Curly and wavy hair care, simply

See how it works

Do this

1. 1Shampoo the scalp, condition the whole length, detangle while conditioner is in.
2. 2Never brush dry curls; use fingers or a wide-tooth comb on wet hair.
3. 3Blot with a T-shirt or microfiber wrap (plopping); do not rub.
4. 4Put gel or cream on soaking-wet hair, then do not touch it.
5. 5Once fully dry, scrunch gently to break the gel cast (crunchy shell).
6. 6Between washes, mist lightly and re-scrunch instead of re-washing.

The numbers behind it

• 35.3%

  Chemically relaxed hair broke under 35.3% less force at 80% humidity than at 20%. Untreated hair showed no clear change (50 fibres per group).

  Malinauskyte 2021 ↗

• 40% to 85%

  Water taken up by hair rose steadily as humidity went from 40% to 85% (lab test on dark brown and bleached hair).

  Gao 2007 ↗

• About 1 week

  Dandruff and itch returned to peak about a week after washing in 60 women with afro-textured hair (L'Oreal study).

  Fajuyigbe 2024 ↗

• 45% vs 17%

  Wear resistance (how well hair held up) of over-bleached hair: microfiber wrap versus cotton towel. 3 repeats; an author is linked to a towel brand.

  Carvalho 2023 ↗

For your hair

• Wavy hair

  Use a lighter leave-in and gel. Heavy creams weigh waves down.

• Curly hair

  Shampoo the scalp every 3 to 7 days. Oil travels poorly down curls, so the lengths dry out first.

• Coily hair

  About weekly, and at the very least every 2 to 3 weeks (AAD). Wash in sections to limit tangles.

Myths to ignore

• Myth Plopping and microfiber towels are proven to improve curls.

  Truth No controlled trial exists. One small lab test on over-bleached hair favoured microfiber, but an author is tied to a towel brand. A soft T-shirt works.

  Carvalho 2023 ↗

• Myth Curly hair should almost never be washed.

  Truth Dermatologists say at least every 2 to 3 weeks. In one trial, scalp dandruff and itch returned within about a week of washing.

  Fajuyigbe 2024 ↗

• Myth Humectants like glycerin always add moisture.

  Truth Hair takes up water from the air, and humidity changes how curly hair feels. We found no hair study backing the popular glycerin-in-medium-humidity rule.

  Skedung 2021 ↗

• Myth Dry brushing curls is fine if you add product first.

  Truth Dry combing breaks the ends more per stroke. Wet combing breaks hair higher up. Conditioner reduced both kinds of breakage.

  Robbins 2007 ↗

Made for this

• Moisture Shampoo Soft cleanse for dry, wavy, curly and coily hair
• Rich Conditioner Deep slip and softness for curly, coily and dry hair
• Curl Cream Styling cream for wavy, curly and coily hair
• Microfiber Hair Wrap Soaks up water gently, so you never rub wet hair

Go deeper

• Styling techniques for curly and wavy hairGentle, moisture-focused handling of curly hair is well supported, but specific techniques and the Curly Girl Method as a package have never been tested.
• Curl patternHow straight, wavy, curly or coily your hair is gets decided in the follicle, mostly by genes, and it shapes shine, tangling, breakage and how a routine should be built.
• FrizzFrizz comes from a rough, damaged surface and moisture uptake; products manage it, while less damage prevents it.
• Humectants and humidityHair swells and softens with humidity, but the popular rules about glycerin and humidity have not been tested; panthenol is the humectant with the best fibre data.
• Caring for hair by porosityMatching products to low, normal or high porosity is common advice, but almost none of it has been tested in people.
• How often to wash your hairYour scalp sets how often you need to wash and your hair lengths set how rarely you can, so the right number depends on your hair type and scalp.
• Brushing and detanglingMost combing damage comes from tangles, so conditioner and the right technique cut breakage more than the choice of brush.