Managing Your Hair Care Stash

Spring has sprung which means it’s time to clean up the clutters of winter; out with the old and in with the new!

Now it’s pretty common for those trying most, if not all, of the Curly Girl Method to accumulate a lot of products. Shampoos, conditioners, leave-ins, gels, the works. Starting a curly hair routine takes a ton experimentation, trial and error, and constant shifting on product use depending on hair type, weather and one’s weekly activities. There’s a lot of great brands out there, and we can’t help but want to try them all out, especially when they get good reviews from our trusted social media influencers. So, as you do, this is where a good chunk of my paychecks went over the course of about 10 months…

And yes, that is a panorama.

Granted, I haven’t gotten to the point where I have whole shelves dedicated to hair products, but this is more than I ever owned in my whole life. And since I’m not nearly well-known enough to get PR, it’s mainly coming out of my own pocket with a few gifted items here and there, so it’s quite the investment on my end. Oh, the things I do to take care of my hair…

I organized the above photo by brand, so let’s go through each one-by-one, left to right:

• Not Your Mother’s
  • I haven’t tried much from Not Your Mother’s, but I like seeing them constantly promote their Naturals lines which are sulfate, silicone and paraben free. The Tahitian Gardenia Flower & Mango Butter line is specifically designed for curly hair, and the detangling spray is the absolute best to maintain curls in between washes. I cut back on leave-ins since I was overdoing them which weighed my hair down over time. Turns out the detangler alone is just enough to keep my curl definition and get out the knots. It kind smells like medicine with a touch of floral extract (at least to me anyway), but I don’t mind since it gets the job done so well. I’m really itching to try more of this brand, especially the hair masques I see all over Instagram, and I have nothing but the best hopes.
• Curls
  • While one of the pricier brands on drug store shelves, you definitely get your money’s worth. Curls is wonderful when you’re just starting on a curly hair routine and looking for more light products to moisturize and hold your curl definition. And the Blueberry Bliss line smells so much like candy you could eat it. Admittedly, I don’t use the gel and leave-in as much as I used to since I prefer a stronger hold, but I still go back to them occasionally depending on what I’m feeling for wash day. I’ll need to go out of my way to another store to try out more products cause my nearby CVS doesn’t have the best variety.
• Lush
  • I don’t use Lush hair care products that often since it’s so expensive, and most everything contains sulfates, including the conditioners which is still weird to me. But the shampoo bar is convenient for travel and those days where I feel greasier than I should. R&B is still one of the best leave-in conditioners I ever tried, and I definitely recommend it if you can throw down the extra money. I’m still curious about a couple treatments, and need to do more research before making a commitment.
• Maui Moisture
  • This is hands down one of the best drug store brands for curly hair. I have absolutely no complaints since everything works like a charm. The shampoo is super cleansing without drying out my hair, the conditioner is perfect for detangling, and the multiple treatments and stylers are wonderful at moisturizing when all else fails. And everything smells so fucking delicious. It’s becoming more of a struggle to not buy the Hibiscus Water line cause that watermelon scent is to die for.
• Shea Moisture
  • Like much needs to be said for Shea Moisture? It’s another great go-to brand for curly hair which caters to all hair types. Got a lot of heat and/or chemical damage? There’s a line for that. Got low porosity? There’s a line for that too! Prone to shrinkage? Oh, you know the answer! Because some lines are for very specialized hair needs, some products may just not work for you, even if others swear by them. So far the only dud for me has been the Peace Rose Oil Complex line as both the shampoo and conditioner are far too runny, and it feels like I have to use a lot to get decent results, which sucks cause rose is one of my favorite scents. But you’re always guaranteed to find at least one or two Shea Moisture lines which suit your needs.
• Garnier Fructis
  • Over the past couple years, Garnier Fructis actually really impressed the curly hair community by slowly introducing more silicone and sulfate-free products. Their One Minute Masks became the biggest highlight with an amazing 3-in-1 product to detangle and moisturize. The avocado one served me so well that I went ahead and bought the larger size. I have yet to try that gel in the back, and I know it has one silicone, but it is thankfully water soluble, so I’m hoping for the best.
• Idhayam brand sesame seed oil
  • Yes, I still have my trusty sesame seed oil after all this time. I only need about a tablespoon to saturate and detangle my hair, and it was a hell of a game changer for my routine. I’ve been meaning to test out other oils, but I also like the routine I currently have going on. Though since the summer heat is around the corner, a change in routine is probably in my near future.
• OGX
  • So I had to branch away from OGX for a while after finding out their oil mists had silicons (oops). While the brand is sulfate-free, most of their products have a crap ton of silicons, which sucks cause they really don’t need them. Thankfully, I found at least one item that’s silicone-free and smells amaze-balls, and you’ll definitely see a review coming soon.
• Deva Curl
  • Ah yes, the Holy Grail of curly hair care. I only really use these if I’m in desperate need of a miracle, and I like to keep some travel-sized products on standby just in case. The styling gel is my absolute favorite, and I have a larger size of the One Condition waiting in my Ulta shopping cart. It definitely doesn’t hurt to be a bit self-indulgent with a brand like Deva Curl, especially if there’s one or two products which do wonders for your hair.
• Hask
  • I only really tested out their hair masks, but just from those alone, Hask is working well in my favor. Unfortunately their regular conditioners have silicons, and I just noticed that most everything, including the masks, have some rubbing alcohol. Granted, the latter ingredient mostly falls at the bottom of the list, and it’s easy to slip under the radar when you’re focused on finding stuff that is sulfate and silicone-free. I haven’t really noticed any negative effects since there’s a bunch of other factors on how my hair ends up after in between washes, so I still have my hopes that these masks still work well for me.

It’s hard to resist building up your own stash, especially if there’s something out there you’re dying to try. And every head of hair is different, so you may need a variety to garner at least halfway decent results. That said, here’s some tips to manage your hair care stash!

1.  Pay attention to what your hair likes. Every head of hair is different and will vary in reactions to certain products, especially if your routine has multiple steps or you’re completely changing it. Some people may need 10 products for good results while others get by with just 5. Is your scalp getting clean? Do your ends soak up product well? Does it dry up or get too oily shortly after washing? It’s a lot to observe, but answering these questions helps to better decide how many products you need for your routine, which brands will actually do the job, and how often you need to restock.
2.  You don’t need to buy that much shampoo. If you’re like me, chances are you probably only wash your hair once a week, maybe less than that. As such, your shampoo is gonna last you forever. Hell, I still have the same Shea Moisture shampoo I got when I first began a curly hair routine (speaking of, I probably need to double check the expiration date). I suggest keeping at least two kinds of shampoo in stock; one that’s gentle and low-lather and one that’s a little more heavy-duty (but still sulfate free).
   1. The same goes for styling gels. You only use these once a week, and you only need about a silver dollar sized amount to hold your curls, maybe less depending on the brand and how much hair you have. Have at least one gel for a light hold and another for a stronger hold depending on what kind of wash day you’re having.
3.  You can afford to splurge on conditioners, masks and leave-ins. As curly hair is naturally dry, you need all the moisture you can get, and you will quickly burn through conditioners like your life depends on it. And it never hurts to have a little variety for your kinda good days and the nightmare fuel days once it’s time to wash again. And if a nearby store has those 50% more bottles, freaking go for it.
   1. Travel size masks are also neat to test out certain products before committing to the large jar, which is why I got so into Hair Mask of the Week when I began a curly hair routine.
4.  If there’s a product you absolutely love and cannot live without, don’t feel bad on having one bottle or container on standby to save a trip to the store. Otherwise, try to empty out at least one or two containers before going on your next shopping spree so you know you’ll have the space.

I’m going to slowly wade through my stash over the next few weeks, so if you see anything above which I should desperately test out and review or if I’m missing something vital in my stash, please leave a comment with your suggestions!

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