By Kate Hanley

Born with naturally curly (read unruly) hair, I’ve dedicated many dollars and hours to Operation Frizz Control, a strategy that has at times involved chemical relaxers, buzz cuts, greasy pomades, Technicolor gels, and even one tragically misguided perm (my stylist and I fi gured two negatives might make a positive—wishful thinking). And I’m not alone in my quest to tame my tresses: A recent survey by TRESemmé found that women spend an average of $50,000 on products and seven solid months on haircare and styling over the course of a lifetime.

The peril of spending so much energy fighting the basic nature of your hair is twofold. First, haircare products, like most personal care products, contain chemicals that the body can soak up. “The skin of the scalp is an entryway to our physiology,” says Mary Beth Janssen, author of Naturally Healthy Hair (Storey Publishing, 1999) and an organic beauty consultant. “Whatever you put on your skin bypasses the detoxifying processes of the liver and goes directly into the bloodstream.” And what the body doesn’t absorb washes down the drain and finds its way into the groundwater supply, where it pollutes wildlife habitats and can wend its way back into our drinking water, causing an eternal loop of contamination.

Second, your efforts are likely only compromising the health and luster of your hair. “Giving up the fight to change the basic nature of your tresses— whether through chemical processes, constant blowouts, or layers of product—allows your hair to revitalize itself and become stronger, shinier, and healthier,” says Shelley Davis, founder of the natural hair product company Kinky-Curly. By detoxing your haircare routine, your locks will look better, and you’ll create the opportunity to embrace the je ne sais quoi that makes your hair an expression of you.

To that end, we’ve put together a routine for each of the most common types of “troublesome” hair. Select your hair type from the list below, and prepare for your crowning glory to come shining through.

Curly/Dry/Frizzy
Despite its voluminous appearance, curly hair tends to be fine and prone to dryness. This delicateness means curls just can’t hack a daily haircare routine of shampoo and blow-dry. Both of these mainstays will only dry the hair out further and cause frizz. Lorraine Massey, author of Curly Girl (Workman Publishing, 2001) and co-owner of Devachan Salon in New York City, has formulated the following routine to keep curls hydrated, frizz-free, and gorgeous:

Stop shampooing. The common shampoo ingredient sodium lauryl sulfate, a harsh foaming agent, is extremely drying and thus accounts for 90 percent of frizz, Massey says. Cleanse with conditioner instead: Place a half teaspoon (about the size of a quarter—long hair may require more) on your fingertips, and use your finger pads to massage your scalp.
Try: If you must shampoo, choose a shampoo that is 100 percent sulfate free, such as Terressentials Pure Earth Hair Wash ($10.75, 8 oz; terressentials.com), which uses Moroccan clay to absorb dirt, oil, and impurities.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Make sure your hair is quenched by carefully applying conditioner to all sections of your hair. Using your fingers as a comb, run one or two teaspoons through your hair, opting for the larger amount if you