How to go from Straight to Curly
Thank you so much to my friends over at Briogeo for gifting me these products. All opinions in this blog post are solely mine, but I am so happy they reached out to send these products over because if you don't know I love this brand and their products and have used them for years.
I straightened my hair. Yes, you read that correctly. I went from curls to straight hair a couple weeks ago and I got so many questions on how I did it, why I did it, and if my curls were going to pop back afterwards. I am here to tell you that the curls are back and better than ever.
Straightening your hair when you have curly hair is a little intimidating. Especially if you are super scared of heat damage, like I am. I just don't want my curl pattern to change and I don't want the heat to damage it and start to break off. I don't know about you, but I have not spent the last couple years strengthening my hair and working on my curl pattern just for the instant gratification of straight hair for a couple weeks. I have found products that have protected, strengthened, and moisturized my hair that when I decide to go from curly to straight or straight to curly - I know my curls will be protected.
When I am going from straight to curly my hair needs all the love, moisture, and attention. These wash days definitely take all day because it’s a multi-step process for me. I am multi masking, shampooing, conditioning, and deep conditioning. No, you do not have to do all of this but if I want moisturized, shiny, bouncy curls then these are the products that I swear by.
Briogeo can do no wrong in my book. They are an amazing clean, sustainable, cruelty free, black owned hair care brand that I love. I fell in love with them because of their Don't Despair, Repair Deep Conditioning Mask and I have repurchased time and time again. Briogeo is also 6 free which means its free of parabens, harsh sulfates, silicones, phthalates, artificial dyes, and dea. If you have read my Hair Masks Do's and Don'ts blog posts on hair masks you know I try not to use any products with any of these ingredients. Sulfates and Silicones are terrible for curly hair because they leave a coating on top of the hair, so whenever you are using a hair mask to protect and strengthen the hair it’s not getting into the hair follicle to repair and it is just sitting on top of it not doing anything. That's why I love Briogeo; I never have to worry about the products I am using because I know they are made with the best ingredients to keep my curls poppin’ and my hair healthy. If you didn't know Briogeo hair care products are now available at Ulta Beauty, and you can shop online or in store to pick up some of these amazing products.
So, the first step for this wash day is to condition my hair. My hair is dry from being straight and using heat, so I try to give it some moisture first. In today’s wash day routine I am using the Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind + Apple Replenishing Conditioner. I use the conditioner like a co-wash. I still want to clean the hair and clean the scalp, but I want to provide my hair with some extra moisture. Doing this will allow my hair to be hydrated throughout the washing process.
Next, I rinse and go in with my shampoo, using the Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind + Apple Replenishing Shampoo. When I straighten my hair I have used a heat protectant, oil, hairspray etc. so I need to get all of that out of my hair and clean my scalp. I do have a very sensitive scalp and it knows when I am using products I shouldn't. This shampoo is 98% naturally derived so it’s using natural products free of parabens, harsh sulfates, silicones, phthalates, artificial dyes, and dea. The key to healthy hair is a healthy scalp so I try and make sure that I am using a shampoo that isn't too harsh on my scalp or stripping my hair of its natural oils. The Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind + Apple Replenishing Shampoo uses the fruit and vegetable fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals to help replenish and enrich my dull and dry hair.
After shampoo I go in with my first mask and that’s my tried and true Don't Despair Repair Deep Conditioning mask. When I tell you that this mask is everything, it’s truly amazing. I am not a chemist but there has to be a touch of magic in here. This mask is clinically proven to boost hair's strength, shine, and silkiness and improve the long-term health of damaged hair. I try to use this mask every other week in my wash routines and have used this one for years. When I went from straight to curly I put the mask in and put a shower cap on after, then let it sit in my hair for 25 min. I normally sit under a heated dryer or I use a heated bonnet but if you don't have either of those just keeping it in 10-30 min will still provide amazing results.
After I rinse that out I go in with my final deep conditioner: the Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind Avocado + Kiwi Mega moisture Superfood Mask. I don't normally recommend multi hair masking or using more than one deep conditioner but when I go from straight to curly my hair feels super dry and needs the extra moisture, love, and attention. This hair mask is protein free and helps restore, maintain, and lock in moisture. If you have type 4 curls you know your hair needs the extra moisture and needs products to help lock it in, that's why I try to alternate between this one and the Don't Despair Repair Deep Conditioning Mask. I only leave this one in for 10 minutes and rinse out. I find that I don't need to leave the product in for longer because it has done its job in just 10 minutes.
Lastly, use whatever products you want to style your curls. In this wash and go I used the curl line from Briogeo and that includes their Curl Charisma Rice Amino + Avocado Leave-in Defining Creme and the Curl Charisma Rice Amino + Quinoa Frizz Control Gel.
Going from straight to curly can be a little scary because of the unknowns, but when you are using clean products with high quality ingredients that are free of parabens, harsh sulfates, silicones, phthalates, artificial dyes, and dea you will see the amazing results.