It’s been over 3 years since I wrote my first curly hair post. Since then, my hair has generally done well. But about a year ago, my curls started having more days feeling limp and weighed down. I started using a chelating shampoo once per week since that seemed to give me the best results, but that ended up amping up my frizz. I visited my curly hair stylist for my yearly cut and she noticed how much buildup I had in my hair. Something just wasn’t working.
Truth be told, I was getting dissatisfied with some of the products I was using at the time. They definitely worked for a while, but I started having issues finding some of the items in stock. Plus, I really wanted products that were natural, eco-friendly, cruelty-free, and paraben-free.
But good products are only half of the equation for great curly hair. The other half depends entirely on how you care for your hair. Most of the curly hair tips that I covered in my previous post still stand the test of time – it’s still an excellent resource with a ton of information. I have improved upon some of the techniques in the 3 years since, which I go into below.
You Grow, You Learn: Curly Hair Edition
As I’ve learned more about what my hair likes, I’ve refined the way I approach my curly hair routine – with better and better results. Now I focus entirely on curly hair care based on what my hair needs, instead of making my curly hair conform to a strict routine.
Rather than trying to figure out what products I need to wrangle my hair into submission, I’ve come to think of the products I use as tools to help my hair do its best. My hair routine is no longer on a strict schedule. I go by the “feel” of my hair instead – a skill I had to learn.
Below is an update of all the new techniques I’ve learned and products I’ve discovered in these last 3 years. Please remember that I’m not a hair care professional – I’m simply an amateur curly-haired human learning as I go. This is a reflection of what has worked the best for me. I always recommend finding a curly hair stylist for the best curly hair results for you!
As a disclaimer, this post has affiliate links, which means I could get a small commission if you purchase any of the products linked from my site. This does not affect the price you pay or my opinion – I only recommend products that I would genuinely use myself.
- Background: About My 2C/3A Curly Hair
- My Current 2C/3A Curly Hair Routine
- Best Shower Filters for Curly Hair
- Best Shampoos for 2C/3a Curly Hair
- Best Conditioners for 2C/3A Curly Hair
- Best Towels for 2C/3A Curly Hair
- Best Leave-in Products for 2C/3A Curly Hair
- Best Detoxing Treatment for 2C/3A Curly Hair
- Best Pillowcases & Overnight Care for 2C/3A Curly Hair
- Best Blow Dryers for 2C/3A Curly Hair
Background: About My 2C/3A Curly Hair
If your fine, medium-to-low-porosity 2C/3A curly hair is like mine, it doesn’t like being weighed down. Products like shea moisture or Moroccan oil work so well to nourish and condition more robust curly hair, but they just make my scalp oily and my curls stringy, sad, and limp. Still, my curls need definition and defense against frizz. It’s a delicate balance to care for – even the lightest products like lightweight leave-in creams can be too much.
Meanwhile, I’m low-maintenance. Even with long hair down my back, I’ve gotten my showers down to ten minutes. I don’t like to spend time styling my hair. I want to be able to comb my fingers through my wet hair and move on with my day – that means letting my curls air dry.
For me, the perfect curly hair day involves a quick wash with a gentle clarifying shampoo, a few minutes of marinating in a lightweight conditioner from my roots to my ends, thoroughly washing everything out, combing my fingers through my hair, and air drying with no leave-in products.
My Current 2C/3A Curly Hair Routine
I’m happy to report that I hit my ideal hair day or come close to it on most days. To my surprise, my curly hair care routine has actually gotten simpler over time, with more consistent results. I manage to get good second and third-day hair by pineappling my curls to protect them overnight. Occasionally I use the tiniest amount of leave-in cream and sometimes combine it with a touch of oil out of the shower for extra definition and shine.
I don’t keep a strict schedule of when I wash my hair anymore – I just wash it whenever I shower. Occasionally I’ll pull back my hair and skip a wash if I’m feeling lazy and I don’t need my curls to be super fresh. I vary between washing my hair every day, every other day, and occasionally I’ve stretched it to once every 3 days.
It took me a while to get to this point, though – you can read about my full curly hair journey here. The biggest lesson I learned in the 3 years since I first documented my curly hair routine is that it’s critical to also pay attention to my hair’s environment. For example, I live in Los Angeles, where hard water from the shower deposits minerals that build up in your hair. You can usually check online to find out the hardness of the water where you live.
The other big lesson I’ve learned in caring for my hair? I had to start seeing my hair stylist more than once per year. Now, I make sure to see her once every 4-6 months so that she can trim my dead ends – and my hair can grow healthier between cuts.
Best Shower Filters for Curly Hair
- Because I live in a place with hard water, I’ve installed a shower filter to protect my hair from getting damaged or weighed down by the minerals in the water supply.
- If your shower has too much pressure, the water coming out of your showerhead can actually strip the natural oils from your scalp and hair, leading to dryness, frizz, and hair falling out. You can fix this with a shower pressure regulator.
Best Shampoos for 2C/3a Curly Hair
Every time I wash my hair, I start with a gentle clarifying shampoo that has no sulfates.
- For clarifying shampoo, I love the Pure Harmony Hairbath shampoo by Innersense, which is made specifically for fine to medium hair like mine.
- Another great, classic option that also happens to be more affordable is Kinky Curly Come Clean shampoo, which has always served me well.
About once per month, I use a chelating shampoo to strip all the minerals and buildup out of my hair – because even with the shower filter, heavy minerals get through. When I use my chelating shampoo I follow it up with a deep conditioning treatment. However, lately I’ve been skipping the chelating shampoo altogether and doing a detox treatment in its place.
- A chelating shampoo uses sulfates to strip heavy buildup out of your hair, but you don’t want to use it too often. My absolute favorite gentle but squeaky clean chelating shampoo has consistently been the Bumble & Bumble Sunday Shampoo. I use this shampoo about once per month, followed by a deep conditioning treatment.
Best Conditioners for 2C/3A Curly Hair
After shampooing, I use a lightweight conditioner from my roots to my ends. I start by “activating” the product by rubbing it in my hands and then I apply it evenly from the top of my head to the end of my hair. I keep it on for a few minutes while I shower, then I detangle my hair using my fingers and make sure to wash out the conditioner completely.
- For a daily conditioner, I love the Pure Inspiration Daily Conditioner by Innersense. It moisturizes and nourishes without weighing down my hair and it washes out easily.
I absolutely love how Inner Sense offers 32-ounce refill pouches, too. So you can cut down on the number of plastic bottles that you have to throw out every year.
Whenever I use a chelating shampoo once per month, I deep condition my hair afterward.
- Olaplex’s No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner is a powerful conditioner that helps my hair feel soft and moisturized without weighing it down. I let it sit in my hair from my roots to my ends for about five minutes after either chelating or detoxing my hair each month. The Olaplex conditioner is much heavier duty compared to Innersense – and significantly more expensive – which is why I don’t use it as my daily conditioner.
To avoid any buildup of conditioner weighing down my hair, I’ve learned how to use my fingerpads to gently but firmly massage my scalp and really clear up any product on my strands.
Best Towels for 2C/3A Curly Hair
After I shower, I wrap my hair in a non-terrycloth towel to cut down on frizz. The weave on a thick terrycloth towel can encourage frizz and damage your hair, so you’re much better off finding an option that’s satin, microfiber, or t-shirt cotton depending on your needs.
- My curly hair is low-porosity, which means it doesn’t easily absorb or hold onto water. It takes a while to get wet and it dries very quickly. So I can use this satin-microfiber curly hair towel for my fine hair, but it may be too lightweight for thicker types of hair.
- Thicker, medium- to high-porosity hair types can use the classic DevaCurl DevaTwist anti-frizz microfiber towel wrap or the Curly Girl microfiber towel. The Kitsch microfiber hair towel is also an excellent choice. For especially thick, high-porosity hair, this VOLO heavy-duty microfiber towel would be up to the task.
- For extra fine, delicate hair, you might benefit the most from a 100% cotton towel that mimics the ultra-soft and gentle texture of a t-shirt. You could repurpose an old t-shirt for the job or try Conair’s t-shirt towel, this option, or Curly Queen’s cotton towel.
I use my towel to dry my hair just a touch but it’s still wet when I style it.
After showering, I used to run a wide-tooth comb once through my hair. However, I have since stopped using a comb altogether and I just use my fingers to detangle my wet hair. I’ve noticed that this has helped my hair dry more buoyant and curly.
Best Leave-in Products for 2C/3A Curly Hair
I don’t often use leave-in products on my hair because so many of them weigh down my fine 2C/3A curls. But sometimes I want that extra definition and shine. Only recently have I discovered leave-in products by Inner Sense that actually work for me.
- After I shower and while my hair is still damp, I use a very tiny amount each of Quiet Calm Curl Control followed by I Create Volume. If my hair isn’t wet enough, I use a spray bottle of water to dampen my strands first. Sometimes I spray a bit of water into the product in my hand to dilute it a bit. I warm up or “activate” the product by rubbing it in my palms before distributing it evenly from my roots to my ends.
- The last time I went to my hairdresser, she used the I Create Finish hairspray to finalize the hold on my hair after it dried. I absolutely loved how light the hairspray felt.
Best Detox Treatment for 2C/3A Curly Hair
To combat the buildup of minerals in my hair, my hair stylist recommended a detox treatment. Lately, I’ve been using this detox treatment each month instead of a chelating shampoo. I’ve found that this treatment is gentler and less likely to dry out my hair and cause frizz.
- I love Inner Sense’s Detox Hair Mask, which uses charcoal, clay, and vinegar to remove minerals and other buildup that would otherwise weigh down my hair. I use this detox about once per month and usually follow it with a deep conditioning treatment.
Best Pillowcases & Overnight Care for 2C/3A Curly Hair
I always sleep with a satin or silk pillowcase and pineapple my hair overnight.
- I’ve tried a number of silk or satin headwraps and bonnets for sleeping on my hair, but none of them worked for me. Instead, I swear by these curly hair ties, which I’ve used to pull my hair loosely into a pineapple practically every night for years now.
- Silk pillowcases are an easy way to reduce frizz and breakage while you sleep.
Best Blow Dryers for 2C/3A Curly Hair
I tend to air dry my hair, but I like to occasionally go all out on tight, voluminous curls with a blow drier and diffuser. When I do, first I apply the leave-in products listed above to my damp hair. (Saving the finishing hair spray for when my hair is fully dried.)
The key to a good curly hair blowout is eliminating frizz by reducing how much your hair gets knocked about and moved around before it fully dries. That means you want to go in with high heat for the most efficient drying but low power to cut down on disturbing your strands. Of course, you want to use a diffuser attachment on your blow drier for the best results.
- Dyson’s Supersonic Hair Dryer is expensive but truly hard to beat. Your hair dries quickly and efficiently and you avoid heat damage with the built-in regulator. Because I diffuse my curls upside down, it’s definitely worthwhile to cut a 20-30 minute drying time in half if that means I won’t be bent over sweating in the bathroom for so long.
- The BabylissPRO Hair Dryer was recommended to me by a hair care professional as a budget-friendly option with a solid motor. You will need to also get a diffuser.
If you have questions, please comment below! Click here to read more of my 2C/3A hair tips.
Comments
Hi! You have gorgeous curls! I have type 2C-3A curls as well. I too like leaving my curls product free after shampooing and conditioning. My curls just seem so much more lustrous, buoyant and fluffy when they have no product in them.
Hi Nishka! Thank you so much! I’m glad this technique works for you too.