Routine for curly hair & tips on how to care for curly hair

Our curly community will know, caring for curls is a full time job. Curly hair comes with its own unique set of needs based on a variety of factors ranging from porisity, curl pattern and products. The difference between a head of beautiful, luscious curls and an unmanageable frizzy mess comes down to your haircare routine. Read on to find out all of our tips and tricks to get your best curls and our ultimate routine for curly hair. 

What makes hair curly? 

The shape of your hair follicle will determine how straight, curly or coily your hair strands will be. U or C-shaped follicles tend to be the curliest, whilst slightly bent follicles will produce a more wavy result. The angle at which your hair penetrates the scalp is also important, straight hair tends to be vertically in the scalp, whilst curly hair tends to grow at an angle that makes the hair curve and bend as it grows.

Knowing your Curl Type is very important as this will dictate the best products for your hair type. Take a look at this article to find out your curl type and some of our product suggestions! 

Why does curly hair need extra care?

Curly and coily hair is more delicate than straight hair due to the shape of the hair strand. The spiral shape means the cuticle tends to be slightly lifted, which makes it more susceptible to damage, and more likely to lose moisture. On top of that, our natural oils cannot travel down the hair strand as easily as they can with straight hair, once again leaving curly to coily hair dry towards the ends. As a result, curls are more easily damaged and dehydrated than straight hair.

Hair Care Routine for Curly Hair 

1. Pre-Shampoo Treatment for curly hair

Pre-shampoo treatment is an amazing option for our curly gang. This detangles the hair, helps prevent moisture loss whilst washing, and prevents frizz. 

You can do a simple pre-shampooing treatment by applying our Honey Infused Hair Mask or Honey Infused Conditioner to dry hair, leaving it on for 20 to 30 minutes before following up with your usual washing routine. 

2. Gentle cleanse

The next step is to cleanse. Washing your hair will leave your hair and scalp feeling clean, removing any products, grease, dirt and dead skin cells which might have built up. 

Opt for a gentle, sulfate-free moisturizing shampoo, like our Honey Infused Hair Wash. While some hair types can handle shampoos which contain sulfates, those with curly hair should definitely avoid it! Sulfates can strip the hair of natural moisture, leaving it dry, and you guessed it - frizzy. 

3. Mask & Condition 

Hydration will help keep your curls shiny, bouncy and defined, and a nourishing hair mask is the perfect way to give your hair a hydration boost.

After shampooing, follow up with the Honey Infused Hair Mask for a deep conditioning treatment. When your hair is wet it can more easily absorb the product giving an even more hydrated result. Apply a generous amount from the root to ends, and allow it to absorb for 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing with lukewarm or cool water. 

After rinsing, seal the cuticle and lock in moisture using the Honey Infused Conditioner. This is the perfect lightweight conditioner to finish off your washing routine.

4. Brush

Brushing curly hair when dry can be disastrous. Curly hair tends to be more fragile, so any kind of pulling or tugging at your curls can result in breakage.

While your hair is still coated with the Honey Infused Conditioner, gently detangle it using our all-purpose Gisou Comb. This is the perfect wide-toothed comb to gently detangle without pulling. Remember to start brushing at the bottom, and slowly work your way to the root area. 

Once your hair is all brushed through, rinse with warm water. 

If you’d prefer to brush your hair after washing, ensure your hair is still very damp, and apply a liberal amount of the Honey Infused Leave-In Conditioner to help effortlessly detangle and nourish your hair.

5. Dry

Never rub your curls with a towel, this will rough up the cuticle, cause frizz, and ruin your curls - disaster! Instead, try “plopping” your hair. Do this by gathering all of your hair on top of your head and wrapping it up in a cotton t-shirt or hydrophilic towel. You can then leave it there to dry completely. This will help enhance your natural curl pattern as your hair dries, leaving you with more defined, bouncy curls. 

Air-drying curly hair can result in an overload of frizz if not done correctly. 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 apply the Propolis Infused Heat Protecting Spray and then use a diffuser to dry your hair to enhance your natural curl pattern.

6. Style 

One of the most frequently asked questions is how to style curls. Too much styling can ruin your curl pattern and damage the cuticle, causing it to lose its strength and elasticity. Try heatless styling using our Propolis-infused Polishing Primer and Propolis Infused Texturising Wave Spray. 

For defined curls, apply 2 to 3 pea-sized amounts of the Propolis Infused Polishing primer into very damp hair, you can then go in and define each curl using a brush or your fingers. Alternatively, you can then “plop” your hair (as mentioned above) and allow it to dry completely.

For a textured, bed-head look, apply a few sprays of the Propolis Infused Texturising Wave Spray into damp hair, and then scrunch the product in to promote waves, texture, and volume. 

7. Finishing touches

Finish off with a couple of drops of the Honey Infused Hair Oil. Oils help 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 curly hair types, as Mirsalehi Honey - the key ingredient of our Honey Infused line - is a natural humectant that helps to maintain the hair’s natural moisture balance, resulting in healthier, softer and stronger locks.

Tips & tricks for protecting curly hair

How to protect your curls while sleeping

Put your hair into a bun or braid whilst you sleep, to protect your hair from abrasion, and keep your curl pattern intact. 

How to protect your curls from heat

Since curls are already fragile by nature, if heat is applied regularly, this can have serious long term consequences. Try limiting blow-drying to twice a week max and opt for lower heat settings. Should you choose to use heat, always use a natural heat protection product such as our Propolis infused Heat Protection Spray. 

Wrapping up

Finding the perfect routine for Curly hair can be a mission, but it definitely pays off! Check out this article for more curly hair inspiration.