Curly hair can sometimes be a pain in the butt to deal with. I’ve fallen in and out of love with my unruly locks, and it has taken me a long time to figure out how to properly deal with it and how to care for my hair in a curl specific way. I used to think that I could use the same products as everyone else and style my hair the way other girls do. After many upsets, years of fuzzy hair and bad haircuts, I’ve come to realize that curly hair is just not the same – it needs special care, cuts and products. I still go back and forth between a few of the good ones, but right now my hair-care line up deserves an A+! I’ve been getting some good compliments lately even though I’m in desperate need of a haircut.

#1: Herbal Essence’s Hello Hydration: It is extremely important to use a hydrating shampoo with curly hair. Once curls get dried out they tend to get frizzy and nothing is worse than a head of fuzzy hair. So a good hydrating shampoo is a must. It’s also important to wash your hair minimal times a week. As little as possible. I wash my hair once every two days, so about three times a week – just cause it’ll look dirty otherwise. Some people suggest washing curly hair only once a week. If your hair can stay clean looking through that then I bow to you.

#2: Pantene Pro V Restoratives Breakage Defence Conditioner: I go back and forth between a lot of different conditioners. I condition my hair each and every day so I find that it’s important to get a good conditioner. Since I don’t comb my hair every day, I find that I get a lot of damage and breakage at the bottom of my strands. This anti-breakage conditioner has been doing a great job restoring the damage at the ends of my curls.

#3. Catwalk Curls Rock Curl Amplifying Cream: I have definitely talked about this one a lot before. I have used this curling product for about 8 years now. For awhile I hated it, mainly just the smell started to get annoying, but with the right combination of other products this really is the best one on the market. I’ve asked many hair stylists before which curling amplifier they would use and this one is always their answer. The packaging has changed and now comes in a dark grey bottle with some turquoise writing and can be found at some Shoppers or Trade Secrets. I don’t think I’ll be switching to anything else for quite a while still.

#4. Deva Curl Set it Free Moisture Lock: This product is a recent find of mine. While wandering around Ulta in Amherst a few weeks ago I discovered this whole line for curly hair: Deva Curl. I bought two of the products to try out – the moisture lock and a curl revitalizer. After I put my curls rock product in my hair I spray this all over. It locks in the moisture, flattens the remaining fuzz, and allows my curls to get even fuller and more defined. The great thing is that it is not full of salt like other curling sprays (or beach sprays) are, which dry out my hair like crazy. I’m excited to try out more products from Deva Curl and I’m very happy that I’ve incorporated this spray into my starting lineup

So there you have it. My current curly hair lineup. Have you used any of these products before? Do you have any curly hair products that you love or can suggest? Let me know via Twitter @clnwfr