Condition Your Curly Hair

Condition Your Curly Hair

Taking care of your curly hair can be a challenge if you don't know what products and tools work best for your hair type. A good conditioner and homemade remedies can be essential for curly hair.

Select a conditioner or natural oil

Most curly hair benefits from moisturizing conditioner for dry or damaged hair. Larger curls that clump into ringlets benefit from a light moisturizer or oil, while coils or kinks benefit from a heavy, creamy moisturizer that provides excellent protection. Alternatively, select a natural oil instead:

Jojoba oil is an extra-light oil that feels less greasy than other options.

Coconut oil is excellent at penetrating hair to restore strength.

Olive oil or grapeseed oil. These are medium-thickness oils. Olive oil has a strong scent that not everyone enjoys.

Castor oil may help restore thinning hair, although this doesn't always work. Because it is extra-thick and heavy, try cutting it with coconut or grapeseed oil.

Optionally, warm the oil by placing the jar in a bowl of hot water. This improves its ability to penetrate your hair.

Apply conditioner and untangle gently. 

Distribute conditioner or oil throughout your wet hair. Use your hands or a wide-toothed comb to gently detangle your hair and distribute the conditioner. Start by untangling bottom sections of your hair, then gradually move upwards.

Never scrub your scalp with conditioner! It can clog your pores, damaging your hair and weighing it down.

If using oil, start with about 1 oz (30mL). Increase if necessary for full coverage.

Let sit in your hair. Let the conditioner or oil sit in your hair for at least five minutes. This gives your hair time to absorb some of the oil. For a greater effect, leave it in for 15–20 minutes instead.

Rinse your hair. Rinse your hair with running water. Cool water will help seal your hair cuticles, reducing frizz and locking in the oils.

Apply leave-in products or hair masks (optional). 

Once the regular conditioner or oil is removed, consider additional products for protection.

A leave-in conditioner is easy to apply and requires no removal.

A leave-in cream or conditioner nourishes your hair while holding styles in place.

For stronger protection, apply a hair mask over the ends of your hair. Use the hair mask once a week in place of deep conditioning, or more frequently for easily damaged hair. Try masks intended for curly hair, or for making hair softer.