How Yara Shahidi cares for her glorious curls

Yara Shahidi's beautifully bouncy curls are basically what we dream of at night. Because though she definitely doesn't hate a braid crown or sleek updo moment, most of the time she's all about letting her stunning natural texture take its centre-stage moment.

But while she's no doubt naturally blessed in the hair department, there are still steps she has to take to keep her curls at their healthiest, happiest and most hydrated; especially when Hollywood's affinity for heat styling gets involved.

“I have always been very natural with my hair. It really wasn’t until the request of some acting jobs I had to straighten it," Shahidi shared in an interview with Byrdie. "What I realised is just how damaging heat is. While it does give you really cool options and allows you to do different takes on hairstyles, I had to deal with a lot of heat damage from straightening my hair or curling my hair with heat.”

Her damage-ditching solution? A solid chop. “I cut off a total of six inches to just help get rid of the heat damage. In many ways, I’ve been transitioning ever since then. Now I’m in this fantastic place, where I’ve been heat-free for over a year (other than a light diffusing of my hair after the shower). I’ve been able to have so much fun with it."

Wondering which products Shahidi relies on for curl care? Luckily, she shared those, too. And super luckily, her entire routine rounds out at just $57. Did someone say down to earth?!

“Almond oil, a great gel, and deep conditioners are all fantastic for curly hair like mine," she explained. "I love the Mielle Deep Conditioner and Almond Oil. I think those really do help with my hair. And then EcoStyler is a gel that I swear by because it’s not always about the most expensive product, but the most efficient.” FYI, it's only $10. Yep, that's your cue to start the slow clap.

After some alternative options to investigate too? In the deep conditioning department, this Matrix Biolage HydraSource Mask is a majorly moisturising winner. For oil, the growth-promoting Ke iAfrica Imbiza Oil is practically happy, healthy hair in a bottle. And for keeping your curls hydrated and defined on the daily, we're big fans of the John Frieda Frizz-Ease® Dream Curls® Curl Defining Crème.

Main image credit: @yarashahidi

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