5 Tips for Popping Curls

You wash and condition your hair, then step out of the shower. Your curls are popping—well-defined, shiny, moisturized and resilient. Then your hair dries. That’s when your wash and go suddenly goes wrong. The curls that were once glossy and defined are now dry and dull. Then, of course, there’s shrinkage.
We’ve all been there. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are five tips that will help you retain those glossy, popping curls.
Moisture is the Key
You knew that was coming, didn’t you? Moisture is the key to healthy-looking hair, regardless of the style. To crank up your moisture level, eliminate sulfate shampoos. Sulfates produce suds, but drain hair of its natural oils.
Either co-wash hair or use a curl-friendly solution like Honey Nutt Scalp Cleanser. Deep condition hair to give it an extra boost of moisture. Finish by smoothing a leave-in conditioner, like Aloe Vera Leave In Conditioner, on tresses while wet.
Avoid a Tangled Mess
There’s nothing cute about tangled and knotted hair. Make detangling a regular part of your routine. No special tools are required. Saturate wet hair with conditioner. Then gently finger detangle, starting with the ends. Patiently loosen single-strand knots. Many curlies find it easiest to detangle saturated, conditioner-coated hair while in the shower.
Aloe Vera—A Curl’s Best Friend
Aloe vera is particularly effective at giving curls that extra punch. Incorporate an aloe vera based leave-in conditioner or styling product into your wash and go routine. You can also add a bit of aloe vera juice to water in a spray bottle. Spritz on hair whenever curls need refreshing or while rewetting hair during styling.
Finger Shingling
Finger shingling is a method for defining curls. Simply separate hair into small sections. Freshen each section before you begin by rewetting it with the water and aloe vera juice mixture mentioned above. This is critical. When gel is applied to dry hair, it will leave hair hard and stiff when it dries, rather than soft and well-defined.
Use your fingers to spread a curl-defining product, like Sophia’s Coconut Hair Jel or Whipped Soy Hair Jelly on each small section. Rake fingers through hair, separating and defining curls.  
Leave Well Enough Alone
Once you’ve conditioned and shingled hair you can either sit under a hooded dryer or allow hair to air dry. Resist the urge to comb, brush or fluff curls as this will cause hair to frizz and lose the definition you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
For a wash and go with shiny, well-defined curls that last long after your hair dries, moisturize and detangle hair, use products that incorporate aloe vera, finger shingle to define curls, then resist the urge to fuss with those gorgeous tresses once you’re done. You’ll have shiny, popping curls that’ll make heads turn.