Hair Care- Keeping Curly Mops in Tip-Top Shape

I have introduced you to C.M before, now let me tell you a bit more about my current routine that keeps my curls looking happy and healthy.

1. Brush your hair to get the knots out before you shower. This is pretty much the only time you can brush your hair without going all chia pet, since you will be washing anyway. Brushing curly hair once it is dry is a huge no-no because it breaks and separates the curl, resulting in poof that is not pretty.
(This is your curly hair on the brush, any questions?)

2. Shampoo and condition with a curly hair shampoo and conditioning treatment. The formulations of these products are gentle so as not to break down the hair's natural texture, and they are super moisturizing since curly hair is almost always dry and coarse. What you use is up to you, but I have had success with Phyto, Ojon, Bumble and Bumble, Loreal Professional, and vast others!

3. After showering, wring excess water out of hair with an old cotton t shirt, or allow hair to air-dry. Using a terry towel is another curly don't, as it will only generate frizz. The texture of most towels is way too rough on delicate curls anyway.

4. Follow up with a leave-in conditioner to lock in moisture, and a curl enhancing cream to minimize frizz and provide light hold to bouncy curls. Products I am currently loving are Rene Furterer Karite No Rinse Nutritive Concentrate and MoroccanOil Intense Curl Cream
I always shower at night, so the best tip I ever got was to do this to keep hair curl and frizz free when you sometimes sleep on it damp:

Divide hair into 2-3 sections and loosely (very loosely) twist each section into a loose braid. Secure each braid with a rubber band (again, loosely). In the morning when you wake up and unravel the loose braids, you will find your hair has kept its curl without the frizz you get when you sometimes sleep on wet hair. I do this every night, as it keeps my curls pretty and tangle free. [see above for what I mean]

The finished results keep my curls springy and frizz free.
Like so:
So there you have it, my curly hair routine. What do you do to keep your hair looking great?

Retro Chic Conditioning Hair Potion

Ladies and Gentleman, it is with great pleasure that I introduce you all to C.M. C.M has not had a strong voice on this beauty blog thus far, but all of that is about to change. She is tired of being neglected, and she wants everyone to know that she will not sit quietly neglected any longer. She wants some love and attention too!

Who is C.M- I thought you would never ask! C.M is my curly mop, a.k.a jew-fro, a.k.a my mane. She is so wild that I do consider her a separate entity, much like my bosom, but that is a whole other story. My C.M is dry, coarse, thick, curly, frizzy, color treated, and unruly. She doesn’t like the sun, and she especially doesn’t like the harsh NYC climate. Being the wild child that she is, she does nothing but present styling technical difficulties. Her unique nature makes finding the perfect products difficult, and between you and me, I am starting to think that sometimes she does not want to be tamed at all.

Keeping all that in mind, I know that I need to bust out the big guns when my hair becomes especially coarse and unruly. This is where the Retro-Chic Conditioning Hair Potion comes into play. Part of the Retro-Chic line. This conditioner uses vitamins and anti-oxidants to protect the hair, restore any damage done, lock-in color, and provide lasting protection against the drying effects of harsh environmental conditions (N.Y.C summer, anyone?).

Developed by Joshua Bernard, a professional hair artist that teamed with two of the world’s leading molecular scientists to develop the industry’s first "Microcapsule Remediation System" for hair conditioning. What all of those fancy words means is that the formula of this conditioner takes all of the good-for-your-hair ingredients, and traps them into itty bitty capsules, ensuring that the hair loving goodness doesn’t lose potency with prolonged usage.

The conditioner itself is of moderate thickness (not watery, but not as thick as a deep conditioner), and smells deliciously of citrus fruit. I applied this after shampooing (I used my default Ojon shampoo by the way), and allowed it to seep into my hair while I went about my other shower business. After 4 minutes, I rinsed it out and allowed my hair its usual air-dry. I have been using this conditioner for the past 2 weeks, and I am impressed with how my hair looks and feels. Even with my first use, I could not get over how shiny my hair looked and how soft my hair felt. Delightfully absent is my not-so-best friend, Mr Frizz. As I continue to use this, I definitely notice that my hair continues to look and feel great. CM is one happy camper.

Retro-Chic Hair Conditioner is available on BeautyChoice.com. My C.M likes it, and she thinks your C.M, or any mane at all, will love it too.