Curls And How To Best Look After Them

Where's all of our curly girls our there? We are just wondering, have you mastered the art of styling your curls, or after all of these years are they still managing to drive you crazy when it comes to making them look perfect? If you answered yes to that last question, don't worry because we have got you covered. We are talking about Curls And How To Best Look After Them, and you're going to love it.

Photo By:  Felix Lammer
Hair By:  Wendy Iles

What You Need

To begin, it's important that you set yourself up for success when it comes to your curls and how to best look after them. If you are not currently using these tools that we recommend, then it could be why your facing challenges thus far. We know we are listing a lot here, so if budget is an issue, try to find similar items within your budget, and if you can't get all of them at once, no worries, just gradually add to your collection over time. The good news is, some of these items you may already have laying around the house.

Hairdryer and Diffuser is the first item that we recommend having. If you are a let your hair dry natural girl, then you don't need this tool, but if your not, then having a hairdryer and diffuser will make your life so much easier. Especially if you have a lot of hair. The ones we have pictured below is the Dyson Supersonic Professional Hair Dryer and Diffuser.

Next, you will need at least 2 Hair Clips. These are made by YS Park, and we love them because they are super strong and hold the hair without it slipping. These are handy because when you are applying your product, you want to be able to clip your hair up to apply to the underneath area. This ensures even distribution of product and better end results.

This one is going to sound weird, but discontinue using a towel on your hair, and start using a T-Shirt if you haven't already. The reason for this is because a regular bath towel is very rough and coarse, so it actually can make your curls more frizzy. A t-shirt is a perfect solution, as its much softer, and we always have old t-shirts just laying around the house. Micro fiber towels work well also, but they can be more expensive, so why not just put those old shirts to work.

The next must have item for your curls and how to best look after them, is a Chopstick. Are you wondering why? They actually work great for feeding your hair into the diffuser instead of using your hands. When you use your hands, you tend to over manipulate the hair, which results in frizz. Therefore, the chopsticks eliminate over touching and provide a better finish.

The final tool we recommend is a styling wand. This one is the T3 Whirl Convertible Wand. We are only recommending the wand for touching up curls that did not "behave" when you diffused them. Second and Third day, you may find that your curls need a little love. The wand is perfect for touching up a few spots and quickly heading out the door in the morning.

Styling Your Curls

When it comes to styling your curls, we feel preparation is key. Have a peek at these steps and some of our product recommendations for beautiful results.

1./ To begin, always be sure you are using hydrating haircare products. We love to recommend our Iles Formula 3 Step System for your everyday use. Your thirsty curls will be super hydrated and love every bit of it.

2./ Our newest addition to our Iles Formula Family is The Hair Mask. The  MASK was developed to strengthen and nourish your hair. Selected raw ingredients make up the most sumptuous cocktail for hair and scalp without ever weighing the hair down! Tucuma butter and pracaxia extracts are sourced from the Amazon, silk proteins from Japan, nut oils from Australia as well as vitamin E, panthenol and B5. It really is a "spa" for your hair.

To achieve the best results with this mask, use the  Iles Formula Shampoo to prepare the hair and scalp and the Iles Formula Conditioner to seal in the goodness that this mask delivers.

This nourishing + strengthening hair mask can be used weekly in the case of brittle, dry and damaged hair or as a monthly hair spa for all others hair types.

3./ After you have cleansed, conditioned and treated the hair, its now time to apply the styling product. Use our Iles Formula Finishing Serum for beautiful curls. No more crunchy curls, just beautiful, luscious curls. For the application, we recommend applying from the bottom up. So section the top of the hair away using your clip, and apply the serum to the entire bottom section.

4./ Once you have work it through, take 1 inch sections and twist them in the direction the curl naturally forms. Almost creating curl "dreads". This encourages the curl formation during the drying process.  Continue until all of the hair has been completed.

5./ If you air dry, then you are finished at this point. Just try to eliminate touching the curls and breaking them up until they are at least 85% dry. This will eliminate frizz.

6./ If you prefer to diffuse then this is the next step. Grab your dryer and chopstick. Start by diffusing just the root area first. Most people will start diffusing the ends, but this results in over dried ends that are frizzy and straw like. After the roots are about 30% dry, then you can begin drying the ends. Use the chopstick to feed the ends right into the cup of the diffuser and let them sit there for a bit. Continue by moving around the head and following the same procedure.

7./ Temperature is key! When you are diffusing, try to keep your dryer on the lowest air setting, but the highest heat setting. Too much air causes frizz.  Don't worry we will give it a good blast at the end.

8./ Once the hair is 85% dry, switch the temperature setting to cool, and the air setting to a bit higher.  You can now flip your head up side down and using circular motions allow the air to flow freely through out the hair. This creates separation in the curls and loads of volume. For this step, remove the diffuser and replace it with the blowdryers nozzle.

9./ Next, you will flip back over and detail your hair. It can have more volume than you would like at this point, so don't be afraid to work it down if you prefer. If there are any areas that the curl did not take, simply take your wand and add detail curls to those areas.

This style should last you a few days. If you find you need to touch up the curls, simply use the wand and detail the curls where necessary.

Are you currently doing any or all of these steps?  If so, let us know in the comments below. We love to see your curly hair selfies, so don't forget to tag us in on social media @ilesformula_hair and #IlesFormula.

Until Next Time ????