Inside Your Natural Hair Toolkit

Things every curly girl should have in her arsenal.

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Hair Rules - Whether you’re gearing up for your first big chop or have been rocking your natural texture forever, there are a few things every curly-haired lady should have in her arsenal to make taking care of her hair a breeze. Here’s the rundown. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel  (Photo: cultura/Corbis)

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Shampoo - A sulfate-free shampoo will get your hair clean without stripping all of its natural oils. Get help finding one that’s right for you here. Note that some curlies skip shampoo completely in favor of washing with conditioner (called co-washing).  (Photo: Ruslan Dashinsky/GettyImages)

Conditioner - You will use conditioner at every turn; it’s just a matter of if you want to use one conditioner for every task or choose multiple bottles. At any rate, you need a super-slippery one that you can put on directly after shampooing and leave on while you detangle, a deep conditioner you can wear a little longer to impart more moisture and one you can leave on after drying your hair to keep the moisture party going. (Photo: Strauss/Curtis/Corbis)

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Conditioner - You will use conditioner at every turn; it’s just a matter of if you want to use one conditioner for every task or choose multiple bottles. At any rate, you need a super-slippery one that you can put on directly after shampooing and leave on while you detangle, a deep conditioner you can wear a little longer to impart more moisture and one you can leave on after drying your hair to keep the moisture party going. (Photo: Strauss/Curtis/Corbis)

Wide-Toothed Detangling Comb - Long-time curlies swear by the Ouidad Double Detangler Comb ($26). With two rows of rounded teeth, it glides through tangles without jacking up your ends. Combine with that slippery conditioner for the best results.  (Photo: Ouidad)

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Wide-Toothed Detangling Comb - Long-time curlies swear by the Ouidad Double Detangler Comb ($26). With two rows of rounded teeth, it glides through tangles without jacking up your ends. Combine with that slippery conditioner for the best results.  (Photo: Ouidad)

Oil - Oils help seal moisture into hair. Pick a light one so you don’t weigh down your strands. Some favorites are coconut, jojoba, argan and olive. Get a few ideas here.  (Photo: Blue Jean Images/Corbis)

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Oil - Oils help seal moisture into hair. Pick a light one so you don’t weigh down your strands. Some favorites are coconut, jojoba, argan and olive. Get a few ideas here.  (Photo: Blue Jean Images/Corbis)

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Moisturizer - You’ll use this to impart moisture between shampoos, so you want something that won’t build up in the hair. Your hair will eagerly drink a water-based formula. See a list here.  (Photo: Bernard Radvaner/Corbis)

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Moisturizer - You’ll use this to impart moisture between shampoos, so you want something that won’t build up in the hair. Your hair will eagerly drink a water-based formula. See a list here.  (Photo: Bernard Radvaner/Corbis)

Silk/Satin Scarf or Bonnet - Protect your hair from moisture-sapping, strand-snapping cotton pillowcases with a silk scarf or satin bonnet. Pretty AnntoiNet’s makes beautiful, adjustable silk bonnets ($47) that are big enough to accommodate the fluffiest of hair. If you can’t bear to put anything on your head (or sleep so fitfully that it comes off every night), try a satin pillowcase.  (Photo: Pretty AnntoiNet's)

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Silk/Satin Scarf or Bonnet - Protect your hair from moisture-sapping, strand-snapping cotton pillowcases with a silk scarf or satin bonnet. Pretty AnntoiNet’s makes beautiful, adjustable silk bonnets ($47) that are big enough to accommodate the fluffiest of hair. If you can’t bear to put anything on your head (or sleep so fitfully that it comes off every night), try a satin pillowcase.  (Photo: Pretty AnntoiNet's)

Ponytail Holders - With no metal pieces to get caught in your hair, Goody Ouchless Extra-Thick Elastics ($6.62) make it easy to pull your hair into a ponytail.  (Photo: Goody)

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Ponytail Holders - With no metal pieces to get caught in your hair, Goody Ouchless Extra-Thick Elastics ($6.62) make it easy to pull your hair into a ponytail.  (Photo: Goody)

Hair Clips - Bobby pins are cool, but when you need to pin up thick hair and make it stay all day, Goody Colour Collection 6-Piece Snap Clips in Black/Brown ($3.49) are the business.  (Photo: Goody)

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Hair Clips - Bobby pins are cool, but when you need to pin up thick hair and make it stay all day, Goody Colour Collection 6-Piece Snap Clips in Black/Brown ($3.49) are the business.  (Photo: Goody)