From Someone Who Would Know: Caring for Curly Hair

A nourishing conditioner is the foundation of bouncy, frizz-free hair. I love Pattern (it’s in Katie’s shop for a reason) because their conditioners are packed with ultra-nourishing ingredients like avocado oil and shea butter. I also love Pattern’s commitment to addressing diverse curl types: If you’ve got a looser curl pattern than mine, they carry a lightweight conditioner and a nice, middle-of-the-road medium option. If you have very coily hair, they also have a heavier formula available. 

If you think that specialty hair products have to be expensive, SheaMoisture is here to prove you wrong. Guaranteed to be stocked at any major drugstore, this brand is loved by any curly girl on a budget. I use this deep conditioning hair mask every time I wash my hair (about once a week) before I apply regular conditioner. It adds enough moisture to keep my hair frizz-free for the first two-ish days after washing.

After I get out of the shower, I typically swipe some oil through my hair, focusing on my ends. This Moroccanoil is my all-time favorite treatment because it’s thick yet lightweight and smooth (not sticky). I rub a nickel-sized pool of oil between my palm and rake that through wet hair. I also use a few dabs of this oil on dry hair whenever I notice a halo of frizz puffing up. 

Yet another pick from Katie’s Shop (hey, we’ve got good taste)! This leave-in milk is everything a spray should be: Softening and hydrating, yet lightweight enough that your hair isn’t weighed down. This spray noticeably promotes shine, too — something notoriously hard to achieve with curly hair. I usually mist this into my hair after applying an oil treatment.

When you have to rake so many heavy conditioning products into your hair, achieving any sort of volume can be a challenge. To gain back a little pizzazz, I apply this DevaCurl mousse at the end of my post-wash routine (right before a dose of gel). I flip my hair upside down and specifically apply this foam to my roots. It adds some body and never leaves my hair stiff or crunchy.

Speaking of crunchy hair, I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to fear gel. If you had a bad experience 20 years ago, you’d be surprised that gels have officially emerged from the dark ages. I suppose we have science to thank — these days, gels will define your hair without stiffening your locks into a helmet. This Pattern pick perfectly defines my curls. The formula includes aloe vera, coconut oil, and cacay oil so this gel adds moisture, too. I rake a small dollop through my hair to finish off my hair routine.

If you have frizz-prone hair, you know that any friction is dangerous. I like to dry off my hair with a soft microfiber hair towel instead of messing up my smooth curls with rough terry cloth. It may seem a little over the top, but these little details add up. 

While you should never dry brush curly hair, wet brushing can encourage your curls to clump together. The Denman brush has gained a cult following because it has a pin pattern specifically spaced to encourage curl definition. After I apply products to my wet hair, I like to run my Denman brush through my hair, coiling my strands around the brush as I go. My curls come out chunkier, which boosts body and shine.

I don’t usually blow dry, but I keep this diffuser around for special occasions. Because of its unique shape (it’s supposed to look like a hand) you’ll slide the diffuser under your hair to dry the roots, then work outwards. Drying from the inside out ensures that your ends will grow frizzy by the time your roots dry.

I shampoo very, very rarely (about once a month). That said, I still choose my shampoo carefully since I want it to count. For years, I’ve been relying on this hydrating Briogeo pick. It’s a creamy formula that manages to nourish hair while also cleaning and detangling. It gets rid of dirt and buildup, but never strips my hair of its natural oils.  

A satin pillowcase may seem excessive, but trust me on this one. We rest our heads on a pillow for about eight hours a day, so rubbing your precious hair against scratchy, rough fabric can encourage breakage, tangling, and frizz. Nabbing at least one satin pillowcase is an easy way to smooth things out so that you won’t ruin all of your hard work overnight.