When I was pregnant with my first baby (who’s now a 3.5 year old… but how?!), I occasionally imagined what she’d look and be like. I knew I had no control over that, so didn’t turn my mind to it too much, but I did think she’d a) be a little firecracker (like me when I was younger — I was judging by the kicks), b) have brown eyes (beautiful ones at that) and c) have curly hair. Well, I got the trifecta! And I’ve learnt along the way, particularly when it comes to beautiful curly hair, there has to be a method to the madness.
First off, I was one of those FTMs (first time mums) who bought into some, not all, of the “things you need to have a baby” lists. Including the Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo. Now, I used to use this years ago when I had a glamorous condition called blepharitis (it’s an eyelid thing, I wouldn’t google if I were you), but would advise against blindly purchasing it for your child like I did. I think I wanted a sense of security, that I had all the products I needed for when the baby popped out, but this would later lead me down a steep learning curve (or is it up?) that took a little while to recover from.
1. First of all, honour the curl
The thing with curls is they’re a gift from God, and you really have to honour them. I’m serious! They’re so beautiful, and beauty doesn’t come without responsibility (lol, you can quote me on that). They’re not low maintenance, and nor should they be. They just require a little more care than other types of hair… and that’s fine.
The interesting thing is, I myself had curly hair as a kid. I’m talking tight little ringlets, which have since loosened to my wavy hair (I sometimes wonder if I should try the Curly Girl Method to potentially restore any lost curls… maybe one day! I do occasionally get ringlets near my ears if my hair air dries… so there’s hope). But my mum, bless her, had pin-straight hair, and didn’t really know how to manage curly hair… so I never really learnt how. I have memories of dry brushes pulling at my knotty hair, unable to get through and just being painful. I didn’t want that to happen again — so I had to teach myself.
2. You need conditioner!
So first off, I used to use the Johnson’s shampoo and no conditioner… do not do that. Again, I was so paranoid as a FTM that I didn’t want to add extra product to my daughter’s hair and make it greasy or affect her scalp. But in doing so, I made her curls go frizzy and knotty, and it just wasn’t right.
I eventually went down a curly haired rabbit hole, and learnt about different products. Although baby hair is fragile and you don’t want to overload it, curly hair is just wired differently (so to speak) and needs more moisture, plain and simple. I ended up purchasing the Curly Kidz range from Pump, and have been happy with these thus far. I also originally used the Bunjie It’s a Curl Shampoo, but abandoned it mainly to use the conditioning set from Pump. I just was neglecting conditioner, which is the worst thing I could have possibly done to my girl’s beautiful curls!
3. Brushes matter
I also didn’t choose the right brush, and bought a stock standard baby hair brush, instead of a proper curly hair brush — and there is a big difference! After educating myself, I ended up purchasing the Tangle Teaser Mini with the Unicorn design… so cute lah. It’s also the perfect little size for cute little hands. Recently, Molly has been enjoying brushing her own hair, and this brush turned into the perfect toddler-friendly independence-encouraging tool too.
Don’t use a thick-bristled basic brush… get a brush specifically for curly hair, or that will work with the curl. Some online comments have advised against the Tangle Teaser, but we’ve found it really easy and it makes my girl’s curls pop.
4. Only brush when wet
Again, another thing I was doing wrong! Those memories of dry brushing my matted hair came back to haunt me when I would try to brush Molly’s hair. To be fair, hers wasn’t long enough at that point to get knotty, but it would just brush the top of it and then make it go static. It just wasn’t right! I soon learnt that you must only brush curly hair when wet. I still stick to that to this day! Brushing whilst dry will only make it frizz up.
We also use the Gaia Baby Hair Detangler to make brushing even smoother. A lot of websites recommend using a leave-in conditioner, and we have in the past, although I find this the lightest and easiest way to work with the curl. Your mileage may vary. This product, however, is lovely and light. We did also use the Curly Kidz Papaya Leavein Spray, but I do find that leaves a stickier residue than the Gaia. So I’m sticking to what we know!
And that’s about the gist of it, to be honest. Basic? Yes, and yet I still had no clue, it seems. Curly hair is such a beautiful thing, and once you know how to work with it, you’ll be off and running. And get ready for the gorgeousness of the curls! Your curly kid will be receiving compliments left, right and centre, believe me… and they’re all true, of course!
My next challenge is to potentially try the Curly Girl Method myself to unmask my possibly wavy/curly hair. Yes, I believe I may still have a curl or two in my mane, which is especially apparent when I let it air dry. This is a whole other commitment though, so I ain’t quite there yet.
Have you tried any of these products? Got any curly hair tips for me? I’d love to hear in the comments!
Steph x