How to Style Curly Hair With Paul Mitchell: A Salon Stylist's Routine

If you have curly hair, you already know the rules everyone else doesn't. Don't brush it dry. Don't rough-towel it. Don't use a shampoo that squeaks. And whatever you do, don't trust a product marketed at "all hair types" because curls aren't an afterthought, they're a category in their own right.

Paul Mitchell is one of the few professional brands that gets this. The Curls range was built specifically for textured hair, and after years of using it on clients at our salon in Codsall, it's still one of the easiest routines we recommend for anyone trying to get definition without crunch, hydration without weight, or curls that actually behave on day three. Here's how we use it.

The Four-Step Paul Mitchell Curl Routine

Curly hair responds to routine. Most "bad hair days" on curls aren't because your hair has misbehaved, they're because the routine missed a step. Get these four steps right and your hair does most of the work.

Step 1: Cleanse Without Stripping

Start with Paul Mitchell Curls Spring Loaded Frizz-Fighting Shampoo. It's sulphate-free, so it cleanses without lifting the cuticle and roughing the hair up. That's the bit that matters with curls. Standard shampoos use stronger detergents that strip moisture and leave curls dry, dull and prone to frizz before you've even started styling. Spring Loaded does the opposite, lathering gently and keeping the cuticle smooth.

Focus the wash on your scalp rather than scrubbing the lengths. Curly hair needs less mechanical agitation than straight hair to clean properly, and being too rough at the basin is one of the most common causes of mid-shaft frizz.

If you want a gentler everyday alternative or a clean-beauty option, Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty Anti-Frizz Shampoo is the vegan, sulphate-free pick from the wider Paul Mitchell range and works beautifully on waves and looser curls.

Step 2: Hydrate While Your Hair is Still Wet

This is the step most people skip and shouldn't. Curly hair is thirsty by nature because the natural oils your scalp produces struggle to travel down a coiled strand. That means even healthy curls need extra moisture to look their best.

Paul Mitchell Curls Full Circle Leave-In Treatment is the workhorse of the range. Argan oil and a creamy, lightweight base detangle, hydrate and prep the hair for styling, all without weighing curls down. Apply to soaking-wet hair (not damp, soaking), rake through with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb, and you've got a head full of conditioned, frizz-resistant curls ready for the next step.

Step 3: Define Your Curls

This is where the magic happens. Paul Mitchell Curls Twirl Around is a clever hybrid: part cream for softness, part gel for hold. That dual texture is exactly what curly hair needs because pure creams give shape but no staying power, and pure gels give hold but go crunchy.

Scrunch a generous amount through your soaking-wet hair (yes, still wet at this stage, don't towel-dry between steps), twist sections of curls around your finger if you want extra definition, then either air dry, plop into a microfibre towel for 20 to 30 minutes, or diffuse on low heat. Once dry, scrunch out the crunch with your fingers and your curls drop into soft, defined shape.

Step 4: Refresh Between Washes

Wash day is the easy bit. Day two, three and four are where most curl routines fall apart. Paul Mitchell Flexible Style Sculpting Foam is a brilliant refresh tool: a touchable, crunch-free foam that lifts limp curls back into shape without piling more product on. Lightly mist your hair with water from a spray bottle, work a small amount of foam through the most tired-looking sections, scrunch, and you're back in business.

Match Your Product Amounts to Your Curl Type

The biggest mistake we see at the salon is people using the right products in the wrong amounts. Curl tightness changes everything about how much product you need and how to apply it.

• Wavy hair (2A to 2C): Use small amounts of Twirl Around (think 10p sized for medium-length hair) and let your hair air dry for that soft, undone beach finish. Heavy product application will weigh waves down and turn them into limp tendrils.
• Loose curls (3A to 3B): A full pump or two of Full Circle Leave-In followed by a 50p sized scrunch of Twirl Around. Diffusing helps lock in the shape without losing volume at the root.
• Tight curls (3C): Layer the Full Circle Leave-In with extra Twirl Around for added control and moisture retention. Don't be shy with quantities; tight curls drink product.
• Coily hair (4A to 4C): Take Full Circle and Twirl Around through smaller sections rather than raking everything in at once. Section by section gives more even definition and reduces flyaways.

Why Paul Mitchell Works on Curly Hair

A lot of "curl ranges" are just rebadged versions of brands' regular conditioners with the word "curl" on the bottle. Paul Mitchell's Curls range is different in three ways that matter.

First, the formulas are sulphate-free and silicone-balanced. That means the products clean and condition without coating curls in plastic-feel film that builds up and dulls definition over time. Second, the textures are weighted for curly hair specifically, not adapted from straight-hair formulas. Twirl Around's hybrid cream-gel texture is the giveaway: it was designed for hair that needs both. Third, the brand is vegan-friendly across most of the line, cruelty-free across all of it, and packaged sensibly. None of that improves your curls directly, but it does mean the products do what they say on the bottle without the marketing pretence.

The Tea Tree Lavender Mint Pairing

If you want to step up the sensory side of your wash day (and curly hair routines often deserve to be a ritual, not a chore), pair your Curls products with the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lavender Mint range. The tea tree, peppermint and lavender combination gives a cooling, spa-like wash without disrupting the moisture balance the Curls range works hard to maintain. It's particularly good in summer or for anyone with a sensitive, easily-irritated scalp under the curls.

Curly Hair FAQs

How often should I wash curly hair?

Most curl types only need washing once or twice a week. Curly hair holds onto its natural oils for longer than straight hair (those same oils that struggle to travel down the strand), so over-washing strips them. Co-washing (conditioner-only washes) between full shampoos works well for many people with 3B hair and tighter.

Why does my hair go frizzy when it dries?

Frizz on curly hair is usually one of three things: under-hydrated hair, damaged cuticles, or touching curls too much while they dry. The Full Circle Leave-In addresses the first, regular conditioning addresses the second, and discipline addresses the third. Try not to touch your hair between applying Twirl Around and the point at which it's fully dry, then scrunch out the crunch at the end.

Do I need to diffuse my curls or can I air dry?

Either works, depending on your hair and your time. Air drying gives the most natural finish but takes hours. Diffusing on low heat with the dryer held a few inches away gives faster results and a slightly more volumised root. Avoid diffusing on high heat, which causes the moisture inside the hair shaft to expand and create frizz.

Can I use Paul Mitchell Curls on wavy hair?

Yes, but adjust the amounts. Wavy hair (2A to 2C) is easily weighed down, so use roughly half what someone with curlier hair would use. The Twirl Around will still enhance and define your wave pattern beautifully.

Will these products work on coloured curly hair?

Yes. The Curls range is sulphate-free and gentle enough not to strip colour, and it actively helps maintain moisture in chemically processed hair. If you want extra colour protection, look at the wider Paul Mitchell conditioner range for colour-protect formulas that can be used alongside.

Build Your Routine

If you want to browse the full curly hair line-up, head to the main Paul Mitchell collection, or jump straight to Paul Mitchell shampoo and Paul Mitchell styling to build a routine that fits your hair. If you'd rather buy the routine as a bundle, our Paul Mitchell gift sets page has matched duos at a small saving on buying individually.

Curls are at their best when you stop trying to control them and start working with them. The right routine takes ten minutes, the wrong one takes all morning. Paul Mitchell makes the right one cheaper than you'd expect.

Free UK delivery on every Paul Mitchell order at Revive Hair Artists.