Embracing curly hair

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I am looking to embrace my wavy/curly hair after years of straightening it, but it seems such a minefield about what are the right products to use and the method etc. it’s all so confusing. I’m in my early 50’s, probably have a fair bit of grey hair, but get highlights about 3 -4 times a year. Hair is bob length. I really don’t want to use anything too heavy. I tried a mousse, but found it too sticky. I have been using Aussie curls cream, then diffusing a little and then applying a serum oil to help with the crunchy feel. But if anyone has any advice or recommendations that aren’t too confusing (I don’t think my brain could cope), I would be very, very grateful 😊

I like Only Curls (you can get it from Boots or direct from their website, on the latter they do fairly decent intro offers). After shampooing, I put conditioner on and brush through with a tangle teezer. Rinse it out and while it’s still sopping wet I put in some of the curl cream. Then put up in a microfiber towel and get dressed. Let your hair down and scrunch in some gel. Let it dry completely and scrunch out the cast. Done!

I’ve personally never got on with mousses or diffusers on hairdryers as I have fine, wavy hair and lots of it that’s very prone to frizz

When your hair is soaking wet try just scrunching a blob of conditioner into it and leaving it on. I’d try that and see how it goes, you can also add a bit of gel or curl cream at that stage but too much or some finer hair and it makes it too heavy / sticky.

I have fine but plentiful wavy/curly hair. I do have to style it curly for it to be curly.

Shampoo and conditioner without silicone.
Comb hair when conditioning and then never again.
Squeeze out water with your hands only.

Apply product, I mainly need gel to hold it, the umberto giannini pink scrunching jelly is great.
Scrunch through a lot, mines shoulder length and I probably use a heaped tablespoon. You should hear it squelch and it should be so wet it's close to dripping.
Scrunch out the wet with smooth fabric, like a microfiber towel or old tshirt.

Use fingers to arrange your hair.
Leave to air dry or gently diffuse.
Scrunch out the crunchiness with some cream or oil or a light serum, I've never found a product I love.

In general I like merwave products, I never believed shampoo and conditioner mattered much but these make a difference. I use the casting foam too, seems to make the curls last longer. The gel doesn't seem strong enough for me.

I've found that the way my hair is cut is far more important than products. It's basically in lots of layers - nothing complicated about it - and also cut every 6 weeks because when it gets longer, the weight of my hair drags out the curl. (I'd say it's wavy more than outright curly.)

I've also realised that washing it too often only encourages it to frizz. And I never, ever brush it.

My hairdresser uses a salt spray on it and I keep meaning to buy some but normally, I don't use any products now. I think it helps a lot that he has curly hair too It means he totally gets it.

I'm another one for Only Curls. I have tried many other products over the years (Frizz Ease, Aveda, Paul Mitchell, Aussie Miracle etc etc) but since I started using the OC products a few years ago I haven't used anything else.

I use the shampoo and conditioner in the shower, then scrunch a big blob of the curl creme in while my hair's still dripping wet. Then it goes into a microfibre head towel while I get organised.

I can't leave my hair to dry naturally though, so I scrunch in some of their mousse and gel, brush it through, scrunch it again and dry it with the diffuser.

Something that makes an ENORMOUS difference to mine is the type of shampoo and conditioner that I use. Mine doesn't like Aussie, Only Curls, Faith in Nature, etc... but it loves Garnier Argan Oil and Camellia, or Redken All Soft, which also has a curl cream with it. I wash it, add curl cream, comb it through with a wide-tooth comb, and then bundle it up in a turban. Mine dries naturally, because hairdryers make it poof up. I'm yet to figure out how to make the ringlets stay put permanently, but a hairdresser advised a humidity spray for a start.

Other than that, avoid brushing it as it just turns to frizz, and don't wash it very often. Sometimes I add an oil spray, just to stop it from drying out.

I was coming on to recommend both Only Curls and sea salt spray, both of which have already been mentioned!

I’d also say it’s definitely worth investing in a silk bonnet/ silk pillow case.

I keep things simple, don’t use any products containing silicone (lots say silicone free on them now) and mostly use the umberto giannini curl jelly to style (it’s available in travel size if you want a little test). Apply jelly to sopping wet hair, scrunch out excess water with a microfibre towel or t shirt then air dry or diffuse.

If it’s crispy (the jelly doesn’t make my hair crispy generally) then wait till it’s totally dry, flip head upside down then scrunch it till all the crunch is gone.

shampoo and conditioner wise, any shampoo works ok really (better if it says gentle/moisturising on it) and the garnier hair food tubs are good for conditioner and you can use a dab as leave in before the jelly if your hair likes that.

Garnier Hair Food leave in conditioner in the Banana or Coconut scent and some hair gel is all you need.

Make sure you always condition your hair when you wash it. Curly hair is thirsty hair.

While hair is damp (use a squirt bottle of water if styling from dry to wet it) put the leave in conditioner in at the roots and use a soft bristled brush to spread it down to tips and then scrunch with your hands.

Then do the same with hair gel and scrunch again.

You can then air dry (I use claw clip to loosely gather my hair up to let dry) or a diffuser to dry.

You can break the gel cast by gently teasing the curls later when fully dry.

This should leave you with frizz free, defined curls.

I have tried so many products over the last few years, since my hair turned curly with menopause! My current go to, which I’m really happy with, is any shampoo followed by any conditioner, followed by Boots curl cream in the shower on soaking wet hair. Blotted with an old T-shirt, and diffused. Adding a little Flora and Curl mousse if needed for some added definition. Most definitely a good continuous water spray bottle for when you need to refresh all over, or just add a little water.
Trial and error is the key, good luck

I use boots curl cream it’s only £1.99 in boots and I love it, I wrap it in a beach towel as the material prevents frizz and then after a few min I take it out and use serum so I can brush it and then I use the curl cream before drying it with a diffuser.
My hair doesn’t like to be washed every day so on the day I am not washing it I just run some more curl cream through which brings it back to life.
I am 43 and have spent years and a small fortune trying different things but this curl cream never lets me down.

Thanks everyone. One key thing I’ve learnt from above is to apply any cream/conditioner to soaking wet hair, so will definitely try that. I’ve seen a lot of people mention only curls and the boots curl cream, so will give that a go too! Thank you. This is all really helpful

I have wavy hair (2c according to charts with some proper ringlets underneath) but also live in a hard water area and am prone to product build up. I use a very small amount of leave in conditioner, scrunch in a small amount of gel and diffuse. I keep it cut with layers to help with the curls and to help it dry faster.