The Hair Chronicles: Curly Girl

For the past few years, my hair experiments have gone down many different paths. It's no secret that I LOVE to change up my hair, and for the past few years, I have tried many different cuts, styles, and colors. It's been long-ish, pixie, faux-hawk, black, brown, blonde, and every shade or hue in between. I've even made deals with my students to try different hairstyles!

So, this year, I decided to take it back to my roots...literally. When I'm not straightening, dyeing, or cutting my hair, it's pretty curly at its most natural state. Over the past year, I discovered the "curly girl method," which I take with a grain of salt and add my own touches 😉 Basically, the method replaces traditional shampoo and conditioner with products that are sulfate and silicone free, and, as any curly-haired female knows, you don't need to wash your hair very often. At present, I wash my hair with shampoo every 10 days to 2 weeks, and I co-wash (using a cleansing conditioner) every couple days in between. I no longer use a regular towel on my hair, either. Instead, I use a t-shirt and "plop" my hair (it's a thing, y'all) to help it dry quickly and enhance my curls. I've replaced mousse and gel with creams that keep my curls soft and shiny, with no crunch and very little frizz!

I've tested out a variety of products, and these are the ones I love best (found at my local Rite Aid):

  • Not Your Mother's Tahitian Gardenia Flower Curl-Defining Shampoo 
  • TRESemme Botanique Nourish and Replenish Conditioner
  • RenPure Solutions Cleansing Conditioner
  • L'Oreal Ever Curl Cream

I also have been testing out a three-step system from LUS Brand, called Love Ur Curls. It takes some getting used to, but I've been using it for about 3 weeks and I LOVE IT. 

Instead of a crazy cut, color, or style this year, I'm testing out my natural hair. I've gone full "curly girl" in the past 3 months, and honestly, I'm not sure I will ever go back! I'm still trying to find the right ratio of product to hair to keep frizz at bay throughout the day, but I'm getting there!

Obviously, the color isn't natural (I have to keep something interesting), but here is my hair today with NO filter:

Not an ounce of crunch and very little frizz - I'll take it! 

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