They say that self-love is the best kind of love. I have to agree. As a girl who grew up in the era of relaxers and flat ironing our coils within an inch of their life, going natural was not a linear journey—especially when I looked in the mirror at my actual hair texture. And when I say actual hair texture, I mean without stretching it with roller sets, twist-outs, or any other form for manipulation. I want to make it clear I'm not against any of those techniques. But once I just allowed my hair to be, I saved time on wash days and started looking in the mirror and loving my coils.
Now, there are days when I don't look in the mirror and say: "Hey, curls, I love you," because I know what it's going to take to get them rehydrated and looking like their best selves again. But here I am still rocking all of my type-4c curls and about to share with you the products that are always in rotation because they A) keep my curls looking great and B) also keep my hair healthy. See below.
Early on, when I went natural, I'd heard about pre-pooing. But it felt like an unnecessary step. But after talking to numerous hair experts for various hair care stories, I realized that there was value in this low lift step. And Bread's hair oil is one of my favorite pre-wash products. I apply it a day or two before my wash day, focusing on my ends.
In my opinion, you can't have too many pre-poo products, especially if you have color-treated curls and want to focus on length retention. This balm is definitely what I call an investment product, but, boy, does it deliver. My ends soak it up and it makes detangling a breeze when I get to detangling with conditioner.
A curly stylist once shared a pro-tip with me I've never forgotten: Hydrated hair starts at shampoo. Because my hair is now color-treated, I need a shampoo that wouldn't strip my color or my hair's natural oils. Oh, and this formula offers enough slip that I can detangle as I cleanse.
Not only does this treatment smell like a candy store (in the best, non-overpowering way), but it also softens my hair even when it's at its driest.
This treatment is a recent addition, and I'd say it lives up to its hype as long as you use it as the directions state on the bottle. This might be purely anecdotal, but when I detangle throughout my wash day, I have less shedding.
I grew up using Mizani and took a detour from it as I started my natural journey, but there's a reason this brand is still beloved by stylists. This leave-in delivers much-needed moisture to my curls and layers well with my other products.
I was on the hunt for a new leave-in, and this one kept coming up in hair forums, so I gave it a try. My hair loves honey, and with that said, my curls soak this up. What I love most about this is it helps define my curls before I add any stylers.
I used this gel and my type-4 curls stayed defined and hydrated for a full week. Yes, an entire week. The formula is made with honey (which I told you my hair loves) and aloe. It is a natural product that outperforms traditional salon products. If you've been thinking about buying this, just do it.
It wasn't until I chatted with hairstylists for a story I was working on about rice water that I got curious about what it could do for my hair. I know there are many DIY ways to make your own, but I'm just not that girl. Lucky for me, Pattern Beauty made a treatment with rice water, and I use it to the last drop every single time. As a result, I can tell the difference in my curls when I get lazy and skip this step before deep conditioning.
If you aren't a natural redhead, you know that reds tend to fade quickly. But after one use of this conditioner, my hair not only felt amazing, but my color was also brighter and looked like I'd just gotten a refresh at the salon.
You're probably constantly experiencing hair product FOMO if you're anything like me. Yet even when I jump ship and decide to try something new, I always come back to this conditioner. I apply this and sit under the hairdryer with a plastic cap, and my parched curls get the TLC they rightfully deserve.
Conditioning masks are products I can't leave without—especially those with protein. My hair needs a protein treatment at least twice a month, and this infused treatment works in just 10 minutes.
With tighter coils, overwashing my hair can mean unwanted dryness. So when my hair needs more of a refresh versus a clarifying shampoo, I go with this no-poo option.
Here we have another product that truly lives up to every bit of the hype as long as you use it as the directions advise. My hair loves protein and soaks this treatment up. That being said, some hair types don't respond well to protein, so check in with your stylist before giving this a try.
Scalp care has become a more important part of my routine. I enjoy using this when I'm rocking a protective style like box braids because it takes care of my scalp without disrupting my braids.
I typically follow the Curly Girl Method with my hair, which means a lot of no's, including hair tools. But this brush is so good at detangling (especially on days when I'm not in the mood to finger detangle) and styling my curls that I always keep it on standby.
Even the best of us can forget to care for our hair and scalp in protective styles—myself included—but having this treatment on hand helps me make sure I take time to care for my scalp once a week.
When I need a break from manipulating my hair, I like to pull it back into a bun with a middle part. But getting all of my curls to lay down takes a lot of water and a styler that can hold each strand in place. So for me, this mousse takes out the need to layer my hair with a bunch of gel. I just smooth a few pumps of foam over my hair, tie it down with a silk scarf overnight, and I've got myself a sleek bun.
For some reason, bonnets do not enjoy staying on overnight. But with this silk turban, I've not only found an option that stays put thanks to the adjustable strings inside of it, but I also look cute when I get ready for bed. Priorities, right?
Steaming my hair has been an absolute gamechanger, and it's a step I will not skip no matter how lazy I'm feeling. With this steamer, you get a lot of bang for your buck because you can use it as a hair and facial steamer.
Next: These Are the 13 Leave-In Conditioners That Will Resurrect Your Curls
