Today’s Q-Review features Rochelle Masella of Disco Curls. Rochelle shares on NaurallyCurly.com “3 Reason Why I Love This Handheld Steamer So Much.”

It's that time of year, graduation is just around the corner for many of us. It's an exciting time to celebrate well-deserved accomplishments and look back on past memories. Along with graduation also comes stressors associated with that little black hat, especially for curly girls. We are faced with the dilemma, "Do we give in and straighten?" or  "Do we try to manage and style the curls?"

Detangling can be stressful! With the change of seasons, we often find our hair's moisture levels can fluctuate. As a result, the detangling process can seem unbearable. This season we came up with "4 Hacks" to help you detangle with ease.

I commonly hear, "I have curly hair too, but I could never wear it curly because it's too frizzy".

Well guess what?  Yes you can!  And what's more, the frizz is your curly hair sending out an SOS. It needs moisture- it's suffocating and drying out! Every head of frizz can be turned into a crown of gorgeous curls, waves or kinks. Really! 

Typically the cycle of frizz starts with products we use. Products are often loaded with silicones that initially give us very positive results - smooth, good shine, manageable. These products often include high-end, pricey, salon recommended purchases. We may believe we found the holy grail of products. But unfortunately, the joy is temporary. Silicones coat the hair. Think of a plastic sleeve covering each hair strand. The hair begins to dry out and crave water.  When hair is thirsty, it's frizzy!  The obvious solution would be to apply water, water-based conditioners and moisturizers, right? Unfortunately, since your hair is now coated in plastic, no matter what product you choose or how much you apply, the product cannot absorb through the plastic and into the hair.  In fact, more product application contributes to the buildup.

The frustration sets in and the flat irons come out.  Ugh.

Tweaking your cleansing and moisturizing routine is the solution to achieving and maintaining the maximum health and beauty of your hair.  You want your products to be sulfate, paraben, and silicone free. 

Here is how you can transition to a curl enhancing cleansing and conditioning routine:

• The first step towards breaking the curse (aka. frizz) is clarifying the hair - get the plastic silicones off!  It may take several washes with a clarify wash such as Curls, Pure Curls- Clarifying Shampoo to remove all of the residue and detox the hair. You will not use a clarifying product every time you wash your hair. Only when you have buildup.  If you are avoiding silicones in all of your hair products, you may only need to clarify very occasionally or never again!
• Once the hair is detoxed of silicones, each individual hair strand can absorb water and moisturizing conditioner. The trick here is to use a silicone-free, moisture-rich products like Curls' Coconut Sublime Conditioner. Why? We do not want silicones to buildup again. When we condition, we want individual hair strands to freely absorb moisture.  These moisturized strands will turn into amazing waves, curls and kinks.
• Next time you cleanse use a sulfate-free cleanser (often referred to as a co-wash or cleansing cream) instead of regular shampoo that lathers. A co-wash does not contain the harsh sulfates that not only get our hair squeaky clean, but also strip the hair and scalp of the desirable oils needed for healthy frizz-free curls. Curlicious Curls Cleaning Cream is a great option. Ditch the shampoo! The co-wash will not lather, which may seem strange at first. However, going forward you don't need the lather, because you have been avoiding products that will buildup.  You will find that the co-wash has enough surfactants that, when paired with nice finger pad scalp scrubbing, your hair will be just as clean. Think of the lather as just a bad habit to break.
• Your styling products must be chosen with care as well.  Remember, whether you prefer a styling gel or styling cream, choose a paraben, silicone-free product. Checkout Curls serums, gels, and creams. 

Repeat the co-wash, condition, and style routine as needed. Once you get the hang of using the silicone and sulfate free products you can try to extend the days between co-washing to second, third, forth day hair. That thought may make you scratch your head, literally. As your hair adjusts and responds to this new routine the need to cleanse everyday is a thing of the past.  

I admit it takes a bit of patience and trial and error, but the results are fantastic! I promise you.

A great resource for more information on the no sulfate, paraben, and silicone routine is Curly Girl The Handbook by Lorraine Massey.