Tag: Naturally wavy hair

2018-09-17 Hair 4 Comments

Natural curl styler – aloe vera gel

naturally curly hair

I have breaking news! I have found a very simple, affordable and natural curl styler option –  aloe vera gel. Aloe vera works great as a curl gel for wavy or curly hair types. It gives definition and hold to your curls, while still feeling very light on the hair. So in other words: it’s perfect for curls.

I have tried a few curl creams and gels before and my problem with them has been that they can feel a bit heavy. I don’t like the feeling of feeling like I have something in my hair.  That said, the curl gels mentioned in this post are also pretty awesome. But for the days when I feel like not applying a ton of product, I go for aloe vera.

I was determined to find a natural option for a curl styling product. And I’m so happy I tried the simplest product first: *pure aloe vera gel.

What wouldn’t aloe vera do?

It’s one of my favorite ingredients in beauty products and now I’m even more impressed by it. I use it after sunbathing, on itchy mosquito bites, to soothe my skin if there’s redness and sometimes just as a moisturizer for body and face. And now – as my curl gel.

Aloe vera contains vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, which are not only great for your skin, but also for your hair. You can also treat your scalp with it – be the problem itchiness, dandruff or dryness. So aloe vera treats your hair, while giving hold and definition to your curls.

It’s especially great for curly and wavy hair, since it’s so lightweight and watery. It doesn’t weigh down your curls. It’s easy to wash off and it doesn’t build up in the hair.

If you’re new to curly hair routines and products, you should check out my post with lots of information about treating naturally curly or wavy hair. I explain on the post why you should use mild shampoos and why silicons aren’t that great for curly hair:

Naturally curly and wavy hair 101 – Curly hair routine

curly hair curl gel

And then, let’s see how to use aloe vera as a curl gel!

How to style your curls using aloe vera gel

  1. Shampoo your hair as usual and follow up with your conditioner.
  2. Squeeze the most water out of your hair with upward movements. Use a towel and do the same. (Always, always squeezing and scrunching upwards with curly hair!)
  3. While your hair is still damp and slightly wet, take some aloe vera and scrunch it in your curls.
  4. After you’ve applied your curl cream (aloe vera), use the towel one more time to scrunch out the hair.
  5. Let air dry and enjoy your beautiful curls!

I use just about any organic aloe vera gel. What’s important is that the gel is mostly pure aloe vera gel. Here are two good options from amazon:

*Pura D’Or Organic Aloe Vera Gel
*Seven minerals Organic Aloe Vera Gel

Have you tried aloe vera for your curls?

More about aloe vera, check out this great article on Naturallycurly.com:
6 ways to use aloe vera gel

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2018-07-16 Hair 6 Comments

Mad about waves – perfect products for wavy curls

wavy curls hair products

This year I’ve been really into treating my naturally curly/wavy hair. I’ve been both trying to learn as much about it as I can – but also just experiment with different products myself. In this  post I went through my routine and some products I started my curly hair journey with.

Since then I haven’t been as strict about certain ingredients, as I was before, and I even tried silicone containing products. I guess I took a new approach: not to stare at the ingredients, but to just try some products and see for myself, if they work. I know I talked about avoiding silicones, but after now trying products that do contain them, I’m not so sure, if they are that bad after all. Because with this curl cream my wavy hair has looked better than ever before. My curls are more defined and altogether my hair looks more voluminous and healthy. But on the other hand – I know silicones can build up. So I need to use a shampoo, that keeps that build-up at bay. Otherwise my curls can get weighed down.

For those with curly hair that are not that strict about ingredients, you might want to check these out. And for those that are on the curly girl method – the conditioner mentioned here is CG-approved and very lightweight!

*adlinks / pr samples

wavy curls type 2B 2C
My curls (type 2B,2C) after using these wavy hair products.

Schwarzkopf Mad About Waves

Schwarzkopf has two lines: Mad about waves for wavy hair & Mad about curls for curly hair. I got some products from the Mad About Waves -line, since my hair leans more to the wavy – hairtype. If we’re talking about curl types, it goes to somewhere around 2B, 2C category. Here is a good photo showing the different curl types. Though it is important to note, that everyone’s curls are unique.

And because there are different types of curls and waves, it makes a difference of what products you use and for what curl type they are – wavy or curly – to begin with.

Wavy curls can be tricky, because heavy products can weigh them down. Actually now looking back at the products I started my routine with – I think the products were a bit heavy for me, for day-to-day use.

The two star products I’ve been using lately are the conditioner and curl cream from Mad about waves line.

wavy hair conditioner

Schwarzkopf Mad About Waves Windswept Conditioner

This conditioner comes in a very practical, cute bottle. It is indeed lightweight – and actually when I’m applying it, it doesn’t feel like it does much. But it does! It brings just enough moisture to my hair, without being heavy. It untangles my hair, and it’s lightweight enough, so that I don’t need to rinse it out properly. Usually I just lazily rinse it out, so that some of it is left in my hair (a good technique for all the curlies!).

I know I said not to stare at the ingredients, but I had to take a peek. And I was surprised, that there were no silicones in this! That might explain, why it doesn’t feel that silky when applying it, and how it lefts my hair quite airy and nice. I checked if it was CG-approved on this app, and it said that it is.

 

Shop *Mad about waves conditioner on amazon

wavy hair curl cream

Schwarzkopf Mad About Waves Windy Texture Balm

This curl cream is awesome for wavy hair types, like mine. It’s very watery and thin, so that it doesn’t feel sticky or too heavy. It keeps my curls in place and gives them amazing hold and definition. I scrunch this in my hair, when it’s quite wet to get the best results. It’s so lightweight, that I can use it quite a bit, and it’s almost impossible to use too much of it.

Now this product is not CG-approved, since the second ingredient in it is Dimethicone (a silicone).  However, my curls look amazing with this, so I will definitely keep using it – at least for parties, or when I want my hair to look extra-good and keep the curls in place.

Shop *Mad about waves texture balm on amazon

 

Edit 27.8.2020: I think a big reason why the silicone-containing cream worked for me so well before, is that my hair was bleached when I used it. Now that I’ve tried it again, it doesn’t have the same effect in my hair. I’ve actually switched back to a no-silicone route, but I still use the conditioner and that’s awesome!

 

wavy hair products

Are there other wavy curlies out there? What are the best products for your waves?

 

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