Hey Curly!
If you're transitioning into your curl journey and want to start embracing your curls, we’re here to share a few tried and true steps that you can use TODAY towards building a better relationship with your curls. Here, (1) discover how to identify your curl type(s) to (2) best address common curl concerns, and (3) how to overcome them with the right product choices.
Get to Know your Curls and Waves
Start by simply looking at and feeling your hair. Is it dry? Does it feel greasy? Do you have frizz and flyway's? Get to know your curls during each step of your current routine, which should include - washing, conditioning, styling, and drying. Using your senses to get familiar with your curls is critical to determining if your routine is working for you or against you. Make sure to record what you witness and keep what you sense in mind as we look at each curl pattern.
Curl Typing: What It Is and How to Use It
If you’ve just begun your curl journey, you will soon find that curl typing is popular within the curl community. At its core, curl typing is just a simple, generalized way to identify the various dimensions of your curls. Curl typing allows a starting point when it comes to identifying and categorizing different styling techniques or product types that may be useful to you.
FULL DISCLAIMER: Curl typing is descriptive, not prescriptive. So, if you feel your curls don’t quite fit the category and descriptions provided, then know that’s completely OK and common for curlies.
Type 2 Waves & Spirals
For the Type 2 Curl crew - your curls can range from slight bends to tight S-shapes and are usually flatter at the root and bigger towards the bottom. You’re probably fed up with frizz, flyway's, and the lack of definition and volume? Or maybe you find that products are too heavy for your curls and leave you feeling greasy or oily? If so, you may be asking yourself - what is a Type 2 curly to do? Well we’ve got answers! First, seek out products that use lightweight conditioning and defining ingredients to avoid the greasy look and feel. Additionally, make sure the products you choose are still adding the moisture your curls and waves need to fight frizz and flyway's. Our ReFlex Curl Styling Serum is perfect for that added moisture and volume without weighing down your curls.
Type 3 Curls
Okay Type 3 Curly, this is for you! Your pattern may range from a light curl to a tighter spiral that starts at the root of the hair. Dryness, frizz, matting, or tangles are an unwelcome companion! These concerns make it difficult to maintain a long-lasting definition and hold. To overcome these concerns, focus on products that provide the moisture and nourishment that your curls crave. Olive squalene, a key natural ingredient that mimics squalene found in your sebum, can be found in our Untie the Knot Nourishing Leave-In Conditioner. This ingredient naturally replenishes lost moisture and is easily absorbed beneath the cuticles to avoid buildup. Since a leave-in conditioner is a good foundational step to curl clumping, you don’t want to skip or skim here. Finally, ensure your curls are getting the definition and flexible hold that you need with our ReFlex Curl Styling Serum or Hi! Definition Curl Enhancer Styling Gel.
Type 4 Curls & Coils
Ahhh, we finally get to talk about our moisture-loving Type 4 Curlies. Your curls are the tightest of all the curl patterns and consist of coils. One curl pattern you may find in your curly crown is tight Z-patterns with sharp twists and turns. Dryness, knots, breakage, and not getting enough slip from your curl products for better curl definition are some curly woes you may experience. Moisture is a must! Which does not come in the form of oil, but, well… water. Our Untie The Knot Nourishing Leave-In Conditioner and our Curl Supreme 4-in-1 Hydrating Crème are an excellent duo for long-lasting moisture, curl defining slippage, and strength-binding ingredients that support weakened strands. Focusing on providing your curls with moisture and slip found in light-weight ingredients will allow for greater curl retention by minimizing knots and tangles.
After having this overview of the different curl types, which type(s) best match your natural curls? Comment below.