- My baseline is shampooing my scalp, and condition while scrunching my hair.
- Use DIY flax seed gel as a leave-in conditioner.
- I gently towel dry my hair, then apply a dollop of aloe vera gel in my hair, then scrunch again.
- I spread a tiny amount of shea butter (or another fat or oil) in my palms, and scrunch into the ends to seal and protect them.
- Finally I plop my hair for 15 minutes. Sometimes I do it with a claw clip like this. I used to plop longer but keeping my scalp hot and moist for too long triggers scalp issues.
- Finally I clip my hair to make sure my roots are lifted when they dry.
I always air dry unless it's an emergency, because heat is one of the biggest causes of damage.
The three techniques -- scrunching, plopping and clipping give me curls and lift, while the other products prevent frizz and maintain the curl.
Of course when I have time I add extra products and steps like acidic rinses and scalp treatments. But it's really nice to have a barebones routine that doesn't take up much time and pretty much always works.
Your mileage may vary, based on your hair type and climate. I have super healthy coarse, textured hair with medium porousity (used to be high but I fixed it with lots of care), and get haircuts to thin out my hair and bring out the curl. I live in a moderate continental climate. So this post is not a prescription, but an invitation to find your own basic routine.