Finding an easy wash-day routine for curly hair can often feel challenging. The information overload on the internet can be daunting and leave you feeling unsure where to start. A great washday routine can make all the difference to the look and health of your curls though and does not need to be complicated – we promise! From pre-poo to styling, our guide covers everything you need for your curly hair routine.
Table of Contents:
- Benefits of a good wash-day routine
- The Curly Hair Routine: Step by Step
- The Curlsmith Method
- Protecting Your Curls At Night
- Hints and tips for washing different curl issues
- Wash day mistakes to avoid
- Final Thought
Benefits of a good wash-day routine
A good wash day routine is a commitment to your hair to nourish and protect it throughout the week. Finding products that work best for your hair, and consistency in how you use those products, can help to:
- Manage existing and help to prevent future damage
- Minimise split ends and breakage
- Add longevity and hold to your wash
- Define your curls and minimise frizz
- Strengthen the hair strands
- Reduce dryness and tangles
- Add shine
Curly hair can pose a whole host of challenges in ensuring it looks its best from dryness and frizz, to weakness and lack of hold, to lack of definition and shine. The list of curly woes can seem endless but establishing a good routine can put all of these things to bed. Curly hair products are designed to tackle many curly hair challenges and understanding how to set up your washday to cater to your particular curly needs can transform your hair.
How do you find this routine though? Let us help! Read on for Curlsmith’s handy step-by-step guide to washing, conditioning, and styling your curls.
The Curly Hair Routine: Step by Step
The following curly hair routine builds on the Curlsmith Method, designed to make wash day simple and effective by breaking it down into key steps. Start with your wash day foundation: shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in conditioner. Then, customise your routine with a styler or combination of stylers to achieve your desired results. For days when your hair needs extra care, we've included an additional treatment step below to give your curls some added TLC, as well as some additional tips.
1. Pre-Poo
Pre-poo refers to the application of a treatment to the hair before shampooing. A pre-poo such as the Bond Curl Rehab Salve is an intense strengthening treatment loaded with amino acids, that help repair, hydrate and protect your hair against damage. It targets all three hair bonds within the hair structure helping to repair and strengthen your curls.
How to use:
- Wet the hair but do not shampoo or condition.
- Apply your pre-poo from root to tip, coating the hair evenly.
- Let the product sit for 15-30 mins depending on porosity.
- Rinse. Then follow with your shampoo
2. Shampoo & Cleanse
Shampoo is a particularly important part of any curlies routine and is vital to maintain a well-balanced, healthy scalp and hair that is free from build-up & dirt. Built-up hair can become weighed down and lose its curl, whilst clogged follicles can lead to slowed hair growth and increased hair shedding. All Curlsmith shampoo is made without sulfate to avoid overly stripping the hair of its natural oils, causing dryness and breakage.
How to use:
- Thoroughly wet your hair.
- Dispense your shampoo into your hands and work into a generous lather between your palms.
- Work the lather into your scalp, massaging vigorously to break down dirt and build-up.
- Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear, and repeat.
3. Condition
Using a conditioner after shampoo helps to rebalance your hair’s pH, reducing dryness and breakage. Conditioners also add softness to the hair, smoothing the cuticle and giving that post-wash feel we all crave. For those who have particularly dry hair, try a deep conditioner recommended for weekly use over rinse out conditioner for added moisture, softness and shine.
How to use:
- Work your conditioner through wet hair, starting at your ends and moving upwards towards the roots.
- Gently detangle using your fingers, or a brush.
- Leave a rinse out conditioner for 1-2 minutes and a deep conditioner for up to 30 minutes to allow the product to work its magic.
- Rinse thoroughly.
4. Leave-in conditioner
A leave-in conditioner is key to maintaining hydration beyond wash day and creating the perfect foundation for your styling products. At Curlsmith, we offer a variety of leave-in conditioners to target different goals, from boosting moisture and enhancing volume to strengthening hair and reducing frizz, you can find the perfect match for your routine
How to use
- Take a small amount of cream. Start with a dimed size and add up if needed
- Work your leave in conditioner through your wet hair in sections using the raking method.
- Use the praying hands method to smooth the strands.
- Follow with your favourite styler.
5. Style
Styling can be broken down into three simple steps; define, volumise and hold.
Define: Remember, what your hair looks like wet, is how it will dry (albeit with shrinkage!) As such, defining your hair effectively when wet is very important.
How to define:
- Rake your styler through soaking wet hair, making sure to lift the hair up and away from your scalp so that it does not become stuck.
- Now define! You can choose from several definition methods, including:
- Scrunching your hair.
- Brush styling your hair, “ribboning” sections of your hair over the edge of the brush.
- Finger coiling your hair, taking sections of your hair, and twirling each section around your finger.
- Once you are happy with the look of your wet curls, use a microfiber towel to scrunch out excess water.
6. Volumise
For those who need a little extra volume, using a foam such as our Bouncy Strength Volume Foam is a great way to help add some oomph, without weighing down your curls.
How to add volume:
- Pump a little foam onto your fingers and massage between your fingertips.
- Use your fingertips to gently rake the foam into any areas that need extra volume – this is particularly great for root volume!
- Scrunch or use praying hands to apply any remaining foam to your hair for extra volume and definition.
Hold: Adding hold to your hair in the form of a gel is a great way to ensure your style lasts for longer! Remember, the wetter your hair, the more diluted your gel will be, and the less overall hold you’ll achieve.
How to add hold:
- Decant your gel into your hands and rub well between your palms.
- Scrunch or use praying hands to apply your gel to damp hair, ensuring you are covering the hair from top to ends.
7. Dry
There are several ways to dry your hair including air drying, using a hood dryer or diffuser, or even in your car with the car heaters if you’re in a rush! Different drying methods will create different looks for your curls, so think about your curl goals.
For a more natural look, try air drying, or hover diffusing by holding your diffuser away from your hair and moving it around your head.
For a more elongated look, start with hover diffusing, then follow with stretch diffusing by gently holding the ends of your curls while gently stretching and hovering the dryer over the hair. This helps encourage length while maintaining definition.
For more shrinkage and definition, try pixie diffusing, cupping your curls in your diffuser bowl and pressing the dryer up towards the scalp.
If you have used a gel or foam whilst styling, you may feel a hard, crunchy layer form on your hair as it dries. This is known as a cast which can be scrunched out gently with the palms of your hands to reveal soft curls. Add a little oil such as our Bonding Oil to your palms before scrunching to seal your curls and add shine.
The Curlsmith Method
The above guide follows the Curlsmith Method- a simple yet effective approach to getting the most out of your curls on wash day:
- Shampoo: Cleanse your hair with a shampoo to remove dirt, oil, and buildup.
- Condition: Rebalance your hair’s pH and combat dryness with a rinse-out conditioner.
- Moisturise: Add a leave-in conditioner to your hair to moisturise, and prep for styling.
- Style: Work towards your styling goals with a variety of stylers, designed to produce different looks and achieve the curls of your dreams.
- Treat: Includes a range of products that may not be needed every wash day but can be extremely beneficial to include as and when your hair or scalp needs it. A pre-poo to protect the hair during cleansing, deep conditioning treatment for added softness, a bond rebuilder for strength, an oil for added shine or even treat your scalp with a stimulating serum.
Protecting Your Curls At Night
Taking the time to create beautiful, defined curls on your wash day is only part of the journey. Knowing how to sleep with curly hair is just as important for maintaining your curls shape, moisture, and longevity between wash days. As you sleep frizz and friction from traditional cotton sheets can cause curls to become dry, frizzy, and lose definition, making your styling efforts fade faster. Incorporating a simple nighttime protection routine such as using a satin pillowcase, wearing a bonnet, or putting your hair in a pineapple, can help preserve your curl pattern, reduce breakage, and extend your wash day results. You can wake up with curls that stay defined, bouncy, for longer.
Hints and tips for washing different curl issues
Very dry hair
- Try alternating a co-wash such as our Curl Quenching Conditioning Wash with your shampoo for a gentler, less stripping cleanse.
- Substitute your rinse-out conditioner for a deep conditioner every so often for extra softness.
- Always apply a leave-in conditioner before your gel to add moisture and minimise dryness.
Damaged hair
- Incorporate protein into your routine from our Strength Recipe Range to strengthen your damaged strands.
- Try a bond rebuilder such as our Bond Curl Rehab Salve to help repair your hair from the inside.
- Use a deep conditioner like our 3 in 1 Multi Tasking Conditioner to help strengthen, hydrate and maintain protein/moisture balance.
- Use a strong hold gel such as our In-Shower Style Fixer or Fragrance-free Stronghold Gel as your final styler to provide protection against humidity and ensure long lasting curls.
Wash day mistakes to avoid
While shampooing is an important part of a wash-day routine, it’s possible to have too much of a good thing.
- Don’t overuse strong shampoos to avoid excessive dryness and breakage.
- Incorporate your clarifying wash every 4-5 washes with the Curl Reset Detox Shampoo
- Don’t wait too long to apply your styling products. Applying styling products to hair that has dried too much can cause stringy curls and excess frizz.
- Make sure your hair is wet enough when applying your styling products to promote maximum curl definition.
- Finally, be aware of the ingredients in your hair products. If you have particularly dry hair, for example, you may wish to avoid ingredients such as sulfates which can cause extra dryness.
Final Thought
No matter what challenge you are facing in setting up an effective routine for your curls, Curlsmith is here to help. Our products are designed to combat any curly woe, feeding the needs of curly hair with nutritious ingredients such as superfoods and avoiding any ingredients that can be harsh on curls, including sulfates, parabens, drying alcohols, mineral oils and phthalates. Why not take our curl quiz to walk you through the most appropriate products for your hair and how you can fit these into your very own Curlsmith Method.
