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Best Curly Hair Care-Washing

houseofebbittsalon
Feb 28, 2018
3 min read

Just-washed-and-conditioned-curly hair is simply gorgeous. It is the envy of straight-haired women, who try one product after another to achieve the body and sexiness of naturally curly hair. They look at women with curly hair and wonder how they could ever say they want straight hair. What could possibly be wrong with having masses of sexy, beautiful ringlets?

Well, according to women with curly hair, A LOT!

Curly hair requires

1. careful care and maintenance,

2. specific products for washing, conditioning and styling, and

3. a master precision cutter who specializes in the unique issues that result in cutting hair that curls, stretches, bounces, frizzes, and in general defies attempts to cut it in any sane way!

So here is a specific curly hair care wash and condition regimen that will protect curly hair and ensure your curls are full, soft, and shiny, not dry, unmanageable and frizzy.

How to wash curly hair

The first rule of washing curly hair is frequency – you simply cannot wash curly hair as frequently as you would straighter hair. When you do wash it, you must use a very gentle, detergent-free shampoo.

Sodium lauryl sulfate, the key ingredient in most traditional shampoos, is both a salt and a detergent. It is an effective cleanser, which is why it is in so many hair-cleaning products, but it’s too harsh for most curls. And when I say too harsh, I mean that it will rough up the cuticle of the hair and make it frizzy, the number one problem for people with curly hair. You need to condition curly hair even when washing it, or you will hate the results.

For those looking for even more hydration, there is something called a "co-wash" formula. Co-washing means actually washing your hair with conditioners, which seems counter-intuitive, but is, in fact, highly effective.

So look for a 100 percent sulfate-free shampoo like Deva Curl No Poo Shampoo , a co-wash like Matrix Cleansing Conditioner or the gold standard of curly hair care- the Rene Furterer Sublime Curl line.

Rene Furterer Sublime Curl Silicone-Free Shampoo

These gentler hair care products will not produce that rich, satisfying lather we all want because we have been trained to connect lather to cleaning our hair effectively. But lather has absolutely nothing to do with effective cleaning. Lather is something we should all prefer NOT to experience when we shampoo as it is a sign of detergent in the product. What you will get from a gentle, non detergent shampoo, or co-cleaning, is healthy, bouncy and shiny curls.

If you have fine curly hair, cleanse every other day at the most. If you have thicker strands you can probably go three or even four days without a wash.

If you wash with a cleansing conditioner do not expect to save any time. In fact you will spend several extra minutes washing and rinsing because it is harder to rinse your hair clean. If you choose a gentle, sulphate free shampoo formulated specifically for curly hair, it will rinse out easily and quickly.

Either way, you still need to take the next step, which is CONDITIONING YOUR CURLY HAIR

House of Ebbitt specializes in cutting curly hair. Click here to book an appointment.

Thomas Ebbitt is a talented, experienced, and creative hair artist who was the Scottish haircutting champion before moving across the pond first to DC and then Annapolis.

Isabel Ebbitt is an accomplished hair stylist in her own right who also specializes in skin care and makeup. They often work as a team on their clients