Curl Perfection wash day: steps and amounts by curl type
9 min read Care know-how Updated 5 October 2026 By Anna Sophie Schulenburg
A Curl Perfection wash day for curly and wavy hair runs in six steps: wash the scalp, condition and detangle the lengths, work the Curl Perfection™ Curl-Defining Cream into soaking-wet hair, scrunch, plop and let it dry without touching it. On day 2 and 3 you bring the shape back with the Curl Perfection™ Refresh Spray instead of washing again. You can tell whether the amount was right on the evening of the first wash day: the curls fall in clumps, feel soft and do not stick together.
Both products in the line are made for hair that waves or curls on its own when wet. The cream conditions the lengths and holds the curls together in clumps; the spray revives the shape between two washes. Neither creates a curl pattern your hair does not have, and straight hair will not turn wavy from the cream. The basics of caring for curls and waves apply with any brand: moisture into the lengths, as little friction as possible, and hands off while the hair dries.
The two Curl Perfection products at a glance
| Curl-Defining Cream | Refresh Spray | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | cream | spray bottle |
| Job | definition and conditioning on wash day | bringing the shape back between washes |
| Where | soaking-wet lengths and ends, from ear level down | flattened or loosened sections in dry hair |
| When | after conditioner, before scrunching | in the morning on day 2 and 3 |
| Amount | by curl type and length, see the table below | three to five sprays per section |
| Limit | soft hold; for a firmer hold, add a gel on top | cannot replace a wash once the roots are greasy |
Ingredients and scent are listed on the current label. If your scalp is sensitive, read the list before your first wash day and keep the cream away from the roots. The range can change from market to market and over time; your consultant knows which Curl Perfection products are currently available.
How much cream your curl type needs
Scrunch a wet strand together in your cupped hand and let go. The shape it takes tells you your curl type, and your curl type decides the amount.
| Curl type, how to recognise it | chin-length | shoulder-length | chest-length | Wash day every |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waves: loose S-shape, almost straight at the roots | pea-sized | hazelnut-sized | walnut-sized | 2–3 days |
| Curls: round spirals, about the width of a finger | hazelnut-sized | walnut-sized | two walnut-sized portions | 3–4 days |
| Corkscrew curls: tight spirals, pencil-width or tighter | walnut-sized | two walnut-sized portions | two to three walnut-sized portions, in sections | 4–7 days |
Start with the amount from the table and only change it after the second wash day. If the curls stick together and feel stiff once dry, it was too much. If a halo of flyaway hairs stands over the curls after an hour, it was too little, or the hair was already too dry when you applied it. If your hair waves on top and curls at the nape, it fits no single row. In that case the free hair analysis asks about texture, thickness and the condition of your lengths separately and suggests a base for you.
Your curly hair wash day routine, step by step
Plan the wash day for an evening or a free morning. Applying everything takes ten to fifteen minutes; air-drying shoulder-length curls takes several hours.
Step 1 — Wash the scalp. Use a mild shampoo, hazelnut-sized for chin-length hair and walnut-sized from shoulder length, and spread it with your fingertips on the scalp only. The lather cleans the lengths as you rinse. Lukewarm water is enough. As a base, the Advanced Hydrating Shampoo suits fine hair, and Renew™ Shampoo suits medium to thick, very dry hair. The thickness of a single hair decides this; the curl pattern comes second.
Step 2 — Condition and detangle. Squeeze the water out of the lengths and work in the matching conditioner from ear level down, walnut-sized for shoulder-length hair. Detangle while you are still in the shower, with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb, from the ends upwards. Then pour a handful of water over it and scrunch the conditioner in from the bottom up until the lengths feel slippery. Rinse after two to three minutes. With corkscrew curls a thin trace of conditioner may stay in the lengths, never at the roots.
Step 3 — Cream into soaking-wet hair. Skip the towel; the hair should still be dripping. Divide curls and corkscrew curls into four sections, while waves need just one. Rub the cream between your palms and glide it down each section with flat hands so the surface stays sleek. If your lengths are very dry, put a pea-sized amount of Restore™ Leave-In Conditioner underneath first.
Step 4 — Scrunch. Press the hair together with a cupped hand from the ends towards the scalp, five to six times per section, until it squelches softly. Scrunching pushes the individual curls together into clumps. If you need more hold, spread a gel over it now and scrunch it in the same way.
Step 5 — Plop. Lay a cotton T-shirt or a microfibre towel flat, lean forward, set your curls down in the middle and knot the fabric at the nape. Curls and corkscrew curls stay wrapped for 15 to 20 minutes, waves for 15 at most, otherwise the roots go flat.
Step 6 — Dry without touching. Let the hair air-dry or use a diffuser: lowest temperature, low to medium speed, hold the bowl under a section, guide it up to the scalp, hold for 30 seconds, take it away. If you turn the temperature up, apply a heat protectant first. Only once the hair is completely dry do you rub one or two drops of REJUVENIQE® Oil between your palms and scrunch out the gel cast, or smooth down stray ends.
Refreshing curls on day 2 and 3
To keep the shape overnight, tie the curls loosely right on top of your head with a fabric scrunchie and sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase. In the morning, take the pineapple down, shake the curls out upside down and decide based on what you see.
| Day | What you see | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Day 2 | the top layer lies flat, the ends look good | three to five sprays of Refresh Spray from about 20 cm onto the flat sections, scrunch, let it set for ten minutes |
| Day 3 | some curls have come apart, the ends feel rough | mist the section with the spray until it is damp without dripping, add a pea-sized amount of cream, twist the curl round your finger |
| Day 4 | the roots look shiny, the lengths still hold | for curls and corkscrew curls, a little dry shampoo at the roots only; for waves it is now wash day |
Spray only the sections that need it rather than your whole head. Whatever already sits well just gets heavier. If the curls stick together after refreshing, that was too much cream, and next time the spray on its own is enough.
Pairing: the base under the cream
The cream works on whatever your shampoo and conditioner have prepared. Choose the base by the diameter of a single hair; how dry your lengths feel comes second. Whether Advanced Hydration or Renew belongs under the cream comes down to a shed hair rolled between thumb and index finger. If you can barely feel it, it is fine. If it feels almost like wire, it is thick.
| Your curls | Base | Add |
|---|---|---|
| fine waves that drop flat quickly | Advanced Hydration | pea-sized cream; get extra hold from mousse rather than from more cream |
| medium curls, ends drier than the rest | Advanced Hydration or Renew™, by hair thickness | Super Moisture Masque once a week instead of the conditioner |
| thick corkscrew curls, very dry | Renew™ | Restore™ Leave-In Conditioner under the cream, one or two drops of REJUVENIQE® Oil to finish |
| curls styled every day | your usual line | a wash with a clarifying shampoo every two to four weeks |
If your curls turn dull and hang heavy despite the cream, build-up of cream and gel on hair and scalp is often the reason, and the clarifying wash comes sooner. If they feel gummy when wet and limp when dry, especially after bleaching, the fibre is short on support more than on moisture. Then a protein treatment is due instead of yet more cream, and it pays to balance protein and moisture in your hair.
What you see after the first wash day and after four weeks
After the first wash day you judge the amount and the technique. If the clumps still hold together in the evening and your fingers glide through as you loosen them, both are right. Whether the base suits you only shows after four weeks, once the hair has been through several wash days with rain, central heating and hats. Photograph your curls in daylight on the evening of the first wash day and compare the picture after four weeks at the same window.
These are the most common mistakes on a Curl Perfection wash day, each with its fix:
- cream into towel-dried hair → into soaking-wet hair, ideally while still in the shower.
- rubbing with a terry towel → plop, or squeeze the water out with a T-shirt.
- touching again and again while it dries → hands off until the hair is completely dry.
- brushing dry → detangle only when wet with conditioner in, and loosen dry curls with your fingers.
- spraying the whole head on day 2 → only the flat sections.
When the Curl Perfection line does little for you
If a wet, scrunched strand stays straight, your hair has no curl pattern for the cream to hold. If your straight hair puffs out in humid weather, you are dealing with frizz in humidity, and a smoothing line suits you better. An itchy or flaky scalp is beyond what any styling product can sort out, and the cream then has even less business at the roots. If the itching has not stopped after three weeks with a mild shampoo, or you see red, weeping patches, have it checked by a dermatologist, because a skin condition can be behind it. If your curls lost their shape after bleaching or straightening, a cream helps little. The curl pattern then lives in the hair growing back, and the damaged lengths get shorter bit by bit with each cut.
Quick questions
Does the Curl Perfection wash day work without MONAT products?
Yes. The six steps work with any curl cream and any mild shampoo. Applying to soaking-wet hair, scrunching, plopping and leaving it alone are techniques you can practise with any product.
Can I put another brand's gel over the cream?
Yes. The gel goes in after the cream, while the hair is still dripping. The first time, test the combination on one section at the nape before doing your whole head.
Where do white flakes in dry curls come from?
From too much product, from a cream and gel that do not get along, or from gel applied to hair that had already started to dry. On the next wash day use half the amount of cream and apply the gel while the hair is still dripping. If the flakes stay, switch gel or leave one of the two out.
Can I sleep with wet curls?
Yes, now and then. Plop them for 20 minutes first and sleep on satin. At the back they often lie flat by morning, and the Refresh Spray brings the shape back. Wet hair is more sensitive to friction, so don't make it a habit after every wash day.
Do I need a sulfate-free shampoo for curls?
No, not necessarily. A mild shampoo that goes on the scalp only suits most curls. If your lengths feel rough and dull after washing, switch to a milder one; if you use a lot of gel and oil, you even need a stronger, clarifying wash every few weeks.
Whether your curls need the light or the rich base depends on hair thickness and the condition of your lengths, and the free hair analysis asks about both.