It's been over a year since I shared anything about my wavy hair routine with you guys, and there have been quite a few changes since that post went live.
As most of you know, I decided to cut my hair short over the summer. I do not regret that decision at all; I am really enjoying my hair being this length! However, not long after the big chop, I noticed a change in my hair texture in terms of dryness, frizz, and way less definition. Thank you, perimenopause. It's been incredibly frustrating to go from easy, mostly effortless, naturally voluminous waves to what can only be described as helmet hair.
I've been struggling to adjust my routine to adapt to these changes for the past several months. I'm finally starting to see some progress, which felt like a great time to share an updated routine with y'all. My results are not perfect by any means, but I have gotten back to a point where I don't feel like I need to pull out my curling iron every day, a.k.a. I've been wearing it natural more often the last few weeks.
Before I jump into my full wash day routine, there are a few things you need to know. First, my hair is wavy, not curly. In terms of patterns, my hair is a mix of 2b and 2c waves with a handful of 3a curls thrown in on a good day (that's rare, though). As such, I do not follow the curly girl method, so if that's what you're here for, you've come to the wrong place.
The second thing you should know is that I have a lot of hair, but it's very fine. That means I need products with good hold but that aren't heavy. It's a tough balance to find, and even when I do find it, it's easy to use too much because it doesn't feel like enough, and I end up with straight, flat hair anyway because I've weighed it down.
The last thing you should know is that I don't always rock natural waves and/or curls. At the start of the school year, I started using a Conair Double Ceramic 1/2 inch Curling Iron, and I really like the results, so I'm still using it every so often to give my hair a little extra oomph. The good thing about my hair, though, is that it wants to be wavy, so once I've used my curling iron, it will hold that pattern for days with very little touch-up needed.
Now, let's talk about my wash day favorites. I have two types of wash days: a full wash day, which includes a clarifying shampoo, and in-between wash days which do not. This post is covering the products I use for a full wash day. For me, full wash days only happen about once a week, with one-to-two in-between washes mixed in. At the most, I wash my hair every other day, but some weeks I can go four-to-five days between shampoos. Right now, I'm doing one full wash day every weekend with an in-between wash about mid-week.
Disclaimer: This post is not meant to influence your hair decisions or guarantee certain results from specific products. What works for me might not work for you, and that's okay. Your wavy/curly hair journey is your own.
Suave Daily Clarifying Cleansing Shampoo
A full wash day starts with a clarifying shampoo, specifically Suave Daily Clarifying. I have been using this clarifying shampoo for years. It's great for removing product and/or environmental buildup. We spend a lot of time at the barn these days, so just imagine the dust and sweat from that.
I only use this once a week at the most, but it creates a nice clean slate for my normal shampoo and conditioner to work so much better. Bonus - it only costs about $2 a bottle.
There's also a matching conditioner, but it's harder to find in local stores for whatever reason. Some wash days, I use just this shampoo and the matching conditioner, let me hair air dry with no product, then follow up with the regular shampoo and conditioner the next day.
Function of Beauty Wavy Hair Shampoo & Conditioner
This is a recent change in my routine. As previously mentioned, my hair has gone through some changes. From a haircut to hormones and not being able to find the shampoo and conditioner I had been using, it just wasn't it's usual naturally wavy self. So I started researching possible solutions that didn't include having to order in something that claims it's custom-made and charges $30-40 per bottle.
This duo has good reviews online and is available at Target for just under $10 a bottle. Unless I'm using it following the clarifying shampoo, I shampoo my hair twice as directed on the bottle and then let the conditioner sit for 2-5 minutes depending on what else I'm doing in the shower. I only need about a quarter size amount of the shampoo, and I don't have to completely fill my hand with the conditioner to see results. The conditioner has a really nice slip to it, and I like that the scent is subtle.
This brand does have a wavy-specific mousse, but I've not had much luck with mousse over the years, so I skipped out on trying it for now. If I change my mind, I'll let you know.
Kinky-Curly Knot Today Leave-In Detangler
This leave-in/detangler is one that I've seen several people with wavy hair recommend, but it's been one that I've struggled to find in my local stores. When I did find it, I balked at the price -- $16 seems a little extreme for an 8 oz. bottle. But I decided to give it a try regardless, and I'm glad that I did.
Here's what I like about this product. It's super light, which is exactly what my hair needs, and it has an incredible slip. Better than any other leave-ins I've tried recently. Some days, this is the only after-shower product I put in my hair. Finally, the scent is really nice. I can't pinpoint what exactly it reminds me of, but it's not overpowering at all.
Basically, this is the leave-in product I've been missing in my routine. Finally.
Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Defining Cream
This has long been a favorite curl cream of mine, but I got away from it for awhile. It started back when I was using Monat, then I just never actually picked up another bottle. I don't even know why since it really is probably the best drugstore brand curl cream out there and is available pretty much everywhere I shop.
It's not heavy, and it doesn't dry crunchy. It's got plenty of hold to use on its own, but if you need something a little stronger, it does mix beautifully with my favorite gel (I've never tried NYM's flash freeze gel, so I can't speak to its effectiveness versus the Aussie brand I've used for years). I use the fragrance free version of this cream when I can find it, but the scented one doesn't bother me.
Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Activating Mousse
I do not use mousse very often. I struggle to use just the right amount. I either use too much and my hair becomes a crunchy, stringy mess, or I don't use enough and have no definition whatsoever. In fact, when I originally started this post, I had no intention of including a mousse product at all, but then I decided to use mousse one day instead of cream...and got the best results I've seen in months.
When I do use mousse, Not Your Mother's is my go-to. In fact, NYM is my favorite drugstore brand for wavy hair styling products, hands down. Anyway, this mousse is lightweight, doesn't tend to dry crunchy, and the scent is pretty subtle. It's good for one, maybe two, days, but the hold doesn't have much staying power over multiple days. A lot of people recommend adding a layer of gel after the mousse for that very reason.
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