I had a perm in hopes of being able to sport some loose waves in my hair. My hairdresser said I’d need to use some “product” but I failed to purchase one before I left the salon. Do you wear wash and wear curls and if so, what kind of product do you use? Thanks!
A few things:
Curls need moisture. So curl creams are best. Or leave in conditioner. Get out of the short and do not towel dry your hair. Instead, turn your head over the tub and use gel. Rub lightly over hair and then scrunch from ends to wring out extra water. Flip you hair back and arrange the part. Then don’t touch until nearly dry. Then flip again and scrunch and that is all!
I like Deva Chan products.
It depends a great deal on your hair what product works best. Thicker hair seems to benefit from the curl creams but finer hair can be weighed down and overwhelmed by them. If you want to read more than you ever thought there was to know on the subject, check out naturallycurly dot com.
I like the Deva products too but I use the conditioner and the gel and I also use the Aveda curl styling products. The styling products all work best if you apply them to soaking wet hair.
It’s the season when I don’t battle my curls! I have short hair and find what works best is to minimize towel drying - I just run a towel through it but don’t rub it after washing. Sometimes I wrap an old tshirt around my head for 15 minutes after washing if I have the time to absorb wetness. Then I add a leave in conditioner and for me, try to settle the curls down A BIT by using my fingers to “comb” through my hair especially around my ears where it gets unruly. My hairdresser also showed me how to twist small sections of hair to achieve a better curl.
I really like to spend as little time as possible on my hair. Frizz is a problem for me. The methods above as it air dries seems to help.
I have very fine, thin hair. It has a natural wave and can curl. I use B&B thickening conditioner, only a small amount and rinse it out. I spray Beach Babe texturizing sea salt, comb through and scrunch. I sometimes air dry or will dry partially with a diffuser.
Not sure what she uses now, but when she lived at home D liked Garniet Fructis Curl Construct Creation Mousse.
I got a deva curl cut and use the products with much success. Curl cream on wet hair straight from the shower, then gel. I tip my head forward and apply the gel while scrunching/squeezing. Hair is then in a very loose microfiber towel so I can put on makeup. I twirl hair around my finger to get more curl definition and then leave it to air dry while driving to work.
The trick is to leave it be until it dries. The more you fuss with it, the frizzier it gets.
I have keratin in my hair right now, but before that, on my curly days I wouldn’t brush or comb my hair after I washed it. I’d just put my fingers through it, and scrunch it as I dried it. I have a spray I used occasionally, but leave in stuff makes my hair just greasy.
I use some gel don’t even know the brand, mixed approximately half and half with argan oil. If my hair is a little shorter I don’t really need the gel, but it’s too long now. I hate going to get hair cuts.
For natural curl, the product isn’t the magic, any leave in conditioner works fine, any product you like works fine, it is about leaving it very wet (do not otwel dry, maybe blot a tiny bit with a t shirt), using leave in conditioner, applying any product on sopping wet hair, clip for a little root lift here and there and do not touch until it is bone dry, then do a little product uncrunching, maybe use a little wax, a little root fluff, but that is it. In between condition, condition, condition. Sleep in conditioner if that works for you.
@zeebamom and @Sybylla are exactly right. The single most important tip is to leave your hair alone once you’ve applied product. You can twist or shape the curls but once you’ve finished styling, don’t touch your hair until it is dry.
For me, the product does make a difference. If I put too much in or the wrong thing in, I end up with flat, greasy hair.
I use Eufora Sculpture glaze and like it a lot. If I feel I need a little more control, I use the styling gel from Aveda, which is stronger/heavier.
I’ve never tried the Deva products but I may order a couple since a few of you are recommending them.
For my hair, I don’t use products with sulfates or silicones.
For styling, I use coconut oil to enhance my curls, and Devacurl super cream for definition. Then I scrunch and put it up in a tshirt. I never use a towel, or brush.
Ouidad seems to work best for my curly hair. I use the leave in conditioner and the gel. Ouidad is for curly hair.
My hair is very fine. I like Frizz Ease products, especially the Dream Curls spray. http://www.johnfrieda.com/en-US/ProductDetail/Hair-Care/Frizz-Ease/Dream-Curls-Curl-Perfecting-Spray
I have kind of split personality hair, somewhat wavy in the winter without humidity, but this time of year it starts getting crazy curly/wavy so I’m looking for a product, too. Right now I’m not using anything. I have fine (but lots of it), medium length hair.
I curious about the prohibition on towel drying. I always squeeze out extra water, towel dry and then scrunch my damp hair. What is the issue with towel drying? Sometime I use a blow dryer on the top of my head to fight the frizz there.
“The hair shaft can be roughed up during the drying process when you wring out your hair or squeeze it too hard with a towel. “This can worsen split ends and cause small craters along the hair shaft, weakening the hair,” says Everett. “Noticeable signs of damage are dry hair and frizz.”
So encourages frizz! The less you use “fake” heat (not air) the better!
Towels can take out too much moisture and also they are really rough on the hair. Here’s more info: https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/to-plop-or-not-to-plop/
Just washed and plopped! 
Something true of me and what I’ve read about curly hair - if it could only look as good dry as it looks wet!
I’ve been towel drying my hair for a lot of years, and I’m probably not going to stop now!