Alright, so the basics. I have 2c-3a hair, depending on what day in the wash cycle it is, and how well the products hold. I wash my hair every 4 days, so 1-2 times a week. The whole process takes about 4 hours to complete, but I have low porosity hair, and drying is the longest part. Ignore how frizzy my hair is here, I was playing with it because I can’t help myself. Also, ignore my derp face :p
Pre-poo
· I start with Jamaican Black Caster Oil on my scalp. I use a dropper to get it right against the scalp. Now, I might be crazy, but I swear this stuff has filled in my hair where it was thinner at the front from a childhood of tight ponytails. Once it’s on my scalp, I massage it in for a few minutes, coating as much as I can.
· Next, I spray down my hair with water and use SheaMoisture’s Manuka Honey & Yogurt Protein Treatment on the length of my hair. I work it through with my finger and partially (gently) detangle with a wide tooth comb.
· Once everything is worked through, I put on a shower cap and put a Hot Head cap over that.
· Let that sit for 10-20 minutes
Wash (now we’re getting into the DevaCurl)
· I shampoo with the DevaCurl Low-Poo Original. I was weary about using this product. My hair tends to get pretty oily and nasty around day 3-4, and I worried that such a mild cleanser wouldn’t get rid of enough build up to be worth using every week. I’m happy to say I was wrong. It does leave hair with more of a conditioned feel, so if you’re used to a squeaky-clean scalp, you might freak out at first. That being said, it did a great job of getting the oil off my scalp, even the pre-poo oil I added. It has a scent that reminds me of pears, and has a decent lather considering. I don’t know if I’ll ever venture to a no-poo alternative, but I feel better about using this product than I did other shampoos. Once I have the shampoo worked over my scalp, I use the Vanity Planet Vibrating Shampoo Brush. Yes, I will buy anything YouTube tells me to. I let the shampoo sit while I was my face and then rinse.
· I follow up with the DevaCurl One Condition Original. For the first few uses, it was driving me crazy that I couldn’t figure out the scent. It was so familiar, and reminded me of my childhood. Was it like a product I used when I was younger? Was it a place? Nope, it smells like strawberry pez. I’m not even kidding! But as for the performance, it’s an okay conditioner. Not really anything to write home about. It’s not too thick, so if you like a lot of moisture you might want to go with something else. I let the conditioner sit while I finish washing the rest of my body.
· When it comes time to wash the conditioner out, I put my shower head on a trickle and flip my head over and ‘squish to condish’. Because I use this method, I don’t follow up with a leave-in
Styling
· I stay in my shower to style. I prefer my hair to be soaking wet, but that’s my preference. With my head flip over, I start with DevaCurl Frizz-Free Volumizing Foam. This is one product I probably won’t be buying again. I know some curly’s swear by it, but it doesn’t do anything for me. I think I’ll sub it out for Wavemaker which has helped with frizz in the past. I work it through my hair, paying special attention to the hair at the nape of my neck, since that’s where I have trouble with product holding
· Next I use Living Proof Full Thickening Mousse. All I can say about this is… meh. I’ve used better mousses and will probably switch once this one runs dry. It doesn’t have quite enough hold for me.
· Next (yes, I know I use a lot of product), I use DevaCurl’s B’Leave-In. I honestly feel that out of all my ‘volumizing’ products, this is the one that really gets the job done. It makes my curls more springy and super shiny! 10/10 would recommend to a friend.
· Finally for products, I finish up with DevaCurl Arc Angel gel. Now any gel that comes in a giant tub with a pump is a friend of mine. I was conflicted at first, because I wanted that really solid gel cast to scrunch out, and this didn’t feel like that. The cast is softer – almost conditioning? Either way, you won’t be disappointed when it comes time to SOTC. It might not have a solid gel cast, but that helps in giving you big bouncy curls!
Drying
· Okay, once I have a literal pound of product in my hair, I crunch with a DevaCurl Towel, but any microfiber towel will do. You’ll notice that up until this point I haven’t said anything about scrunching, that’s because I don’t! Scandalous, I know, but by not scrunching, I make sure that the products get all over my hair and not just on the outside of bigger chunks. But yeah, I scrunch slowly with the towel, careful to not break apart any large chunks that form – these are baby ringlets and need to be protected and cherished.
· Once my hair is no longer dripping wet, I plop with a cotton t-shirt. I find that the t-shirt is the right balance of thickness and absorbency. Plopping with a microfiber towel wouldn’t allow enough air flow, and plopping with something like a wig cap doesn’t absorb enough. I plop for 10-15 minutes, depending on how lazy I am that day.
· After plopping, I turn my head over and defuse (low-no heat high speed) until my hair is about 50% dry. Then, I flip my hair to the opposite side I always wear it and let it air dry until it’s about 85% dry. Finally, I hit it with a defuser one more time until dry. Now, something I learned is to never SOTC unless you’re sure your hair is 100% dry. Doing it too early will cause frizz and flatness. If you’re not sure whether or not your hair is dry, it’s probably not. Pay special attention to the roots – mine hold water longer.
· Finally, I SOTC and flip my hair over. Ta-Da! Big hair, bouncy, glossy curls, and 4 hours of your life you’ll never get back.
I hoped this helped anyone thinking about getting DevaCurl products, or anyone that was wondering about my routine (PS, Devacurl, I'm ready to be sponsored, this wasn't cheap). I like learning about everyone’s routine, because you never know when you’ll find what works for you!
Pre-poo
· I start with Jamaican Black Caster Oil on my scalp. I use a dropper to get it right against the scalp. Now, I might be crazy, but I swear this stuff has filled in my hair where it was thinner at the front from a childhood of tight ponytails. Once it’s on my scalp, I massage it in for a few minutes, coating as much as I can.
· Next, I spray down my hair with water and use SheaMoisture’s Manuka Honey & Yogurt Protein Treatment on the length of my hair. I work it through with my finger and partially (gently) detangle with a wide tooth comb.
· Once everything is worked through, I put on a shower cap and put a Hot Head cap over that.
· Let that sit for 10-20 minutes
Wash (now we’re getting into the DevaCurl)
· I shampoo with the DevaCurl Low-Poo Original. I was weary about using this product. My hair tends to get pretty oily and nasty around day 3-4, and I worried that such a mild cleanser wouldn’t get rid of enough build up to be worth using every week. I’m happy to say I was wrong. It does leave hair with more of a conditioned feel, so if you’re used to a squeaky-clean scalp, you might freak out at first. That being said, it did a great job of getting the oil off my scalp, even the pre-poo oil I added. It has a scent that reminds me of pears, and has a decent lather considering. I don’t know if I’ll ever venture to a no-poo alternative, but I feel better about using this product than I did other shampoos. Once I have the shampoo worked over my scalp, I use the Vanity Planet Vibrating Shampoo Brush. Yes, I will buy anything YouTube tells me to. I let the shampoo sit while I was my face and then rinse.
· I follow up with the DevaCurl One Condition Original. For the first few uses, it was driving me crazy that I couldn’t figure out the scent. It was so familiar, and reminded me of my childhood. Was it like a product I used when I was younger? Was it a place? Nope, it smells like strawberry pez. I’m not even kidding! But as for the performance, it’s an okay conditioner. Not really anything to write home about. It’s not too thick, so if you like a lot of moisture you might want to go with something else. I let the conditioner sit while I finish washing the rest of my body.
· When it comes time to wash the conditioner out, I put my shower head on a trickle and flip my head over and ‘squish to condish’. Because I use this method, I don’t follow up with a leave-in
Styling
· I stay in my shower to style. I prefer my hair to be soaking wet, but that’s my preference. With my head flip over, I start with DevaCurl Frizz-Free Volumizing Foam. This is one product I probably won’t be buying again. I know some curly’s swear by it, but it doesn’t do anything for me. I think I’ll sub it out for Wavemaker which has helped with frizz in the past. I work it through my hair, paying special attention to the hair at the nape of my neck, since that’s where I have trouble with product holding
· Next I use Living Proof Full Thickening Mousse. All I can say about this is… meh. I’ve used better mousses and will probably switch once this one runs dry. It doesn’t have quite enough hold for me.
· Next (yes, I know I use a lot of product), I use DevaCurl’s B’Leave-In. I honestly feel that out of all my ‘volumizing’ products, this is the one that really gets the job done. It makes my curls more springy and super shiny! 10/10 would recommend to a friend.
· Finally for products, I finish up with DevaCurl Arc Angel gel. Now any gel that comes in a giant tub with a pump is a friend of mine. I was conflicted at first, because I wanted that really solid gel cast to scrunch out, and this didn’t feel like that. The cast is softer – almost conditioning? Either way, you won’t be disappointed when it comes time to SOTC. It might not have a solid gel cast, but that helps in giving you big bouncy curls!
Drying
· Okay, once I have a literal pound of product in my hair, I crunch with a DevaCurl Towel, but any microfiber towel will do. You’ll notice that up until this point I haven’t said anything about scrunching, that’s because I don’t! Scandalous, I know, but by not scrunching, I make sure that the products get all over my hair and not just on the outside of bigger chunks. But yeah, I scrunch slowly with the towel, careful to not break apart any large chunks that form – these are baby ringlets and need to be protected and cherished.
· Once my hair is no longer dripping wet, I plop with a cotton t-shirt. I find that the t-shirt is the right balance of thickness and absorbency. Plopping with a microfiber towel wouldn’t allow enough air flow, and plopping with something like a wig cap doesn’t absorb enough. I plop for 10-15 minutes, depending on how lazy I am that day.
· After plopping, I turn my head over and defuse (low-no heat high speed) until my hair is about 50% dry. Then, I flip my hair to the opposite side I always wear it and let it air dry until it’s about 85% dry. Finally, I hit it with a defuser one more time until dry. Now, something I learned is to never SOTC unless you’re sure your hair is 100% dry. Doing it too early will cause frizz and flatness. If you’re not sure whether or not your hair is dry, it’s probably not. Pay special attention to the roots – mine hold water longer.
· Finally, I SOTC and flip my hair over. Ta-Da! Big hair, bouncy, glossy curls, and 4 hours of your life you’ll never get back.
FYI, I've been breaking out on my forehead for the past few days and didn't make the link till now. I just read some reviews of different brands on iherb and quite a few people say they experienced breakouts from using it on their eyebrows. I think I'm just going to give up this pursuit and take better care of my lashes.
~~EDIT: This one seems to be the most popular choice on iherb, the 4-5 star reviews mention good lash growth.~~
~~EDIT 2: There is also this lash enhancing serum with good reviews.~~
EDIT 3: Okay okay, this one looks really promising! :)