Wavy/curly hair product recommendations

[Strawberryjams]

Hi everyone,

I have 2b/2c wavy hair with some random 3c sections thrown in. I had loose curls as a child which I seemed to grow out of and as a teen was always straightening my hair which I always moaned about because it was really kinky realise now it will have been the natural waves. I cut my hair really short for many years but it’s now shoulder length. Since becoming a mum I rarely straighten my hair and it is wild! When it’s just washed it’s lovely but when I try mousse or I once tried the diffuser I’d have described it as witch hair! I wear my hair every single day in a bun and I’d really like to see what others use to see if I can get a handle on it. I’ve tried a few different brands of mousse and a serum I think it was but with no luck. Seeing all these ads for only curls and merwaves and wondering if they are worth the money.

I also keep seeing merwaves and wondering it would be any good so keen to see responses. Its quite pricey for the whole kit if its not going to be successful.

@Colinorpercy Ive spent the last hour or so reading on their website and then having a read of the reviews, just not sure because it’s a lot of money! I saw someone recommend The Curl Company products but once you add them all up including the shampoo and conditioner it becomes very expensive again. I did like that the merwaves one said it lasts 3 months but then if I don’t like it or makes my hair horrible it’s like throwing money down the drain!

I like boucleme. I use their curl cream and gel. I need to use their stronger gel in the purple bottle to make my waves/curls last. It leaves my hair soft but still keeps the curl.
I've been using the CG method since May last year. The hardest thing is finding something that really suits your hair. Finding out and using hair products for my particular hair type was the biggest game changer. My hair is low porosity so I can't use anything that has protein in it. Using any type of heat ( hairdryer or conditioner in a shower cap) on my hair works best.

www.boucleme.co.uk/products/best-of-boucleme-christmas-2023

I've been using umberto giannis curly range recently. It's fab! I have really thick, curly, mixed race hair.

I have wavy hair. What happens if you let it dry naturally @Strawberryjams? I don’t use mousse or a diffuser

The nice thing about this kit is you can try it and at £33, it's not too expensive.

I have waves and curls similar to you OP.
My routine is wash hair with CG friendly shampoo. Generously apply conditioner and comb through to get rid of tugs. Pop hair in a shower cap and put head under shower for a blast of heat. Remove shower cap and squish with the conditioner upside down. Rinse out. Apply boucleme curl cream. Squish it in.
Leave for a few mins. Apply gel with preying hands.Turn head upside down and squish in. Wrap hair in a turban micro fibre towel. Leave for 15 mins. Undo hair. Dry to get a cast. My hair needs to be 100% dry. Very often I do this in the evening then tie it up in a high pony with a scrunchie. When I wake up, I shake my hair out. Looks a bit strange but the curls and volume always impress me. Not sure if this will work for you but it's the best for me. I usually scrunch out the crunch once my hair has settled although I tend to knave a little in for longevity.

Oh and I use my hairdryer with diffuser to dry.

I do use a turban towel though which seems to create more of a wave that stays as it drys.

I use them too - curly/wavy light brown hair - and find the products really good.

I use both Diva Curl and Morrocan Oil curl cream (based on sales price)
cowash with Diva Curl conditioner.
weekly shampoo a regular family type as it has no impact on the curls.

Curly products come in a variety of guises.

Some leave a cast that dries your hair hard. Once dry, you scrunch out the crunch. I find these products quite heavy.

Some curly products are quite greasy. To put moisture back in. They can leave your curls heavy and greasy looking.

Some products are nice and light, but these products tend to have the worst 2nd day efge t, as in, you have to really pay attention to your hair on your second day of washing to get it to look as nice.

The best thing you can do is try various products and see what suits.

The new umberto range is surprisingly good! I like the curl jelly. I like the trepadora papaya (slight cast with this one). I also use cheapo gel in a pot.

How you apply the products matters too.

Its a bit of a minefield!

Lots of people love only curls (I like it, don't love it) and they do a nice starter set in smaller sizes. But super drug had a great range when I went in the other day, and I'd just try something to get going.

Have fun!

I like twisted sista curl cream but my hair is type 3 curls. It’s light and doesn’t leave a cast, just helps define my curls but my hair is thick. It’s sold in Morrison’s

I’m a 2b/2c girl with the occasional bit of ringlet action as it gets longer.

I like mousse but only when my hair is longer, say shoulder length. On shorter hair I find that it adds way too much volume and gets out of hand.

with shorter hair (which mine is now -long bob length) I find a light curl crème is good.

the trick for curls is only to brush/comb when wet, never dry and to not handle them too much when drying. So I brush, tip my head forward, run product through, shake to find my parting and leave it at that.

I love love love the Umberto range and have been using it for years (buy when it’s on offer). I noticed in the supermarket that Aussie have bought out a curl range which I’m trialling and also seems pretty good. The key is sulfate and silicone free. It also takes a bit of time for your hair to adjust and a fair bit of acceptance that it won’t look the same from day to day. Some days will be amazing but some won’t 🤷‍♀️

New Wash and balm works for me - gel helps keep curl from getting frizzy but I don’t use every day x

As pp have suggested try lots of different products because you will find one that works for you.
I use cantu custard with a bit of gel and find that works for me. They do a range of products - their cream is nice too.

I'm a 2B with random corkscrews underneath and honestly, I bought the Only Curls starter kit but (like a PP) I like rather than love it. I can get the same results from the Superdrug Imbue shampoo and curl cream. As long as you avoid silicones and sulphates, which is getting easier as time goes by, you should get good results from scrunching in cream (not just gel) when soaking wet and air drying or diffusing.

I started using only curls just before the summer and it's working for me. It doesn't however provide any volume but I've yet to try something else on top. I use a diffuser to dry.

Only Curls every time! They sell small sample bottles to try. As others have said, only comb through when wet with wide toothed comb. Apply products to dripping wet hair and wrap in turban (microfibre not towelling). For volume diffuse upside down. Try to find a curl cutting specialist, I found a great one through Only Curls website.

I like the Only Curls stuff, my most used the is the Umberto Gianni curly gel, it's brilliant.
Use the boucleme stuff too. For washing I tend to mix it up to try and avoid one product buidling up too much. Dove do a nice curly range (think it's online only) I also use Cantu for shampoo amd curl cream and the Garnier tubs of conditioner. My hair likes nut based stuff, I try and avoid too much coconut as that seems to dry my hair out.
Sadly this has involved vast amounts of trial and error.
But nowadays I tend to wash and condition. Comb the conditioner out, use a curl cream and a gel, wrap in a soft fabric towel and then either air dry or occasionally use the hairdryer with diffuser.

Hi Op
I am on the wave/ curl horse too, some looser curls some tighter.

I also spent 20 years or so being annoyed by my frizzy hair until I realised it's just curly but I wasn't letting it!

Sounds like you've got the washing part down ok?

I wash ( as I am cowash followed by cantu avocado conditioner)

Then while it's soaking I put on cantu curl cream and lots of scrunching, then lots of the cantu gel ( I do mean a lot!) and scrunch loads again.

Then I let it air dry over night, before I go to sleep it feels crispy ( cast I think it's called!) and in the morning it needs a little extra gel to perk the curls up and neaten but not much.

This works ok for me, although I'd like to find something better to sleep in. I tried a silk cap and the pineapple method but I wonder if my hair is too fine or not curly enough for them to work well. It just ended up losing shape and sticking up at odd places!

I do also go to a curly specialist hairdresser which makes all the difference and they obviously have loads of advice!

I have wavy hair and use merwave 4 & 5 (I don’t see the necessity of the shampoo/conditioner).

I have fine hair and the mousse and gel give me great hold and curls, lasting to the next day.

I’d recommend it. Other products just done work on my fine, wavy hair.

Only curls is amazing for my hair. I have coarse, wavy, frizzy hair which goes into proper spiral curls with the only curls mega hold gel. I like their shampoo, conditioner and curl cream too but they’re no better than any other curl range I’ve tried. The mega hold gel has been a game changer though! It does dry fairly crunchy but they advise to ‘scrunch out the crunch’ when totally dry and after I’ve done that my hair is baby soft and the curl holds for days.

Curlies, I have had a kind of curly shag cut and am going to experiment with creating a kind of big round voluminous look for my hair!

Waves here too, thick hair, lots of it, but not too long. Having layers put in helps, boots pink curl creme, plopping, then umberto gianni scrunching jelly.