This post was inspired by Bridget’s “Frugal Beauty: Apple Cider for Shiny Hair.” I really love her posts on frugal beauty. I really wish my hair was long and straight like Bridget’s, so I could follow some of her tips. But it’s not. I have really curly, brunette hair. Did I mention I have a lot of hair? It’s not the thin, curly brunette hair. I have LOTS OF thick, curly brunette hair.
Here’s my attempt to photograph my curly hair.
I couldn’t figure out how to get a good picture of my hair. I tried to take a picture upside down, sideways, and from another weird angle. My photography skills definitely need some work. Do you like the cascading waves of curly hair? LOL
I like to say I’m frugal. I actually pride myself in being frugal. But the older I get, the more I realize it’s hard to be frugal with curly hair.
When I was younger, I remember my hair being so difficult. I hated it. It was always tangled and frizzy. In middle school, my hair was waist length, and I always wore it in a braid because it was the easiest thing I could do with so much hair. One of my friends jokingly called it wolf hair. I didn’t really get it, but I guess it was just so crazy?
Some of the mistakes my mom made during my childhood included:
Not getting it cut or trimmed often enough. Funds were limited, so nice haircuts probably only happened twice a year. My parents, also, believed my hair was beautiful and hated it cutting it. I think it’s a Hispanic thing to worship long, beautiful hair. I always wanted to get it cut shorter, so I didn’t have to deal with it. Now that I have a job, I try to get it trimmed every two months. I only started this practice this year though. My haircut is $45.
Shampoo and conditioner matter! My mom did not splurge on shampoo and conditioner. VO5 shampoo and conditioner is not good enough for curly hair. I won’t blame her because she’s not super into beauty products, and she has straight hair.
I, have, also tried Tresseme, and Herbal Essences. All products failed to keep up with my curly hair. Recently, I started using Matrix Redken for Curly hair. It left my hair dry; probably due to the sulfate.
Leave in Conditioner is really good for your hair. It keeps it soft. Something I didn’t realize until my 20s.
Styling products are extremely important. I remember using gel from dollar general once. Sigh…epic mistake. I hate looking at myself in those pictures. I, also, used Herbal Essence mousse for curly hair. It costs about $4 at a grocery store, but it’s really not good enough.
Curly hair is smarter thank you think. it adopts to the environment, and it will always figure out how to outsmart all hair products. Hence, the ever lasting search fort he perfect curls.
Maybe being frugal hair with curly hair is not such a good idea?
Mom’s if your girls have curly hair, and you do not, pay close attention to the hair regimen below. Girls with curly hair, every hair regimen is unique. You will have to find out what works for you. Your hair is probably not like mine or the girl next to you. Hopefully, this will give you some guidance.
4 Golden Rules for Curly Hair
Trims are a must. I recommend getting a trim every 6 to 8 weeks. I often forget when my last haircut was, so I end up going after 8 weeks.
Conditioner is heaven. I recently started using Deva Curl One Condition. I love it, and I’m probably going to add their products to my hair regimen.
Leave-In-Conditioner is necessary. I use Rusk Multi 12 In 1 Miracle Treatment. Just spray a little bit on your hair and comb through it your fingers. It smells great.
Mousse. I am using Biolage mouse but I’m probably going to switch it to a Deva Curl product. I’m trying to get away from products with a bunch of chemicals.
It has taken me a long time to start loving my hair. 22 years to be exact. But as soon as I started spending some money on maintaining my hair, I realized curly hair is amazing. I mean who else can go to the office with wet hair, and an hour later have dry, and wavy hair?
Do you have any tips for curly hair? What is your favorite hair regimen?