The Mane Event: My Hair Routine

It's been years since I've done a post on my hair, and while my routine is pretty similar to my last big hair post, I thought I'd start doing a series of posts about my "beauty regimen," which is in quotes because I'm quite minimal when it comes to beauty products, skin care, and the like. I tend to be pretty DIY in regards to my hair. Every time I've gone to a stylist for a cut I leave, go home, grab my own scissors and fix it. I'm probably just going to stylists who are only familiar with cutting straight hair, but It's happened enough times that I'm over it. I've always been happy with my own hair when I cut it myself, and it's free, so I'm sold on DIYing my haircut. Same thing when it comes to color. I think the only time I've ever been happy with a salon doing my color was when I went red for the first time, so I ended up doing my roots myself (and/or just let them grow out). But, now that I'm back to my natural color I won't have to keep up roots anymore!

I guess I should preface this portion of the post by saying that I won a year's supply of Tresemme products back in 2008 and I still have quite a few of those products, which is why most of the stuff I use is Tresemme. I like them though, so I'm still using them, though once I run out, I'll likely start trying out some new products from more curly-hair friendly brands and try out some sulfate-free shampoo.

I very rarely use shampoo, but when I do I use Tresemme's Moisture Rich Shampoo. I'll only really use shampoo when my hair is feeling pretty gross or product laden. Typically though, I just use conditioner, Tresemme's Moisture Rich Conditioner. I'll also use a deep conditioner every now and then to give my hair a boost. Most recently I used Ouidad's 12 minute deep treatement, but I've also used VO5's hot oil treatment and Cholesterol hair conditioning creme, which I got to soothe my hair after I dyed it pink & teal.

What's important to me in a conditioner, besides that it keeps my hair healthy and happy, is that it aids in detangling. Now that my hair is short I don't really have this problem as much, but when it was long (pretty much my whole teen/adult life up to this point), it would dread itself in a matter of days to the point where I would only be able to brush the dreads out in the shower with conditioner helping. One conditioner that was always amazing at this was Biolage's detangling solution. I loved this product for detangling.

After I wash/condition my hair I use a few different products in it as I dry it. Before I blow dry I use a bit of Pequoi Oil by Couture Color. This came in the package with the dark brown dye when I dyed my hair a couple months ago and I like it. Once I'm done with it I want to try Moroccanoil because I've heard amazing things about it for a long time.

After I run the oil through my damp hair, I usually put something in it to help define my curls a bit. I absolutely hate mousse or anything that makes my curls crunchy or look like they're perpetually wet. Mousse or gel always weigh down my curls and I just dislike the feeling of it. I like to go with something lighter and preferably something that moisturizes also. I like using Tresemme's Curl Shaping Milk or Lotion Creme. Both aren't heavy and I really like that I can't feel the product on my hair. Before I ran out, I used to always use their Curl Locking Spray, which was my go-to curl product. I like all these products because they're light and don't make my curls stiff or heavy. I typically will only use the Pequoi Oil and one of these other products on my hair because I don't want too much product going on.

If I've got some frizz going on I'll spritz a bit of Tresemme's No Frizz Shine Spray. Or if it's day 2 or 3 and my curls are looking "meh" I'll spray on their Curl Reactivation Spray. If I want my hair to be a bit bigger, I'll spray some hairspray into my hair as I'm blowdrying upside down.

Speaking of blowdrying, I like to blowdry. I know a lot of curl people say you shouldn't because of the heat and frizz and dehydration... but my hair takes forever to air dry and I just don't care for having damp hair for hours. I'll usually blow dry it on low until most of it is dry. I can't find my diffuser, but if I could I'd probably use it! I dry it upside down for 90% of my blow drying, scrunching it in my hands and holding my hair scrunched while I dry, to sort of imitate the effect of a diffuser.

That's pretty much it! If I want to have straight bangs, rather than let them just be curly, I'll dry them with my paddle brush and then make them lay right with my flatiron. I don't really do much else in the way of "styling." Sometimes I'll braid it or put it up, but mostly I'm so low maintenance that I just let it be. Of course, now that it's short I can't really braid it or put it up so I've just been wearing it down. I guess I'll have to figure out some styles I can do with shorter hair!

Note that everyone's hair is different. What might work for me might not work for you, and vice versa. While I hope that sharing my routine may help those of you with similar big curly hair, there are just so many kinds of curls and body that my routine just might not work on your hair.