Hi wavy friends! I’m here to share a really hydrating wavy hair routine. These are the steps I take to keep my waves hydrated my wavy hair in winter. We’ll walk through what I use to cleanse, hydrate, and style my hair. If your waves need a hydrating boost, this wavy hair routine is for you!
Cleaning Wavy Hair
I still double cleanse my hair and recommend doing so even in winter if you regularly use hair products. This is especially true if you only use sulfate-free shampoo. I personally use two separate shampoos, but if you want to only use one, go with the second step below.
The first time I cleanse my hair, I use this completely underrated shampoo. NOBODY talks about this shampoo. I’ve never once heard another creator or person in real life mention this shampoo, but it’s great! It has “smooth” in the name for a reason – it really does smooth wavy hair, it feels hydrating, and still lathers really well for a sulfate-free option. I do use it standalone from time to time, but find my hair does best with the combination (I’ve always liked to mix shampoos, it has nothing to do with the performance of any one I’ve tried). I massage this one in with my fingertips, then rinse fully. Then I go in with a shampoo that contains protein. My favorite is this one, but I have a much more affordable option here. I massage this is in using my scalp massager. I actually held off for YEARS buying one of these. While I’m glad to have it and do use it regularly, it’s not life changing. Your waves won’t magically pop off because of this thing. But it does feel really nice on the scalp and remove product well. After massaging the head until the product-y feel is out and your scalp feels nice, rinse completely out.
Conditioning Wavy Hair
Next I use my conditioner. This is the time to detangle wavy hair, because the conditioner helps loosen up any tangles, and there’s a lower risk of breakage. For extra hydration, use a deep conditioning mask like this one, or a use a specifically hydrating conditioner. I do have a more budget friendly option for the mask here, but the Briogeo one has been worth it for me. Scrunch in the conditioner after brushing to bring back the wave pattern, then rinse 95% of the product out. Leaving a little in is similar to using a leave-in conditioner.
Styling (In-Shower)
I use a cream heat protectant and curl cream in the shower and layer them. Starting with the cream heat protectant, I use about a nickel size, rub it between my hands, and gently run it through all of the ends. I scrunch it in and create as many clumps as I can. With VERY little product remaining I smooth down my roots. I use essentially the same process for the curl cream but use about a quarter amount. Many people who use this curl cream say less is more. I feel like I still need more, so start small but trust your hair if you think you need more.
Once this step is done I dry my hair halfway while in a microfiber hair turban. I let mine site about 4 hours.
Styling Hair Products After Shower
This is the one part of the routine that is arguably “drying,” but my hair needs it for good results. I use this cheap mousse (yes, it’s worth getting a 3 pack!) by applying a generous amount throughout the ends of my hair. I’m talking a handful or so total. That’s what’s nice about using an affordable product in thi step, I don’t feel like I’m losing liquid gold. When applying, avoid the top 3 inches or so of the hair to avoid getting a greasy look.I scrunch this up into my damp hair and then leave alone to either finish air drying, or diffuse as outlined below.
Diffusing Wavy Hair with the Shark HyperAir Blow Dryer
I have a whole post/tutorial/review, so read that if you need it, but I use the Shark HyperAir blow dryer and diffuser.
When I start the diffusing process, I use level 2 drying, level 1 heat. I hover diffuse, which means I hold the blow dryer/diffuser about 1inch away from the hair itself. Disrupting the waves by putting the nozzle into the hair or on the hair can cause frizz and less definition of your waves. Once my hair is about 80% dry I switch to level 1 blow drying too. At this time I also use a hard hold finishing spray. This step is completely optional for a hydrating wavy hair routine as some people find the alcohol can dry out their hair. I personally find it okay, but they do make alcohol free hairsprays such as this one. I will say, every non-alcohol hairspray I’ve used the nozzle has clogged before I’m even ¼ through the bottle. But if you want to be extra careful with your hair this can be a good option, or again you can skip this step.
I hover diffuse the rest of my head until it’s 100% dry. Once dry, I “scrunch out the crunch” by lightly scrunching my hair until my waves look defined and soft. Once the product is broken up, STOP scrunching. If you continue, it’ll cause frizz and definition loss. If you really like big voluminous hair you can continue but frizz comes along with that.
So that is my hydrating wavy hair routine! Here’s the steps again:
- Shampoo with a smoothing shampoo
- Shampoo again – with a protein shampoo
- Condition with a deep conditioning mask, or hydrating conditioner.
- Wet brust the hair with conditioner in to detangle
- Scrunch the hair while conditioning after you’ve brushed it
- Dry hair 50% in a microfiber turban
- Scrunch in a generous amount of a hydrating medium to hard hold mousse
- Diffuse with the Shark HyperAir diffuser on level 2 blow dry, level 1 heat until 80% dry.
- At 80& dry, add in a hard hold finishing spray (optional)
- Dry hair to 100% dry on level 1 blow dry, level 1 heat
- Scrunch out the crunch of the product
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or ask me on Instagram.
