curly girl 101

curly hair can be a blessing and a curse. while those with straight locks seem to be envious of us curly girls, they may not understand how difficult it can be to tame hair that often has a mind of it's own. to avoid using heavy hair products that break me out, i have come up with some curly hacks and personal favorite tricks to keep my hair bouncy and happy! bonus: they work well without the use of any potentially cloggy products :)

silk pillow cases are a curly girl's best friend, your curls will remain intact and the silk will keep your frizz at a minimum. just remember to change your pillow cases once or twice a week to remain acne-safe.
i never use brushes! they damage and break fragile curls. instead i use my figures to comb through my wet hair in the shower. you will notice your curls will like this much better than a harsh brush. if your hair is knotty, work from the tip of the hair to detangle with your fingers, which will create the least damage to your hair.
to revamp and reshape curls after a long day, try using a spray bottle of water with some lavender essential oil. it really helps to calm frizz and re-boost my hair. lavender is great for curls because it works on your hair the same way it does on your mind, calming down fly aways and frizzys! wet curls down, flip your head over and scrunch! your hair will come back to life in no time.
after i shower i use a micro fiber towel to scrunch my hair, removing excess liquids and helping to shape my curls. just flip your hair over in the shower and make sure you are scrunching from the tip of the hair to the root.
to achieve lose beachy waves shower before bed, part your wet hair, and create several medium size braids. simply go to bed, wake up in the morning, carefully un-do braids and and enjoy beautiful flowing waves.
for extra volume try using old school pin curl clips in your roots as your curls dry. divide your hair into 6 sections, lifting from the root as you insert the pin curls. this will create more volume and you can remove them when hair is semi dry or completely dry.
diffusing is life! i diffuse my hair every time i wash it because i want maximum curl and volume. i insert my diffuser into the root of my hair working in sections around my head and drying each section one at a time. moving the hair dryer around constantly is what creates frizz. i like to cock my head to one side as i'm drying instead of flipping my head upside down.
drink plenty of water and be good to yourself, i notice that when i am dehydrated or occasionally hungover, my hair is as well, looking tired and depleted! your hair and skin both see the effects of over working yourself and malnourishment will wreak havoc on your locks!