The BIGGEST Haircare mistakes You're Making

Curly Hair Mistakes That Stop Growth & How to Fix Them

Silk Press Step-by-Step

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A silk press is a great way to transform curly hair into a sleek, straight style while maintaining hair health. However, many people with curly hair unknowingly make mistakes that can hinder their hair growth and overall hair health. In this blog post, I’ll walk you through the common hair care mistakes I see in my salon, all while showing you the proper steps for a flawless silk press.

Mistake #1: Not Washing Your Hair Enough

One of the biggest mistakes I see is people not washing their hair frequently enough. Some of my new clients only wash their hair once a month, which leaves their curls dry, brittle, and prone to breakage. Curly hair thrives on moisture, and when it’s not washed regularly, buildup from products, dirt, and oils can suffocate the strands and scalp.

The Fix:

  • Wash your hair at least every two weeks, but ideally once a week.

  • Use a clarifying shampoo once a month to remove buildup.

  • Follow up with a moisture-rich shampoo to maintain hydration.

For my client’s silk press, I started with a clarifying shampoo to remove any buildup, followed by my moisture shampoo. This ensures the hair is clean, lightweight, and ready to absorb treatments.

Volume Shampoo
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Volume Shampoo
$22.00

Reset your hair and scalp with our Volume Shampoo. This clarifying shampoo is powered with bentonite clay to gently pull out buildup, impurities, and excess oils — giving your scalp a “facial” while leaving your hair soft, clean, and hydrated. Unlike harsh clarifiers, it removes product residue without stripping your hair, making it the perfect first step for healthy, thriving strands.

Features:

  • Deeply cleanses scalp and hair to remove buildup and impurities

  • Infused with bentonite clay for a detoxifying yet moisturizing cleanse

  • Leaves hair light, fresh, and weightless — never dry or brittle

  • Creates the perfect foundation for blowouts, silk presses, or protective styles

  • Works beautifully on all textures, especially fine hair that gets weighed down easily

Benefits:

  • Your scalp feels refreshed and balanced, not tight or dry

  • Helps curls, blowouts, and silk presses last longer by starting on a clean base

  • Lightweight formula makes it safe for weekly use

  • Pairs perfectly with the Moisture Shampoo for the ultimate cleanse + hydration routine

Think of the Volume Shampoo as your reset button, the one step that ensures your hair is clean, healthy, and ready to shine.

What’s inside:

QUINOA PROTEIN: penetrates the hair shaft plumping each strand to maximum fullness.

BENTONITE CLAY: plumps, strengthens and protects hair.

How to Use:

SHAMPOO: Wet hair and lather from roots to ends. Rinse.

CONDITIONER: After cleansing with shampoo, apply evenly from roots to ends. Leave in for 3-5 minutes and rinse thoroughly.

Moisture Shampoo
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Moisture Shampoo
$22.00

Bring your hair back to life with our Moisture Shampoo. This creamy, nourishing formula is designed to infuse your strands with long lasting hydration while keeping them light, bouncy, and full of movement. Unlike heavy moisturizing shampoos that can leave buildup behind, this one delivers the perfect balance: deep hydration without weighing your hair down.

Features:

  • Gently cleanses while replenishing moisture to dry hair

  • Creamy, rich formula leaves hair soft, hydrated, and manageable

  • Keeps hair weightless, making it perfect before blowouts or silk presses

  • Strengthens and nourishes from root to tip

  • Safe for all textures, including fine hair, extensions, and color-treated strands

Benefits:

  • Your hair feels hydrated, silky, and smooth after every wash

  • Perfect second step after the Volume Shampoo for a balanced cleanse

  • Preps your strands for styling by keeping them moisturized and pliable

  • Helps prevent dryness, frizz, and breakage between wash days

With Moisture Shampoo, every wash day leaves your hair hydrated, soft, and ready for whatever style you choose, whether it’s a blowout, silk press, or natural curls.

What’s inside:

  • SUNFLOWER SEED EXTRACT: provides UVA and UVB protection to preserve radiant color.

  • COCONUT MILK: creates a strong barrier around the hair shaft to prevent breakage.

  • RHODOCHROSITE: balances moisture levels.

How to Use:

SHAMPOO: wet hair and lather from roots to ends. Rinse well. Repeat if necessary.

CONDITIONER: after cleansing with shampoo, apply evenly from roots to ends. Leave in for 2-3 minutes and rinse well.

Mistake #2: Skipping Deep Conditioning

Regular conditioners don’t penetrate deeply enough to provide lasting hydration. Without deep conditioning, curls dry out quickly, leading to frizz, breakage, and tangling.

The Fix:

  • Deep condition your hair with a moisture and protein-balanced treatment after every wash.

  • Use a hair steamer to help the deep conditioner penetrate deeper into the strands.

After shampooing, I applied my Deep Repair Treatment, which contains keratin protein and intense moisture. To help it absorb, I used a hair steamer, which also promotes scalp health and hair growth.

Deep Repair Treatment
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Deep Repair Treatment
$30.00

Give your hair the ultimate reset with our Deep Repair Treatment. Formulated with the perfect balance of strength and hydration, this intensive mask revives dry, damaged strands while keeping them soft, defined, and healthy. Infused with keratin protein and rich moisturizers, it works from the inside out to repair, fortify, and restore your hair’s natural beauty.

Features:

  • Deeply hydrates while reinforcing strands with protein

  • Infuses keratin to strengthen and protect against breakage

  • Restores elasticity so curls clump, pop, and define

  • Improves softness, shine, and manageability

  • Ideal for hair that is heat styled, color treated, or prone to dryness

Benefits:

  • Hair feels instantly stronger and more moisturized

  • Visible results, curls spring back with bounce and definition

  • Keeps straight naturals and curly girls alike protected from heat and stress

  • Perfect for weekly deep treatments or paired with a steam treatment for maximum absorption

When your hair needs both moisture and strength, the Deep Repair Treatment delivers. It’s the key to keeping your strands resilient, hydrated, and full of life.

What’s inside:

  • SUNFLOWER OIL + MALACHITE: restore moisture, shine, and resilience while protecting hair from environmental stressors.

  • RHASSOUL: a mineral rich clay, makes this a great treatment for even finer textured hair.

How to Use:

Apply to clean towel dried hair and leave in for 5 to 15 minutes, then rinse. Tip: Focus on mid-lengths to ends to help prevent split ends.

Mistake #3: Using the Wrong Hair Products

Many people use heavy creams, butters, and oils, thinking they’re moisturizing their hair when they’re actually just coating it. This leads to buildup, dryness, and limp curls.

The Fix:

  • Choose lightweight, hydrating products that penetrate the hair shaft.

  • Avoid heavy oils like shea butter and castor oil for regular use.

  • Test products by applying them to the back of your hand—if they absorb, they’ll absorb into your hair too.

To prep for the blow-dry, I applied my Emergency Miracle Treatment leave-in conditioner, which is lightweight and deeply hydrating. I followed up with a blow-dry cream for added heat protection and moisture retention, finishing with the Amethyst Oil to seal in hydration.

Silky Smooth Silky Smooth
Sale
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Silky Smooth
Sale Price: $77.00 Original Price: $85.00

Achieve salon smooth results at home with the Silky Smooth Bundle. This trio delivers the perfect combination of hydration, protection, and shine to keep your hair silky, frizz-free, and healthy, whether you’re blow drying, silk pressing, or wearing your hair straight.

What’s Inside:

  • Emergency Miracle Treatment – Lightweight leave-in conditioner that penetrates deep for long-lasting moisture and frizz control.

  • Le Deux – Moisture rich blow dry cream that smooths strands, eases detangling, and protects from heat while giving your blowouts body and softness.

  • Amethyst Oil – Lightweight finishing oil that seals in moisture, locks in shine, and provides extra heat protection without weighing hair down.

Benefits:

  • Creates a smooth, sleek foundation for blowouts and silk presses

  • Double layered heat protection keeps strands safe from hot tools

  • Locks in hydration so hair stays soft, shiny, and manageable

  • Works for all hair types, especially straight naturals and those who heat style regularly

With the Silky Smooth Bundle, you’ll have everything you need to create polished, frizz-free styles that last. All while keeping your hair healthy and hydrated.

Mistake #4: Neglecting Regular Trims

Many people avoid trims out of fear of losing length, but split ends will continue to travel up the hair shaft if left uncut, causing more damage and breakage.

The Fix:

  • Get a trim once every season (every 3-4 months) to maintain healthy ends.

  • Look for signs of split ends: tangling, thinning, and frizz at the ends.

After blow-drying, I assessed my client’s ends. Because she maintains regular trims, she only needed a slight dusting. This keeps her hair strong and prevents setbacks in her growth journey.

Mistake #5: Over-Reliance on Protective Styles

Protective styles are great for reducing manipulation, but keeping them in for too long or wearing them back-to-back without breaks can cause dryness, shedding, and even breakage.

The Fix:

  • Keep protective styles in for no longer than 4-6 weeks.

  • Give your hair time to breathe between styles.

  • Maintain a proper wash and moisture routine, even when wearing braids or wigs.

To protect my client’s hair before flat ironing, I applied another light layer of Amethyst Oil for heat protection and shine. After straightening, her hair was silky, bouncy, and full of movement!

Amethyst Oil
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Amethyst Oil
$30.00

Seal in shine, lock in moisture, and protect your hair with Amethyst Oil. This lightweight finishing oil is designed to penetrate the hair shaft, delivering long-lasting hydration without weighing your hair down. Perfect for both blowouts and silk presses, it doubles as an extra layer of heat protection while keeping your hair soft, smooth, and frizz-free.

Features:

  • Provides a second layer of heat protection for styling

  • Lightweight formula that absorbs quickly without buildup

  • Seals in moisture from your creams and leave-ins

  • Leaves hair silky, shiny, and frizz-free

  • Works on natural hair, relaxed hair, and extensions

Benefits:

  • Protects against dryness from hot tools

  • Adds natural shine without greasiness

  • Perfect as the final step before a silk press or as a daily shine oil

  • Fine-hair friendly — no heavy residue or weighed-down strands

Whether you’re blowing out, silk pressing, or simply refreshing your look, Amethyst Oil is the perfect finishing touch for healthy, shiny, and protected hair.

What’s inside:

HEMP SEED PROTEIN: fights fly-aways and frizz. Soothes scalp.
AMETHYST: protects the hair from hot tools up to 410 degrees and

speeds up blow dry time.

How to Use:

ON WET HAIR: apply a few drops concentrating on the mid-lengths and ends. Comb through to distribute evenly. Style as usual.

ON DRY HAIR: lightly apply and work through hair for added shine and to tame fly-aways.

TREATMENT: apply throughout scalp and hair, cover with a plastic cap for 20 minutes to an hour. Shampoo and condition hair as regular.

Final Results

The final look? A shiny, healthy silk press with layers that will look great in both straight and curly styles! Because my client follows a proper hair care routine—including washing regularly, deep conditioning, using the right products, and getting trims—her hair is thriving.

If you’ve been making any of these mistakes, now is the time to make changes that will help your curls flourish! Want to know the best protective styles for hair growth? Check out my next post!

Until then, happy hair journey!

Need more help with your curls?

Hair CareMirna Norales