My Hair Care Routine, Part 1 - The Products

If you haven't seen the video yet then click here. The list below covers everything I talk about in the video.

I always get questions about my hair and how I keep it nice and shiny and not frizzy. While I don't always agree, I do appreciate the compliments and am more than willing to share my hair care routine with you all in case it helps anyone else with thick, coarse, wavy/curly long, ethnic hair.

I do not shampoo/wash my hair everyday, I do however rinse out my hair daily in the shower meaning that I go through the motions so that I can get out most of the previous days product and start "fresh" that day. The reason I do not shampoo everyday is because of the type of hair I have and I was told years ago by a hairdresser that in order to not dry it out too much I shouldn't wash it daily. I can't style dry hair so I just rinse it daily and shampoo every 2-4 days depending on the weather and how my scalp is doing (I have mild Seborrheic Dermatitis).

I rarely straighten or blow dry my hair which is why there is no mention of a heat protect ant. I do have one though. I might talk about that in another post. I also don't mention a build up/residue remover shampoo and that is because I don't have a favorite yet but I do use one once a week.

Since my hair is curly I do not brush it after it's been "styled" I only brush it before bed then I braid it so that it doesn't go everywhere and that also helps with breakage and split ends and then I brush it again in the morning before I get in the shower. That's it, other than those 2 times a brush never touches my hair. I do use a wide toothed comb to comb through each hair product but other than that once I'm done I don't do anything that would separate the curl or cause it to frizz.

Step 1: Shampoo and Conditioner. I am currently using (not to treat the Seborrheic Dermatitis - that info will be at the end of this post.) This stuff smells YUMMY, just like Skittles. I love it! I have a hard time finding a shampoo and conditioner that work for me and smell good but now I have finally found the right stuff! Both of these items work wonderfully on my hair and make it smell so yummy. The shampoo lathers nicely for being sulfate free and the conditioner is so thick and rich yet doesn't weigh down my hair. And I never have any issues with tangles.
Tigi Bed Head Foxy Curls Sulfate-free Shampoo

Flaunt your Foxy Curls! This sulfate-free moisturelicious shampoo fights frizz, redefines curls and adds shine. Be foxy! Be fierce!
* Smoothes and provides curl memory
* Gentle cleansing without stripping or weighing down hair
* Detangles

Tigi Bed Head Foxy Curls Frizz-fighting Conditioner

Curls have more fun! Sunflower seed extract and glycerin synergize to fight humidity, detangle and defrizz your curls. Flaunt your Foxy Curls!
* UV and Thermal protection
* Helps maintain colour and provides moisture
* Detangles and controls static

Step 2: Leave in conditioner. As soon as I take my hair out of the towel I comb it through with a wide tooth comb - NEVER brush wet hair with a brush it is VERY damaging! And I spray this pn the ends that feel or look try from being in the towel. The longer my hair gets the faster the ends seem to dry so this helps keep them moisturized and ready for styling without being frizzy. And it smells like apples. :)

Pravana Hydrating Intensive Leave-In Treatment

Pravana Hydrating Intensive Leave-In Treatment is a two phase treatment. Pravana Hydrating Intensive Leave-In Treatment is an instant moisturizer. It's rich botanical protein and moisturizing ingredients soften, detangle and provide incredible shine, without weighing hair down. Intensive Leave-In is pH balanced and helps to lock in hair color/

Step 3: Another leave in conditioner. Over the years I have found that I need both a spray and a cream kind. It may sound like overkill to some but it works for me. I have A LOT of hair and if I don't condition it well it gets dry like a horses tail. As I mentioned in the video I mainly focus all products on the ends of my hair, never the root and this stuff really help condition and eliminate frizz and it doesn't weigh down my hair.

Bumble & Bumble Leave-In (Rinse Out) Conditioner

Keep it in your shower as a rinse out detangler, or leave it in hair as a styling aid to moisturize, tame frizz & soften without weighing hair down.
When: Daily; after washing or during styling.
How: Comb or work through clean, wet hair and rinse thoroughly. Or, work a dab through hands, fingers and hair and style. Stop there for a natural look or give it more structure or texture (or both) with additional products.

Step 4: I only recently started using this mousse last Summer after my sister tried it and OMG it makes my curls nice and ringletty and bouncy. I have curls regardless but this mousse just makes them nice in my opinion. I love ringlet curls so anything that will give me that effect without using a curling iron or having to wrap my hair is a definite in my book. Plus it has that great Skittles smell.

TIGI BedHead Foxy Curls Extreme Curl Mousse

Bring out your inner foxy with this curl activating mega-mousse. Curls have more fun!
* Provides curl memory to maintain all day shape
* Non-flaking formula
* Softens and smoothes

Step 5: The serum. Again another frizz fighter and it adds shine. No smell and it doesnt' leave your hair too slick either like some other serums do. I focus this on the ends and top layer of my hair for a little added shine and it totally smooths everything out.

Aquage Ultra Shine Complex
pure micro-molecular silicone shine complex

add exceptional gloss to all hair types especially dull, dry, coarse or frizzy hair.
* eliminates frizz and fly-aways without leaving hair heavy or greasy
* seals and aligns cuticle for exceptional smoothness and maximum gloss
* infused with magnesium-rich sea fennel oil to fortify and strengthen hair
* smoothes coarse, unruly hair and adds humidity resistance

Step 6: The final step that really seals it all together. I've been using JoiGel for years. I tried others but always come back to this one, it really is the best one for my hair. They have 2 formulas, medium hold and firm hold. I have to use firm as the medium does nothing for me but it is a heavy gel so it isn't for everyone.

Joico Joigel Firm
Formerly: I.C.E. GEL Maximum Hold Styling Gel
Designed for: firm-hold gel styling
Benefits:
* Provides excellent support, control and shine for styling without flaking.
* UV protectants condition and protect against daily environmental stress.
* Maximum styling control, body and shine to support hard-to-hold hair.

And that's it for the morning hair routine. All in all it takes about 10-15 minutes. Once I have all the products in I either shake my head around, scrunch it or make a bunch of little buns to "set it." If I do "set" it then I take the buns out after about 20 minutes, shake out my hair and run out the door. That's it. Unless I do some twisties in the front (you've seen this style in a few of my videos), otherwise I don't style my hair, I make sure I have a side part and then let it air dry.

Other items that I mentioned in the video that I use on occasion are listed below in no particular order.

Aquage Sea Salt Texturizing Spray I use this to add some volume and texture if I'm feeling like my hair needs a little pick me up. Hard to believe but there are times when I feel that it looks flat.

volume-building styling and texturizing spray
infused with magnesium-rich dead sea salts and advanced polymers to add thickness volume, random texture and separation to hair.
* creates soft, tousled and undone textures
* medium hold keeps style under control
* dramatically increases volume, separation and strand definition without stiffness
* allows you to effortlessly create that “just left the beach” look
* water soluble, shampoos out easily

Redken All Soft Heavy Cream About once or twice a month I use this as an all day and over night deep conditioner. It works wonderfully!

Super treatment provides rich, deep conditioning for intense softness and frizz control on extremely dry, brittle hair.
WHY IT WORKS:
-Provides maximum replenishment and strengthens
-Hair is dramatically softer with increased manageability, movement and luminous shine

Joico Design Collection Humidity Blocker This stuff is AMAZING! I used it the other day when it had started to rain after a beautiful day and there was absolutely NO frizz. I always forget to use this so I was shocked. You just spray it on as a top layer if you will and that's it no frizz.

Designed for: All hair types to lock out humidity, eliminate frizz and prevent the style from collapsing.
Benefits:
* A groundbreaking fusion of essential lipids, UVA/UVB filters and antioxidants to protect hair by shielding against ozonic and free radical damage.
* A technologically superior combination of lightweight polyurethane resins to deliver maximum, long-lasting flexibility to any style.
* An exclusive blend of low molecular weight and size proteins (MWS 150-2500) that adheres quickly and effectively to ensure maximum protection and reconstruction from cuticle to the cortex.

I hope you found this helpful. Be sure to watch the video as well since there are a few tips in there that I forgot to add here. Let me know if you have any questions by posting them in the comments section.