Summer Hair Challenge | Results

Last Monday I announced the seven day air dry hair challenge in this post.  For the past week, I’ve ditched the hot tools and stopped the straightening insanity to allow my naturally curly hair to dry on its own and challenged all of you to join in too. 

If you’re following me on Instagram you already got to see a few candid shots of my curly ‘do.  If not, here’s one that I posted.

Thank you all so much for the product and styling recommendations.  Some of my favorites were to ditch the shampoo and condition only and to touch curls as little as possible while they’re drying.  You curly girls really know your stuff!  I haven’t gotten to buy many of the products yet but due to the success of this challenge, I’m more inclined to invest in good styling products for curly hair.  I feel armed and ready to go with all of your lists!

I haven’t consistently worn my hair curly since 1996 so I thought this was going to be a real challenge for me.  Being on vacation in a high humidity place (Florida) actually made it easier.  The biggest part of the challenge for me was changing my OWN perception of my naturally curly ‘do.  For some reason, every time I see myself with curly hair, I also see the glasses and overbite that went along with it in my awkward teen years.

Rather than going out and buying new hair products, I used what I had on hand and they worked pretty well.  Here’s my list.

The Products:

Shampoo:  Garnier Fructis Hydracharge

Conditioner:  Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Fortifying Conditioner

Leave-in Treatment:  12 Benefits Instant Healthy Hair Treatment

Styling Product:  Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Humidity Smoothing Milk

Styling Product/Treatment:  Macademia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment

The Results:

Day 1 – Washed and conditioned hair.  Sprayed with 12 Benefits and combed out.  Applied Garnier Fructis Style Sleek & Shine Anti-Humidity Smoothing Milk.  Parted on the side and pulled back into a sleek loose bun before bed.

Day 2 – Woke up with really shiny hair, wow!  I thought I could only get this from flat ironing.  Unwrapped my bun, hair was still damp but I applied a drop of Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment through it.  Let it air dry into loose curls and wore it down all day.  Surprised that I actually don’t hate it.  I don’t hate it!

Day 3 – I wore my hair up in a top knot today.  It’s still incredibly soft and not at all frizzy.  I’m appreciating my natural texture, even it if it a little more challenging to get all of the ends pinned into my top knot.  The Macademia Oil came in really handy again for taming fly aways.

Day 4 – Ponytail day!  Smoothed frizzies again with Macademia Oil treatment.

Day 5 – Used conditioner only and let it air dry.  Twisted bangs and pinned to the side.

Day 6 – Wore it down again, styled it with a stretchy headband.  Got a compliment at a store on my curly hair.  🙂

Day 7 – A hot day that called for another top knot.  I had to get out the door quickly and it was so nice to be able to pull it up and go. 

The Takeaways:

  1. WOW, this was easy. No 40-minute blow outs and flat iron sessions. I used to be so envious of women who can “wash and go”.  It was really nice to become one of them.
  2. My husband and daughters LOVED my hair curly.  Hubby says it reminds him of when we first dated, aww.  Both of my girls have natural curl too so they loved seeing mine that way.
  3. My hair can actually look shiny even without the flat iron.  Letting it air dry with the right products was key.
  4. Macademia Oil was the perfect smoother/tamer for those frizzy pieces that popped out.  Plus it’s really good for dry hair, bonus!
  5. When I finally straightened my hair, it was really stubborn.  That curl did NOT want to come out and it took a full 15 minutes longer than normal.   I really, really appreciated all of that hard work when I saw the end result.

Overall, I’d say the challenge went really well and I’ll be doing it again before summer is over and whenever I feel like it thereafter.  It gave me a really good feeling to know that I wasn’t beating my hair up on a daily basis.  Somehow I felt healthier all around, which was kind of weird.  Maybe there’s something to letting things as God intended them to be!

It’s Your Turn:  Did you play along? If so, share your experience and take-aways in the comments.

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