I asked seven women with exceptional curls for their hair routine

“Having this much hair is not for the weak.”

Whether you’ve been blessed with tight ringlets, loose waves or springy coils (or a combination of all three), learning how to care and style textured hair can involve years of trial and error. It pains me to think how much time I spent in front of the mirror with a straightening iron in high school, all because I hadn’t discovered the Curly Girl Method.

Now thanks to social media, the secrets of plopping, squelching, scrunching and sleeping with curly hair are only a scroll away, with hundreds of thousands of video tutorials to guide you through it. On the other side of coin, the sheer volume of #CurlyHairRoutine videos on TikTok is overwhelming.

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Even though there’s a visual guide to help you navigate your curl type on the platform, there’s enough conflicting advice to send you into analysis paralysis simply trying to decide on a leave-in conditioner. Rather than spend more time on my phone, I now find myself going straight to the source, asking friends and strangers with good curls exactly how they figured it out.

Of course, everyones hair is different and what works for someone might not work for you. But in order to find your holy grail products and methods, you need to experiment. Summer is no time for heat tools, so to help inspire your own curl-defining journey (without picking up a Dyson Airwrap), I asked seven women with incredible curls and waves to tell me all about their routine.

Ashleigh, actor and model

Curl type: 3C hair in the front with 4A in the mid back.

Talk us through your hair routine.

My current hair routine is very simple. My hair can get really heavy with product build up, so I’ve recently started using way less. I wash my hair every one-to-two weeks depending on the product build up. I usually wet my hair every morning and put one leave-in conditioner through my hair, give it a few flips and scrunches and that’s it.

Sometimes I do a twist out (I twist my hair the night before and untwist in the morning), this usually lasts me four-to-five days. I refresh these curls with mousse in the morning.

What are your favourite products?

My everyday holy grail product is the Garnier Banana Hair Food tubs which you can get from Chemist Warehouse. It’s a lightweight formula and smells amazing. Some of my other favourites include Camille Rose Almond Jai Twisting Butter for more definition, Bread Hair Oil for shine and smell, K18 leave-in hair mask for damage repair and the Doux texture mousse for hold and refreshing.

Who are your favourite curly-haired muses?

When I first got into my hair journey I loved @hunnygloss – her hair was always big and fun and creative, it made me excited to try things!

What’s your hack for sleeping with curls?

No matter how I sleep or how I choose to protect my curls, whether they are defined or not is always a gamble. Nonetheless I always sleep the same way, in the pineapple method. Using a loose hair tie to get all the hair up, wrapping it in a scarf then putting a bonnet over everything.

Does your routine change in summer?

The whole hairstyle changes in summer, any afro curly girl knows the maintenance somehow doubles. Unless I feel I have the time, I get braids. Always.

Ariana, writer

Curl type: 2C.

Who are your curly-haired muses?

I’ve been loving the frizzy, messier curls I’m starting to see everywhere and I’m tentatively trying to embrace a bit more frizz into my own styling. When it comes to inspiration, I have been fawning over Odessa A’zion, especially the little upwards flick in her fringe! Otherwise, Carrie Bradshaw, always.

Talk us through your hair routine.

I wash my hair once (maybe twice) a week, depending how long I can hack a slick back. A hairdresser once told me to apply my curl products to sopping wet hair, so I’ve religiously stuck by it. I’ll usually scrunch a mousse into my scalp for volume and then use a leave-in conditioner spray and a curl cream and for the body of my curls, scrunching from the bottom up. And I’ll always air dry – rain, hail or shine!

No amount of product will get my curly curtain bangs to behave, so I cheat and style them with a curling wand. I wrap the root of my fringe over a horizontal wand until it creates a wave, and then wrap the rest of it under and out into a little flick. It takes about 10 seconds, frames my face nicely and blends out into the rest of my curls.

What are your favourite products?

Nothing irks me more than having a head of crispy, tacky curls, so I’ve become very picky. My holy grail is the Living Proof Curl Definer, it stays defined for days and gives me the softest, bounciest curls that I can easily run my fingers through. I’ve been using the Schwarzkopf Keratin Strength Mousse ever since I was a tween. Not only is it cheap, I find it gives my roots the best volume without hardening my curls.

Does your routine change in summer?

I try to time my beach days around any events where I want a good head of hair. A bit of sea salt in the mix does wonders for my curls.

What’s your hack for sleeping with curls?

I have a satin bonnet I’ll whip out if I really need to make sure I wake up to a good hair day, but I find it pretty impossible to evade the morning knots and frizz. More often than not, I’ll re-wet, brush and fully restyle my hair come morning.

Laura-Mae, model at Khoo Management

Curl type: A combination of 3B and 3C.

Talk us through your hair routine.

I’ve been blonde for about a year now, so I try to treat my hair with some extra TLC. I wash my hair once a week and use as many hydrating products as possible. At the moment I’m loving the Bhave Deep Intense Conditioning Masque. I also use the Garnier Fructis Banana Hair Food and Eco Style Olive Oil hair gel. I then plop my hair with a T-shirt for about half an hour before diffusing.

What’s your holy grail product?

I love the Eco Style Olive Oil Hair Gel. Famously I have the 2.36L tub at home that has lasted me about six months so far.

Ultimate curly-haired muse?

When I went blonde my hair inpso was definitely Carrie Bradshaw.

Does your routine change in summer?

I try to let my hair air dry as much as possible. I love a 30-plus degree day because my hair dries so quick and defined!

What’s your hack for sleeping with curls?

I’m huge bonnet lover! I wear my silk bonnet to bed every night.

Yasmine, music curator and event producer

Curl type: 3C.

Who are your curly-haired muses?

I’ve gone through many shapes and styles. When I was younger I was hugely inspired by ’70s and ’80s icons like Donna Summers, Diana Ross, Cher, Jerry Hall… now I’m loving FiFi’s (@sophiaziskin) preppy long curls, and saving loads of vintage Arabic models on Pinterest. Embrace Your Frizzique also has great inspiration.

Talk us through your current curly hair routine.

I’ve definitely simplified my routine over the years. Usually I wash my hair about two-to-three times a week, and refresh in the bathroom sink most mornings. I start by shampooing using an Aleppo olive soap, then I condition with Pattern Beauty Medium Conditioner (obsessed!), and brush through with my Tangle Teaser. When I’m out of the shower, I’ll apply an oil (I like My Organics Restructuring Fluid Potion) and rake through mousse and air dry. If I want a polished look, I’ll finger coil but generally I prefer the slightly more chaotic look.

Does your routine change in summer?

I usually end up washing my hair much more. I also try to use more oils overnight like rosemary or castor oil. A deep conditioning mask is also perfect in summer but I’m yet to find one I really like…

What are your all-time favourite products?

The Pattern Beauty Medium Conditioner is my holy grail, which is devastating because the shipping is ridiculous. My other ride or die is Schwarzkopf Taft Cashmere Touch mousse which is about $5.

What’s your hack for sleeping with curls?

I find sleeping with a French pin is the most comfortable and leaves my curls in shape and hydrated. Using a scrunchie to pineapple is okay but my hair is too long now, and I find the scrunchie draws out moisture.

Cait, writer and producer

Curl type: 2B

Talk us through your hair routine.

I have very thick, wavy hair that’s prone to knotting, so I aim to only wash it once a week, sometimes I can extend that to eight or nine days. But often, particularly in summer, I end up washing it twice a week. I use all Davines products currently, lately I’ve been using their Minu Shampoo and Conditioner – I get my hair coloured copper every six to eight weeks at Mitch and I always want that colour to last as long as possible.

If I’m not being lazy, I’ll dry my hair with an old T-shirt, which the internet and fellow curly people tell me is the way to minimise frizz and enhance curl definition. Every time I do it, I notice the difference.

I then apply Davines OI Milk which is like a leave-in treatment, and then scrunch through Davines Love Curl Controller. I use the ‘praying hands’ method to distribute this through my hair and then I scrunch it a little or a lot, depending on how much energy I have. I usually let it air dry (I’m lazy! Sue me!) but if I want to have maximum curliness, I’ll rough dry it all over with the diffuser attachment on my Shark FlexStyle and then do a method I learned on TikTok that basically involves plopping my waves into the diffuser head and then pressing that onto my scalp, holding it for 10 seconds, then blasting with cold air to set it. Phew! Having this much hair is not for the weak.

Does your routine change in summer?

The one big change is that I slick my hair into a bun a lot more because having thick, heavy hair in the Melbourne summer can be a bit taxing.

What’s your hack for sleeping with curls?

I always do the pineapple method where I pile all my hair on top of my head and tie it loosely with a silk scrunchie. It definitely helps keep the curls intact.

Chanele, model at Everi-Body

Curl type: A combination of 3B and 3C.

Who are your curly-haired muses?

Honestly, I don’t have any people I look to for hair inspiration currently as I feel very confident within my own hair and I’m happy with how far I’ve come. When I was younger and needed inspiration from other curly girls, my muses were Jayme Jo Massoud and Olivia Calabio.

Talk us through your hair routine.

I’ve definitely nailed my hair routine but it’s taken me many years to perfect it. To start, I wash my hair only twice a week or once I feel like my hair needs a refresh. I start with the Clever Curl Cleanser (like a no-suds shampoo), which I use twice to clean my scalp and to get rid of all the product residue in my curls. Then, I use the Clever Curl Rich Conditioner which is designed for thick hair. I apply it throughout my whole hair, using a cheap brush I bought from Kmart to detangle and disperse the product evenly. After around 10 minutes, I rinse with cold water.

Once I’m out the shower, I flip all of my hair upside down (which I feel is better to disperse the product evenly), and I use the Clever Curl Leave-in Cream, followed by the Humid Weather Gel to really hold the moisture and seal the curl hold. Next, with my hair upside down, I scrunch all parts of my hair (it’s a good sign if you can hear the moisture of the products) which I feel makes my curls more defined and bouncy.

To finish, most of the time I let my hair air dry but if I am in a rush, I use the Muk Ultra Sonic Dryer with the diffuser attachment which dries my hair rapidly but maintains the bounciness and moisture of the curls. And voilà!

What do you like about the Clever Curl products?

The brand was formed in Australia and what I love is that they use minimal ingredients that are silicone and sulphate free, so our curls can flourish whilst remaining healthy.

What’s your hack for sleeping with curls?

My number one hack for sleeping is using anything silk! To wake up with good curl definition, I use Mulberry silk pillowcases to help reduce friction and frizz. Most people use silk bonnets to sleep, but since I have a lot of thick hair, I find it easier to use a very loose scrunchie to tie my hair and put it up in a pineapple, whilst resting on my silk pillowcases.

Jett, model at People

Curl type: 3A to 3B.

Talk us through your hair routine.

I wash my hair once a week and I use a hydrating conditioner and an anti-dandruff shampoo when washing it, then afterwards I’ll use a leave-in conditioner and apply argan oil on the ends of my hair to stop the frizziness and dry ends of my hair. I’ll let my hair air dry and then go about my day as normal.

What are your favourite products?

I always love trying new hair products to see what works, but at the moment I love the Davroe Curl Balm, Sukin Hydrating Conditioner and Hask Argan Oil leave-in spray.

Does your routine change in summer?

In the summer I like to spray a bit of water onto my hair when I’m not washing it, and use my hands to comb it through, just so my hair isn’t as dry and frizzy.

What’s your hack for sleeping with curls?

I sleep on a silk pillowcase to help protect my hair, and sometimes I’ll section it and loosely plait it, so my hair doesn’t get tangled when I’m sleeping.

For more on the curly girl method, try this.