Attention curly hair girls: The controversial Brazilian Blowout is not your only option to tame that mane of yours! Rather than fighting your curls, Ouidad, founder of Ouidad, The Curl Experts haircare line, is calling on women everywhere to embrace their curls and natural texture.
Here, in her own words, she gives us the scoop on how to do just that along with a few tips we could all use!
On Blow Drying…
The top mistake people make is they let their hair air dry 50% before blow drying. This puts a lot of stress on the hair. It is best to blow dry hair when it is completely wet. I also see people make many hair mistakes with straightening irons.
On Ironing…
I don’t believe that there is a hair iron on the market that does not damage and singe the hair. Iron clothes – not your curls. However, if you are going to use an iron, use a light cotton handkerchief when using it. Simply cover the metal part of the iron with a light cotton fabric as this will not damage the cuticle layer and this way you are not applying the metal directly to your cuticle layer.
On Taming…
The best way to tame your hair is with a moisturizing gel. I recommended the Ouidad Climate Control and Curl Quencher. I would also recommend applying a leave-in conditioner to hair. This will hydrate the curls and control them better.
On Unruly Behavior…
The best way to make unruly curls behave? Keep hair healthy! I also recommend using a deep conditioning treatment on your hair every two weeks to feed your hair and keep it strong, shiny and healthy.
On Raking and Shaking…
To achieve your optimal look, be sure to condition your hair with proper products (Ouidad Deep Treatment, Moisture Lock Conditioner and Climate Control) and also use my Rake & Shake method. Don’t be intimidated about styling curly hair. The key to creating beautiful curls is to create the curl pattern while the hair is damp and let them dry naturally or with a diffuser set to low heat. For best results, follow my tips and Rake & Shake styling method:
- Gently squeeze excess water out of wet hair and blot with a towel to pull out additional moisture.
- Using outstretched fingers or a Double Detangler, comb through a leave-in conditioning spray such as Botanical Boost to seal in moisture.
- Divide hair into four to six sections.
- Dispense a nickel-sized dollop of styling product to palms and rub hands together.
- Working one section at a time, separate fingers on one hand like a “rake” and rake the section from scalp to ends, spreading Ouidad Climate Control throughout the section.
- When you reach the end of the hair, gently “shake” hair back and forth to create curl in the hair.
- Let go of the section and allow hair to fall.
- Repeat the above steps for all sections using a dollop of styling product for each section.
- Diffuse hair or let it dry naturally.
On Upping it…
For the smooth up do’s, use Bobbie pins to pin up the hair, letting a few curls fall toward/around your face.
For more “Curl Talk” from Ouidad, visit ouidad.com.
