How to Care for Wavy Hair

Did Nature grace you with wavy hair? Lucky you. These tips on wavy haircare will help you keep your tumbling tresses looking their just-been-to-the-beach best.

The Power of a Good Cut

A good haircut paves the way for beautiful waves. Skilled hairdressers know how to cut your hair so it’s not weighed down, unleashing the full potential of your waves. Ask wavy-haired friends where they get their hair done, or search social media for specialist wavy or curly stylists. Once you’ve found your perfect coiffeur, book in for a trim every 8-12 weeks.

Keep it Light

It can be tempting to reach for curly hair styling products when you’ve got wavy hair, but these are often just too heavy and sticky – and can leave locks weighed down and dull. Keep styling products to a minimum, trying lightweight mousses or gels. And because silicones have a reputation for being particularly weighty on waves, it’s best to choose silicone-free shampoos, conditioners and styling products.

Squish & Scrunch

OK, so curls and waves are two different beasts, but there are some aspects of the much-loved Curly Girl Method that wavy-haired people can borrow. One of these is ‘squish to condish’ – the act of squashing conditioner into wet hair with your hands on wash days. Squishing ensures maximum moisture makes it into your hair shaft – and helps to encourage the natural wave pattern. Squishing or scrunching that lightweight mousse or gel into your hair will also help it take its perfect shape.

Stay Hydrated

Wavy hair does tend to be dry, so one of the golden rules of caring for it is to keep it hydrated. That way, your locks are more likely to look glossy and your waves should stay in shape. Keep wavy wash days to a minimum, ideally allowing a few days between lathering up. Choose silicone-free shampoo and conditioner with ingredients known to moisturise hair (scroll down to see our recommended products). Drench the lengths of your hair in conditioner and ‘squish to condish’, as explained above. Lots of wavy-haired people like to seal in moisture by using a hair oil as a final step after washing and conditioning. Once a week, treat your tresses to a hair mask.

Comb with Care

If you want to keep those s-shaped tresses curving to their full potential, you’ll need to say bye to brushing. It might be hard to break the habit, but trust us:  it’ll be worth it. Using a hairbrush can be damaging to prone-to-dryness wavy hair – and could drag that precious pattern down. Start on wash day, combing your silicone-free conditioner through your hair with a wide-toothed comb or your fingers. This will help coat every strand in the conditioner, without compromising the shape of your waves. Between washes, gently untangle any knots by raking through with your fingers.

Dial Down the Heat

To keep those waves in shape and help prevent frizz, it’s best to avoid exposing your hair to too much heat. That means rinsing your shampoo and conditioner or hair mask away using cool-to-lukewarm water. Hot water can lead to damage and dryness, but a cooler blast from the shower is known to help seal the cuticle and leave locks looking shinier. After washing, resist the urge to reach for the hairdryer or any heat styling tools (more on this bit next).

Steady with the Styling

Great, natural waves need very little styling. If you follow the steps above, you’ll be well on the way to beautiful s-shaped tresses. Although heat-drying can be tempting, it’s best to avoid it completely. And you shouldn’t need rollers, curling tongs or other heated tools. If possible, let your hair dry naturally, blotting away excess water with a soft cotton towel or even an old t-shirt. Tip your head upside down and squish your favourite lightweight styling product into the lengths. Refresh your waves between washes by working through any tangles with your fingers or a wide-toothed comb, and dampening your hair by squishing in water with your hands.

Haircare for Wavy Hair

Everything in our cruelty-free, vegan haircare range is made with 100% natural origin aroma – and free of silicones, SLS and SLES. For wondrous waves, we recommend the following wash day products…

• Shea & Argan Shampoo, Shea & Argan Conditioner, Shea & Argan Hair Mask and our zero waste Shea & Argan Shampoo Bar and Shea & Argan Conditioner Bar. All are made with ethically traded shea butter and argan oil, two of Nature’s ingredients that are known to nourish hair.
• Coconut Shampoo and Coconut Conditioner, made with organic coconut oil, packed with fatty acids and renowned for hair hydration.
• Coconut & Shea Hair Mask, a hydrating formula made with both ethically traded shea butter and organic coconut oil.
• Coconut & Shea Butter Shampoo Bar and Coconut & Shea Butter Conditioner Bar. These zero-waste haircare bars also harness the power of coconut oil and shea butter – with the added benefit of being completely plastic-free.