Today we’re talking about wavy hair, because everyone talks about curls… but what about waves? How do you take care of them?
Wavy hair is one of the most difficult to manage because it tends to lose shape due to its natural weight or humidity, but also because of friction with the pillow at night, or from wearing headphones, helmets, and hats. The key is not to “fix” it with heavy products, but to create a style that lasts over time without weighing it down, for a natural, luminous, and voluminous result.
The success of waves is decided when the hair is wet:
Scrunching: after applying the product to wet hair, lift it with your hands from the bottom to the top, from the ends to the roots. This activates the waves.
Plopping: after styling, wrap your hair in a cotton t-shirt or a microfiber cloth for 15–20 minutes. This absorbs excess water without creating frizz and “sets” the wave shape at the root. Before plopping, I remove excess water with my hands, scrunch a little more, and then proceed.
The “cast”: don’t be afraid of gels that leave the hair a little stiff (cast effect). That little “crust” protects the wave while it dries. Once the hair is 100% dry, just scrunch a little with your hands (even better with a drop of Cristalli) to soften it.
For styling products, opt for lightness:
wavy hair straightens if the products are too rich in butters or heavy oils.
- Light mousse or gels: mousse gives volume, gel gives hold. For maximum duration, try the gel + mousse technique. All Bio Gentleaf gels are perfect; I recommend the strongest ones: Performance, Twist Again, and especially Queen of Curls. In combination, you can use Ocean Wave for a light, moisturizing style, or Flax it mousse for stronger hold.
- Extra hold is given by two special products: Lady Shine and Fix it hairspray, protein boosters! Lady Shine adds hold thanks to its Katira content, our magical ingredient, and seals the cuticles, acting as a shield against dehydration and heat from the dryer. Fix it is a light protein hairspray that gives longer-lasting hold and more vigor to the hair.
- Avoid leave-ins that are too heavy: choose Volume Booster, My Best Option, or leave-in conditioners from the Flax it! or Glossy lines. They are light and effective. If you have very fine hair, I recommend Curl Activator, a leave-in fluid that is very useful to avoid weighing down your waves :)
Some extra tips:
- Diffuser is essential: dry your hair upside down with warm air and low speed. Don’t touch your hair with your fingers until it’s dry to avoid “breaking” the waves.
- Clips at the roots: if your hair is flat at the base, use duckbill clips or large clips to lift the roots while drying. I also like to use a hair net for about an hour after finishing drying. This keeps the roots lifted and settled, giving more volume.
- At night, protect your hair from the pillow, the number one enemy, because friction ruins the waves and creates frizz. A silk pillowcase is ideal, but a hair net also works if you tolerate it. The “pineapple” method (high ponytail) risks stretching the hair; it’s not optimal for wavy hair.
The “refresh” (day 2 and 3)
Never brush them dry! To revive them, lightly mist the hair with water, then choose one of these products to refresh your style:
- Curl Activator: has anti-frizz and disciplining functions; it’s a liquid leave-in conditioner, ideal for hair prone to frizz, dryness, and loss of elasticity and shine.
- Lady Shine: very light, adds definition; perfect for soft hair that gets easily weighed down.
- Fix it, protein hairspray: suitable for all hair types; it doesn’t dirty or dry the hair, it revitalizes it and makes it feel immediately more substantial. You can use it as many times as you want!
- Volume Booster: ideal for thick hair, even diluted in a spray bottle. If your hair is thick, dry, and prone to frizz, this is your perfect helper. Other cream leave-in conditioners also work for this hair type.
- A product I love for restyling is mousse, either Ocean Wave or Flax it: they give a super quick refresh with immediate drying; you almost don’t even need the dryer.
Once your styling product is applied, just scrunch and use the diffuser. It only takes a few moments for the hair to dry again. For a truly perfect result, you’d need to wet it a lot, almost soaked; that’s the “rule,” but in my opinion, at that point it likely becomes a big mess and you end up washing it again. So it’s either a very quick touch-up or not worth it, and it’s better to just wash it!
