjoy moisturising leave ins, creams, and gels.
If your hair takes more than 8 hours to dry, you most likely have low porosity hair. This means your hair has a hard time letting water in. This also means you may be tempted to use thick, heavy products hoping it will finally moisturise your hair, but in all honesty, it will just be a waste of product because your hair will not absorb the product- the product will simply sit on top of your strands leading to buildup and weighed down hair. You need light, but powerful products.
Great- now that we’ve established this, let’s let our hair rest for the week (or up to 5 days depending on your washing needs) before we move on. During this week, oil your scalp with a nourishing oil (like “Root Food” from Unearth Beauty), get yourself a satin pillowcase, and prepare yourself to slowly build up your haircare product lineup. Keep in mind- every product you buy from here on out depends on the porosity that you have just determined. Regardless of what porosity you have, if your hair dried poofy or wavy, you’re probably in luck- you’re probably a curly beauty!
WEEK 2: DEEP CONDITION, USE ONE PRODUCT
Deep conditioning is a key part of your haircare routine, regardless of whether your hair turns out to be wavy/curly or not. Some great sulfate free deep conditioners that won’t break the bank include:
1.) Garnier Fructise Banana Hair Food: best suited to medium porosity hair
2.) Shea Moisture Manuka Honey and Yogurt Hydrate and Repair Protein Power Treatment: best suited to high porosity hair
3.) Eden Bodyworks- Almond Marshmallow Split End Repair Masque For Low-Porosity Hair- best suited to low porosity hair
Rinse out the deep conditioner, and scrunch the water out of your hair- DO NOT WRING IT OUT. Now this is where the magic happens. All you need is one product that will encourage your curls to come out and play. Your hair is made up of proteins, and so it needs protein to reduce breakage, improve elasticity, and start behaving the way it was meant to! Incorporating a protein styler into your routine is always a good idea, and it’s vital to this step of the process.
It can seem that the options for protein stylers are quite limited in the market. The majority of protein products are treatments made to be washed out in a few minutes. However, there are two great protein stylers we love that you can use alongside your styling products that you don’t have to wash them out.
Our favorite of course, is “Bounce Back” by Unearth Beauty which is a powerful curl enhancer that is packed with three sources of protein, where most protein products only use one or two max! The formula was specifically created to reveal your natural texture, so it is perfect for those on their natural hair journey! It also has an undetectable texture which disappears into your hair, allowing for extreme volume. This is especially effective for medium and low porosity hair! In one use, your curls will be revealed- your waves will turn to spirals and you will know exactly what your hair is capable of. Bonus: it makes your hair curlier with every use and repairs heat/color damage over time!
For high porosity hair, a thicker consistency protein styler may be needed, which is where Curlsmith’s Feather Light Protein Styler comes in handy!
Apply the styler to wet hair using praying hands, and SCRUNCH. If your hair shows signs of any type of wave rather than falling pin straight, odds are, your hair has the potential to be wavy or curly. Congratulations!! Don’t be fooled by your first results- if your hair is textured, the more you care for it, the more it will curl. This time next year you’ll be shocked by how effortlessly curly your hair is!
WEEK 3: PLAY WITH STYLING
Now that you know whether your hair is textured, we can try styling it. While your hair is wet, try brushing it in sections, applying tension as you brush through, and flicking your wrist outwards at the ends before scrunching upwards to encourage a neat curl.
You can also start following curly hair pages on Instagram to inspire your styling process, get recommendations for new products to incorporate, and receive reassurance when your hair is acting up, as all textured hair has its wild days. Some pages we love include:
1. @Curlykaty_ :
https://www.instagram.com/curlykaty_?igsh=emJpYzM1dnd5Zno2
2. @Curlycooper : https://www.instagram.com/curlycooper26?igsh=ajIycmNjY2Q2Yjc3
3. @Mrsalbaramos https://www.instagram.com/mrsalbaramos?igsh=MTBsejVkbjl1YXRyNw==
4. @Jaymejo https://www.instagram.com/jaymejo?igsh=MWZkNDB1ZjZ4NTQ1aQ==
5. @Curly.evee https://www.instagram.com/curly.evee?igsh=MTRzbjBqa2FqY294OQ==
6. @Manesbymell https://www.instagram.com/manesbymell?igsh=MWYwMXE4Z290MWUzeA==
7. @goldynaps https://www.instagram.com/goldynaps?igsh=Nmw3cWhvcWthb2xz
Lastly, you have to take an oath. If you want healthy hair, you must vow to:
- Only flat iron your hair using heat protectant, and limit your straightening to once a month MAX- preferably never!
- Oil your hair regularly to ensure you’re always working with a healthy base. If you’re not treating your scalp, you’re sabotaging your hair journey- healthy hair starts at the roots.
- Be gracious and kind to yourself- your hair will not always look Instagram perfect and that’s NORMAL. It’s part of the textured hair experience.
Now enjoy your natural hair, be wild and free, and take pride in what your genes have blessed you with!