Curly and Wavy Hair Care: Wash Day and Routine by Type
9 min read Care know-how Updated 5 October 2026 By Anna Sophie Schulenburg
Curly and wavy hair care comes down to plenty of moisture, little friction and product amounts that suit your curl type: waves take only small amounts of light products, tight curls take rich layers of leave-in, cream and oil. Apply leave-in and styler to soaking-wet hair, scrunch both in and leave your curls alone until they are completely dry. The amount is right when your dry curls spring back as you shake your head instead of clumping into strands or frizzing out after an hour.
Curly and wavy hair care: the routine at a glance
Curly hair dries out faster than straight hair because the oil from your scalp barely follows the twists down to the lengths. At every bend the cuticle also lies less flat, and that is where friction causes frizz first. So every step of the routine adds moisture, saves friction or keeps the heat low.
| What | How often, how much | How you can tell it suits you |
|---|---|---|
| Washing | every 2–7 days depending on curl type, shampoo on the scalp only | roots fresh, lengths not like straw |
| Conditioner | 2–3 pumps for shoulder-length hair, leave on for 2–3 minutes | your fingers glide through without tugging |
| Mask | once a week instead of conditioner, for dry lengths | the lengths feel soft rather than limp |
| Leave-in and styling | into soaking-wet hair, amount by curl type | the curls form clumps as you scrunch |
| Drying | plop for 10–20 minutes, then air or diffuser on a low setting | no halo of stray hairs |
| Refreshing | on day 2 and 3 with water or spray | the shape comes back without stickiness |
| Clarifying wash | every 2–4 weeks if you style daily | the curls fall lightly again |
Which curl type are you? Waves, curls or corkscrews
Pattern and strand thickness together decide how much product your hair can carry. Look at a strand that has air-dried without any product and compare it with the table. The amounts are for shoulder-length hair.
| Waves | Curls | Corkscrew curls | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What they look like | open S-shape, often almost straight at the roots | round spirals, about as wide as a finger | tight spirals, pencil-width or tighter |
| Code in the typing system | 2A to 2C | 3A and 3B | 3C, very tight ones 4 |
| Most common mistake | cream too heavy, the waves fall flat | too little hold, frizz after an hour | too little moisture, rough lengths |
| Leave-in | pea-sized | hazelnut-sized | walnut-sized |
| Hold | mousse or a little gel | cream plus gel | rich cream, gel as needed |
| Layering | leave-in and a hold product | LCO | LOC |
| Washing | every 2–3 days | every 3–4 days | every 4–7 days |
If your hair is fine, take each amount one size smaller; if it is coarse, one size larger. Chin-length hair needs about half, chest-length hair about double. The codes come from the widely used typing system that runs from 1 for straight to 4 for coily hair. Treat coily hair with very tight zigzag coils like the right-hand column, if anything with a little more cream.
One head often carries two patterns, say waves on top and tighter curls at the nape. Do two columns fit you? The free hair analysis asks about your curl pattern together with strand thickness and dryness and then suggests care to match.
Wash day for curly hair in six steps
Step 1 — Wash the scalp. Spread a hazelnut-sized amount of mild shampoo over your scalp only, using your fingertips. The lather cleans the lengths as you rinse. Use lukewarm water, because hot water dries out scalp and lengths more.
Step 2 — Condition and detangle. For shoulder-length hair, work two to three pumps of conditioner into lengths and ends and detangle while you are still in the shower, with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb, starting at the ends and working up. Then add a handful of water and scrunch the conditioner in from the bottom up until the lengths feel slippery. Rinse after two to three minutes. Corkscrew curls can keep a thin trace of conditioner in the hair.
Step 3 — Layer leave-in, cream and oil. Everything goes into soaking-wet hair, ideally while you are still in the shower. Waves get only the leave-in and go straight to step 4. For curls and corkscrews, the order of the three layers matters. LOC stands for leave-in, oil, cream and suits corkscrew curls and very dry lengths. The oil sits on top of the leave-in to hold its moisture in the hair, and the cream goes on last. LCO stands for leave-in, cream, oil and suits curls that quickly turn heavy with oil under the cream; the oil then comes last. Use about as much cream as leave-in and only one or two drops of oil, rubbed between your palms. Stroke each layer down the strands with flat hands so the surface stays smooth. Options include the Restore™ Leave-In Conditioner as a leave-in for dry or tangled lengths, the Curl Perfection™ Curl-Defining Cream as a cream (not available in every market) and REJUVENIQE® as the oil on the ends.
Step 4 — Add hold and scrunch. If your curls need more hold, put a gel or mousse on top now, about walnut-sized for shoulder-length hair. Tilt your head forwards or to the side and press the hair with a cupped hand from the ends towards the scalp until it makes a soft squelching sound. This scrunching gathers the individual curls into clumps.
Step 5 — Plop. Lay a cotton T-shirt or a microfibre towel flat, lean forward, set your curls down in the middle and tie the fabric together at the nape. After 10 to 20 minutes most of the water has soaked away without a terry towel rubbing across the surface. Take waves out after about ten minutes, because after half an hour in the fabric they often lie flat at the roots.
Step 6 — Dry and break the gel cast. Air-dry or use a diffuser and keep your hands off. Gel dries into a firm, slightly crunchy cast that holds the shape. Only once your hair is completely dry do you rub one or two drops of oil between your palms and scrunch the cast open with small movements. If the gel held well, your curls feel soft afterwards and stay in their clumps.
After the first wash day you will see whether the amount was right. If your curls still look wet once dry and stick together, it was too much cream. If they frizz out after an hour, they are missing hold or moisture. For four weeks, note down which amounts you used and how many days the shape lasted; then you will see what works for your hair. If you use the Curl Perfection™ cream and refresh spray, the order for exactly those two products is set out in the Curl Perfection wash day.
How to diffuse curly hair
Set the hairdryer to the lowest temperature and a low to medium airflow. Hold the bowl under a section, let the curls drop into it, raise it slowly to the scalp and hold it there for about 30 seconds. Then lift it away and start again at the next section. Circling movements and running the diffuser through the hair pull the clumps apart.
Diffuse until your hair is almost dry and let the rest dry in the air. With your head upside down or tilted to the side, the roots get more volume, which helps waves in particular. From medium heat upwards, apply a heat protectant first. Whether air-drying or blow-drying is kinder to the fibre depends mainly on how long your hair stays wet.
Refreshing curls between washes
To help the shape survive the night, tie your curls loosely at the very top of your head with a fabric scrunchie. This style, called the pineapple, keeps you from lying on them while you sleep. A satin or silk pillowcase causes less friction than cotton, and a satin bonnet protects curls even without a ponytail.
In the morning, mist flattened sections with a spray bottle until they are damp but not dripping. Alternatively, use the Curl Perfection™ Refresh Spray. A pea-sized amount of cream, rubbed between your hands, goes only on sections that look rough or undone. Then scrunch, twist individual curls round your finger and let them air-dry for ten minutes. If your curls stick together after refreshing, you used too much cream, and next time water will do.
If your roots turn greasy on day 3 or 4 while the lengths still look good, a little dry shampoo at the roots will carry you to the next wash.
Curl care mistakes and what to do instead
| Mistake | Better |
|---|---|
| brushing dry | detangle only when wet with conditioner in, loosen dry curls with your fingers |
| rubbing with a terry towel | plop, or squeeze the water out with a T-shirt |
| styling towel-dried hair | leave-in and styler into soaking-wet hair |
| touching your hair again and again while it dries | hands off until the gel cast is firm and dry |
| heavy butter on fine waves | a pea-sized amount of leave-in and mousse |
| co-washing only | a clarifying wash with shampoo every 2–4 weeks |
| hairdryer with nozzle on a hot setting | diffuser on low heat |
Co-washing means washing with conditioner only. For corkscrew curls and very dry lengths it works as an in-between wash; for waves and fine hair it is usually too heavy. Conditioner alone removes gel and cream only partly, though, so use a shampoo regularly in between.
If your curls turn dull and heavy despite all the care, build-up of cream and gel on hair and scalp is often the reason. If they feel gummy when wet and hang limp when dry, your hair has often had a lot of moisturising care and little protein. On bleached or frequently straightened hair, the same feel can also come from a badly damaged fibre. A stretch test for protein and moisture on a wet strand gives you a hint which side is missing. If a halo still stands out in rain or humid weather, you need a separate routine against humidity frizz.
Quick questions
Can I turn waves into curls?
No, not beyond the pattern your hair already has; the shape of the hair follicle sets that. Many waves are curlier than they look, though. Heavy products, brushing and friction pull them straight, and without that weight the existing pattern can show more fully.
Do I have to follow the Curly Girl Method for curls?
No. The method goes back to the book “Curly Girl” by hairdresser Lorraine Massey and avoids sulphate shampoo, water-insoluble silicones, brushes and hot blow-drying. Many of its steps are in the routine above, and you can skip the strict bans as long as you wash out residue regularly.
Are silicones off-limits for curls?
No. A mild shampoo washes out water-insoluble silicones less easily, so they can build up as a film and you will need a clarifying wash more often. If you wash sulphate-free, reach for water-soluble silicones and learn to spot silicones and sulphates on the ingredient list.
Do curls need a special haircut?
Yes, ideally from a hairdresser who cuts curls dry or in their natural shape. That way she can see how far each section springs back. Curls cut wet shrink by different amounts as they dry, and the length often looks uneven afterwards.
Can my curls change over time?
Yes. After a pregnancy, during menopause or simply with age, the pattern can become looser or tighter. Place your hair in the type table again and adjust the amounts.
Can I straighten my curls and wear them curly again afterwards?
Yes, occasionally, with heat protection and no hotter than about 180°C. If you straighten often, you risk sections that stay straight even after washing and no longer spring back.
You can narrow down which layering suits your curls with the free hair analysis.