Cassandra never thought she would be able to feel good about her naturally curly hair. Cassandra has struggled to embrace her curls for years. And she can remember being called frizz ball or rat’s nest. Her mother would try to brush her hair, but as you can imagine, this made it worse. On top of that, Cassandra didn’t have any women with curly hair to look up to. And when she looked around, all she saw were girls with straight hair

But, there are a few curly hair tips that Cassandra has learned over the years.  They’ve helped her to embrace her curls, and even though Cassandra doesn’t have a ton of time in the morning, she’s still able to do these tips. These tips are also wonderful because Cassandra likes to hike and swim, and there aren’t a lot of hair regimens that get Cassandra’s scalp clean without stripping it. But, as recommended by Manes by Mell, these three things have made Cassandra’s routine super easy. She could do it in two steps if she really wanted. 

 

1. Shower

It all starts in the shower.

Aveda Sun Care Hair And Body Cleanser -$29

Cassandra got this clarifying shampoo, and repurchased five of these. It’s a hair and body cleanser, and it specifically works for those who swim. Whether you swim in salt water or chlorine, this removes the build-up. Plus, Cassandra lives in an area with really hard water, and even though she has a shower filter, hard water can definitely contribute to build-up. 

So, with all of this, Cassandra is often in need of a clarifying shampoo. However, her hair is very dry. So, when she uses clarifying things, her hair normally becomes even more frizzy, especially if the oils are stripped. So, it’s as if she either gets to have a clean scalp, or she has to deal with moisturized hair and a greasy scalp. So, Cassandra normally uses the suncare on her scalp, but when she does use it on her hair, it doesn’t strip it. 

 

2. After shower products

Because of Cassandra’s hair type, she always thought she needed to focus on masks and moisturizers. Cassandra has used so many, and while she did like some of them, they would coat her hair with silicon. And although it felt smooth, it would weigh her hair down, and the curls wouldn’t hold. So, for people with fine hair like Cassandra, attaining long-lasting curls has more to do with what you use outside of the shower. 

LUS All-In-One Curly -$22

This is an all-in-one style that repairs, hydrates, and styles. After showering, Cassandra uses this on her hair because it’s activated by water. Cassandra doesn’t really feel like it hydrates her hair that much, but when she just needs to hop out of the shower and let it air dry, this is what she uses. She uses two pumps on her wet hair. For Cassandra, it also worked well as a leave-in conditioner.

Coco & Eve Hydrating & Detangling Leave-In Conditioner - $22 

Cassandra doesn’t know if this is made for curly girls, but this also works well for Cassandra as a leave-in conditioner. But by far, the product below is the best thing that Manes by Mell got Cassandra hooked on.

VERB Curl Foaming Gel -$20

This product is a gel, and it actually holds and gives Cassandra’s curls bounce. It holds, shapes, and defines her curls. But, it doesn’t make Cassandra’s hair crunchy. And compared to other gels, it doesn’t even weigh down her hair! This foaming gel is lightweight, and it’s like a hair serum instead of a moisturizer. So, if you have fine hair or thin hair, and you want to embrace your hair texture, this is it. 

 

3, Hair brushing

When it comes to curl definition, Manes by Mell taught Cassandra to brush while wet. Cassandra never thought of this because she was so used to avoiding brushes. But if you brush the hair while it’s wet, this has a totally different effect on curls. For Cassandra though, she couldn’t use any brush. She had to use a wide-toothed brush. 

Tangle Teezer Brush - $15.99 

 

You can use this brush to make ribbony curls. Part your hair, put the brush through, and press your hand to the bristles. Your hair should be sandwiched between the brush and your hand. You do this with each section of your hair as you brush through it. When you first do it, your hair will look straight at first. But as it dries, it will tighten into a ribbony curl.

You can also scoop your hair and squeeze or crunch to enhance the process. Then you squeeze the foam into your hair to hold the hurls. When Cassandra did this, her hair dried into beautiful curls. You can also apply sunscreen to your scalp part to finish off the routine. For a full hair tutorial and walk-through,visit this article.

This little technique has greatly helped Cassandra to embrace her curls! If Cassandra can’t do a regimen in five or ten minutes, it’s very difficult for her to do it -- let alone be consistent. There are days when she’ll spend an hour on her curls, but most of the time, this feels overwhelming for Cassandra. 

So, this is a simple haircare routine that Cassandra can actually keep up with. With this, Cassandra is learning to embrace her curls. So, remember we don’t have to let what society said about our appearance stick with us. 

Social media can also help us find role models we can relate tool. And when you see someone loving, embracing, and feeling empowered, you might feel like you could too.

Coverphoto cred: Good Housekeeping