Years ago a coworker told me her best friend (who is a curly girl) did not shampoo her hair. I thought it was weird but didn’t think much more of it at the time. But I never forgot what I heard. Not too long after I purchased Curly Girl: The Handbook. I learned about the various curl types and read the stories about ladies who struggled with their curly blessings throughout childhood and even as adults. I didn’t really relate as I had to wear my hair in braids until sixth grade and didn’t even realize my hair would stay curly past the wash stage. That revelation and what happened when I finally got to do my own hair in junior high school are fun stories for another blog.
Anyway, one of the most powerful insights I got from the book was that you should not shampoo curly hair. I never realized that shampoos are full of harsh detergents that do more harm than help natural curls. From that day on, I looked for “sulfate free”, “no paraben” and “silicone free” hair products. In 2017, it seems like companies have completely jumped on the natural hair revolution and know how to market details like this to consumers because we have more products now than ever.
So I said I stopped shampooing my hair but I didn’t say I stopped washing it altogether. What I do now is “co-wash”. Basically it’s a special product that allows you to “wash” with cleansing conditioner. From my experience you don’t need to see lather to ensure your hair is clean. Right now I alternate between Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Cleansing Conditioner and DevaCurl’s No-Poo.
After I co-wash, I love to use Mixed Chicks’ Deep Conditioner.
To mamas of curly girls and boys, I highly suggest double checking the hair product labels and teaching them what is good for their hair. It’s never too early or late to start a Curly Courtship ❤.
Curly Courtship 