Curly Girl Haircare

When we set out to adopt hair care was absolutely the LAST thing on our minds. I always thought it would be lovely to have a daughter with curls. I'd always been drawn to curly girls. When we found out about our daughter we literally had weeks before she arrived. I was excited because her beautiful birthmother had amazing coloring and she told me that her hair was naturally very curly. I shared with her that I had always wanted a daughter with curls and I think that it meant a great deal to her to hear that. In truth I have a journal entry describing what I pictured our daughter would look like a year or so before we ever started looking into adopting again. The description was tan skin, almond shaped brown eyes and chocolate brown curly hair. Sound familiar?

My Princess is everything I ever hoped for in a daughter. Those curls, I adore them. I love her hair! She's unique and beautiful and amazing.

Now...it can be a lot of work at times. For this fine haired momma I find it a bit of a challenge. But, lets face it, momma loves a challenge!

Mighty Mike and My Princess with a Deep Conditioning Treatment on.

Now, I don't do anything with My Princess's hair without major research and advice from hairdressers, friends and (strangers in the mall who have my daughter's hair type). I have done A LOT of different things and I will tell you what has worked, and what hasn't. 

• Curly hair does not need to be washed more than once a week (if that). I know that to us fine haired people that sounds crazy but it is really true. Curly girls need the natural oils to keep their scalp and hair moist.
• You CANNOT brush through curly girls hair when it is dry. I don't even advise it when it is wet without some sort of conditioning treatment because you will break hair and hurt your daughter's head trying to push a brush through corkscrews.
• Doing twists or braids will help with hair growth and elongate curls

Here are some of the products that we have used that have failed:

Carols Daughter-

 this line while it may work for some made my daughter's scalp dry out and flake. She also developed a rash on her neck. It is "all natural" however it is heavily scented.

Aubrey Organics-

I was really not impressed with this product for curly girls and I really wanted to be. Again it is heavily scented and itchy on My Princess's scalp. I do love their products, just not for DD.

Some of my favorites products are:

Curls Quenched Curls works well for tight curls when used on wet hair for combing or styling. It is light and doesn't make hair crunchy. It is probably lower on the list for it's conditioning but I love the scent. It's pineapple-y and really Yummy. I also like their styling lotion for setting hair in braids and also for piggy-tails.












Mop C-System Curl Defining Cream was an OK product. It does work well as a detangler but it is not my favorite. The smell is a light citrus scent and isn't too strong. Sometimes I can find this product at TJ Max.



















Kinky Curly Custard is really pretty awesome stuff. I buy several products from this line and they are only available locally at Whole Foods. It is pricey, but if you have a Whole Foods close by it is a great product for detangling, moisturizing and styling.














I have to say that my favorite products so far have been the Deva Curl Collection. The products themselves are great and affordable but the thing I love about the Deva Curl Collection is that it is a whole system that teachers proper curly haircare. It is simple, natural and the results are really beautiful. Here are some clips that show how to use Deva Curl:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ssKMFXI1Fg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0BMVAXmZ6U



These Youtube video's I love because they show how to handle ethnic hair, however please NEVER use those products that are full of chemicals on your DD's hair. Natural products can be much more effective and won't strip your DD's hair or expose her to harsh chemicals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax1-xHe_tvo&feature=channel

Here is a link to a blog that talks about biracial hair-care: http://treasuresfortots.blogspot.com/2009/08/biracial-hair-care.html
I like many of her tips however My Princess has more of a corkscrew curl and her hair is a bit more complicated to style.

Here is our daily regimen now:

1. Wash once a week with a possible cream rinse (condition and rinse) if she gets something sticky or messy in her hair between washes.
2. After bath use either TRESemme Naturals  Sulfate Free Conditioner or Deva Curl One Condition to hydrate curls. I will very liberally condition by sections and comb or brush through to detangle. 
3. Use the Deva Arc Angel or Curls Styling Lotion. I scrunch her curls with the product and then leave it alone to dry.
4. If I'm putting her hair up or twisting/braiding it I will section it out before putting anything on it and then moisturize and put style product directly on each section then twist or braid. Same is true if I am doing pigtails. 

If her hair is dry (in between washes), I will  use a water bottle maybe with a drop or two of jojoba oil or lemongrass oil to wet her hair completely before combing or brushing. Then I will use conditioner like Deva One as a leave-in.



Do you have any products tips or style tips? I'd love to hear from you!