DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a professional hair stylist or chemist, this post is solely my experience with Deva Curl and my opinion. In no way am I writing this post to “bash” the company, but rather to share my story.
If you have curly hair, you must have heard of Deva Curl. And if you haven’t, consider yourself lucky.
Past, 2015
I used Pantene Pro-V for years before I came across Deva Curl. I was very uneducated at the time about hair care and never looked at the ingredients inside of my hair products. In fact, in high school I used to drench my hair with L.A Looks hair gel because I thought that would make my hair “less puffy” (I’m cringing while writing this).
After years of using Pantene Pro-V, I noticed all my curls were gone and my hair was extremely dry. Along with changes in my hair, I also noticed the consistency of my Pantene conditioner was different too- so I assumed they changed there formula.
So here I am with my non existent curls, walking into Sephora for makeup when I saw a sales associate with BEAUTIFUL curls. I asked her what hair products she used and, of course, she said Deva Curl.
Although Deva Curl was 4x more expensive than the Pantene I was using, I decided to bite the bullet to save my hair.
My first time using Deva Curl was life changing. I’ve never seen my curls as bouncy as they were after using the products. Immediately I ordered everything from their line off of Amazon.
For 5 years, Deva Curl was the only product I was using in my hair. I still wasn’t taking the best care of my hair, but I was trying. I cut out the L.A Looks gel and switched it for the Deva Curl gel, and I only straightened my hair maybe 3 times a year. Unlike now, I never really gave myself a hair mask- only when I was washing out my straight hair.
Present, 2020
Now fast forward to now, February 2020, 6 years after I tried Deva Curl for the first time.
My Curls are the worst they’ve ever been.
My hair is falling out- the most I’ve ever seen, and no matter how many hair masks I do, my curls are still dry and undefined.
I had given birth to my son just 9 months ago, so I thought this was just my hormones going crazy. Everyone warned me about postpartum hair loss, so I just assumed this was that but on steroids.
Then I cam across THIS video. Then THIS one. Then THIS. I wasn’t the only one suffering from Deva Curl.
Soon enough I came across the Curl Ninja on Instagram. Stephanie is a hair care expert and is extremely informed when it comes to curly hair and Deva Curl. I suggest you look her up on the gram if you’re looking for more information on Deva Curl, or anything curly hair related.
All of a sudden I started seeing Deva Curl everywhere, and not in a good way. Thousands of people have been experiencing hair loss, dandruff, and dry hair- ironically all while using Deva Curl. Everyone who had came out saying Deva Curl had ruined their curls said they’ve been using it for years, but it wasn’t until recently that they noticed how much damage it was causing their hair.
My assumption is that they changed their formula, but it has never been confirmed. In fact, the company claims they haven’t changed the formula and have taken their products to the lab to get tested. Of course test results came back saying that there is nothing wrong with the products and are still safe for your hair.
Not taking any chances, I decided to switch my hair products to another brand. I made the tough decision to get a major chop and start fresh. I went to the only place I trust cutting my hair- Salão Brasil in Newark, NJ. Juka, one of the hair stylist has been cutting my hair for over 25 years! If you’re in the area, I highly recommend going there.
I recently posted a picture on Instagram and got a lot of feedback on it. Most ladies commenting saying they experienced the same thing, and of course there was one person who basically said the reason my hair was damaged wasn’t because of Deva Curl, but because I had straightened my hair back in 2018…
Now, I’m not writing this post to get people to boycott the brand, but wanted to share my story and my experience. I actually know a friend who loves Deva Curl and still uses it regardless of all these horror stories. At the end of the day, you really cant make someone stop using a product if it’s still working for them.
Since I stopped using Deva Curl and cut my hair, I have already noticed a difference in my curls. I started testing out different products and started to really like this shampoo and conditioner from Maui. It’s affordable and gentle on the skin. I also use their hair mask once a week, and style with this leave in conditioner by Renpure along with this gel lotion by Bounce Curl. These products aren’t the only things that have been saving my hair, but also using silk pillow cases and silk hair ties.
I’m still testing out and trying to find the best hair care routine for my curly hair, but so far I am extremely satisfied with how much better my curls look. I’ll be sharing my curly hair must haves in a future post, but until then- leave a comment below on your favorite curly hair product and help a fellow curly head out in this #curlycommunity!
Read about my current favorite curly hair products HERE!