My Favorite Wavy Hair Products for Short Hair

I feel like my hair routine is one of those things that is always evolving. Especially as I get older and the things I've always used stop working. Ah, the joys of changing hormones.

Back in October, I shared five favorite products that I was using on wash days at the time. In that post, I talked about the changes that I was seeing in my hair in terms of its texture: more frizz, increased dryness, and less definition. At the time of that post, I had just cut my hair off and up until April was keeping it about shoulder length.

Then during spring break, I decided I was ready for an even bigger chop. It's not the shortest I've ever gone (we do not speak of the unfortunate pixie cut era), but I haven't been chin length in years.

Obviously, this shorter cut has required some adjustments in my wash and styling routine. I've tried quite a few new products lately as I try to find the perfect balance for a simple routine that requires only a few products and doesn't take a ton of time. Today, I'm sharing with you the products that work for me in this current stage of my natural hair journey.

 

Before we dive in, there are some things you should know. First, my hair is not curly. It's wavy, with a mix of all three wave patterns depending on the day. I occasionally have some loose 3a curls mixed in, but that's rarely the case at this length for me.

I also do not wear my hair exclusively natural all the time. Sometimes I use heat tools, and I like to try out fun hair accessories occasionally, which definitely impacts my product choices.

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 Clarifying Shampoo + Conditioner -- This continues to be a staple in my hair routine. I use it up to once a week but usually only every other week. It removes product build-up and leaves my hair feeling nice and clean without overly drying it out. I've honestly been using this duo more than my regular shampoo lately because it's been giving me the best results.

Kinky-Curly Knot Today Leave In -- This is not an everyday product for me, nor is it an every wash day product for me. I use it only when I feel like my hair is really dry. On those days, I apply it before I get out of the shower. It's very slippery and smells amazing. I flip my hair upside down and apply using praying hands, then scrunch and squish it in from the bottom. Then I wrap it all up in my Perfect Hair Care Towel.

Perfect Hair Care Towel -- Speaking of...this is the only towel I use on my hair. It's a microfiber material that doesn't damage my hair or cause excessive frizz. It also absorbs the extra water and/or product really quickly,  like 10 minutes, which speeds up my styling time exponentially. This towel is made for plopping, but I'll be honest: I rarely if ever plop. I just use it in a regular, old-fashioned turban style.

Native Volumizing Shampoo + Conditioner in Berries & Vanilla Cream -- This is what I consider my "regular" shampoo. It's what I use between my clarifying washes, but I still end up using it only about once a week. It smells really good, y'all. It's very light, which is what my hair needs, no matter the length, but especially when it's short, otherwise I end up with a bad case of helmet hair.

Odele Air Dry Styler -- This is currently my favorite styling product to use on wash days. It's very, very light. The consistency is almost watery actually. It's meant to be used when air drying your hair, but what I've found is that air drying alone doesn't really encourage my natural texture and waves (regardless of what product I use). So one day I decided to see what would happen if I used my diffuser. It felt so counterintuitive, but I promise that diffusing after applying this product results in the perfect level of tousled waves. In my opinion at least. Regardless of if I let it air dry or diffuse it, though, I love how soft this product leaves my hair. It doesn't dry crunchy or sticky at all, leaves no discernible film/residue/buildup, and doesn't irritate my scalp. The only thing about this one is that, for me, it doesn't have staying power beyond the first day.

Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturing Foam -- This is my second favorite styling product right now. I don't usually use this one on wash days, but rather on day two or three. I rewet my hair completely, finger comb out any tangles, then scrunch it in from the bottom, and diffuse. I especially love that it doesn't have salt, but still smells like the beach. It's also got UV and heat protection while preventing frizz. I know the urge to completely fill your hand with product, but trust me when I say to follow the recommended 1-2 pumps, especially with short hair. If you use too much, I promise you won't like the results. Your hair will feel so nasty! This one does okay for me as an air dryer, however, I absolutely love the results when I diffuse.

Aussie Hair Insurance Leave-In Conditioner -- This is not an everyday product for me, but it is my go-to leave-in spray. I usually use it in between washes, when I've re-wet my hair to re-style. I spray it pretty liberally all over, then brush it through with my Denman brush.

Denman Brush -- Speaking of this popular brush, I have to admit that it took me awhile to come around to the Denman. When I first bought it, I hated it and couldn't figure out how to use it effectively. But I've since come to appreciate it, especially when it comes to distributing product evenly.

Garnier Fructose Surfer Wax -- This isn't one I use often, but it certainly has its place in my arsenal, especially on non-wash days. I like to use this when my hair still has a good amount of texture but is kind of flat after sleeping on it. I typically use this on day two or three, when the only other product that's in my hair is the Odele Air Dry Styler; they seem to work nicely together. I rub a very small amount of this into my palms and then use it to reinvigorate the tousled, kind of windblown look I've been going with. I use this mostly on the ends and never on the roots.

Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Refreshing Curl Foam -- I've been using this product for a long time, and I still love it. I use this on days that my hair needs a decent amount of help regaining its shape but it's still too soon for a wash. I have used this both on dry and damp hair with pretty similar results. I try not to use it more than two days in a row, though, as it will start to make my hair feel sticky.

No Crease Hair Clips -- I've been using these forever, mostly to keep my hair out of my face while I put on makeup. But lately I've been using them to "train" certain pieces of hair to do what I want them to do, a.k.a. not sticking out in random directions or falling in the middle of my forehead. I also wear them out occasionally.

Continuous Spray Bottle -- I resisted buying one of these for ages, but now that I have one, I will never go back. This is my most-used "tool" aside from my perfect hair care towel. I actually got mine from Five Below of all places (MHB brand), and it works great. I use this to rewet my hair on in-between days so that I can restyle it.

Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Dry Shampoo -- This is one of the lesser-used hair products in my arsenal these days, but it is my favorite dry shampoo, so I thought it was worth a mention. I mostly use it when I need to squeeze one more day out of my wash, but my roots have gotten a bit too oily for comfort. This is one of the few dry shampoos on the market that don't irritate my scalp.