BY SELINA – Caring for your curls
With the start of the New Year I wanted to put together my top tips for caring for your curls. There is so much information online and with the rise in popularity of the “Curly Girl Method” there is now hundreds of social media curly groups stacked full of information which can sometimes be overwhelming and confusing for those trying to understand how best to care for their curls.
When caring for your curls my number 1 top tip is to keep your routine as simple as possible. I use a maximum of 3 products on my curls including styling. I use the BY SELINA Curl Cleanser & Conditioner to cleanse and condition my curls and the BY SELINA Conditioing Curl Detangler every other wash day.
When choosing a product to cleanser with it is important to pay attention to the ingredients in your curly hair cleanser. Not all conditioners can clean your curls as most conditioners are designed solely for conditioning your curls. The BY SELINA Curl Cleanser & Conditioner contains ingredients that are designed to bind to dirt to really help clean your curls. When using conditioning cleansers to clean your scalp and curls it is imperative to properly massage product into your scalp to help loosen and remove dirt. The reason for this is because conditioning cleansers generally do not contain surfactants, so they rely on the mechanical movement of either your fingertips or a scalp scrubber to really help loosen and remove dirt and dead skin.
When using the BY SELINA Curl Cleanser & Conditioner I first wet my hair fully, using my fingertips I then massage the product directly into my scalp for 3 to 5 minutes to remove dirt and grease. Once completed I rinse out the product and then follow with either the Curl Cleanser & Conditioner or the Conditioning Curl Detangler to detangle and condition my curls. The Conditioning Curl Detangler is a thicker product compared to the Curl Cleanser & Conditioner so is designed to only be used on the length of your curls. Both products contain an abundance of slip so a small amount really does go a long way with BY SELINA products. Both the BY SELINA Curl Cleanser & Conditioner and Conditioning Curl Detangler are scientifically formulated as they contain ingredients that have a positive charge. This is important as the product can seek out damaged curly strands that have a negative charge, neutralise the charge and reduce any flyaways helping to add an amazing shine to your curls. The products are also further pH balanced which encourages your cuticle to lay flat, this helps with detangling as the curls ability to stick together is reduced – curly strands where the cuticle is risen up often stick together like Velcro which can make detangling extremely hard work. A further benefit of curly strands with a cuticle that is laying flat is a beautiful shine as light reflects off the curls a lot better.
When conditioning your curls it is really important to section your hair after detangling and spend time really pushing the conditioner into your curly strands, it is best to do this in a downwards motion to further help that cuticle to lay flat. You can emulsify the conditioner with water or add extra water to your hair and really push this into your curls to maximise hydration. Once complete, rinse your curls, ensuring all product is removed from the scalp area. Wrap your curls in an old t-shirt or cotton towel, it is best not to use a regular fluffy towel as this can cause too much friction and disrupt the cuticle layer of your curls. While your hair is still soaking wet, apply your desired styling products. To style my curls I use the BY SELINA Hydrating Curl Gel. I love this gel as it extremely malleable so can be easily worked through your curls without disrupting your curl pattern. The BY SELINA Hydrating Curl Gel dries to form a cast around your curls that once dry is scrunched out to leave your curls beautifully defined, lightweight and bouncy.
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