Finding My Curls Amongst the Kinks

This post is sponsored by Cantu, but all opinions are always my own!

What is the image that comes to mind when you hear the word curls? Maybe it’s Shirley Temple’s ringlets? Michael Jackson’s Jheri curls? Whatever the image in your mind, it’s likely not what my hair looks like on a regular basis. When I first went natural, none of the “curly” references aligned with my hair, so I rejected the term. For six years, if you’d asked me what my hair type was, chances are I would’ve said it was kinky. I ignored products that claimed to define and elongate your curls, and became flustered with the lack of the language of “kinks” on product packaging and marketing. Focusing on my undefined, afro-loving kinks wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it did make me feel like I was missing out on all the curl love.

It wasn’t until I successfully achieved a wash-and-go with Cantu products that I realized–and accepted– that I, too, despite having extremely kinky hair, had curls. I’d tried wash-and-gos a few times before, but last week, with a comb-free technique and the perfect cocktail of products, I finally found my curls.

Starting on dry, finger-combed hair (that had been straightened three weeks before), I saturated my hair with water and ran my fingers through to help detangle. It’s actually best to start with the Cantu Coil Calm Detangler to help get tangles out before you shampoo. I then used the Cantu Complete Conditioning Co-Wash to cleanse my scalp and hair and followed up with the Cantu Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream. I covered my hair with a plastic cap for an hour, then raked my fingers through each of my four sections to detangle, and thoroughly rinsed. After squeezing the water out of my hair, I broke each section down into two more and layered a few spritzes of the Cantu Coil Calm Detangler, a generous scoop of Cantu Coconut Curling Cream, and a tiny bit of Cantu Twist & Lock Gel, raking each product through the section to fully coat each strand while further detangling. To combat shrinkage a wee bit, I braided each section ¼ of the way down and secured with a bobby pin.

The next day, I unbraided the 8 braids to release a modified wash-and-go that was soft, shiny, and very well defined. By braiding the roots, I helped create a part and a shape that framed my face! If you’re a visual person, you can check out the video of how I did my wash-and-go below, but keep in mind that you might need to change the proportions of products you use based on your hair porosity or thickness, as well as the weather where you live.

As cute as my defined curls are, I equally love how my hair looks when it is completely undefined and fro’d out. The beauty of my hair (and yours too) is that it is 100% unique and versatile! Your styling and product needs will be different from other people’s, which is why you have to find the perfect techniques and product combos to help you achieve your desired look.

If you’re interested in trying to find out what combo of Cantu products work for your hair, enter the My Curl. My Cantu Campaign & Giveaway! Between now and 7/31/16, share a photo using #mycantu and tag @cantubeauty for a chance to be featured in their posts and to win a deluxe gift box including all the products I used above. Good luck!

My Curl. My Cantu. Share your look by tagging #mycantu for a chance to be featured on cantubeauty.com/mycantu. Visit cantubeauty.com/mycantu for additional tips, tricks, and tutorial videos.