Ok, listen up people!
DO NOT blow-dry your curls! Ever! Let them air-dry, undisturbed.
This will keep them from fluffing. The weight of the water keeps them lying tamely and looking soft as they dry naturally. They will stay moist and conditioned without the harsh wind and heat.
I'm amazed at how many beauticians have no idea what to do with curls. They all ruin my hair, every single one. I have my husband cut at home and take care of it myself.
The bottom line is, the less you touch your hair, the better. Leave it alone! Let it breathe and be beautiful! If you like to keep it out of your face, then put your clip or headband or whatever in while it's still wet - otherwise it will stick out and be fluffy when you try to do it later. The exception is if you want to pull it straight back into a ponytail or roll or braid, because then it takes forever to dry.
Personally, I like Sunsilk's gel-creme twist, and am currently using Herbal Essences Totally Twisted conditioner to good results. I have to use soap-free baby shampoo because I am allergic to soap, which dampens my curls a little, so I have to scrunch them a little with my hands after applying the gel. I color my hair with gentler colorants like Natural Instincts, partly because I really like the conditioner that comes with the dye - never found anything better, and deepening the color makes my hair look shinier, a problem for curly hair because the hair shaft doesn't reflect light as well, being flat.
One advantage of the baby shampoo, though, is you can use it a lot more often than regular shampoo. It doesn't strip the oils so badly so I can use it every other day, no problem.
But honestly, shampoo and conditioner matter very little to me, the thing that makes all the difference is a good gel-creme and letting it air-dry. Silicone serums are what I used to use, but they aren't necessary when I use Sunsilk's twist stuff. I may apply them to dry hair to refresh it if I don't have time to shower but that's it.
Don't use mousse. Don't use volumizer. Don't let a hairstylist mess with your hair. DON'T BLOW DRY IT. Be free and curly!
