pudding vs curl cream vs leave-in conditioner

[Anonymous]

My hair is going completely frizzy. Pre-covid I would just chop it all off but now it has grown to bob-length. I'd like to keep some length but maintain some control. Some days it sticks out horizontally at the sides and points upward at the top like a rooster. I'm trying to tame it but am confused about the purposes and uses of puddings, curl creams and leave-in conditioners. Do I use them all or just some of them.

I think my hair would be 2C or 3A. I'm white.

Any tips?

[Anonymous]

You should google curly girl method. No silicones or sulfates. No brushing when dry. Learn to “plop.” You will need to play around with products to see what works best. I use a curl cream for soft hold; some people prefer a firmer gel that freezes frizz but can be crunchy and needs to be broken up. A good curly stylist can help.

[Anonymous]

Shampoo, condition, then try adding pea size amount of Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Hair and Body Moisturizer. Redken and Aveda have nice hair masks too. Also like the Aveda nutriplenish leave in spray if I didn't use another leave in.

[Anonymous]

2c and 3a are very different. Does your hair have s-curve waves or corkscrews? Does the curl/wave pattern start at the roots or further down?

I have 2b/2c and I can use a pudding or curl cream on it for definition and hold, but cannot do this daily or follow true "curly girl" method because my hair gets too weighed down by heavy products. Most days I just use a leave in. Here's my standard wash routine (2-3x a week, because again, my hair is easily weighed down, plus I need this for scalp health):

- wash with curly-girl approved shampoo, rinse
- conditioner or hair mask (comb through), leave for 2-3 minutes, rinse
- spray leave in on soaking wet hair and then scrunch out excess water with hands before leaving shower (which also facilitates my hair settling into it's wave pattern)
- another light mist of leave in once out of shower, then scrunch a few times with a microfiber towel to get out any excess moisture (my hair will get frizzy if there is too much moisture in it before it air dries)

I use claw clips or coiled hair ties when I pull it up, and a silk pillowcase. I never brush it and only comb it using a wide tooth comb to distribute conditioner.

[Anonymous]

Start by getting a good curly cut like DevaCurl (but don’t use their products) or Ouidad.

I use Aveda’s Be Curly line and love it - curl prep, followed by a mashup of the curl enhancer & flax gel. Don’t touch while it’s air drying.

[Anonymous]

I just started embracing my curls this past May. I’m following a handful of folks on Instagram and get really good tips. I would suggest following:
Charlottecurls
Ringlet.Riss

1. Make sure your hair is really wet.
2. Coat with a leave-in conditioner. It could be any of the things you lists
3. Brush it away from your head using a brush or comb for curls. You’ll see what they use in the IG videos.
4. Then add the gel. This will lock in the moisture. There are several ways to generate the curls. You can brush it and shake. You can twist the clumps. You can scrunch it. Again, the videos will show you.
5. Finally, you can air dry it or use a diffuser. Don’t touch it. A “cast” will form which is when the curls get hard and crunchy as it dries. When that happens, you can then use a little oil on your hands to break the cast.

—Use a satin pillow case.
—Wash once a week with a clarifying shampoo. This gets the products out.
—Don’t invest in too many products. Just get a leave-in conditioner and a gel. Try different curling routines and see what works best for you. You will have some hits and some misses.
—I started with the “Twist” brand of conditioner and gel. It supposed to be one of the best “drug store” products.
—I bought a Shark hair dryer diffuser. The top of the line is the Dyson. Again, there are videos that show how to dry it.

Have fun with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just started embracing my curls this past May. I’m following a handful of folks on Instagram and get really good tips. I would suggest following:
Charlottecurls
Ringlet.Riss

1. Make sure your hair is really wet.
2. Coat with a leave-in conditioner. It could be any of the things you lists
3. Brush it away from your head using a brush or comb for curls. You’ll see what they use in the IG videos.
4. Then add the gel. This will lock in the moisture. There are several ways to generate the curls. You can brush it and shake. You can twist the clumps. You can scrunch it. Again, the videos will show you.
5. Finally, you can air dry it or use a diffuser. Don’t touch it. A “cast” will form which is when the curls get hard and crunchy as it dries. When that happens, you can then use a little oil on your hands to break the cast.

—Use a satin pillow case.
—Wash once a week with a clarifying shampoo. This gets the products out.
—Don’t invest in too many products. Just get a leave-in conditioner and a gel. Try different curling routines and see what works best for you. You will have some hits and some misses.
—I started with the “Twist” brand of conditioner and gel. It supposed to be one of the best “drug store” products.
—I bought a Shark hair dryer diffuser. The top of the line is the Dyson. Again, there are videos that show how to dry it.

Have fun with it.

Thanks! I've been swimming in chlorinated water which isn't helping as I have to wash the chlorine out every day.

[Anonymous]

One more thing:
Stop using terry cloth towels on your head. I use a t-shirt. There are special “micro-plopping” towels you can buy. They absorb the water without creating frizz like a regular towel does.

[Anonymous]

^^agree. I use a microfiber turban that absorbs much of the water without roughing up my curls. OP, you will need to try some different techniques and products to see what gives you the best results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just started embracing my curls this past May. I’m following a handful of folks on Instagram and get really good tips. I would suggest following:
Charlottecurls
Ringlet.Riss

1. Make sure your hair is really wet.
2. Coat with a leave-in conditioner. It could be any of the things you lists
3. Brush it away from your head using a brush or comb for curls. You’ll see what they use in the IG videos.
4. Then add the gel. This will lock in the moisture. There are several ways to generate the curls. You can brush it and shake. You can twist the clumps. You can scrunch it. Again, the videos will show you.
5. Finally, you can air dry it or use a diffuser. Don’t touch it. A “cast” will form which is when the curls get hard and crunchy as it dries. When that happens, you can then use a little oil on your hands to break the cast.

—Use a satin pillow case.
—Wash once a week with a clarifying shampoo. This gets the products out.
—Don’t invest in too many products. Just get a leave-in conditioner and a gel. Try different curling routines and see what works best for you. You will have some hits and some misses.
—I started with the “Twist” brand of conditioner and gel. It supposed to be one of the best “drug store” products.
—I bought a Shark hair dryer diffuser. The top of the line is the Dyson. Again, there are videos that show how to dry it. My 10yo DD is AA and this is very similar to what we do. I watched a video where a guy did the conditioner, then a moisturizer/mousse, then oil. Each time he added one he pulled his hair kind of out and away from his head in sections. When he was done he shook his head vigorously. It looked awesome. We’ve done it with what we had on hand and it does look great.