Fighting frizz and maintaining curls
Many of us know how awful it can be to have out of control frizzy hair. If you are like me, it is almost easier to fight it than embrace it, but if you give your hair the TLC that curly hair needs you can have gorgeous bouncy curls without the unfortunate frizz that tags along.
Frizz occurs when the hair's cuticle is lifted allowing the moisture in the air to swell the hair. when your hair is dry or lacking moisture it is going to try to find that moisture however it can. The combo of moisture in the air and dry hair equals a very bad hair day. Those of you living in humid states like Florida know what I am talking about! Now, coming from a place with more humidity to a place like Phoenix where there is very little, I have noticed my curls have been somewhat lack luster. What have I done about it? The must have products are shampoo, conditioner, and some sort of styling product to keep them in line. My current favorite products for curly hair is the Eufora Curl'n line.
If you don't know about Eufora yet, I will give you a quick breakdown. Eufora products are primarily aloe based. Their line actually replaces the water that is typically the first, most abundant ingredient with aloe. Why is this so great? Aloe is extremely hydrating! Curly hair is naturally very dry, so moisture is important to healthy beautiful curls. Their curl line among other great ingredients has Tomato Fruit Ferment Extract that helps repair damage, strengthens and improves the structure to improve curl retention.
Lets start with the basics, shampoo and conditioner. Eufora has a shampoo and a cleansing cream. The cleansing cream is great for those that need extra moisture as it is a conditioning cleanser. Ill be honest, I personally like to have the suds that come with shampoo, so it makes it hard for me to use cream cleansers. If that is the case with you, you could a) use this for day 3 when your hair isn't super dirty or b) use the enhancing shampoo.
It is important for any hair type to allow the natural oils to protect your hair. That means you don't want to wash your hair daily. Washing too often will strip your hair of the natural oils. If you have hair that is on the oily side it is best to invest in a good dry shampoo. (My current fav is Pulp Riot Belin dry shampoo)
Next, you want great styling products. Three great products designed specifically for curly hair by Eufora are the Defining Solution, Forming Cream, and Perfect Curl Activator. The Defining Solution provides a light, non crunchy hold. This is great for those who like to use mousse type products. If you are looking for more hold or like creamy products then the Forming Cream is your go to! This also helps with curl retention and strengthens the hair fibers. Lastly we have the Prefect Curl Activator, which is a dual purpose product. It is a great curl enhancing prep spray for frizz free curls that will leave the hair soft and shiny. It can also be used to revitalize second day curls and will combat unwanted odors. You can use any of these by themselves or in conjunction with each other to create beautiful looking styles.
If you are like me and you are heat styling your hair. You want to lower your heat as it will open the cuticle and cause frizz. Keep your heat absolutely no higher than 365 degrees (if you can go lower that is ideal, remember the finer/lighter your hair the lower you should do.) You also want to be sure that you are using a great heat protectant. My go to is Hot Spray by Kenra. Another thing that is super important is healthy curls. I myself don't often wear my hair natural despite loving
other's natural texture. This is for two reasons. 1) I am a perfectionist and when one of my curls isn't behaving quite the way I want I end up curling it with an iron, which turns in to me curling my whole head. 2) because I heat style so often and my hair has been lightened, my hair doesn't curl as well as it used too. That is why I am so excited to be using Eufora's curl line because it is supposed to rejuvenate your curls. The more I use it, the more I will start to like my curl again!
I hope this has helped some of you curly girls. Feel free to email me with any questions at Katie@katieamezquita.com I would love to hear from you!