J111 — My perspective on curly hair

BONUS: My curly hair routine is at the bottom!

Miranda Calacsan
4 min readAug 5, 2022

Having curly hair sucks.

You have to buy the right products, spend 30 plus minutes styling it and frizziness is always an issue. It looks pretty when it’s done right and people will say “I wish I had your hair!” But often, I wonder if putting all this effort into my curls is worth it.

It took me years to get the curls I have today. I had to unlearn a lot of hair care things because they wouldn’t work for me (Ex: shampooing everyday dries the scalp, therefore making hair frizzy and dry). I watched Youtube videos and bought different curly hair approved products. I put in countless hours trying to educate myself on how to take care of my curly hair. My mother and and I have the same textured hair but she never taught me these things. I had to learn the curly girl method all on my own. I wish this wasn’t the case.

In Western society, curly/wavy hair is looked down upon. It’s not considered “tidy” or “professional.” But really, we’ve been taught to favor straight, Eurocentric hair. This is surprising since 65% of people in the U.S have curly/wavy hair. Even though the #CurlyGirlMethod trend became popular a few years ago, I think we still have a long way to go for hair equality and hair positivity.

After years of experimenting, I can confidently say that I absolutely LOVE my curly hair. By accepting my curls, I am challenging Eurocentric beauty standards and embracing my culture, beauty and grace. Whether your hair is 4b curls or 2a waves — all hair is beautiful in its own way.

Below is my curly hair routine and the products I use. These products may or may not work for everyone but hopefully my routine provides insight as to what the #CutlyGirlMethod is all about.

  1. Reset Wash : Isoplus Neutralizing Shampoo

A reset wash is a shampoo you use once every few weeks or once a month. It helps remove build up dirt on your scalp. I don’t use this too frequently because my hair will get too dry.

2. Low-Poo: Not Your Mother’s Tahitian Gardenia Flower & Mango Butter Shampoo

Low-Poo means sulfate-free shampoo. This step works best if you have a sensitive scalp or scalp conditions. I tend to alternate this product with my co-wash which leads me to my next product —

3. Co-Wash: Aunt Jackie’s Purify Me Moisturizing Hair Co-Wash Cleanser

Co-washing stands for “conditioner-only washing.” DON’T FREAK OUT. Yes, this means washing your scalp with conditioner. I know; it took me awhile to get used to this step. But co-washing still removes dirt while moisturizing your hair. It also helps reduce oiliness at the scalp. Once your hair adjusts to this step, your hair should be looking healthier.

4. Conditioner: Not Your Mother’s Tahitian Gardenia Flower & Mango Butter Conditioner

Conditioning the hair is one of the first steps in styling. Run your fingers through to get rid of knots and tangles. It’s important to do the ends of your hair, not your scalp. Once the conditioner has been thoroughly applied, scrunch your curls up towards your scalp (it’s easier to do this if you flipped your hair forward). Do this for about a few minutes, making sure that each section has been thoroughly scrunched. Wash with cold water. I like to put my conditioned hair in a bun before continuing on with my shower.

5. Hair Mask: Maui Moisture Hair Mask

Hair masks are great for revitalizing hair and deep conditioning. There are two types: moisturizing masks and protein masks (you can read more about which mask you need here). I use this moisturizing mask once a week. I apply the product, twist my hair into a shower cap, cover with a flaxseed cap then leave it on for 20 minutes.

6. Styling: Ouidad TWIST Weather Up Gel

I’m still on my curly haired journey so I only use one styling product. There’s so many styling products for curly hair such as mousse, curl custards, creams, oils, etc. A good rule of thumb: the thicker your hair is, the thicker the styling product. Section your hair then apply a generous amount of your styling product to each.

BONUS STEP: Drying your hair

Use a microfiber towel or a cotton t-shirt to dry your hair without losing moisture or causing breakage. I also recommend a hair dryer with a hair diffuser to make drying faster!

I know that was a lot of steps but hopefully this helped. Thank you for reading! Happy curly/wavy hair :)

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