Understanding Natural Movement In Hair

05 PRODUCTS

Sometimes people with happy, healthy curls can have their hair dry with definition after cleansing & conditioning without adding products—yet, how long does it last? 30 minutes? I haven’t met a head of curls that can successfully keep their curls looking good into the second day without having used Products.

Products Menu

Products Overview

SIDE NOTE:

My guests regularly get asked by other people with curls, “What products do you use?” This question is worth asking if you aren’t happy with your current products, yet it shouldn’t be the only one asked. Even if they happen to tell you the right products for your hair—the order you apply them in is important; the amount and how you apply them are just as important. How often you are cleansing and conditioning, and how you are refreshing your hair on non-Cleanse Days to reactivate products—your routine and interactions with your hair matter. The solution isn’t just having the right products.

The Products we use play a crucial role in the success of our curls, especially when we aim to have longevity between cleanses. They also play a lot into the overall health of our hair and scalp. I will say, most scalp issues I see get solved by changing to cleaner products and implementing a good cleansing routine (as discussed in Section 2).

I believe the biggest factors that need to be considered when selecting products are our specific Hair & Movement Elements. Although one product can fit the needs of a lot of curly heads, it can’t address the needs of all curls. For example—the weight of the leave-in moisture—some strands need lightweight moisture and some strands need moisture with a little larger molecules and weight to it. Having a Hair Professional help you understand your Hair & Movement Elements and what that means for your product selection is the easiest way to go about things.

There are finally options for curls out there, yet that hasn’t necessarily made product selection easier. What is allowed in Personal Care Products is very under-regulated in the U.S. We don't ban ingredients often, we just make companies keep records and report on any adverse events.

This means there are a lot of products out there (especially in the U.S.) with a lot of junk in them. This has led to the industry creating misconceptions and behaviors that are really just catering to and trying to disguise crappy products.

WHAT TYPES OF PRODUCTS DO I NEED TO USE ON MY HAIR AFTER CLEANSING & CONDITIONING?

SIDE NOTE:

As mentioned in Rule #2–MOLECULE SIZE is important and not all brands pay attention to it. Is your product weighing your hair down? If it is something that we need to enter the strand, then it can’t be too large, it has to be able to get past the cuticle doors.

ANOTHER SIDE NOTE:

I normally stay away from Volumizing products for curls or coils, unless they are applied just at the roots. Volumizing is normally putting molecules between the strands that expand. This can go against or confuse the curl definition/grouping/clumping that we want to encourage. Volumizing products with wavy hair can be okay, since waves aren’t grouping/clumping. We can use techniques in our drying process, or once the hair is dry, to encourage volume instead of products.

YET ANOTHER SIDE NOTE:

Some people use an oil or something to soften up the Curl Cast once the hair has dried. I don’t recommend doing this in the light of desiring longevity. Oils break down the hold—which we want to be able to refresh as needed in the following days between cleanses without having to add more. It is more productive to use a hold product that gives you a good cast and softens up well when you scrunch the dry hair without having to break it down. If it doesn’t soften up, then you are using something too strong for your hair.

AND ANOTHER SIDE NOTE:

I have to mention that some hair with natural movement (Waves, for example) can do okay with only using the first type and the third type of products listed. Yet, I’ve seen most hair get the best and longest-lasting results by including the second type of product so I recommend it.

I can’t emphasize enough—Your Combination of Hair & Movement Elements really plays into the specifics of what products & techniques will work best with Your hair. I talk about Hair & Movement Elements more in-depth in The Elements Section, yet having a Hair Professional help you analyze and understand your unique combination of Hair & Movement Elements and what that means for your product selection and routine is important.

I will give you the general product needs when encouraging the natural movement in hair, and what order they need to be applied in. Remember that not all products are the same and so they won’t always give the same results, even if they are both called “leave-in conditioner”, or “curl cream”, or “mousse”.

Some people/groups have really over-complicated the product and routine needs of curls when it is actually pretty simple since we are just encouraging and supporting your hair in doing what it wants to do. I believe we do NOT need a lot of different products for curls, we just need products that do three things in forms that work well with our specific Hair & Movement Elements. Most products do multiple things and so it is okay to be doing more than these three things, yet I find these three are crucial and that doing them in separate steps is best for most curls (products can get gunked up when we try to cocktail them together and add in hydration at the same time as sealing it into the hair).

A PRODUCT THAT HELPS WITH HYDRATION & STRAND ELASTICITY:
We want to add things to the hair that help with water absorption (hydration). These are normally lighter-weight, creamy or liquid products that actually get into the strands (past the cuticle). Normally water-based. I think of this as first we need “moisture molecules that sink into the hair.” There will be times when our hair absorbs more of this and less of this depending on what it needs, so it is crucial to go off of the feel when applying instead of a specific amount. We want to feel that all of the strands are coated. In the next chapter, we will go into more detail about how to apply products and why. Be careful that this doesn’t have any “hold” to it or else it will make it harder for the molecules to sink in.
A PRODUCT THAT HELPS WITH MOISTURIZATION, SOFTENING, & CURL SUPPORT:
Then we add things to the hair that promote water retention (Moisturization). These can be thicker creams, serums, and often have an oil base (remember: oils need refined down though). The weight of these products is normally more than the Hydrating products and that is okay, though we aren’t wanting things that sit really heavy on the hair (even if you don’t like your natural volume). I think of this as the next step to encapsulate the moisture that just sunk into the hair. At this stage, we want to use a product that encourages the curls to group together and to curl up (for those whose curls need help with this). We can also use a product with reparative, strengthening, or softening elements to them.
A PRODUCT THAT SEALS IN THE HYDRATION & MOISTURE, AND HELPS HOLD THE DEFINITION:
We always want to END with a hold product that seals in the other products; holds the cuticle doors closed; holds the curls in their curl groups as they dry; holds in the Curl Pattern (important for those who have melty curls); and holds the style in place. To some extent, we don’t necessarily want hair that is stuck in place. We should set it up with a good cut & shape to have the freedom to move around. This category is mainly mousses/foams (lighter weight and lighter hold) or gels (traditionally a little heavier weight and stronger hold, though there are a lot of varieties of weight and hold strength in the options out there). These products create the Curl Cast that is very important for lasting definition and curl. Most people aren’t fans of the Curl Cast, yet it is a very crucial part of the process, especially when desiring longevity. We want that crunch or cast to be present during the entire drying stage, and we want it to be able to soften up well when we scrunch the hair once it is dry. This is giving the curls a good reference place to tend back to when refreshing on the following days. We know the curl groups will expand over time, and most of the time this is what we want. However, when there are strands starting to get out of their curl groups too much, we can encourage back towards the tighter organization that they dried in. Make sure you are selecting a hold product that doesn’t contain alcohol because it is drying for your curls.

WHEN TRYING A NEW PRODUCT

Consider these questions:

Does it give me the results I want/need for today?
Which days/situations is it best used?
Is it applied on wet, dry, or misted hair?
How does it affect my hair/curls in the following days?
How does it affect my Cleanse Cycle? (Is it making me have to cleanse more often or does it help me get more longevity between cleanses?)
Does it build up on the hair? Does it leave the hair well when cleansed?
Does my scalp react to it?
Over time does it cause any issues or unhealthiness?

Change products if they aren’t working or are causing issues, yet I want to caution against changing products constantly or rotating through a bunch of different products just for fun. Keep in mind that your hair and scalp like a good consistent rhythm. If products are always changing, then the hair and scalp can have a hard time settling into doing their natural movements well.

GUIDING RULES FOR PRODUCT SELECTION

SIDE NOTE:

There are some options for lightweight, refresh products that can help when trying to get extra time between cleanses; or dealing with windy days; or hair that has been pulled up—these shouldn’t be needed to refresh daily though—no matter what your Curl Pattern or Hair Elements are. Most days you shouldn’t need to add any more product to help the hair look good and do its thing. If you do, this is a sign that something is off—you either need to apply more product on Cleanse Day; change what products you are using; or adjust some of your interactions with your hair.

SIDE NOTE:

Let’s talk about RAW BUTTERS AND OILS. Even if they offer good things for the hair, the MOLECULE SIZES are larger and so they sit on top of the cuticle doors. This wouldn’t be bad except that THEY DON’T LEAVE THE HAIR WELL WHEN CLEANSED and normally weigh down strands. Using products that have oils and butters in them is not necessarily bad (actually it can be really good in most situations), the key factor is if those producing the products pay attention to the molecule sizes of the ingredients. This is especially important if you have finer strands. Our hair can’t break things down, so it needs some help—how oils and butters are refined down and what is retained is important. Some brands pay attention to this and some brands don’t.

Here are my Guiding Rules that help us navigate selecting products:

RULE #1: We want products that stay in the hair well between cleanses.

We want to see them functioning, without feeling them in the hair too much— meaning, feeling like the hair is dirty because of the products. If after we cleanse we use the right products, in the right amounts, with the right amount of water to product ratio, applied the right way—it will last and we will not have to apply more product again till after the next cleanse.

When we do light refreshes on non-Cleanse Days, part of what we are doing is reactivating the product that is already in the hair. I find this to be more successful than piling more products on top of the dry strands (that already have products on them). When we do, it makes the hair feel dirtier and we have a hard time with even distribution unless we mess up the curl groups too much (so inevitably it is unevenly applied on some strands and not others).

I have found products that stay in the hair well between cleanses and work well when refreshed, without making the hair feel heavy or dirty.

RULE #2: We want products that leave the hair well when we cleanse.

We should be able to use gentle cleansers at regular intervals and have all of the products, dirt, and oils leave the hair. This means that it doesn’t require a clarifying shampoo or strong cleansers to get it all out. NO BUILD-UP! Still feeling even your natural oils (sebum) in your hair after you cleanse, is not what we want. We need to gently get everything out of the way so that the doors of the cuticle layers can open and a fresh flow of water can flow in to hydrate the strand every time you get the hair wet and cleanse. Product and oil molecules on top of dehydration will never create lasting results or healthy hair.

RULE #3: We want products that lead to healthier scalp, hair, and curls over time.

This seems straightforward and is. Yet, there are a lot of brands creating products that don’t consider this—how regular use affects you. There are a lot of curly products out there that will do good things for your hair right away, but cause health problems for you, your scalp, and your curls.

IF PUTTING PRODUCTS ON YOUR SCALP CAUSES YOUR SCALP TO PRODUCE MORE OIL, THEN THAT IS A SIGN THAT THE PRODUCTS ARE NO GOOD. Your head is reacting by creating a barrier between it and the product. The solution isn’t to not apply it to the hair at the scalp (that hair needs product too), the solution is to STOP USING THAT PRODUCT. There ARE options that won’t make your head react and instead will do good things for your scalp.

Once again, I’ll mention—No Sulfates (stripping) or Parabens (waxy buildup). Botanically based Haircare and Styling Products are easiest for the hair to accept and use. The cleaner the ingredients in the products, the better it is for our hair, our health, and the environment. You will notice a difference with good products when you use them–especially over time.

Good, clean products are key to longevity with our curls. They set you up to not have to apply products as often, making good products an affordable choice in the long run.

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Understanding Natural Movement In Hair

05 PRODUCTS

Products Overview

WHAT TYPES OF PRODUCTS DO I NEED TO USE ON MY HAIR AFTER CLEANSING & CONDITIONING?

WHEN TRYING A NEW PRODUCT

GUIDING RULES FOR PRODUCT SELECTION

RULE #1: We want products that stay in the hair well between cleanses.

RULE #2: We want products that leave the hair well when we cleanse.

RULE #3: We want products that lead to healthier scalp, hair, and curls over time.

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