It’s beginning to cool down, which means these curls will be blown out a lot more often. I’ll be going from Cree Summer curls (if you know, you know), to Naomi Campbell sleek and chic and without the heat damage. Not too long ago I shared my go-to products for maintaining healthy curls that have worked for me long-term. I don’t like sharing products unless they’ve been tried and tested. Though what works for me may not work for you, at least you have some inspiration if you want to try some new products. Now, I don’t believe in wasting money trying a ton of products when 50-75% of those products may not work for me. Once I find something that works, I stick with it. Usually, when I branch out and want to try something new, it fails, especially with leave-ins. Le sigh.
However, when it comes to straightening curly/natural hair, these products will typically work for the general population. I’ve been using the products listed below for the last four years. So if you find your current products or technique used to straighten your hair isn’t working too well, try these!
Shampoo & Condition
Redken Extreme Shampoo and Conditioner – This one I mentioned in my curly faves blog post. I recently discovered that this shampoo is a great option if you need to clarify without stripping your curls. But if you use this weekly, it will start to dry out your curls. The whole Extreme line, however, is my foundation for straightening.
Deep Condition
Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask – Another one mentioned from my curly faves blog post. It’s not super heavy and glides through the hair. I noticed that it does restore moisture very well and leaves me with fewer tangles. It’s expensive but worth it.
Joico K-PAK Intense Hydrator – This brand and the K-PAK collection has been in rotation since I was a kid. And it has never let me down. Joico is a trusted salon brand that does a superior job of nourishing black hair. And this one is less expensive than Briogeo, so YAY!
Leave-in
SheaMoisture Sugarcane Extract & Meadowfoam Seed Leave-In Hair Treatment – This is the only leave-in I use before blow-drying. It slips through the hair. It’s lightweight and doesn’t heavily coat the strands, but it does a great job smoothing and preventing frizz. It’s also a solid detangler. I purchased the smaller size and it has lasted me a long time, especially good if you don’t straighten often.
Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Treatment – This is another one that I only use the travel-sized bottle, and it has lasted me SO SO long. This serves as a heat protectant that I only apply to my ends to provide a smooth blow-dry that won’t stress my ends. It is excellent for smoothing the cuticle before heat styling.
Styling
Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray – This is my go-to drug store option. I spray this on each section of my hair to add more heat protection as I blow-dry.
Kenra Blow Dry Spray – This one speeds up the blow drying process. It’s my favorite and is slightly superior to the Tresemme one.
Chi Silk Infusion Serum – This is the most important step. Right before I flat-iron I put a little bit of this on each section to give me a really smooth and shiny look. It works every time. When I don’t use this, I notice a difference.
Did you find this helpful? Let me know in the comments!