The Products I Use To Revive My Heat-Damaged Curls

It's been nearly two months since I made the decision to cut my hair and reclaim my curls. After years of weekly blowouts, my hair was looking limp thanks to heat damage, so I wanted to start living my life with my hair health top of mind. And while I thought that chopping off over 10 inches of my hair would be the toughest part of my transition, the hard work was actually in creating an entirely new regimen for my hair.

When I was straightening my hair, I was committed to frizz-fighting products and whatever shampoo smelled great (give me all the coconuts). But now that I'm taking a major break from the flat iron, my new routine is focused on moisturizing and reviving my curls.

"There are lots of women that have the misunderstanding that they to have to find the products that are going to make their hair curly," says New York-based curl expert Mona Baltazar, a.k.a. @themonacut. "But what they need to realize is that if you're transitioning, those aren't your curls. So, you want to focus on the process of getting back your real curls and pattern, and what you're feeding your hair to do so."

And that's exactly what I did. With help from Baltazar and some research, I stocked up on products that I felt would help me nourish my curls. After a few weeks of trial and error, I found the products that are currently working for me. Emphasis on "currently," because, according to Baltazar, as my hair changes, so will its needs.

It's also important to remember that everyone's hair is different, so what may work for me might not give you the same results. But let my picks serve as inspiration. Ahead, the hair products I'm loving during my transition from heat-damaged hair to thriving, natural curls.