Curly Hair Care for salt water : low maintenance tips for high maintenance hair
I’ve always had naturally curly hair and have haaaated it my entire life. Growing up in the early 2000s when straight hair was “so hot,” it made it hard to love my individuality and my curls. I endured lots of name calling and insecurity because of my curly hair. Instead of learning more about curly hair and accepting myself, I got relaxers for years. I never wore my hair curly. I would pay for blowouts way more than I care to admit, and I had boyfriends who I dated for long periods of time who never saw my hair curly. All of this changed in July of 2018. My hairdresser said to me, during a blowout, “You know, I love doing this for you, but you are fighting something you’re going to have for the rest of your life…” That hit me hard. So I started wearing my hair curly and have been steadily trying to find the best products for my hair.
My hair has been looking so much healthier and better since I made the jump, and I love my curly hair now! I’ve written about curly hair and hard water, which you can read HERE. But salt water and humidity makes my hair a little frizzy and it loses its curl definition. I much prefer salt water over hard water, but salt water can still dry your hair out. So here are some tips for your curly hair when you are traveling and have to deal with salt water.
Wear protective styles like a bun to keep your hair out of the saltwater (this also protects your scalp from getting burnt). If it does get wet, rinse the saltwater out of your hair.
Hydrate hydrate hydrate again! You won’t need to shampoo every time, but if you feel that you must, I highly recommend the Honey Fresh shampoo by TPH by Taraji. It is super cleansing without drying your hair out. Then, I follow up with the Make it Rain conditioner by TPH by Taraji.
Detangle in the shower. I put a massive amount of conditioner in my WET hair. Then I separate my hair into 2 parts and use a wide tooth comb, working my way from my ends to my scalp. If the comb isn’t going through as easily, put more conditioner in your hair.
Products are important! I use the Ride or Die leave-in conditioner by TPH by Taraji and mix it with the Curl Talk Defining Cream by Not Your Mother’s and finger comb those products through my hair. Then i scrunch my hair with the Curl Talk Frizz Control Sculpting Gel by Not Your Mother’s.
Avoid heat. Don’t blow dry, straighten, or diffuse your hair. The sun and saltwater is already damaging, so let it air dry!
There are some sunblock sprays for your hair. I’ve never tried them, but I will in the future and let you all know :)
All curly hair is different, but this routine works best for me! If you have any tips, leave them in the comments!