I’m one of those people who has naturally curly hair, but went for years straightening it every dang day. I’m sure there are women out there who can relate! All through high school, I straightened my hair every day and wouldn’t even think of wearing it curly. Then once I started college (many moons ago) I decided f it – I don’t have time to be straightening my hair every day and hoping it doesn’t frizz! So I started wearing it natural and haven’t gone back since… Today I wanted to share my natural curly hair routine with y’all – so if you are looking to boost your natural curls game, you can steal some tips & tricks!
My Natural Curly Hair Routine
This routine works for people who have curly hair like me or natural waves. The products I use will work well either way! Mine is kind of a mixture between tighter curls and some wavy pieces.
These have been my go-to products for years. I keep purchasing them because they are incredible products and do wonders for my natural curls. They’re also inexpensive, but they work so well that you’re getting a ton of bang for your buck.
Related: 12 of my All-Time Favorite Curly Hair Products
Let’s start off with the basic stuff: shampoo & conditioner.
Shampoo & Conditioner
The shampoo I use and love is the SheaMoisture Curl & Shine Coconut & Hibiscus Shampoo. It leaves my hair smelling phenomenal and is also all-natural. All the products in SheaMoisture’s line are all-natural and smell incredible, so you better bet I will be sharing a few more that I use on the regular.
They’re also super inexpensive. Like probably the best priced natural hair products I’ve found on the market. So needless to say I was amazed that they actually work so dang well!
The conditioner I’ve been using for years and swear by is the Biolage Exquisite Oil Creme Conditioner. My mom & I both use & love this conditioner. It’s not just for curly girls either, anyone can use this. It leaves my hair feeling so soft, frizz-free, and just overall incredible. It also never leaves my hair greasy or weighed down, which is a problem I’ve had with other conditioners.
I strayed from this conditioner for a while and was using the SheaMoisture Curl & Shine Conditioner. I liked this one as well but ended up going back to my OG Biolage conditioner. You just can’t beat it!
I only shower once every 2-3 days. I know, gross right? JK. If I work out or am outside sweating a lot, I will definitely take a body shower. But I hate washing my hair more often than every 2-3 days.
And with this routine, you can easily get gorgeous, volumized natural curls on day 2, 3, or even 4!
As soon as I get out of the shower, I use one of these 2 products…
Devacurl Wave Maker
I’ve been using Devacurl’s wave maker for the past 5+ years and still am living for it. I honestly haven’t found a product that gets my hair as curly & frizz-free, without being crunchy or weighed down. It’s perfect for volumized, natural-looking curls that will last for days.
The best part about this product is that it lasts forever. I only use it once when I get out of the shower (on soaking wet hair) and then I don’t have to reapply it for days after that. I just spray my hair with water and scrunch it in the morning (day 2 & 3) and the product reactivates my curls!
So a little of this product goes a long way. I probably only have to buy a new bottle of it twice a year. & I use quite a bit on my hair because it’s pretty long.
I use about a quarter-sized amount of this when I get out of the shower and my hair is soaked. I run it and scrunch it through my hair everywhere (a little less on the roots). Then I just wrap my hair up in a towel (I’ll talk about what type of towel I use later) and let it dry up there. I flip my head upside down and scrunch it a little every 15 minutes or so.
…or SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie
Although my love for the WaveMaker is still going strong, I decided to try out SheaMoisture’s Curl Enhancing Smoothie a few months ago too, since I’ve been loving that brand. This product is amazing as well and leaves your hair smelling SO good! I use it exactly the same way as I use the wavemaker, except I dry my hair with a microfiber towel a little bit before applying it.
Since I love both of these products, I just go back and forth between the two. Literally, I switch off after every shower. They’re both so good – I can’t commit to just one!
Microfiber Hair Towel
I don’t know if you curly girls have been using one of these bad boys or not – but they are a game-changer. I used to dry my hair with an old t-shirt (because you’re not supposed to dry curly hair with a regular towel or it will dry it out). The t-shirt method works okay… But honestly kind of takes forever to do and is not nearly as easy to wrap your hair up in to let it dry.
These microfiber hair towels are very affordable and you really only need one or two and you’ll be good for years. I have one of the purple and one of the pink ones and would 10/10 recommend them. They leave your hair feeling amazing & full of moisture/volume, without frizzing it up.
I use these towels to scrunch my hair after I get out of the shower and apply product, as well as in the morning when I’m reactivating my curls.
On a Day 2 or Day 3 morning, I will use a spray bottle (which I’ll chat about below) and one of my microfiber towels to flip my hair upside down and scrunch it back to curly.
I have to put in a little extra work on the face-framing curls and the underneath hair by my neck (I don’t know the word for it… I’m not a hairstylist ;)). But all I use is the water spray bottle, a hair towel, and about 10 minutes of my time. No extra product required.
Beautify Beauties Flairosol Spray Bottle (Continuous Water Mister)
I know what you’re thinking, why can’t I just use a regular spray bottle or the showerhead? But ladies… This spray bottle honestly changed my hair game.
It’s a continuous water mister, so it sprays a mist of water evenly throughout your curls. This helps to wet it down & reactivate the product from previous days, without soaking your hair. It makes it easier to do your hair in the morning and only takes about 10-15 minutes to air dry.
Since it’s a continuous mist, it applies much more evenly than a regular spray bottle. I used to use the showerhead and soaked my hair in the morning to reactivate my product… But that ended up weighing down my hair and leaving it soaked (but not shampooed, which is a weird feeling).
Like I talked about above, I use this in the morning (on days I’m not showering) to reactivate the WaveMaker product and freshen up my curls.
But let me tell you… One of the most important parts of my routine is what I do when I sleep. I can’t just be sleeping on my cute curls or I’ll wake up with them smashed against my head with no volume.
Instead of letting this tragedy happen… I use scrunchies. 🙂
My Nighttime Scrunchie Routine
When I go to bed, I make sure to plop my hair on top of my head in a scrunchie. I just put it in a really high ponytail, so that I don’t end up laying on any of it when I sleep. This keeps your hair volumized and looking gorg in the morning (with a little touch-up, of course!)
Some of my favorites are matte scrunchies, but you can use whatever type you like!
I wear these all the time too, not just to go to sleep! I love that scrunchies are back in style because I think they’re so much stinkin’ cuter than regular hair ties. And so much more fun!!
Dry Shampoo
We all know dry shampoo is a life saver from time to time. I don’t like using it often because I don’t feel like it’s the best for my hair, but every once in a while, a girl just needs some dry shampoo!
I’ve been using the Living Proof Perfect hair day dry shampoo and love it! If you want a cheaper option that still works really well, I also like the OGX Argan Oil dry shampoo.
On days when it’s been a while since I’ve showered and I’m starting to notice it getting a little greasy, I’ll definitely bring this bad boy out. I just pull the top section of my hair up and spray it on the roots. Then let it sit for about 30 seconds to a minute, then comb through it with my fingers.
I’ll immediately see a boost in volume and decrease in grease (wow, I’m a poet). It’s pretty incredible how fast this stuff works and I would recommend it to anyone who deals with greasy hair from time to time.
Last But Not Least… My Weekly Hair Mask!
If you guys haven’t tried this hair mask yet… You’re. missing. out!
I’ve had this one jar for YEARS now and it’s still only about halfway gone! Which is so wild, but you don’t need to use much and it leaves your hair feeling incredible.
I use this once a week in place of my conditioner. It only takes a quarter-size amount all over my hair (except the roots, I pretty much avoid those). I try to use this on days that I’m shaving in the shower because it should sit on your hair for at least 15 minutes.
I put it on first thing in the shower (after shampooing of course) and leave it soaking into my hair for the rest of the shower. Then just rinse it out like conditioner and oh my goodness… My hair smells and feels amazing!
It’s honestly so incredible that I want to use it every day, but I don’t think that’s necessary. It works its wonders with a simple once a week use. And the best part – it’s incredibly inexpensive and all-natural.
The hair mask I use is the SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Hair Masque. I told you guys I’d be sharing a lot of SheaMoisture stuff and didn’t want to disappoint. 😉 This is honestly my favorite product from them and one that I would recommend to anyone & everyone.
My Curly Hair Routine in a Nutshell
I know that was a lot and may have been overwhelming. But once you start doing this routine, it’s so simple and takes almost no time at all!
I spend about 15 minutes a day on my hair (on days I even do anything with my hair and don’t just leave it up in a scrunchie ;)).
But I wanted to break it all down in one section to make it easier:
Showers: Every 2-3 days. Using this shampoo & conditioner. Once a week, use the SheaMoisture hair masque in place of conditioner. When you get out of the shower, add in your DevaCurl WaveMaker to soaking wet hair. Use a microfiber hair towel & plop your hair on top of your head. Scrunch dry every ~15 minutes with your towel.
Day 2 or 3 Hair: In the morning, use the spray bottle to spray all over your hair. Use your microfiber towel to scrunch your curls back to life. No extra product required – the DevaCurl WaveMaker will reactivate in wet hair. On day 3 or later, if your hair is extra greasy – use some dry shampoo on your roots (brush through with your fingers!)
Sleep: Sleep with your hair in a ponytail on top of your head in a loose scrunchie! You want it looped enough times so it stays on top of your head, but isn’t pulling tight. This adds volume and keeps your hair from getting smashed down overnight.
Conclusion
A lot of my hair routine was inspired by India Batson’s Youtube channel so I have to give credit where credit is due! This girl has GORGEOUS curls and a fantastic routine, so I would definitely check her out if you’re looking for more hair inspo!
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Comment below with:
- Do you have curly or wavy hair?
- Did you ever go through a phase of straightening your hair daily?
- What’s one essential hair/beauty product you can’t live without?
Too many don’t know that fast growth shampoos (of course without any sulfates, parabens or DEA) are even a thing. Persons now may attain longer hair and achieve more possibilities. For sure worth looking into it.
Whether you’re exploring hair loss, hair damage, preventing hair disorders, hair growth, hair and scalp care generally, very similar ideas come to mind.
For the most part, you have to avoid hair treatments and products that include chemicals like parabens, DEA or sulfates.
What’s beneficial for your hair is beneficial for your skin all the same.
It goes without saying the content above hits the nail in the head for multiple reasons. It stays away from the usual traps and pitfalls too many fall into- purchasing bad alternatives. Keep up the great content!
Oooo thanks for sharing that info, super helpful! & Thanks for reading. Glad you enjoyed the post. 😀
Most people don’t know that shampoos that grow your hair fast (of course with no sulfates, no parabens or DEA) are a thing. We can now enjoy longer hair and have more options. For sure worth checking out.
When you’re going over hair loss, hair damage, preventing skin disorders, hair growth, hair and scalp health more often than not, very similar principles actualize.
In general, you should try to steer clear of hair products and treatments that contain chemicals such as parabens, DEA or sulfates.
What’s good for your hair is healthy for your skin all the same.
Obviously the content above is so accurate for multiple reasons. It avoids the common errors and pitfalls most fall into: buying horrible alternatives. Thank you!
LOVE your amazing hair and the routine you shared. My hair is poker straight and I typically do nothing with it. I’m getting better at putting in time and effort – it really makes a huge difference.
Also living proof is one of my top dry shampoos too!
Thank you!!! I was always so jealous (still am) of women w/ straight hair who can just roll out of bed & it looks flawless. It’s truly a gift!! Lol