How I Refresh My Hair After Work

Like most teenagers, I work in fast food and am required to wear my hair up in a hat. Most people with straight hair don't have to worry about how their hair is going to look after hours of wearing it up. I can go into work with flawless hair. My curls are perfectly defined and full of volume. But when I get home and take my hair down I see a mess of limp, undefined, flat curls. It's a little disheartening to see after I've put so much work into getting it to look its best. However, I've figured out a way to bring my hair back to life after work. This routine requires multiple hair products, a spray bottle, and a TON of water.

Before Work

This routine all depends on how I treat my hair before I go to work. Where I work I'm required to wear a hat. However, I have a choice between a hat and a visor. I specifically requested a visor because it does not cover the top of my hair. It doesn't flatten my roots and give me hat hair like most traditional hats would.

https://www.amazon.com/TOP-HEADWEAR-Summer-Black-Adjustable/dp/B000FW3W0I

Next, as I'm required to wear hair up, I try to do the loosest ponytail possible. I use a scrunchie, which does not cause breakage like a regular, thin hair tie would, and only loop my hair through it once. I can't entirely prevent the damage the hair tie does to my curl pattern, but by using this method my hair looks significantly better than it would if I didn't do this. 

At Work 

While I'm at work there's not much that I can do. My environment is very busy and I have little to no time to think about my hair. Most of the work in this routine takes place after work. 

After Work 

When I get off of work, the first thing I always do is take my visor off and put my hair down. When I get home, I put my hair up in a bonnet and go to sleep. However, when I wake up the next morning, I actually refresh my hair. 

The tools I use in this routine are as followed:

Spray Bottle 

https://www.dollartree.com/colorful-plastic-spray-bottles-10oz/177821

I use this to saturate my hair completely before I apply product. The more water the better. You may be wondering why I don't just stick my head under the shower head and wet my hair that way. It would be quicker and easier, right? Wrong. If I did that my hair would be completely crushed and my curl pattern would go limp. Spraying the water from the spray bottle gets my hair wet without crushing it.

Hair Products

https://moptophair.com/products/curly-hair-custard

I use the Mop Top Curly Hair Custard. I run this through my hair and scrunch for maximum definition. I make sure to not use too much of this, as it can make my hair crunchy. It gives me hold and added moisture throughout the day. 

Conclusion

By using this method, I am able to make my curls last a lot longer. If I didn't refresh my hair after work, I'd have to wash my hair every two days. Using this method, I am able to wait 4 days until I have to wash my hair again. Let me know in the comments what you do to your hair after work, or if you have a similar routine. Also, if you have some tips you'd like to share, do not hesitate to let me know. I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful.

Men's Curly Hair Routine

I know that I've already shared my curly hair routine, but in this post I want to show a man's curly hair routine. Men tend to keep their hair shorter than women's, thus they use different products and different techniques. I'm going to show you the hair routine of a two men with type 3A/B hair.

Hair Routine #1

This is the hair routine of a young man that goes by the name of "Doesn't Cap Chris." His video is very informative and detailed. His hair type is the most similar to the next man's hair routine, though it is a little longer and just a little curlier. 

Hair Routine #2

The next hair routine is an original video shot by someone I know personally. I put all the clips together and made this video. His hair routine is very simple and easy to follow. He does this hair routine every other day.

3 New Hair Product and Tool Releases

There are a lot of curly hair products on the market already. However, in this post I am going to show you some new exciting curly hair products/tools that are newly released or are shortly to be released. I will provide links to articles featuring these products if you want to learn more.

1.  Crown Affair 

This brand's main focus is on high quality hair tools. They have released a brush, two wide toothed combs, and a microfiber towel. They have also released a hair oil made from tsubaki seeds and meadowfoam seed oils that hydrate the hair and protect it against heat styling. Although this brand sells high quality supplies, they do not break the bank. Prices are very affordable.
https://www.allure.com/gallery/new-hair-care-tools-january-2020

2. Kristen Ess

First of all, I want to express how much I'm looking forward to trying out these products. This full curly hair collection is all curly girl approved.  After reading Lorraine Massey's curly girl philosophy and seeking feedback from consumers, Ess decided to launch the line. She has released a 7 piece collection that includes shampoo, conditioner, a co-wash,  hair repair mask, curling cream, leave in conditioner, and a curling jelly. They are available at Target. The products are super affordable, all costing under $15. She wants to expand the line and make it available for all curl types. Here is a link to a website with more information on Kristen Ess and her line. https://www.allure.com/story/kristin-ess-curly-hair-line-products-tools

Here is a link to Target's website if you wish to purchase any of these products. https://www.target.com/p/kristin-ess-curl-hair-care-collection/-/A-79504320?clkid=1f8acf8fN420211ea95f842010a246f1e&lnm=81938&afid=Skimbit%20Ltd.&ref=tgt_adv_xasd0002

3.  Maui Moisture Combing Cream Collection

I love Maui Moisture as a brand, and the concept of this product intrigues me. This product is designed to use when you need to comb out your curls to style your hair or when you need extra moisture because of harsh weather conditions. This brand is vegan and curly girl approved, which I 100% stand by. This will be available at any drugstore or on Amazon. Use this for slicked back ponytails, braids, or topknots. 

://www.allure.com/gallery/new-hair-care-tools-january-2020

My Hair Routine

In this post, I'm going to show you how I wash and style my hair. I'm going to be showing you this through pictures. These are products that work for me and my hair type. I hope you find this helpful if you need product recommendations.

Step One: Shampooing

I know a lot of people suggest massaging your scalp with oil before you shampoo your hair, but I don't find this necessary. I skip this step and go straight to shampooing. I use the Maui Moisture Curl Quench + Coconut Oil shampoo. It's not my absolute favorite shampoo, but it gets the job done. It also smells really good. This is available at Walmart, Target, or Walmart for $6.

Whenever my hair is feeling weighed down and my roots are flatter than usual, I use the Cantu Cleansing Cream Shampoo. I usually use this once a month. This is available at most stores for $5.

Step Two: Conditioning 

After I rinse the shampoo out. I then use conditioner in my hair. Sometimes, if my hair is losing its shape and feeling limp, I'll give it a protein treatment. I typically tend to use a protein treatment every two weeks. My favorite is the Shea Moisture Manuka Honey and Yogurt Hydrate and Repair Protein Power Treatment. This is available at Ulta or Sally's for $13.

Whenever my hair NEEDS moisture, I"ll use the Shea Moisture Intensive Hydration Hair Mask. I don't use this often because my hair is very sensitive to moisture and tends to go limp when I put too much moisture in it. This is available at Walmart, Target, Ulta, or Sally's for $11.

However, most of the time I us regular conditioner. Right now I'm using the Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Shine Conditioner. I don't love this conditioner, but it works. I'm currently looking for a better conditioner. This is available at Walmart, Target, or Sally's for $10.

The only time I can detangle is when I have conditioner in my wet hair. This is the brush I use to detangle. I got it at the beauty supply store for $2.

To get the conditioner out of my hair, I don't stick my hair under the running water. I cup water into my hands and scrunch my hair until the conditioner is about 90% gone. This takes a while, but it's worth it because it doesn't crush my hair like running water would. 

Step 3: Styling 

When I get out of the shower, I first use leave in conditioner. The one I use right now is Eco Natural Cannabis Sativa Oil Natural Moisturizer Leave In Conditioner. I think this product is just okay. There are definitely better leave ins on the market. I evenly distribute this through my hair and scrunch. I got this at a beauty supply store for $15.

Next, I use a curl defining cream. The one I use is the Not Your Mothers Curl Talk Defining Cream. This is a very affordable product that I thoroughly enjoy. This is available at Walmart or Ulta for about $7.

Lastly, I use a custard for definition and hold. The one I use is the Mop Top Curly Hair Custard. I absolutely love this product. It's available at some Targets, but not all. I get mine off of Amazon for $15.

Step 4: Drying 

After I scrunch all the products in my hair, I use a microfiber towel to scrunch my hair a little more and to get excess product and moisture out of my hair. I use a microfiber towel instead of a regular terrycloth towel because traditional towels cause frizz. The towel I use is by DevaCurl. It is available at Ulta, or on DevaCurl's website for $20.

After I use this towel, I put my hair into a tee shirt and tie the sleeves together and leave my hair inside for about half an hour. This technique is called plopping and helps define your hair a little more. 

Step 5: Refreshing 

I typically wash my hair twice a week. On Sundays, I use shampoo. On Wednesdays, I wash my hair with conditioner only. I do this to refresh my hair completely because my hair tends to lose shape after a few days. On days that I'm not washing my hair, I use a spray bottle and wet my hair.

I apply the curl defining cream and the custard to my hair and scrunch. I then let my hair air dry as I go about my day.

Results

This is what my hair looks like after it's about 90% dry. 

So that was my curly/wavy hair routine. I hope you found this information useful and can take something away from this. Please let me know in the comments if you learned anything from this post or are going to try any products from my routine out.

5 Things You Should NEVER Do to Curly Hair

While there's many good things you might be doing for your hair, you might also be doing it some harm. In this post I will tell you 5 things you should NEVER do to your curly/wavy hair.

1. NEVER brush your hair when it's dry

This is probably the worst thing you can do for your hair. If you brush your hair when it's dry, all you're doing is creating frizz and causing breakage. When you brush curly hair dry, you disrupt your curl pattern. When you detangle your hair, make sure you do it in the shower with conditioner in your hair. You might say "Well I only wash my hair once a week!" 

It won't hurt you to not brush your hair every day. Curly hair is actually less prone to tangles than straight hair. Your hair will not be matted if you detangle it once a week. 

2.  NEVER sleep directly on your hair or on wet hair

When you sleep, you tend to toss and turn throughout the night. When you sleep directly on your hair you can crush your curls. This leads to them being frizzy and straightening out as you sleep. If you notice that your hair is frizzy or less curly when you wake up, try a protective style as you sleep. I recommend putting your hair up in a loose bun on top of your head. This is called a pineapple. Also, if you try out the pineapple, make sure you're sleeping on a satin pillowcase to keep your hair moisturized and to prevent breakage.

If you're like me and have fairly short hair, you might find that your hair is too short to put up in a pineapple. Instead of a pineapple, I sleep with hair on a satin bonnet. 

This is an example of a bonnet. People like to poke fun at me when I wear this, but it works great for me. When I wake up in the morning my hair is still moisturized, and my curl pattern is intact. 

If you choose not to put your hair up when you sleep, then please at least use a satin pillowcase. Your hair will thank you. It will be less frizzy and require less work to style it in the morning. 

3. Do NOT Constantly Keep Your Curls Up In a Tight Hairstyle

By keeping your hair up 24/7, you're applying a lot of stress to your hair. This is even worse if you keep it in a tight ponytail or bun. If your hair has no time to be free and loose, then you can develop traction alopecia. Traction alopecia is a condition where the hair starts to thin from constant stress and tightness. The most common cause of this is wearing tight buns and ponytails. I actually have made this mistake, and have developed traction alopecia in the front of my hair. I can cover it pretty well, but it is noticeable. Now, if I wear hair clips in the front of my hair, or keep it up too long, my entire scalp gets sore and irritated.  If you must keep your hair up for work, then I suggest keeping your hair as in loose of a hairstyle as possible.

4. Do NOT Choose a Random Stylist

I have ONE person I trust to cut my hair. She always does a phenomenal job. I will go to this stylist as long as I possibly can. Before I met her, I went to my fair share of different stylists. About 2 years ago, I decided to get my layers trimmed. I went to the closest salon and picked the first available stylist. When she started, she said that she had to wet my hair. This should have been a huge red flag for me, because you're never supposed to cut curly hair wet. If you do, you will most likely cut the hair too short. Curly hair tends to be longer when wet and shrinks up as it dries. Then, she grabbed a huge chunk of hair and started blindly cutting it. If you know anything about cutting curly/wavy hair, you would know that you're supposed to cut each individual curl. No curl is created equal. If you cut a huge chunk at once, your hair will be uneven. I could have cut my hair better if I was blindfolded. After she was done, I went home and styled my hair. When it dried, I noticed that the back of my hair looked wonky. The layers were insanely uneven. I looked like a mushroom. I will include a picture of what my hair kind of looked like. Imagine this, but on wavy/curly hair.

It took me months to grow it out. Finally, I went to my current stylist and had her fix it. I will never make the mistake of visiting a random stylist ever again.

5. NEVER Compare Your Hair To Others

It's easy to look at pictures of other people and admire their hair. You might start to feel insecure and wonder why your hair doesn't look like theirs. But your hair is beautiful. It is uniquely yours. Embrace your hair, even if it isn't as curly as someone else's. I know something I struggled with was accepting my curl pattern. I have more than one. Some parts are curly, some are wavy, and some are almost straight. It's hard to style sometimes and makes me want to give up, but it's my hair. It's how it naturally grows. I can't force my hair to be any different, so I decided to embrace it. Your hair is yours for a reason. It doesn't belong to anyone else. Why should it look like anyone else's?

Here's a Video That Could Provide More Information

This video is from one of my favorite curly hair YouTubers that you could watch and learn a little more. She shows you how to NOT take care of your curly hair. I hope you find it useful. 

Sources: https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curls/10-things-to-never-do-to-curly-hair

https://www.bustle.com/articles/95524-6-things-you-should-never-do-to-curly-hair-because-your-locks-deserve-to-be-treated

http://hairstylistthemes.com/in-search-of-the-3-layer-haircut/

https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curly-hair-care-methods/9-ways-to-sleep-with-curls

Why You Should Follow the Curly Girl Method (To an Extent)

If you have curly hair, you might know about the curly girl method. In case you don't, according to Naturally Curly, the curly girl method where you avoid shampoos, silicons, sulfates, heat, combs, fragrances, and alcohols. I agree with these to an extent. I do have to draw the line at some of these, though. I will break down my opinions on each of these points and you are free to take what you want from it. These are just from my personal experience and if following all of these methods work for you, continue to do so.

Sulfates:

Sulfates are harsh detergents that are in in most shampoos. The most common sulfate being Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). They are the foaming agents in your shampoo. When you shampoo suds up, it's because of SLS. This detergent is also found in dish soaps, toothpaste, and laundry detergent. Now think about your scalp. Some people have oily scalps and some people have dry scalps. People with textured hair are prone to dry scalps. Sulfates are EXTREMELY drying because they strip the scalp of its natural oils. If you already have a dry scalp, you can guarantee that sulfates will dry it out even more. You might even find that if you stop using sulfates, your scalp will be more moisturized. 

Silicons:

Silicons are commonly found in conditioners, hair treatments, and styling creams. You may even find them in your hair gel. Silicons essentially suffocate the hair. They create a layer over your strands that makes it impossible for moisture to come in or come out. The only way to remove them is to use sulfates. If you use a conditioner with silicons as a main ingredient, you may notice that your hair is soft and easy to detangle in the shower. However, once your hair dries, you'll be left with frizz. This is because of the layer that silcons create. When no moisture can get in or out, it causes your hair to become dry. This leads to frizz. If your hair is damaged, discontinue the use of silicons. You will see a HUGE improvement in your curl pattern and the overall health of your hair.

Shampoo: 

I used to be a huge believer in this. I thought that no shampoo would make my scalp healthier and less dry. I would only co-wash my hair. If you don't know what co-washing is, it's when you wash your hair and scalp with only conditioner. When I first started doing this, I loved the results. My scalp felt much more moisturized. My hair looked a lot shinier and healthier. However, shortly after, my scalp started itching to the point that I couldn't take it anymore. I looked in the mirror and noticed huge flakes in my hair. It was the buildup of conditioner and products on my scalp. I realized that not using shampoo was not for me. Now, I use a shampoo with no sulfates that has a mild lather. My scalp feels a lot healthier and no longer itches.

Heat: 

This one's a given. If you're on my blog, chances are you want to stop using heat on your hair. I  haven't used heat on my hair for two years and don't plan on it ever again. If you want to use heat on your hair, make sure you don't do it too often. Maybe once a month. If you're using heat, make sure you're deep conditioning and using treatments to keep your hair healthy. Some people like to use a diffuser on their hair to dry it quicker. They also like the added curl definition it gives them. I personally like to let my hair air dry, but if you do use a diffuser, use it on the cool setting to avoid heat damage.

Combs:

I can't even try to find a positive stance on not using combs or brushes. It's common knowledge not to use a brush or comb on dry hair. That will only cause frizz. But when I'm in the shower detangling my hair, I'm gonna use a wide toothed comb. My hair has too many knots and tangles for me to just use my fingers. Sorry, but fingers will never be enough to detangle my hair. Some claim that using a comb or a brush causes breakage. Although that's not true, I'd rather have breakage than tangled hair 24/7. 

Fragrances and Alcohols:

I use fragrances in my hair products. I like my hair to smell good. The problem that most people have with fragrances are that they're toxic for your body. I'm here for a good time, not for a long time. I will continue to use fragrances in my hair products because I like the way they make my hair smell. 

Alcohols are found in almost every hair product. They're not all bad for your hair, though. The most common alcohol found in hairspray, shampoos, styling products, etc. is isopropyl alcohol. Does that name sound familiar? It should, because isopropyl alcohol makes up 70% of rubbing alcohol. Meaning this alcohol is extremely drying and can do a lot of damage to your hair. Certain fatty alcohols such as cetearyl alcohols are good for the hair because they are excellent moisturizers and can prevent dryness and frizz. 

Curly Girl: The Handbook is a great book that explains the curly girl method in more detail. The book is written by the creator of the curly girl method, Lorraine Massey. I highly recommend giving it a read if you're interested in the curly girl method. 

https://www.amazon.com/Curly-Girl-Handbook-Michele-Bender/dp/076115678X

Here is a link if you would like to check it out.

Sources: https://www.swirlycurlyhair.com/blogs/blog-home-page/blog-10-ingredients-to-avoid-in-your-natural-hair-products

https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/no-poo/the-curly-girl-method-for-coily-hair

Welcome To My Blog!

Welcome to Curly Wavy Care! This blog is intended to teach people with curly or wavy hair how to take care of it and how to love their natural texture. Up until I was 16, I never liked my natural hair. I straightened it every day to try and "tame" it.  I realized that I didn't like the look of straight hair on me. I would look at my hair after I got out of the shower and admire the waves. I wished my hair could look like that forever. I looked at pictures of girls with curly and wavy hair and was jealous of how beautiful it was. It wasn't until one eventful week, where I was feeling lazy, that I stopped putting heat on my hair. I didn't have time to straighten my hair, so I decided to go to school with my natural hair pulled back. After that, I stopped caring about how my hair looked. I thought that if I just put it up, then I could get away with not straightening it. After awhile, I noticed that my hair was damaged and began the necessary steps to heal it. I cut my hair and did something revolutionary. I stopped treating my hair like it was straight. I started watching videos online and reading blogs dedicated to curly and wavy hair. I learned so much about my hair and how to take care of it. I was starting to actually love my hair. My whole perspective changed when I met my brother's girlfriend. When I first met her, I immediately noticed her beautiful curls. However, she told me that she HATED her curly hair and always straightened it. She said that her hair was ugly if she didn't put heat on it and it was impossible to take care of. When she said that, I immediately realized that a lot of people who hate their textured hair hate it because they think it's impossible to take care of. They don't like their hair because they don't know how to take care of it. My goal with this blog is to teach people how to take care of their hair so they can start to love it. I will be sharing advice on how to repair damaged hair, product recommendations, and much more. I hope through reading my blog you start to appreciate your beautiful hair, just the way it is.