Being a curly hair girl myself, I can safely say that managing this mane is no easy feat. A li'l bit of patience—and a lot of picking out the right products—is what it takes to tame this head of hair. Well, fine, it’s just short of being a nuisance…but why the hate? I’m #CurlyAndProud, and let me tell you why.
Firstly, there are too many ways to style curly hair; think messy bun, side-parted open hair, a wavy ponytail, and so on. This practically leaves no room for conformity—and a lot of scope for experimentation. Second, (and mind you, this one’s a big boon), no hairbrushes or combs are required. In a way, they cannot, and shall not, be tamed.
But when it comes to curating your curly hair arsenal, you mustn’t take it lightly. The trick lies in identifying your curly hair type—which ranges from 2 to 4, across sub-categories A to C; 2A being slightly wavy and 4C being super kinky. The next step involves keeping an eye out for suitable (read moisturising) ingredients, such as argan oil, coconut oil, aloe vera, shea butter, jojoba oil, honey, and glycerine, among others.
Allow us to make it super-easy for you (because who, barring us beauty geeks, enjoys skimming through the ingredient list anyway?). I spent a week taking these products for a test drive, and I’m pleased to report that they understood the assignment—and obtained an A-grade, too.
Step 1: Detangle and Scalp Care [Pre-Wash]
Let’s be real, EVERY curly hair girl needs to own a detangler hairbrush! Featuring patented two-tiered teeth, this brush delivers on its promise to detangle your tresses with minimal breakage. Ideal for 3C to 4C hair types, 73% of users claim that it reduced their detangling time by half (or more!). Begin at the ends and work your way up until it’s easy to brush seamlessly along your roots to the ends.
Next up is a hair elixir that boasts retinol, golden seaweed, and omega 3 for growth, strengthening, and moisturisation. That’s not all, it also doubles up as a heat protectant and prevents breakage! A lightweight potion enriched with tea tree oil, sunflower seed oil, and olive oil, it’s power-packed with antioxidants, and lends anti-inflammatory properties for a happy, healthy, lustrous mane.
Step 2: Cleanse [Shampoo]
Celebrity hairstylist Adhuna Bhabani’s concoction lends your curls a harmonious blend of organic coconut water and jojoba oil to tend to your potentially parched strands. Offering optimal hydration and nourishment to your locks—without stripping them of their natural moisture—the BBlunt Curly Hair Shampoo is every curly-haired Indian woman’s wonder product.
Presenting an all-natural, vegan option to quench your hair’s thirst in a jiffy. The Arata Advanced Curl Care Hair Shampoo is imbued with super-moisturising ingredients, including murumuru butter, coconut water, evening primrose oil, and hibiscus extract, that work to control frizziness, shield against oxidative stress, and soothe an irritated scalp—leaving you with bouncy, voluminous curls.
Step 3: Moisturise [Conditioner]
Employing a two-pronged attack to calm frizz and enhance curls, Aveda’s Be Curly Conditioner is a beauty bag must-have. With a promise to define your curls up to 57%, this formulation works by deeply nourishing your locks with the goodness of wheat protein and organic aloe blend. Post shampooing, massage along your lengths and rinse thereafter.
Beautifully bouncy curls are just a product away! The Wella Professionals NUTRICURLS collection relies on a NOURISH-IN complex boasting jojoba oil and wheat bran extract to make your mane more manageable.
Step 4: Hydrate [Hair Mask]
Drench your curls in a moisturising formulation enriched with coconut oil, shea butter, and glycerine. The sulphate and paraben-free Dove Beautiful Curls Deep Moisture Miracle Mask lends immense nourishment to your parched strands—giving your hair a healthy, lustrous sheen.
Meet this silicone-free formulation that provides 2X frizz protection for up to 48 hours! Infused with coconut oil, hyaluronic acid, and castor oil, the Bare Anatomy offering curbs hair fall and promotes healthy hair growth, all while strengthening and soothing your strands
Step 5: Define [Leave-In Cream]
Let your curls do the talking, courtesy of Curl Up’s Curl Defining Cream—a Made-in-India, for Indian hair types leave-in cream. Delivering the benefits of flax seed extract, chia seeds, argan oil, and shea butter, this formulation targets unruly strands, supplying them with deep nourishment and hydration.
Your curls deserve to be under the spotlight, and with Moroccanoil’s Intense Curl Cream, you needn’t worry, for they’ll assume front-row status. A super-rich formulation with a creamy texture, this product is designed to tame and detangle curly to tightly spiralled hair, making your mane more manageable and low maintenance.
Curly hair demands some extra TLC, and our carefully-curated selection of products will get the job done. From the splurger to the budget buyer, we’ve got you all covered with our edit of haircare offerings; shop away!
