A dose of moisture is what your curly, fine strands need to look gorgeous
Gentle cleansing and lightweight moisture (curly hair tends to be dry) is what you should look for when shopping the hair care aisle. A couple of products to try: Frizz-Ease Curl Around Style-Starting Daily Shampoo, $5.49, or Kerastase Lait Vital Incredibly Light Nourishing Care for Normal to Slightly Dry Hair Shampoo, $36, and Frizz-Ease Curl Around Style-Starting Daily Conditioner, $5.49, or Bumble and bumble Seaweed Conditioner, $18, will all keep curls bouncy and touchable without making your hair feel oily or heavy.
Your hair type can also benefit from a leave-in conditioner applied before styling products to add the additional moisture your curls need. Try Giovanni Direct Leave-In Conditioner, $7.99.
A couple of exceptions to the above recommendations:
If you have oily hair, you really shouldn't wash it every day. Washing it every 24 hours dries out your scalp and causes it to produce more oil, which just makes the situation worse. If it drives you nuts not to shampoo daily though, use a very gentle shampoo designed for everyday use (try Ouidad Clear and Gentle Shampoo, $13). On the flip side, if you have dry hair and only shampoo two times a week (which is recommended) wash hair with a clarifying shampoo once a month to remove product buildup (which can make hair look dull), try Pantene Purity Clarifying Shampoo, $5.65.
If scalp flakiness is your biggest issue, and your scalp is dry and flaky, massage an oil like The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil, $9 on your scalp before shampooing to stimulate and hydrate it. Then cleanse with a scalp balancing shampoo (try Sachajuan Scalp Shampoo, $24). If your scalp is oily and flaky though, see your doctor before treating it.
Finally, you should be weary of the water hardness in your shower. If you have hard water (check out your city's water hardness here you will most likely need additional moisture. Try swapping your regular conditioner for a heavier one or leave in your regular one for a bit longer than usual.
