How To Enhance Your Natural Curls
Our curly community out there knows that curly hair needs a little extra love to reach its full potential. Curly hair is dryer than other hair types, and the curls themselves can easily lose their shape and become frizzy. Enhancing your natural curls will take a little bit of time and effort, but it will be worth it in the end!
The first step to enhancing your curls is to know your curl pattern, as the journey towards well-defined curls is different for each of them.
How do I identify my curl pattern?
Curl patterns are determined by the shape of the hair follicle, which influences the shape of the hair strand. There are 4 main hair types, and 3 main curl types, each with a number of subcategories.
Type 1 – Straight:
This hair type is straight, shiny and resilient, however, it is also the most difficult to curl. Sebum (oils) can travel easily down the length of straight hair, often making it oily and difficult to style. The strand is pin straight or has a slight wave to it.
Type 2 (our first “curl” type) – Wavy:
This is the middle ground between straight and curly. This hair type can hold a curl better than straight hair, but can also be prone to frizz. The strand is a loose “S” shape giving the hair more body than straight hair. This curl type tends to be straighter at the crown, wavy in the middle and possibly dry on the ends.
Type 3 (curl type Numero Deux) – Curly:
The strands have an “S” or “Z” shape and range from loose to tight spiral curls. These curls tend to start right from the crown and go down to the ends of the hair. This curl type is easily damaged and highly prone to frizz, making it easy for curls to lose definition.
Type 4 (last but not least) – Coily:
This hair type is tightly coiled in a corkscrew shape and densely packed. Coily hair has fewer cuticle layers than other hair types, making it very fragile and prone to damage and dryness.
You’ve identified your curl type, now what?
Here are some product tips to keep in mind per curl pattern:
Tips & Products for Wavy hair:
Dehydration, damage, and heavy styling products can straighten out your waves.
Therefore, focus on using lightweight and hydrating products. Our Honey Infused Leave-In Conditioner is the perfect option for this hair type, as it will nourish your hair, without dragging down your waves. You’ll go from frizzy curls to soft waves in no-time!
You can also opt for a lightweight texturising spray such as our Propolis Infused Texturising Wave Spray. This will help enhance texture and volume, and also give your waves a little extra hold.
Tips & Products for Curly hair:
Be gentle with curly hair, and really focus on moisture and hydration. If you’ve read our previous blog posts, you’ll know the mantra - sulfate-free! Use a sulfate-free shampoo such as our Honey Infused Hair Wash to avoid stripping your already fragile hair of its natural oils.
Curly hair can withstand slightly heavier formulations, so you can opt for cream products. Our Propolis Infused Polishing Primer is perfect, as it has strengthening and protection properties, whilst also fighting frizz and creating a lightweight, workable hold for your curls. Scrunch the product into the lengths of your hair whilst damp, to enhance curls and prevent frizz as it dries.
Tips & Products for Coily hair:
Similarly to curly hair, coily hair is fragile and needs hydration. Focus on deeply hydrating your hair weekly using our Honey Infused Hair Mask. This is a very rich and nourishing mask that will help strengthen and moisturise your hair.
After washing, opt for oils and heavier creams to lock in moisture and keep your hair hydrated throughout the day. We would recommend using 3 to 4 drops of our Honey Infused Hair Oil on damp hair. Warm the product up in the palms of your hands and scrunch it in.
This is a great option for coily hair types, as Mirsalehi Honey - the key ingredient of our Hair Oil and Mask - is a natural humectant that helps to maintain the hair’s natural moisture balance, resulting in healthier, softer and stronger locks.
Extra tips for perfect curls
1. The right drying technique
Never rub your hair with a towel, this will rough up the cuticle, cause frizz, and ruin your curls - it’s just a disaster all round. Instead, try “plopping” your hair. To do this, gather all of your hair on top of your head and wrap it up in a cotton t-shirt or hydrophilic towel, then leave it there to dry completely. This will help maintain your curl pattern as your hair dries.
You can choose to apply the Leave-in Conditioner or Primer before putting it up to give added moisture and hold as your hair dries. Alternatively, you can also use a diffuser to dry your hair to help enhance your natural curl pattern.
2. Use the right brush
Brushing out curls with a bristle brush will pull the hair, cause breakage, and disturb your curl pattern. Opt for a wide-toothed comb instead, and try combing your hair in the shower after conditioning instead of when it’s dry. You can then leave your hair to air dry or try the plopping method mentioned above!
3. Don’t skip the hairdresser
Get regular trims to keep your hair looking and feeling healthy. When getting a trim, opt for feathering the ends as this will lighten the hair and encourage your curls to form! The shorter your haircut, the lighter your hair will be, allowing the curls to form more easily. For wavy hair types, the longer your hair is, the more likely your curls are to be weighed down.
4. Wash your hair less
Overwashing your hair can strip it of its natural oils. As mentioned before, curly hair is already a little dry and needs these oils to stay healthy. When you do wash, opt for a gentle, sulfate-free, nourishing shampoo. You could also try co-washing, which is when you wash your hair using only a conditioner and no shampoo. This will allow you to gently remove some of the oils and product buildup, whilst maintaining moisture in the hair.
Wrapping up
Ditch the straighteners and embrace your natural curls. They may need a little extra TLC, but nothing beats a head of healthy, bouncy curls!
By Mana, Gisou Beauty Advisor
