If you’ve got a wavy hair type and have decided you want to start styling your natural waves, welcome! Ahead of you, is a fun journey learning about what your hair loves and hates but in the end you'll establish your perfect wavy hair routine.
My hair sits between wavy and curly; definite spirals that curve around and back on themselves, but a stretched, loose ringlet. But ‘cos it behaves like wavy hair in some ways – and I’m a beauty editor with a lot of hair intel – you can trust that I’m in a good position to advise you on building your wavy routine. Promise!
This is a good reminder of why the curly hair typing system is a useful tool, but not something you have to live and die by. Some curl experts have declared my hair a definite type 3, while others say it’s wavy-curly because there’s some type 2 in there. Either way, most people have more than one curl pattern, and this system doesn’t cover things like porosity and strand thickness (very important, FYI!). Some coarse and thick strands will have a slight wave, while kinks and coils are often super fine and delicate – but people often assume those hair patterns are always the opposite. TL;DR: wavy, coily and curly hair is super diverse.
But back to your wavy hair routine. It usually takes some trial and error to find the products that just work every time you use them, so you probs have a bit of testing ahead of you if styling natural waves for the first time. But here’s a tried-and-tested guide to nailing your own wavy hair routine, from washing and conditioning to styling product recommendations – and save your hair from the time and heat exposure of your hair straighteners. Leggo!
Step-by-step wavy hair routine
Step one: Wash
Obviously when styling from scratch, we begin with a deep clean. Ideally with a shampoo that’s thorough, but not too stripping. Use a heavier-duty clarifying shampoo if you need to remove product build-up and silicones from previous styles. (Because I hadn’t styled my hair naturally in 4eva, I first applied Imbue Curl Restoring Intensive Mask, a protein-rich treatment, but you can decide if your hair needs a mask session as and when, based on its current condition.)
Curl Wow HOOKED 100% Clean Shampoo
Cecred Hydrating Shampoo
Living Proof Clarifying Detox Shampoo
Step two: Condition
Next up, conditioner – a must for waves! Formula depends on how thick and/or dry your strands are and therefore how much moisture it needs (you’ll have a good idea of this from your life’s hair washes so far). Very generally speaking, super thirsty, porous and thick hair can take heavier nourishment, while hair that doesn’t get that dry and/or is finer and more static prone gets on just fine with a lighter formula. My personal rule is if my hair still feels straw-like after rinsing it out, it wasn’t nourishing enough.
Redken All Soft Mega Curls Conditioner 300ml
L'Oréal Paris Elvive Hydra Hyaluronic Conditioner with Hyaluronic Acid for Dry Hair 500ml
Pureology Hydrate Conditioner
Step 3: Leave-in conditioner or serum
Some kind of lightweight leave-in conditioner is great for both moisture and definition. Again, if you have coarser waves you could go for a slightly richer leave-in conditioner. Always remember that it’s always easier to add more product than take it away; start with a very small amount rubbed all over your hands and distribute it as evenly as you can through your hair
I always apply my fave conditioning serum while I’m still in the shower after squeezing out a bit of excess water, distributing it through my hair in sections with my fingers. Then, I pop on a microfibre towel for just a few mins, so that it doesn’t dry in the towel. (You can also use an old T-shirt to wrap your hair or squeeze water out.)
Imbue Curl Energising Hydration Serum 100ml
Olaplex No 5 Leave In Moisturize and Mend Leave In Conditioner 100ml
Only Curls Towel Turban - Grey
Step 4: Gel
Gel is your friend because it helps to add definition and hold to your waves. I personally like to distribute a little gel through all of my hair with my fingers, then gently scrunch a few times section by section; my hair has low porosity and I find this helps the product absorb. Others find it easier to ‘cast’ with a little gel at a time by smoothing it over sections of hair with both hands. You do you!
Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly
Only Curls Mega Hold Gel 250ml
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Step 5: Diffuse
If I’m styling it naturally, I’ll always dry my hair with a diffuser. If you two don’t know each other yet, this hair dryer attachment disperses the air from your dryer across a larger surface area to make it gentler, which doesn’t disrupt your curl pattern or generate excess frizz. I hover the dryer around my head, gently moving sections every now and then to dry the roots from different angles.
Optional step: Oil
If your hair is very fine and/or weighed down easily (mine is the latter), applying anything more than the tiniest bit to dry hair may mean it just sits on the surface. A nice lil’ bit as a finishing touch on more porous or dry hair, tho? A lovely smoothing finishing touch. I recommend the ARKIVE The Good Habit Hybrid Oil and the Davines OI Oil on the lengths of the hair. Happy styling!
