How I Finally Figured Out Which Curly Hair Products to Use

Those of us with curly hair get all in a twist when our very particular hair type gets lumped into one all-encompassing drugstore aisle category.

For the uninitiated, curly hair is notlike those little Lego heads you just pop from one person to the next and have it fit perfectly and behave the same every time. Each curly girl has her own texture, amount of body, and different-sized curls to contend with -- all with the same cookie cutter styling products.

This is something best-selling author and beauty guru, Rona Berg, knows all too well. "Curls, like women, come in a range of shapes and sizes," explains Berg, and figuring out what kind of mousse or gel or pomade or serum to use can be a daunting task.

"For perfect curls," she says, "the best approach is to create a custom-blended 'product cocktail.' If your curls are fine, mix a dab of mousse or styling cream in your palm with a light gel," she advises. "For thick or coarse hair, blend a heavier gel that has more hold with a styling cream."

While many women are happy concocting their own formulas, Jeni Thomas, MD, Pantene Senior Scientist, points out that Pantene developed its Curly Series with this "more customized approach in mind." That's why the company has come out with products like Pantene Pro-V Curly Hair Series Curl Shaping Gel, $3.89 and Pantene Pro-V Curly Hair Style Curl Enhancing Spray Gel, $3.59.

One of the reasons these products work so well is that they don't contain any heavy silicon-based ingredients, says our resident My Beauty Life hair pro, Michael Dueñas. "When it comes to styling curly hair, you want to be sure to avoid heavy silicon-based products," says Dueñas. "The repeated use of these products will slowly coat your hair with more and more silicon, preventing the penetration of moisture from your conditioner."

Trust me -- these tricks and products work. I now have a much better understanding of what to put where and when. But I have to admit: Sometimes, it's just exhausting being a curly girl in a straight-haired world. Agree? Let's commis