My Curly Hair Journey

Since forever, I've had wavy-curly hair (Type 2B, to be precise. By day 2 or 3 it looks like type 2C) with a dry scalp and dry hair. As a 90s kid in India, I didn't really have the access to a huge variety of hair products or the right knowledge of how they work and how to use them.

As I grew older, and started experimenting with my hair, I mostly colored, flat ironed it and used a hair dryer. My hair gets frizzy no matter what, so I turned to serum I saw on TV to keep my hair in check. Due to an dry scalp, dust & sweat, I used anti dandruff shampoos and heavy conditioners. My hair was not great.

age 16

age 20

age 18 styled after cut & color

Around a year back I came across something called the Curly Girl method, developed by Lorraine Massey, which is basically a hair care lifestyle that involves quitting hair products that contain sulfates (SLS/SLES) and silicone (anything with suffix -one, -conal, -xane).

Here is the logic: sulfates are harsh detergents that are present in dish washing liquid and household cleansers. The strip your hair of natural moisture (i.e. sebum) and dry it out. Silicone is like makeup for hair. It creates a coating on the hair strand which looks shiny and feels soft, but actually prevents moisture from entering the hair shaft, thus making it dry, making you use more serum/silicone (vicious cycle).

So I gathered my products and studied the ingredient lists (and remember, never go by labels, always read the list of ingredients mentioned in the back). I basically discovered that EVERYTHING I was using was contributing to the damage. You can check your products as well, using this page for reference.

I didn't really throw everything out immediately.. I started doing more research on what brands were available in India to suit the curly girl method, which ones were affordable and pricey, and most importantly, all natural, homemade concoctions to deep condition, moisturize and repair hair. It was A LOT of research. I even watched YouTube videos (CurlyPenny is my favorite). THEN I went shopping.

Initially, my hair took some time to fully adjust to the new routine. It felt like it was getting worse, the first couple of washes, because i saw so many split ends and my curls did not form properly. It was still frizzy and tangly and rough and dry. Slowly, my hair started to respond. The curly method suggests the use of gel to help hold curl, but I prefer to not use gel. I went for two trims in which my stylist took off most of the damaged ends without sacrificing too much length. Things were starting to look good ^_^ I started to detangle may hair in the shower with conditioner on, scrunch it when damp, and refresh my curls with some moisture on day 2 and 3. I also pineappled my hair which helped majorly avoid my hair getting all matted up while sleeping. This is an issue for me because my hair loves to knot itself into dreadlocks.

I went 5 months with all natural, chemical-free hair. Then I got bored and ombre bleached. To tackle the resulting dryness, I started applying coconut oil like serum on a daily basis, only to my ends. This works like magic. I also used aloe vera gel, a DIY leave-in conditioner and some products from the mall.

It has now been a little over a year that I've been following the curly girl method and I am totally IN LOVE with my hair. I recommend it to every curly girl I meet, and I hope this blog post will help some of them! Remember to check out my list of favorite products at the end of the post, comment, subscribe and share!

Stay pretty!! xx


Shampoo and Conditioner

Aloe Veda Distil
Khadi
The Body Shop
Biotique
Kama Ayurveda
Tresemme Naturals
Fab India

Leave in:

Body Shop Rainforest Radiance detangling spray (works as a leave in, DO NOT detangle curly hair you will separate the curls and create frizz)

 

DIY leave in conditioner:

Body shop banana conditioner + tresemme naturals conditioner + coconut oil + water in a spray bottle <3

Aloe Vera gel- apply as it is, or mix with some coconut oil and apply to lengths of hair only.

DIY Leave-in Conditioner Spray

Deep conditioning:

-Banana+yogurt+honey
-Egg yolk+1/2 avocado+ 2-5 tbsp olive oil