Stay-At-Home Salon: Hair Care Like a Pro | Part 2. Curly & Coily
As the days wear on and time feels increasingly meaningless, it’s tempting to let some things slide. It usually starts with the little things – mostly those that we typically leave to the salon experts: a haircut, hair color touch-up, or your monthly eyebrow threading. But before you know it, that little slip has turned into a full-blown self-care regimen landslide.
During times like these, we need routine and self-care more than ever, especially as psychologists have repeatedly shown the positive impact of self-care practices to self-esteem and overall mental and physical well-being.[1]
True to our word, we’re here to help you upgrade your self-care regimen with Part 2 of Stay-At-Home Salon series. This week, we’re tackling Type 3 and Type 4 hair types, so read on if you’re sporting luscious curls or rich coils.
TYPE 3: CAPATIVATING CURLS
Gloriously full at the best of times, and infamously frizzy at the worst – curly-haired types unite in the pain of living in hair limbo! For times like these where a walk-in appointment at your nearby hair salon just simply isn’t an option, it’s time to buckle down and trust your skills to manage that mane.
You’ve been at the frontline. You’ve seen the worst. You’re a bonafide warrior in the battlefield of bad hair days, and we’ve got you covered. Read on for field-tested tips and techniques to combat dryness, frizz, and tangles and conquer those tempestuous curls once and for all!
DRY
Save those strands with a sulfate-free shampoo that will lock in moisture while properly getting rid of dirt and build-up. Ouidad’s Ultra-Nourishing Cleansing Oil Shampoo receives rave reviews for its luxurious sulfate-free oil-based formula that gently cleanses the scalp while restoring essential nourishment and moisture, setting the stage for perfectly supple and healthy curls.
To maximize moisture, shampoo your scalp instead of your whole head of hair and make sure to use a co-wash in between your shampoo days. Critics swear by SLES-free Curl Idéal Cleansing Conditioner by Kérastase, the perfect sidekick to your low poo routine. On days when you’re not using your sulfate-free shampoo, reach for this cleansing conditioner and massage liberally to your scalp and through curls. Leave in for 3 to 5 minutes, rinse, and repeat. The key is in the double application – get that lather in to ensure thoroughly cleansed and immaculately conditioned locks.
FRIZZY
Even on days when you’re deep into your co-wash, and you’ve skipped the hairdryer to air dry in wide-eyed optimism, those capricious curls can quickly turn against you. Get your fickle frizz in control by making some major moisturizing moves.
Get into a deeply nourishing hair mask before the frizz strikes. Celebrity stylist go-to Masque Fondamental Riche Hair Mask by Kérastase is a double-hitter, delivering smoothness and frizz control from its enviable ingredient list of top-quality natural oils.
Amazonian Brazil nut oil, we see you. If you’re looking for a lighter option, reach for In Common’s Velvet Cloud Universal Mask, an incredibly lightweight moisture-balancing and nourishing formula.
If you’ve already hopped out of the shower and it’s too late to mask it up, frizz not: you can always opt for another widely beloved Kérastase product, the Oléo-Curl Hair Cream. Pro-Kératine Complex and Hydrolyzed Elastin work double duty to nourish hair and keep the frizz at bay in this leave-in cream to end all leave-in creams.
TANGLES
Wrest free from those tangled tresses with a well-established routine – yes, even in quarantine. Remember the cardinal rule: comb before, during, but rarely after a shower. Top-rated salon-quality curls are all about prepping. Pre-shower prep with a good hair oil like stylist favorite Moroccan Oil Treatment Original. Apply liberally through tangled curly hair and start combing through and smoothing your locks at least 1 to 2 hours before showering.
On shampoo days, make sure you comb through your hair with a moisture-rich smoothing conditioner. We absolutely live for Ouidad’s Curl Quencher® Moisturizing Conditioner, packed with intensely hydrating botanicals and vitamins that infuse moisture in every curl, making detangling a breeze. Kérastase’s Masque Magistral Hair Mask is your best friend during co-wash days – super luxe and loaded with nutrients, it’s a dynamite in-shower detangler!
Finally: who cares if you’re just staying in? Top it all off with In Common’s Magic Myst Universal Elixir to seal that moisture in while it repairs damaged hair and detangles at the same time!
TYPE 4: COILY CUTIE
Big, bold, and beautiful coils are your signature look, at least when the elements are on your side! Behind the scenes, your bathroom cabinet and counter space bear witness to the sheer range of hair products that had let you down when your unpredictable mane needed them the most.
DRY
Sometimes, there’s just no fighting Mother Nature. Dryness is at the core of many a coily hair struggle. The unique structure of curly hair prevents natural oils from efficiently traveling from the scalp through the length of your hair, and with type 4 hair having the tightest curl pattern, fighting off dryness is a constant challenge. You know better than anyone that there’s no one-stop-shop solution, but master these two M’s, and you’re well on your way to conquering any bad hair day!
Moisturize! Develop a low-poo / no-poo routine and a start with a solid co-wash. Rave reviews have us reaching for Kérastase’s Curl Idéal Cleansing Conditioner not just for its sulfate-free formula but also for its intensely hydrating and nourishing ingredients. Morpho-Kératine™ and Hydrolyzed Elastin work together to restore uniformity and repair hair damage, delivering definition, shine, and smoothness to dry and dull curls. A close second? Ouidad’s Curl Immersion™ Low-Lather Coconut Cleansing Conditioner is rich, sulfate-free, and incredibly gentle – perfect for delicate kinky coils.
Kérastase’s highly rated Maskeratine Hair Mask is an easy go-to with its Morpho-Kératine™ complex, smoothing agents and lipids that effectively coat every hair fiber to deliver a smoother texture and greater manageability with each use. Apply to damp, wrung-out hair after shampooing or co-washing, and leave in for 5 minutes before rinsing thoroughly. For low porosity coils, seal in moisture post-wash with a light oil like grapeseed or jojoba.
BREAKAGE
Because natural hair typically has the tightest curl pattern, coily hair is prone to excessive dryness, making it one of the most fragile hair types. Break up with brittle hair for real by incorporating these few simple habits into your hair care routine.
Work in a deep conditioning treatment into your moisture-rich routine at least once a week. We’re big fans of In Common’s Mended Sea Strengthening Enhancer, an in-shower treatment designed for damaged hair and weakened strands. Restore your fragile coils with this reparative treatment by applying post-cleanse from roots to ends. Without rinsing, immediately layer with Velvet Cloud Universal Mask and leave on for 3 minutes before washing off.
If you haven’t already ditched your old towel-drying ways, go ahead leave the cotton towel behind because it can snag, pull, and break your delicate strands. Microfiber towels prevent frizz, promote moisture retention, and cut your drying time in half, all without breaking your fragile coils and the bank! Don’t believe us? DuraComfort Essentials’ Super Absorbent Anti-Frizz Microfiber Hair Towel has over 2000 5-star reviews and retails for only $11! Seriously.
Finally, make sure to keep that moisture in and seal your ends properly. Find a hair oil that works for your hair porosity. Low porosity coils would do well with lightweight oils like almond or argan oil, while the LOC method’s perfect for medium porosity hair. Apply Kérastase’s Crème Magistrale Hair Balm to washed and towel-dried hair and seal ends with Oléo-Relax Advanced Hair Oil. Finish off with a styling cream of your choice – our money’s on Ouidad’s Curl Immersion™ Silky Soufflé Setting Crème, its emollient-rich formula ensures soft, elongated curls with dynamite hold.
Got high-porosity curls that consistently lose moisture? Don’t be afraid to go heavy. Layer on a thick, high-quality moisturizer over your leave-in conditioner and seal with a good setting cream, then go ahead and show off those flirtatious coils in your next Zoom meeting!
TAKE TIME
The reality is that we’re slowly easing into a new normal, and now, more than ever, is the time to focus on getting to know ourselves and doing little acts of self-care.
Our last (and most important) tip: give yourself some time – you’ve got a lot of it right now. Take time to de-stress, decompress, and maybe even hairdress. Keep that chin up, and that self-esteem high with your own stay-at-home salon routine or whatever good thing keeps you going in these uncertain times.
Remember: we’re all together in this mayhem of coping, learning, adjusting, rinsing, and repeating.
Stay kind and golden!
