Naturally Wavy… my routine

I’ve been blessed (or so I’m told) with a head full of wild, wavy hair.  It still cracks me up when friends/readers exclaim “But you have such great hair.”  I want to be like, “really?  Have you seen it on the weekends?  Or on a hot summer day?  Do you even know how long it takes to get this beast straight / cooperating?”  I’ve always wished for a mane full of fine, shiny hair… the sort that stays straight no matter what the humidity, and blows dry without more than 10-15 minutes with the round brush.  In the Fall + Winter I generally get it blown out and then take steps to make it last a week.  But lately I’ve been wearing it wavy more (just less work) and a few of you have asked about my routine, so I thought I would share it here.

More photos + my favorite products after the break.

As for my own routine, two or three times a week, I wash it with a gentle shampoo (right now I love this one from Klorane – it smells amazing and is formulated specially for blondes.)  Because I only wash it a few days a week, I use this hair mask as a conditioner (it won’t weigh hair down.)  I don’t know what the secret ingredient is, but it’s a lifesaver… literally seals off my split ends.  I also love this Phyto Mask and this paraben/sulfate-free conditioner.

To style it, I usually apply a styling cream first to cut out frizz (a little more than a quarter) and mousse (a little bigger than a golf ball sized amount) to define my waves (I swear by this one from ARROJO, and have found that this drugstore version works just as well.)  Lately I’ve been using this “souffle” from Ouidad, which smells like coconut + pineapple and leaves my hair super hydrated.  It is a newer product and I really like it.  If you use this, I find I don’t need any other products.

In between washes I put it in a bun in the shower and don’t get it wet.  If I work out, I will rinse it out and put a little bit more mousse, but generally I try to just leave it be.  Occasionally if I want a messy look, I’ll spray on a thickening spray (after my usual routine if its wet or on dry hair to give it a piece-y texture.

If it gets frizzy, I’ll work through a dab (like less than a dime sized amount) of my styling cream and put it in a braid before bed or in the morning, or I’ll add a few mists of glossing spray (love this Mango one and this drugstore version)

images from here, here, and here