So…you've finally joined the LUS (Love Ur Self) Fam! You've read the reviews, you've seen the videos, but for whatever reason, you can't seem to nail your application…YET! We promise there's light at the end of the tunnel.
As you may know, our formulas are pretty different (they're water-activated!) and for some people there can be a bit of a learning curve. But once you nail it, there’s no going back. 🙅🏽
So to help you shorten the learning curve and get you to the "Omaaagaaaawd I LOVE my curls!" stage faster, we're sharing with you our best tips for falling in love with your curls using LUS (Love Ur Self).
1. Take Your Time with Step One
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If you’re giving your head a super quick lather and rinse before moving on to the next step, you’re likely not getting the most out of our sulfate-free shampoo.
As with any sulfate-free shampoo, you need to WERK to break up oil and dirt at the roots. Reason being that normal shampoos (the ones that contain sulfates) are full of harmful, drying agents that foam and strip the hair.
Since we did away with those, you’ll need to give your entire scalp a solid massage to get your roots nice and clean.
Check out this video from @craft_and_mane showing off her full wash day routine.
She does an awesome job of explaining how it’s done here.
2. Rinse out Step Two
Raise your hand if you’ve ever finished your shampoo and conditioner at the same time?
(Ha! We didn’t think so.)
It’s no secret that curly girls can go through a lot of conditioner, and we’re not knocking you for that. Conditioned curls retain more moisture, more moisture means less frizz, and less frizz equals more definition.
However, as curly girls ourselves, we didn’t want our customers to have to use TONS of conditioner to get the uber-hydrated curls they desire.
Like the other two steps in our line, our conditioner is also activated by water and requires a lot less product than you think. It’s a concentrated formula that’ll still give you all the detangling and slip you desire, without requiring boatloads of product to do so. Less product = even better results (at ALL stages of the LUS (Love Ur Self) application!)
It’s also important to know that the LUS (Love Ur Self) conditioner should not be used as a leave-in conditioner.
While it’s full of amazing hydrating ingredients, the formula was designed to do all its work in the shower; when you choose not to rinse it out, you risk clogging your hair follicle and dulling your shine.
Bonus Tip: Rinse out your conditioner with cool water to close up the hair follicle and seal in moisture.
3. Detangle in the shower
We strongly advise doing all of your dirty detangling work IN the shower! Why? You’ll handle your curls less as they dry, reducing frizz and preserving all of your glorious definition.
Many of our curlies actually find it easiest to detangle after letting their conditioner sit for 3-5 minutes. You can see our founder demo this here.
Add a bit of water (try sticking your whole head under the running water for 1–2 secs) and then slowly detangle using your fingers or curl-appropriate comb, a bit more water, a bit more detangling, until ahhh—you’ve got a silky smooth, tangle-free mane.
4. Less Product, More Water
Our All-in-Ones are activated by.... you guessed it, water! So, you’ll want to apply them to soaking wet hair. Since lots of us aren’t accustomed to working with more H2O than product, many curlies go overboard with our products their first time around. Even though it may be scary, try a lighter hand with your All-in-One and be generous with the amount of water you use. Keep in mind that this may change depending on your curl type and porosity level.
Someone with 2A curls, for example, will have hair that easily retains moisture so adding water after applying your All-in-One might not be necessary. Someone with 4B curls, however, may need to use a spray bottle to add water throughout their application process.
You’ll know you’ve used the right product-to-water ratio when you can easily start to rake your fingers through your hair without a ton of excess product coming off in your hands.
The application really is the key to a great finish (our founder even went LIVE to show that here), so take your time to really work in the product. Not only will you experience better results, but you will also find that you can last longer between washing and styling your hair. And having to rewash and restyle your hair less often results in less maneuvering of your curls, and less breakage. Welcome to curly hair simplified!
5. Allow your curls to set
We know how tempting it can be to play with those soft, luscious curls. But don’t do it! Not until they’re 100% dry, anyway. It’ll cause all the work you spent clumping your curls to be in vain! And while we don’t mind a little frizz, we know that some curly girls prefer lotsa definition.
That being said, if you choose to dry/diffuse your hair, use a warm or cool setting and be gentle with the blow dryer! Try placing your hand behind your hair as you dry to keep it from blowing around too much. Check out how @myfrecklesandcurls does it here.
Another tip is to start the dryer only AFTER placing the diffuser in your hair instead of starting it beforehand and then bringing it up to your hair, causing your curls to blow around. Once your curls are dried and set you can get back to flipping and whipping them back and forth.
6. Embrace your curls
If you didn’t know, LUS (Love Ur Self) stands for Love Ur Self. Our mission has always been to help our customers love themselves from head to toe, inside and out. That being said, our formulas were not designed to change the hair’s naturally occurring texture or wave/curl pattern. That means LUS (Love Ur Self) won’t stretch your curls or make them any curlier than they naturally are—it will simply enhance the beautiful hair that you already have.
Yes, we’ve had some customers experience their hair being curlier than ever. But that’s because the true curl pattern that was always there was likely masked due to damage, improper care, or heavy products.
Try to remember this may not happen to everyone and that’s alright! Your curls are still beautiful and unique, just like you.
You should also keep in mind that if your curls have significant damage as a result of heat, colour or chemicals, our products won’t repair that damage overnight. But with continued use and time, you could see a vast improvement!
The key is to commit to embracing your curls by treating them right and doing what it takes to take care of them.
7. Experiment: Find your routine
Have FUN with your hair!! Use your intuition and previous experience to guide you, keeping in mind that everyone’s curls are unique and no one knows your curls better than you. What works for one hair type may not work for another. So while watching other curly girls is a good start, it’s important to experiment with different techniques to find out what works for you! Remember: the healthy hair journey is a marathon, not a race.
