Curly hair routine by blogger Pooja Pradeep

After Suma, here’s Pooja with her curly hair routine! Over to her.

“I’d like to begin with a confession. I used to hate my hair!! I would over shampoo my hair until it looks like a mop, straighten it every 4 hours, comb it in different techniques to get rid of the waves, tie it tight and strain my hair until it would just be straight.

I got into college in 2010 and around that time was when the #naturallycurly outrage hogged the limelight. I started reading about curls and understanding them. I threw away all the products I had owned that were meant for straight hair and got a new set, indulged in routines and packs, repaired all those years of damage in the course of one year and finally ended up with supple, untamable, big and bouncy curls. Love happened!

Here’s my daily curly hair care routine.

STEP 1: Oil your curls.

Oil your hair half an hour prior to your shower. Take enough oil to massage your scalp and to run it through the hair so that you can detangle the knots and comb it with your fingers. Tie them all into a bun or a braid. Oils and curly hair – Benefits, types and ways to apply

STEP 2: Shampoo your curls.

Opt for a deep moisturizing shampoo which will remove the excess oil and yet add suppleness to your curls. I use L’Oréal Professionel’s Absolute Repair shampoo. Wash your hair upside down as this will give your curls a chance to curl right from the root and make sure your product is applied all over. Take ample amount of shampoo and lather it on to wet hair and cleanse your scalp. Rub it along till the ends of your hair and wash it off.

STEP 3: Condition your curls.

I use the L’Oréal Professionel Instant Reconstructing Masque from the damage repair series and it’s been breathing shape into my hair ever since. I chose the masque over the regular conditioner of the same range as this one’s creamier and thicker. Squeeze out the remaining water after the shampoo wash and apply product evenly on the hair with your head upside down. Avoid the scalp and roots as the sebum shall keep the area well moisturized already. Apply generously on to hair and comb it down with your fingers. Scrunch them up when you finish combing and untangling the curls. Leave it on for a minute or two and then rinse it off. Scrunch the excess water out and wrap the hair with a towel.

STEP 4: Leave-in Conditioner for your curls.

Kerastase Oleo-Curl Definition Cream is my holy grail leave-in conditioner to bouncy, fluffy, glossy and wholesome curls. When looking for something more easy on the pocket, I would suggest L’Oréal Professionel’s Spiral Splendour leave-in conditioner which is the next best thing. Apply appropriate amount on to towel wrapped (not towel-dried) hair and spread evenly from mid lengths to tips. Remember to avoid the scalp. Comb it down with your fingers. Scrunch them well and leave it to dry naturally.

STEP 5: Drying & styling your curly hair

* Towel-wrap your hair
Forget towel dry. Don’t even think about rubbing your hair and your towel and generating enough friction to get you looking like Lion King. The more you try to distort your curls, the uglier they will look and the frizzier they will get. Just wrap your hair in a micro-fiber towel (the soft textured ones) and let it absorb the excess water. Apply your leave-in and after scrunching if you want, you may take off the excess product by scrunching with the towel too.

* Blow drying is NOT for you
Diffuser is what you need if you aren’t looking at letting your hair naturally dry. Not the regular blow dryer nozzle. The diffuser ensures your curls aren’t meddled with or subjected to hot air strain which is the case in a regular dryer.

* Thou shall not brush thy hair when it is dry
This wrecks your curl pattern by breaking up the hair strands that are forming curls. Why you shouldn’t brush or comb curly hair after it is dry

* Extra-special days, eh?!
For those, I can tell you about a technique called “twistiness”. After you apply your leave-in, you have to take small sections of your hair, just enough for your index finger to hold and twist them tight with your fingers and leave it to dry naturally or use a diffuser. Once they’re dry, you will have super-duper curly hair that will let you run the world.
If you are a BIG hair lover (like me !!) and want an extra bounce, you can use the Kiehl’s Super Thick Volumizer that will give your hair all the bounce it needs.

STEP 6:  Deep conditioning

I also apply homemade hair masks like Banana – Mayo, Hot Oil Pack, Hibiscus – Aloe Vera, Egg white – Curd and Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

Phew!! THAT IS PRETTY MUCH IT. Don’t let anybody dull your curl.”

This is Pooja’s blog – Pooja Pradeep