Henna, curls, makeup, and randomness.....

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My Haircare Routine.........

I realized quite awhile ago that I haven’t talked to you gals about my daily routine. Well, today we’re going to remedy that. I change products quite a bit, just because I love variety, but how I actually style my hair is the same everyday.

Let’s start things with products. The easiest way to tell you ladies what products I use, is to break it into categories; Cleansers, Conditioners, and Styling Products. So let’s get started…

Cleansers

• DevaCurl No-Poo
• DevaCurl Low-Poo 
• Elucence Moisture Benefits Shampoo 
• V05 Tea Therapy Conditioner-Vanilla Mint (cowash) 
• V05 Herbals Conditioner-Kiwi and Lime Squeeze (cowash) 

Conditioners

• Kinky-Curly Knot Today (LOVE this as a leave-in) 
• Jessicurl Too Shea! 
• Jessicurl Weekly Deep Treatment 
• Tigi Moisture Maniac Conditioner 
• Tigi Catwalk Oatmeal & Honey Conditioner 
• Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner 
• TRESemme Naturals Radiant Volume Conditioner 
• DevaCurl & DevaCare One Condition

 Styling Products 

• Kinky-Curly Curling Custard
• LA Looks Sport Hold Gel & LA Looks Power Spikes Gel 
• Biosilk Rock Hard Gelee 
• AG Hair Cosmetics Recoil Curl Activator 
• Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Aloe Fix Hair Styling Gel 
• Boots Essentials Curl Crème (Pink Boots) 
• Coconut Oil to scrunch out the crunch 
• DevaCurl Set Up & Above Pomade
•  DevaCurl Set it Free 
• Volumax Styling Glaze 
• Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper 

I know this seems like a whole lot of stuff, but I alternate what I use and it seems to help keep my curls happy.

Okay, so on to Step One; Cleansing. I alternate cowashing and low-pooing. For all you gals that aren’t familiar with the term low-pooing, it means cleansing your hair with a shampoo or cleansing conditioner that is sulfate-free. Deva No-Poo is a good example of a cleansing conditioner, and Elucence Moisture Benefits Shampoo is a great sulfate-free shampoo. There are an insane number of sulfate-free cleansers out there, so it really just comes down to personal preference. Sulfates strip the hair of natural oils that dry hair needs, so eliminating the use of sulfates can dramatically improve the overall health of dry or damaged hair.

Step Two, conditioning. I condition my hair every single day, I also use a leave-in everyday. My hair is damaged and naturally dry, so it needs all the moisture it can get. On the subject of leave-ins, stop wasting money paying for actual leave-in conditioners. They’re basically just watered down conditioner, so just leave a small amount of your regular conditioner in your hair. It works just as well, and is one less thing to buy. Kinky-Curly Knot Today and Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner are both awesome rinse-out conditioners and work fabulous as leave-ins.

Finally, on to the styling portion of this post. I spend the majority of my haircare routine on the styling aspect, and it only takes me about 20 minutes. I start with my leave-in, it’s the base for the rest of the products I use. Then I scrunch in my curl crème, whatever one I may be using that day. My favorite curl crème at the moment is AG Hair Cosmetics Recoil Curl Activator. Since I have short hair, I only use about a pea-size amount. Then I scrunch in my holding product, which if you read my blog regularly you already know is Kinky-Curly Curling Custard. This is also a product that only takes a little bit to work wonders. Then I begin diffusing on medium heat and low speed, upside-down, and I do this until my hair is 60-80% dry. I constantly move the diffuser around, because I adore volume and I don’t want perfect hair. Then I use either some more Kinky-Curly, or some gel, and scrunch a small amount all over. This helps to tighten my curl pattern, and prevent frizz or fluffy ends. At this point I begin diffusing again, but this time I turn my diffuser on high heat, and leave it on low speed. I also alternate between diffusing upside down, and right side up. I diffuse my hair to 100% dry, because otherwise I’d loose some of the volume that I covet, and frankly I don’t have the patience for air drying.

A few other staples in my hair care routine are deep treatments, protein treatments, ACV rinses, and honey. I try to do a deep treatment once a week. My hair loves moisture, and after a deep treatment, my hair looks moisturized and healthy. My favorite deep treatment is Jessicurl Weekly Deep Treatment. I don’t use heat of any kind to do it, but I do leave it in my hair for 1-3 hours, depending on how much time I have. I also do weekly protein treatments, usually before the deep treatment. Currently, I’m using Generic Value Products K-Pak. It’s alright, but it contains mineral oil, so I’m searching for a new one. I apply it to freshly washed hair, and leave it in for half an hour or so. I try to do ACV (apple cider vinegar) rinses once a week or so, but I get busy and forget. I use 2 tbsp. ACV and 2 cups of water, mix it together and pour it over freshly washed hair. I let it sit for a few minutes then rinse it out. I follow it up with a rich conditioner. ACV helps to clarify the hair, and it helps close the cuticle to prevent frizz. Periodically, I add a few drops of honey to my conditioner. It really helps punch up the moisture, and makes my hair so shiny. You can also add a few drops to your gel, for shine, curl enhancement, and moisture.