Curly Hair! We love it for its versatility, but can get frustrated by its vulnerability.
Let’s face it, our curls can be pretty finicky, and quickly interrupt our whole day without notice! These vulnerabilities can be compounded by things like the weather, our product choices, hair health, curl care regimen, or just downright poor handling of our delicate curls.
The results often show up in the form of:
- frizz,
- limp-looking curls, and
- the topic we’ll be talking about today - curls that won’t stay defined beyond day 1 - and sometimes lose all definition as soon as they dry!
So... Why aren't my curls clumping?
To get your curls to clump you have to identify what’s preventing them from doing what fibers naturally like to do...band together! We’ve identified 5 reliable and proven reasons why your curls may not be clumping together like curls should. It could be 1, or maybe even all of these reasons. Without further adieu, here we go!
(1) Not Enough Water!
Our curls are the weakest when wet, but the easiest to manipulate; making it easier for curls to cling to curls. Water breaks the hydrogen bonds in your hair strands, and when this happens can hold up to 30% of its weight in water, per strand! This weight allows your curls to stretch and receive more product.
So curlies- water is important! So much so that you will find with every product we offer, Water and Aloe Vera (which has very high water content) are within the first few ingredients.
(2) Not enough of the right product(s)
This one can be a bit tricky. Commonly, creams are great at clumping curls, but too much weight can actually cause curls to separate. Test around with the level of product that your hair can withstand of a certain product type, before your curls break apart.
Additionally, it's important to ensure the products you choose are:
- water soluble and
- the active ingredients can penetrate the cuticle of your curls with high quality ingredients.
With TréLuxe products, you get all of this and more! Whether you choose our Untie the Knot Nourishing Leave-in Conditioner (which has a airy-creaminess to it) or our Curl Supreme 4-in-1 Hydrating Crème (which has a dense, buttery consistency) you can rest assured that both products are:
- Water-soluble
- able to penetrate to the cortex of your curl, delivering moisture to the area that needs it the most and
- non-greasy or flaky.
(3) Damaged Curls
This is a culprit that is hard to fix! If your hair is damaged due to heat or over-processing, and a balance of protein and moisture don't seem to help, this could definitely cause frizz and radical curls. Damaged curls can be temporarily fixed or concealed, but not repaired.
Allowing your curls to stay damaged too long, could cause the damage to rise up your curl shaft. This leads to extensive breakage. While you can’t truly repair damaged hair, it is possible to make your curls more manageable. Our products are formulated with nourishing ingredients such as olive squalene (mimics scalp sebum), broccoli seed oil, and avocado oil, all which help to minimize frizz and friction to damaged curls. Our Curl Renew & Restore Gentle Cleansing rise is a low-poo product with plant-based cleansing agents that lift dirt and debris to gently rinse away product buildup, without stripping strands of needed moisture and nutrients, which is perfect for delicate strands. Our Untie the Knot Nourishing Leave-In Conditioner includes keratin amino acids and tomato extract to help strengthen strands, and prevent future damage from occurring.
(4) Wrong or Incomplete Technique
Prayer hands, shingling, smaster’s, finger coiling. Sooo many options! Which one really works? You’ll have to TRY to find out! But, go easy on yourself... On your next wash day try 3 different techniques, a different technique in each quarter of your head. Let the section dry, and see which one you like the best. Then, rewet curls and style as you typically would. For your next wash day you now have selected a method that you can try on your entire head. Our Hi! Definition Curl Enhancer Styling Gel complements any of these techniques and is great for your everyday wash and go! Your curls will retain their moisture and definition as you move throughout your week!
(5) Curl Density & Thickness
If you're rockin thick and high density curls then you've probably already discovered you need more than water and cream to get defined curly clumps! You will probably also need something that offers a little more hold. Pairing our ReFlex Curl Styling Serum with our Curl Supreme 4-in-1 Hydrating Crème makes a great duo for BHDC wash & Go's, Twist-outs, Bantu Knots or fancy Updo's. Some curls require a little more love and patience, not work and time. We know this might be tough to accept, and if you fall into this curl clump you may not be buying it- but the mental shift makes a huge difference, allowing you better care for your curls and reach the desired outcome. So now it’s your turn- Which one of these culprits speak to you most? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Visit our shop page here to see details on products mentioned above!