How to properly care for gray curls & understand their needs 

There are many benefits to letting your gray locks shine naturally, such as the hassle of touching them up every few weeks, and not using chemical dyes helps keep your locks healthy. And let's be honest, silver curls just look beautiful  when they shine happily. 

Whatever your reason for embracing your natural curls, find out the best way to look after them.       

Grey locks are coarser compared to pigmented hair

Grey hair shows more friction and is more brittle. With increasing age, the hair loses density, shine and pigment, and the sebaceous glands in the scalp produce less sebum. The cuticle of gray hair is rougher and drier than that of pigmented hair. Compared to straight gray hair, gray curly hair can be even drier and rougher than pigmented hair. 

What helps: Use mild shampoos

As grey hair tends to be a little drier, you should add more moisture to your hair care routine. By using deep conditioner, leave-in, curl creams or moisturizing styling products, you can give your locks much-needed moisture. However, it is recommended to use mild cleansing products as some shampoos can dry out gray hair (all CG shampoos are mild!). Make sure the products you use are moisturizing and rich in antioxidants to keep your grey hair looking radiant and fresh. 

Gray hair is porous and water-attracting

It has been found that grey hair contains more cysteic acid residues and less cystine and has an increased reactivity to reducing and oxidizing substances. This increases the ability of gray hair to absorb moisture and makes it more susceptible to changes in humidity in the environment. (Weather Frizz) 

What helps: Styling

If your locks have gone gray, styling can become a little more difficult due to the change in texture. To keep gray hair soft and shiny, moisturize from roots to ends and use a film-forming humectant to lock in moisture. If you have frizzy or flyaway hair at the crown, spray an alcohol-free hairspray on a small brush and run it over the hair to tame unruly strands and hairs.    

Gray hair reacts differently to chemical substances

Gray hair is not actually white, but transparent like glass. With coloring treatments (semi-permanent or permanent), it generally absorbs more dyes. This is possibly due to its higher porosity and rough surface, which makes it easier for chemicals to penetrate. In general, gray hair can absorb chemicals and conditioners better.

What helps: Avoid build-up

Gray curls have more space at the cuticle, allowing the conditioning molecules to penetrate faster and in greater quantity. If you have finer hair, you should not use conditioners or leave-ins that are too heavy, as too much product can build up very quickly and lead to limp and dull curls. If your curls do hang tired, it helps to condition them with a Deep Cleansing shampoo. 

Faster growth, but lower density

White (non-pigmented) hair is actually thicker than black (pigmented) hair. Although white hair grows faster than black hair, the loss of hair density and thinning is often associated with gray hair. 

What helps: Daily scalp massages

Stimulate blood circulation and remove dead skin on the scalp with a Scalp Brush made of soft rubber or silicone. Daily massaging for about 10-15 minutes can also stimulate sebum production.

Reduced sebum production 

Women in their 40s begin to produce less sebum (hair oil), which can contribute to dryness. In fact, sebum production decreases by 50% in the average woman between the ages of 45 and 60. This means that as women age, they need to carefully monitor their hair's moisture levels and adjust their products and styling methods accordingly.

What helps: Moisturizing-Hydrating

Grey hair tends to be drier, so using a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner is especially important to keep locks hydrated and smooth. Occasionally massaging in Oiling curls in gray hair overnight is a good conditioning treatment and helps detangle. 

And while we're on the subject of oil, I would recommend Pre-Poo for the ends of your hair (and also to stimulate hair growth). The word Pre-Poo already suggests that it is used before the ShamPOO. And this is how it works: Massage the oil into your scalp or apply it to the ends and dry sections of your hair and leave it on for at least 15 minutes (or overnight), then rinse out with shampoo. 

With Pre-Poo you can nourish and care for your scalp and hair roots or do something good for your hair. It helps to prevent split ends at the ends of the hair.    

Gray hair has less or no melanin 

Melanin has a protective effect against ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Grey hair lacks this natural protective mechanism, making it more sensitive to the sun's rays, which leads to oxidation of the hair proteins. For this reason, white and grey hair is more likely to oxidize and look yellow and dull.  Sulphates also have this effect on gray hair and can lead to frizz, dryness and yellowing. 

What helps: Lightening "dull, gray and cloudy" hair

Follow the CGM to keep your silver curly hair as healthy and hydrated as possible. Since silver hair can yellow from ultraviolet rays, be sure to cover your locks if you are going to be in bright sunlight for long periods of time. You can also try using a blue conditioner for silver, brunette, blonde or orange hair. Purple shampoos can help even out yellow tones in blondes and keep your gray hair on the white side. Note that many purple shampoos contain sulfates and dry out the hair, so be careful when choosing. 

Another way to get rid of the yellow tinge is to use white kaolin clay. The clay seems to work by removing impurities from the hair shaft. 

Gray hair is healthier than dyed hair

In the society in which we live, a youthful appearance is of great value. Many women dye their hair year after year every 2-6 weeks.  However, this practice has its price, as hair dyeing often has negative effects. In addition to the fact that the hair dye discolors the scalp, inhibits hair growth and gets under the fingernails, another undesirable effect is itching.  Not to mention the chemicals that end up in the drain and the environment.
Say goodbye to all these things when you embrace your silver hair and wear your white crown with pride.

Here you will find a selection of products for gray curlsuse the filter function (right) to search for a specific category (shampoo, conditioner, mask, leave-in, gel, etc.)