How to Pick the Right Curly Hair Products +EXCITING NEWS!

[@GenaMarie]

Happy Easter! 🐣 What better day than to launch my new store! This has been months in the making and I'm thrilled to finally be able to share it with you. Browse and filter by exactly what you need: genamarie.co/shop Please let me know if you have any feedback!

[@kristinekerr3688]

Happy Easter Gina!!

[@MariaManso]

Happy Easter! Congratulations on your new website.

[@michellesanderson4028]

Is this just a u.s site Gina? I'm in the u.k

[@tinacross9055]

Happy Easter Gena 🐰 I just wanted to say congratulations on your new website🎉 and this information was so helpful

[@anessafeucht7042]

You should make a shampoo and conditioner video like this!

[@vs6945]

Thank you for being the only curly hair influencer that actually drops brand names and suggestions without a sponsor by them. We love a honest curly girly that isn’t looking for a money grab and just wants to help us! 🙌🏻💅🏻

[@vivyyyy]

most of them are sponsored though, look at the codes lol 20% off etc

[@DrCynPizzulli]

Finally! Accurate information for low porosity and low density hair! So tired of being told I need lighter weight products that don’t work. You get it…

[@sylviet826]

Yes! Please make this a series. I struggle finding shampoos and conditioners that work for my medium high porosity wavy hair. You're new store will help soooo much. Thank you!

[@lisak7214]

Thank you, Gena Marie! This is the BEST video I’ve ever seen for picking curly hair products. My hair was poker straight my entire life and it changed over to curly about three years ago. I’ve been at my wits’ end ever since. I don’t know anything about curly hair and I’ve wasted a lot of money on products that are not right for me. Love your videos and I’m excited about your new store. Thank you again! 😊🌻

[@GenaMarie]

Thank you for the Super Thanks, Lisa! So kind of you! I’m so glad you found my content helpful. 🥰

[@HollyJ211]

WOW thank you so much Gena this was incredible!! and the shop looks AMAZING!! Another aspect I’ve found I need to factor in with my hair is the amount of product your hair can handle. A lot of curly hair KZbinrs will use huge amounts of cream or gel or whatever, regardless of its weight, and so I was doing that too. But some people can only handle a pea size amount on their whole head! I’ve been meaning to overhaul my routine and your blog is going to be a life saver!!

[@leticia_karl]

Your blog is so helpful as are your videos. Thank you so much for all the work you put into helping us newbies learn how to deal with our hairs. ❤

[@mariannemccoy384]

Thanks Gena! I appreciate your no nonsense, to the point delivery of *all* the details and facts pertaining to curls. You are by far the best curl educator I've discovered on social.

[@deirdrewalsh1134]

You are so right about the direction your hair naturally wants to clump. I find it is often alternative directions especially around the face. Sometimes I finger curl wet at night just a few around face and pop a bobby pin in for a special day.

[@melissaarchila5602]

Thank you for this. I have super flat straight hair but my kids were blessed with beautiful curls and I need this education! I really appreciate it.

[@lunaycamila]

I love your videos! They include all hair types and are so informative! Thank yooouuu!

[@Sky_moondance]

I haven't watched your videos for awhile, your hair looks amazing! It got thicker and your curls are poppin, you give me hope from a fellow low density curly 😊

[@sandral5086]

Yes, switching to products geared to fine hair was a huge turnaround for my hair, big difference in the results

[@MrLukePierre]

I'm a straight guy. I learned a lot.. Thank you. Very accessible and understandable and IN DEPTH. Which I appreciate. The before nd after trim was very enlightening. Making an appointment.. been 2 yrs.

[@alohaalia1091]

YOUR STORE CONCEPT IS AMAZING

[@Dramaduck139]

Your new shop page looks amazing! I love being able to filter what I'm looking for. I have been experimenting with my first layer of styling products. I LOVE the Ouidad ACC Stronger Hold gel, but I wanted something under it to help with volume. I haven't really found anything I really love yet, but this video definitely gave me some ideas!

[@GenaMarie]

Thank you! Stay tuned for next Sunday’s video because I show how to get volume while using that gel!

[@Dramaduck139]

@Gena Marie awesome! I' getting a hair cut this week too, so hopefully that will help with the volume as well. Can't wait to see the video!

[@PamelaRubel]

Awesome video! After years and years attempting to make the cgm work for me (since 2010!) About 4 years ago I realized that I had to focus on my hair texture, porosity and my desired look! I have ultra fine hair, medium density hair, with 3b with some 3a sprinkled around, and produce close to no oil on my scalp (if I wash more frequently than every 10 to 14 days, my hair does not like it!). Once I started using very light, water based products, and left behind the butters and creams, my hair really started to shine. However, Im probably the only fine hair girlie that does not desire volume, and just wants elongation of the curls, because I love my long hair! So the challenge was using light products, but giving the hair some weight, and the solution was to not diffuse it, and to avoid manipulating my hair too much while it dries. Oil helps, but even the oils I use are ultra light 😂 but the longer it gets, the heavier it gets so that helps!

[@1bigemptyspace]

I split-dyed my hair before realizing that I have curly hair, and it has been quite the learning process! I have my natural colour on one side which is very very dark and I’m currently rocking rainbow on the other side, but because of how dark my hair is we did have to bleach it. The difference in quality on both sides is crazy! But I absolutely adore my split dye so I’ve been trying to have the best of both worlds and find a routine and products that work for me and give me the best curls I can have while also keeping my colour. These videos have been so so helpful and I’ve learned so much! My hairdresser (who I absolutely love) is not a curly girl but she has been right there by my side through my hair journey learning right alongside with me lol. I’ve actually recommended your channel to her because she has a lot of curly clients! I’ve learned from this video that I have thin hair, with low-med density and low porosity on my natural side and high porosity on my coloured side. Do you have any recommendations on how I should go about treating my hair when I fall on both extremes of the porosity scale? I suppose my biggest “problem area” would be my high porosity side, I just worry about my natural side since it get greasy super fast. And because of my colour, I’m afraid to use a clarifying shampoo because I want to keep my colour in as a long as possible. I already kind of split up my hair washing as I use only cool/cold water on my coloured side, but use warm water for the rest. Also! I live in Canada, where our summers get humid and our winters are dry. Lol, it just feels like all the qualities of my hair are at war with each other!!

[@darkblu09]

I would appreciate a video talking more in depth about choosing shampoos and conditioners, and especially deep conditioners. I used to use a deep conditioner from shea moisture occasionally and my hair looked fantastic afterwards regardless of which of a number of different styling products I used, but as I’ve had more grays come in over the years, it doesn’t give me the same results, and I’d like to know more about why. I also recently changed my shampoo and conditioner to a drugstore brand and have found my curls are drier, and again, I’d like to have insight as to what ingredients in the shampoo aren’t compatible with my hair.

[@KathleenKC1]

I need to shrink my stash, but when I am ready to buy new products I will definitely use your website. Thanks for putting in all this work.

[@christinapaskett8820]

This is one of the most helpful videos I've found since starting my journey to ditch my flat iron. Thank you for spelling it out so clearly!

[@claire.morgan]

Okay, this was seriously one of the most helpful and thorough videos! I thought that illustration for porosity was one of the best ones I've seen and it looks like you made it?! I think that shop page you made is going to be amazing... no more saving IG posts where people list a couple products for lightweight/medium/heavy and then forgetting about it. It's obvious you put so much effort and care into all you do!

[@annaburns5382]

Your new website is great! So much stuff on there. Thanks for that.

[@GenaMarie]

Thank you! 🥰

[@printemp8]

This is a fantastic sum-up for someone who seeks to learn the basics of hair care.

[@tamirhodes2791]

Love love the ability to be able to filter for products. Can’t wait to use the site.

[@mendocinogirl]

Happy Easter! I would definitely appreciate more information about products. I have fine wavy curly dense hair. When I search Amazon for fine hair products, they’re mostly for fine thin and hair loss products.

[@kristinekerr3688]

I ❤ your channel. I was just wondering about your hair today. Is this a refresh? It looks different. Soft on top and crisp and crunchy below. Last, but certainly not least, your shop with the filters is da bomb!! I freakin’ love it and can see using it often. I especially think I am going to like the filter that tells you about the consistency, which for me as a fine haired, low density curly girl is probably one of the most important things, aside from slip!! I really can’t believe that it took so long for somebody to come up with this…but I’m glad it was you! You’re awesome!!

[@GenaMarie]

Thanks! Its actually not crunchy just defined but felt soft 😊 this was a day 2 refresh after using the Ouidad gel I shared in this video

[@kristinekerr3688]

@@GenaMarie Cool! Every wash day I get a different result almost so I know how that goes. I edited my above answer to include my compliments on your shop filters. Which are awesome! (stupid autocorrect😂)

[@claudiameans7672]

Thank you so very much. I am struggling with my hair. It’s high porosity, coarse, medium density. Everything drew my hair out by day two, I hate it. I think I understand more now after watching this video. ❤ so so helpful

[@LovelyYungi]

Highly informative! Thank you!

[@kates6793]

This was such a helpful video thank you! I get overwhelmed by seeing so many product options.

[@WavyCurlyGina]

The Bounce Curl Clump and Define Cream is AWESOME! Love this so much ❤️

[@kimberlyrudolphcap1789]

Bless you for putting this together!

[@margaretcraig6538]

Wow, a searchable database will be a great resource!!

[@celesteortins5250]

this is awesome! thank you so much for all of the hard work you put in to make it easier for the rest of us!

[@leilanisimmons8431]

Thanks for another great video! I’m so confused, because I have very similar hair to you. Tried the Ouidad gel and I have zero hold after an hour or two (even w/o a cream beneath). The only gel I’ve found that gives me lasting hold is the LA Looks Sport Gel, although I get more tangles at my nape with it. Still searching for the perfect gel 😅

[@evie.elenaa]

Your blog is so helpful and informative! Thanks Gena 💓

[@aubreypauley2864]

I would LOVE a video on how to choose conditioners. Deep, leave ins, etc...

[@debraray5786]

So excited about your shop!! This is going to be such a tremendous help Gena. Thank you so much! That was a lot of work and we really appreciate it!!🙌

[@nikki2370]

Seriously love your content. Appreciate you you're beyond sweet to all your content followers. And you're super helpful and teach us all so much

[@rebeccapinto9926]

Congrats on your new product database....looking forward to playing around with it.

[@taylowendy]

Wow! I love this video. Lots of great information. Also, I like the website launch. Very useful. The one brand you should try is Unkle Funky Daughter. The product range is great and the gel they have is awesome.

[@heyitsES]

Thank you, Gena Marie! Your channel made a huge impact on my curly hair journey. I take down notes to process everything what was mentioned. Thank you for putting so much effort in your videos and blog. ❤

[@mariamia2221]

Thank you so much for all of your help Gina. I’m very new to this community and you have been a lifesaver and breath of fresh air. Your blog is a must have for me and I’m watching as many of your videos as I can in a day!! You’ve been a curly hair angel in my world. Thank you so much ❤

[@isabellejette7805]

This helped me understand my curls so much thank you!

[@nanciutay5620]

Oh my goodness, you are a genius! This is amazing and a game changer. Can’t wait to see how it works with all the filters. It’s basically a an individual analysis tool to find the perfect product. Brilliant!

[@rubyslippers6716]

Congrats on the shop, that’s awesome❤

[@TobiSosa-zu2yn]

I love your videos Gena Marie! Always so informative and helpful - thank you! The one thing I haven’t found yet is information on gray hair. My sense is that it is coarser and higher porosity but that’s really just a guess. I just turned 69 and started embracing my 2B/2C curls a few years ago but was basically winging it with styling (sort of 😂) until I recently started watching your and some others’ videos. Any advice you could give about gray/graying hair would be very much appreciated.

[@marlenevaneck4377]

Gena I have been following you for 2 years on my transitioning journey and always learn something new. A big thanks! ❤

[@jessg.829]

Happy Easter! Thank you so much for all the hard work you put in every week! And I can't wait to check out your new store! 😊

[@GenaMarie]

Thank you so much! Happy Easter!

[@paulacasey6111]

Thank you! What a great idea! Something that is really needed in this confusing area!

[@Nefertiti7070]

This was so incredibly helpful! I realize that I’ve been using products that are way to heavy for what I want to achieve. Wash day today and first time using Ouidad gel and wow! I’m blown away! My hair feels light, moisturized, bouncy and super voluminous! Can you please review the Pattern hair dryer!!

[@angelag669]

Can't wait to check out your store in your Blog. Thanks Gena for all you do for us curly/wavy girls!

[@sarahRA86]

Yes please re shampoo and conditioner! How to pick and what ingredients to avoid!

[@kwest5171]

I have coarse/medium, thinning hair and I find the fewer products I use, the better. And I usually stick with a lightweight mousse and curl cream.

[@nomadeXXII]

Amazing video!

[@bertikahernandez93]

Thank you, you’re great. I’ve learned so much thanks to all your videos 😊

[@heavenwilliams5604]

I love all your videos💕Thank you.I would love to see a video like this for shampoo and conditioners.

[@ruth8268]

Gena...thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[@TheRightRead]

Fantastic video!! Can’t wait to check out your product store❤

[@chelleavila5962]

I also love how you showed your sisters hair, mine is more like her hair❤

[@dawnchevalier5295]

Love your channel!! A lot of great information!

[@amandaantico78]

I just found your channel and WOW, thank you!! I’ve had keratin straightening treatment twice a year for the last 10 years and I’m just getting back to trying to work with my fine/high porous super curly hair while living in Ohio (we get all the seasons and often in the same week 🤪) . I’ve recently discovered Tressemme Flawless Curls cream and mousse, have you tried that? Thoughts?

[@sarahallegra6239]

Wow, there is so much great info here and on your blog! Thanks for putting so much work into it all, this is really helpful! I’m going to have to watch this again and take some notes so I can really absorb everything you said. Awesome job!!

[@livdelima6132]

This video is helpful. Thank you. I appreciate you ❤

[@bonnyhicks6036]

Great detailed info! Thanks!!

[@stephanieflores2]

Hi gena! I’m 6 months postpartum and I’ve noticed a huge change in my hair. My curls are flat 😢 any tips on how to bring them back? Or take care of them?

[@marshabohstedt1641]

Thanks for this great video. I now have the greatest chemo curly hair. I want to keep it forever. One year since I lost it all. It’s great. Will I lose it? What’s the best care, my curls are a 3…

[@wendymullins30]

I have fine,&,low porosity,& medium density hair. Do U have a video 4 my type of hair or similar 2 it? 🤔

[@deandrajohnson1973]

Ooh did u do a review on the new Ouidad Bond shampoo & conditioner plus those spray leave in masks in that line? I just got them delivered today and will try em tomorrow. 👍🏾

[@alyd1926]

I love Ouidad! I use the climate control line and the vital curls line

[@shonabracco2665]

Very helpful video!

[@angelaharris1112]

Thank you so much again! 😘

[@LillyoftheAllie]

I definitely will need to water down some of my stylers. All that's available in my area is Sheamoisture and Cantu 😂 I love your video as usual 😍🥰

[@lshawndavis]

Awesome video! Thanks for continually helping me through my journey. I love your posts and am always eager for the next one. I am really struggling through my journey - I have straightened my hair for the last 20 years and also have colour treated hair. Some of my strands are really fine and others are super coarse (think horse tail!!!), and the front of my head is low density while the back is super dense. To top it all off, I live in a crazy dry climate. By the end of day 1, I look like I put my finger in a socket. Finding a product that works has been a real challenge. Have you tried LUS products? I’d love to see you do a wash day review of them. I would also love to see you review other products since you so often talk about Ouidad and Curlsmith but not as much about others. And yes, please keep providing helpful product info - this video was one of the ones I’m sure I will look back on many times.

[@soniaburgos4595]

Wow Gina! Thanks so much for the helpful blog! So so helpful! You think of everything! 😍

[@ellenjolenewilkins6511]

Happy Easter! Have you ever tried products called Hawaiian Silky? Very cost-effective and works well .

[@GenaMarie]

No I haven’t! Happy Easter!

[@drpepperaddict461]

Is there any curlsmith product you recommend for more elongation and strong hold?

[@Mommaslew]

D Soooo thorough! Ty!😊

[@Giulia-jp3fj]

Hi!! What if I have a low porosity just when I start washing hair and then, I think, could be high once it’s soaking wet? Thank you in advance, you are so clear🫶🏻

[@GenaMarie]

That's not possible as your hair would be the same porosity wet as dry. It's possible for certain areas to be different porosities, such as the top layer of your hair is often more damaged thus more high porosity, or the hair at the roots is lower porosity because it's virgin/new growth. If you feel it's low porosity because water beads up, you could just have buildup. Your hair could be low porosity as well

[@GrayedAmy]

Great video! I was glad to hear you mention that product claims on the bottle/jar aren't always accurate and brands assume that low density hair is fine hair. I'm very tired of reading descriptions that say "for course/dry hair" as if course hair is always dry. My hair is very course, but not usually dry.

[@GenaMarie]

So true! anyone can have an oily or a dry scalp, with a combination of any hair type

[@dianewristen]

THANK YOU

[@kathiekendrick7118]

great video - i'm looking for a video that compares shampoos and conditioners. Since i've been going more curly - i have noticed that there is a fair amount of hair in the shower on wash day. This is new so i'm thinking i need a different shampoo and condition. Can you point me in the right direction?

[@sarahasim92]

My hair is corse wavey hair, low porosity, I am struggling to get products that works for me. I am living in Indonesia. I ONLY CAN GET PRODUCTS FROM IHERB.Can you recommend products

[@dahunnybunny232]

What’s a product for fine hair that’s lightweight but will last long? I have fine low density hair so I need to use light products but what would last long?

[@eleonoras9719]

How to get curl pattern back after having a baby? I started hating my natural curly hair because it looks really bad right now and I don’t know how to fix it :(

[@NadiraJamal]

Normally, I push back a little when people say curl pattern doesn’t matter at all. IMO, the other factors definitely matter a lot more, but for those of us on the loosest end of the spectrum, any elongation can make our waves disappear. Just due to geometry - patterns with more “side-to-side” can afford to trade some stretch for other styling goals and still look like themselves. But then you covered that via style goals! Also, I really appreciate you acknowledging that some people want soft definition. Most tutorials I see seem to prioritize strong definition, which isn’t my best look. (Love it on others, but it looks harsh on me.) If you’re taking requests, I’d love to see a soft look tutorial. (Personally, my priorities are shrinkage, volume, and getting those qualities to last, which is tough without harder hold products. A tip I learned from Curly Chelle recently was to spritz on a working spray while diffusing to boost the hold. That has helped a lot.) And I LOVE that your new shop page has combining filters! I was playing around with that while listening to the video, and didn’t realize that they made an “and” filer instead of an “or filer”. That’s so helpful. As you expand that, I’d love to see some mousses and tags for curl-activating/shrinkage-inducing ingredients. (My hair seems to love magnesium sulfate - I think my holy grail would be a super lightweight version of AG Re:Coil.)

[@GenaMarie]

Thank you for such a thoughtful comment and for your suggestions! I’ve made note ❤️

[@NadiraJamal]

@@GenaMarie ❤️ Thanks for all the helpful info, and happy Easter!

[@chantalmeijer8491]

I have my ouidad climate control gel for 2 years now I think. Do you think that I can still use it? I dont know how quick it really expires or turn bad.

[@jbrand255]

It would be great if your shop search included filters on hair texture, porosity type, climate the way you talked about in this video. Some of the search filters I'm not sure what they mean as I'm fairly new to this. But I do know that I have medium texture, low porosity hair and live in an extremely humid environment and I don't like to end up with crunchy hair nor poofy frizzy hair. I narrowed my search by protein free, synthetic fragrance free (allergic), paraben free and medium hold which gave me one result which unfortunately contains PVP which I'm not a fan of. Does anyone have any recommendations for styling products? The more natural the ingredients the better.

[@juanitabridges6808]

Is AG Liquid Effects going away or being reformulated? I can’t find it on the Ulta website and it’s clearanced on the AG site.

[@GenaMarie]

Ughh i hope not! 🙏🏼I can ask them

[@laphoenixnaomiwarner-mcdon3437]

When do you know to avoid humectants? Is it just if you live in high humidity or you have experience knowing they don’t work for you hair?

[@GenaMarie]

I don't avoid them, I just make sure that if it's humid I am using a product that contains polyquaternium in addition to the humectants. Using a gel that is full of just humectants and no polyquats would cause frizz in humidity.

[@stevieray7203]

I want 6 curls on my head I want so much definition 🤣

[@Littleozzybear]

This would be great but all my hairs are completely different some are fine medium and course some are high some low density some require different things it’s so annoying

[@pl5377]

Hi Gena. My hair is fine and medium porosity. I get confused with conditioning. I wash once a week. then I use kinky curly leave in.. should I use a regular conditioner if so what kind? and leave in too. or just a leave in? should I use gel only with leave in? I get so co fused thanks

[@bertikahernandez93]

I love you know how to pick the right products for silver hair if you know, I know yr hair is not silver 😂😂😂 but just thought I ask.

[@yensid4294]

It would be so beneficial to me & other fragrance sensitive people to know how fragranced hair products are. I usually order online & try to scan the comments/reviews for info on the smell. If I see many comments about how good it smells or how much the scent is loved or hated, I know to pass. It's very frustrating since I have found stylers that worked great but the heavy fragrance triggered asthma, headache or just irritated my nose & eyes to the point of needing to rewash my hair immediately. I've avoided brands like Curl Smith due to the fragrance & didn't have any luck with their Shine products which are scent free. Same with Jessicurl stylers although I love their unscented shampoo/conditioner, the stylers didn't work for me. I am thrilled to have found fragrance free hairspray readily accessible (finally) The fragrance thing was always problematic when going to any salon. It gets tiresome explaining/arguing with stylists over hairspray & perfumed shampoo. Now I just bring my own shampoo/conditioner & know I will have to wash/restyle my hair the next day after the trim/color touch up.

[@GenaMarie]

I can definitely see if I can add tags to products based on how strong a scent is. The only thing I'm concerned about is that my definition of strong or mild may not be the same as yours since I don't have any sensitivities. I did include tags for synthetic fragrance though for those looking to avoid phthalates.

[@kate7621]

I totally understand what you are saying!! One brand to avoid is Eva Nyc. Very strong fragrance.

[@kathleenstoin671]

I absolutely hate the smell of coconut in some hair products. I refuse to buy any of them.

[@emmagavars6385]

Can u do a cheaper version

[@didinita]

Fine low density hair that wants to elongate curls. I'm lost.

[@sdibenegorger]

More cheaper options. Less Curlsmith 😭

[@GenaMarie]

I featured drugstore products here as well but wanted to only make sure I suggest products that are good quality. I’ve searched high and low for more good quality gels that are cheap but haven’t found many. The one Dove gel I used to love was discontinued 😞

[@sdibenegorger]

@@GenaMarie that’s true. I forget how hard you all work and research for us. I apologize and sincerely appreciate you.

[@mirafedotova]

Gena, thank you so much! That was the most beneficial video for curly hair I have ever seen! And congratulations on the new page of your website! I already used the filter and found the best products for myself. Thank you for your work! It is so valuable! All the best to you!🤍🤍🤍

[@GenaMarie]

Yay! That makes me so happy. And thank you

[@HealthywithAmy]

Always great videos-Do you use SPF hair products? if so which brand?😊👋