Dear Diary,
There's a difference between doing something and deciding to do something. A habit is what you do on autopilot: the same wash day, the same three products, the same fifteen minutes of effort because that's just what you've always done. A ritual is something else entirely. A ritual is intentional. It's the version of the same task done with purpose, because you've decided it matters. If your curly hair routine hasn't changed since summer, your curls already know and they're telling you about it.
This season, we're making that intentional shift.
Here's why. Your hair doesn't just react to what you put on it — it reacts to the season around it, and the season has changed. We've already covered what that shift in air actually does: less humidity, faster moisture loss, more frizz, more breakage, less bounce. A routine that worked perfectly in July, when the air itself was doing half the moisturising work for you, is not the same routine your hair needs now. If you're still doing what you did all summer, your curls already know, the jig is up. That loss of definition, the extra breakage, the frizz that won't settle, that's not bad luck. That's a routine that hasn't caught up to the season yet. And sis we’re not leaving you behind.
The Pre-Poo
Shampoo does not touch our hair without some form of pre-shampoo treatment for curly hair first. Non-negotiable.
Cleansing is a harsh process. Physically, and if we're being deep about it, a little spiritually too. It's meant to strip things back, start fresh, leave nothing of the old cycle behind. But we don't have to let our hair go into that process unprepared. A pre-poo for curly hair softens the whole thing. It helps detangle before the harshness of a cleanse, and depending on what you use, it can soothe the scalp too. Which matters, because pre-poo-ing genuinely helps reduce breakage by getting the detangling done before your hair is wet, fragile, and vulnerable.
Personally, this is a full ritual for me. I drench my hair in a homemade oil, let it soothe my scalp, soften the hair cuticle, and — depending on what's in the blend — support scalp circulation and strand strength while I'm at it. A homemade flaxseed gel also goes a very long way for bringing out the best in my curls. I always detangle before I shampoo, but never on dry hair. And this is also the moment I check in with what my hair actually needs that week. Is it craving moisture, or is it time for a bond repair? For me it's moisture most weeks, but I make sure bond repair gets its turn every month or so, because hair bonds take a beating over the course of a normal hair journey.
Olaplex No.3 - £32
Garnier Method for Curls Pre-poo - £9 African Pride Aloe & Coconut Water
Pre-shampoo - £8.99
Extra virgin olive oil and flaxseed gel are also great pre-shampoo options that you could find in your kitchen!
The Two Shampoo (Yes, Two Steps)
Finding the best shampoo for curly hair isn't about one product it's about two, doing two completely different jobs. We start with a clarifying shampoo. Get the scalp and hair shaft genuinely clean before anything else happens. No build up, no leftovers from last month's products. New season, new leaf, even the ones growing out of your head.
Cecred Clarifying Shampoo & Scalp Scrub - £37 Ouai Detox Shampoo - £24
Curl Smith Curl Reset Detox Shampoo - £23
Then we go straight into a moisturising shampoo. This one matters more than people think, especially right now. Clarifying strips everything back, so the very next step needs to start putting moisture back in. Your scalp can afford to be squeaky clean, but your strands need glazing from the first product onward, not the last. That's especially true this season, when dry air is already working against you. We start as we mean to go on: with moisture, not as an afterthought once the damage from a hard reset has already been done.
Design essentials agave and lavender strengthening and moisturising shampoo - £13
Pureology Hydrate Shampoo - £26 Amika Hydrorush Shampoo - £28
Cautionary note: If you’re a weekly shampooer, you don’t need to clarify every single week. For curly hair, shampoo is important because stripping away the product build up from the creams and mousses we put in throughout the week is essential. Find the right routine for you. Personally, clarifying every other week or after a protective works for me.
How to deep condition curly hair properly:
The Deep Condition
We know it's getting cold, the weeks are getting busier, and finding time for a proper weekly routine on top of work, life, and everything else is genuinely a lot. We see you. We’re all just a girl.
But deep conditioning stays non-negotiable in this routine, and here's the actual reason why: hair is at its most fragile and prone to breakage when it's wet. That's exactly the window a deep conditioner works in. Shampoo — particularly the more alkaline formulas — lifts the hair's outer cuticle layer slightly as it cleanses, which opens the door for a deep conditioner's repairing ingredients to actually get into the inner cortex, rather than just sitting on the surface. Timing matters here. This is the moment to let it do its job.
Briogeo Curl Charisma Hydrating & Defining Mask - £33
Matrix Total Results Food For Soft Rich Hydrating Treatment Mask - £35
TGIN Honey Miracle Hair Mask - £19
Mielle Babassu & Mint Deep Conditioner - £14
What's the actual difference between a deep conditioner and a regular conditioner?
A deep conditioner is formulated to penetrate the inner cortex — real repair, from the inside out. A regular conditioner works on the surface, smoothing the hair shaft for easier detangling, softer texture, and a better finish day to day. Both have a job. Neither replaces the other.
Which is why we always recommend having a regular conditioner in rotation too, for the days a full deep condition isn't realistic but your hair still needs detangling. And a rule for life: we never, ever detangle hair that hasn't been conditioned in some form. Ever.
And for the curlies — does anyone else cowash?
We do, religiously. Midweek, when your hair is starting to feel more like a cracked heel than a curl pattern but it isn't actually dirty, a cowash is the move. Or when your hair needs something but you’re not quite in the wash day ritual mood but you still want to honour the work you put in on wash day? Rinse with water, work conditioner through to smooth the strands, detangle, and then revive with whatever product cocktail is getting you through the week. A mini reset.
Garnier Curls Method Conditioner - £7.99
TGIN Triple Moisture Replenishing Conditioner - £13
Amika Hydrorush Conditioner - £28
Do you need to stick to one brand for your whole routine?
Short answer: no.
Staying within one brand's system has its pros. Matching lines are often formulated to complement each other in fragrance, texture, and performance, and some professional ranges build in consistent active ingredients (certain proteins, for example) designed to layer well together. But it's not a rule.
What actually matters is knowing your hair. Is it thick or fine, dense or sparse? Is your scalp oily, dry, easily irritated, prone to flakes? Once you know the answers, picking the right products — whether they're from one brand or five — gets a lot easier.
Sometimes the right shampoo and the right conditioner won't be from the same range at all, and that's fine. Someone with an oily scalp but genuinely dry, thirsty strands might need a clarifying shampoo from one brand and a heavy-duty moisturising conditioner from another. Remember, shampoo and conditioner are doing two completely different jobs. One cleans. One smooths and conditions. A brand being the best at one doesn't guarantee it's the best at the other, and that's exactly why it's okay to mix and match until you find your own combination.
These exact products in our current wash day rotation.
Dry and brittle hair is not the goal. The right curly hair products for this season aren't the same ones that carried you through summer. Let's make sure your routine knows that. Healthy hair that grows and stays protected starts with your wash day routine. Intentionally choose what your hair is going to become!
With love and curls,
xoxo
The Curly Hair Diaries
P.S. Haven't sorted your on-the-go kit yet? We covered the 5 must-have products to carry this season right here.