When you have curly or coily hair, your strands might veer from bouncy and defined one day to flat or dehydrated the next. What to do?
To keep your waves, curls, or coils looking and feeling their best, some small care and styling tricks can go a long way. Read on for our top tips on how to style curly hair at home, using the new supercharged Garnier Hair Food range.
Curl types are broken down into several categories depending on shape and pattern, each with their own unique needs. Type 2 hair is wavy, type 3 hair is curly, and type 4 hair is coily or afro hair. Within these types, there is also a lettering system which provides more detail on the exact curl pattern. You can find out more in our full guide to identifying and caring for each curl type.
Curly and coily hair is naturally more prone to dryness and breakage, as the scalp’s natural oils take more time to work their way down each strand. That’s why a tailored hair care routine involving moisture-rich products is essential, no matter your curl type.
The best hair routine for curly hair starts with cleansing, conditioning, and smoothing. Here’s our essential routine to care for curly hair at home:
1) Pre-poo
2) Cleanse
3) Condition
4) Hair mask
5) Leave-in conditioner
Apply a hair mask (we love our Banana Hair Food mask for this!) to dry hair and leave in for at least 10 minutes before rinsing. You can also leave it in all day while you run your errands, or even overnight before you rinse in the morning! This technique allows the product to penetrate the curl shaft and deeply moisturise.
Cleanse using a gentle, natural origin ingredient shampoo to remove any buildup. Look for curl-restoring formulas without silicones for a more natural feel – just lather and rinse.
Gently squeeze excess water from your hair and apply one of our Hair Drink conditioners to your lengths. For finer hair you’ll only need one dose, while medium and thick hair will need two or three doses (dosage information is on the packaging). Massage into lengths for just 10 seconds before rinsing. Try Repairing Papaya Hair Drink to reduce breakage, or apply Nourishing Banana Hair Drink to hair lengths for a rich hit of hydration. When put to the test, 4 out of 5 panellists** with Type 4 hair said they would recommend Hair Drink to anyone with type 4 hair*!
**Home Tester Club
Dry hair needs regular deep conditioning, too, which is where Garnier’s best-selling Hair Food Masks come into play. After rinsing out your shampoo and Hair Drink conditioner, leave Cocoa Butter Hair Food Mask, Coconut Hair Food or Papaya Hair Food in wet curls for three to five minutes before rinsing to leave your curls smooth, detangled, moisturised and defined.
While you can rinse out Garnier’s Hair Food masks, the versatile 3-in-1 formulas can also be used as a leave-in treatment for added smoothness and protection. Our Coconut and Macadamia Hair Food or Cocoa Butter Hair Food mask is a perfect leave-in treatment for dry curls, enriched with vitamins Cg, E, and F derivative, shea butter and natural origin nut oils. After washing, section your hair and apply your Hair Food mask to nourish and smooth your hair before styling – no need to rinse!
*Home Tester Club, 87 out of 103 agree.
After you’ve washed and smoothed, you might want to try a few styles out on your hair. Here are some of the tips and looks we’ve been loving.
Wondering how to reduce damage to your hair? Ideally, you might want to refrain from fiddling with your hair too much to prevent friction and damage. Use a dedicated detangling comb to work out any knots and use in conjunction with one of our Hair Food masks in the shower to get maximum slip and help with the detangling process.
Heat protection is also key to enviably bouncy curls, and many people love their curly hair best when it’s left to air-dry. If you’re not ready to put down the heat tools just yet, apply a heat protectant spray or serum first and opt for the diffuser attachment. Here, our Honey Serum is the perfect choice, providing heat protection for hair up to 230 degrees*.
Here are some ideas on how to style curly hair according to type.
If you have type 2 wavy hair, you’ll want to keep those gentle curves looking sleek and defined. For 2A hair, apply a light mousse before styling. Waves look best when they can move freely! Type 2B and 2C hair are tighter curls than 2A, so in addition to a volumising mousse, rub a smoothing serum between your hands and run them lightly through your waves to separate and coat each strand – again, we recommend our best-selling new Garnier Honey Serum! Then, let your waves air-dry.
Type 3A hair features loose, large spirals. Apply a light detangling spray to wet hair after you’ve shampooed and used a wash-out conditioner to keep curls well-defined.
If your curls resemble medium-sized corkscrews, you probably have type 3B hair. These usually have great volume on their own, but also have unique moisture needs. Run moisture-restoring oils and serums through damp or dry hair to boost shine and smooth. Try our Honey Serum as it reduces up to 94% of split ends in 1 use* and up to 6X smoother hair*!
Type 3C curls are densely packed, so the first rule of styling this type of curly hair is to detangle from tip to root using a comb. Braids and twists are natural styles that not only look chic, but braiding natural hair can also help keep it protected from damage. Our Hair Food Masks can be used before braiding or before a twist out (on either damp or dry hair), to help hold the style and nourish the hair in the process.
Coily Type 4 hair can be prone to shrinkage when dried. Whether you have 4A S-shaped strands, 4B Z-shapes, or 4C zigzag patterns, opt for hair styling products enriched with naturally hydrating ingredients like coconut milk and Shea Butter.
Natural coils look plush and healthy with curl-defining hair creams, such as the Garnier Cocoa Butter Hair Food. Detangle and separate hair with fingers, before scrunching creams into wet hair after shampooing and rinsing any wash-out conditioners, to smooth and soften your ringlets. Or if you want to opt for a slick back look (like a twist, puff, or bun) our Hair Food Masks are a great alternative to gels as they help slick back your hair while providing nourishment and hydration feel to the hair.
Like the look of braids or locs? We love options like box braids, cornrows, or even locs braids gathered into an updo. Garnier partnered with Black Ballad and hosted a cornow class at our Weekender event in August in London. More information here.
To protect your locks, visit your hairdresser regularly to trim split ends and keep your desired shape.
Friction can reduce smoothness, so minimise it by drying with a microfibre towel (avoid cotton towels if possible) and protect your hair at night with silk bonnets and pillowcases.
