Curls Maxxing 2026: How to Get the Best Waves and Curls of Your Life (Part 1: Washing)
Have you heard of "krullenmaxxing"? Krullenmaxxing is a way to take the best possible care of your curls. Whether you've just started taking care of your curls or you've been doing it for a while but aren't quite sure how to get better results... this blog series is perfect for you.
Krullenmaxxing consists of 6 steps: Washing, Conditioning, Styling, Drying, Sleeping, and Refreshing. I’m going to share with you all the tips and knowledge I’ve gained from my years as a curly girl—and now as a curly-hair stylist—so you can feel confident wearing your beautiful curls.
Washing
Today we’ll start with washing. It doesn’t sound that hard, but with curls it’s a little different—though it doesn’t have to be complicated. Most clients who come to my salon for the first time, or people who have just started taking care of their curls, almost always have some kind of buildup.
What is buildup?
Build-up is an accumulation of products or other substances in your hair, which prevents water from penetrating it properly and makes products less effective. There are different types of build-up. Below, you can see what type of build-up you might have.
What are the signs of buildup?
Your curls are very frizzy, your hair feels dry, products aren't working anymore, and your curls lose their shape very quickly. That's why it's important to remove buildup regularly. You can do this with a good (clarifying) shampoo.
Types of buildup
Product buildup: This is the most common type, especially if you use a lot of styling products. Think of leave-ins, creams, gels, or products containing silicones and waxes. These ingredients build up in your hair, making your curls feel heavy, lose volume, and lack definition. A good clarifying shampoo is all you need to fix this.
Oil buildup: Hair oils can be great for your curls, but just like other products, they can build up on your hair with regular use. Your hair will then feel heavy or greasy. A clarifying shampoo is the solution here, too.
Hard water buildup: This is a tricky one, because you don’t always see it coming. Hard water contains minerals like calcium and magnesium that leave a residue on your hair after every wash. The result? Dull hair, a dry feeling, and products that just don’t seem to work anymore, no matter how good they are. Note: For hard water buildup, you don’t need a regular clarifying shampoo—you need a chelating shampoo. This is an important difference!
Seborrheic buildup: Your scalp naturally produces sebum to protect your hair. But if you don’t wash your hair often enough, it can build up on your scalp. You’ll notice this as flaking, itching, or a greasy feeling on your scalp. A thorough scalp massage while washing with a clarifying shampoo helps a lot with this.
Environmental buildup: Think of dust, dirt, air pollution, and everything else your hair picks up throughout the day. Especially if you’ve been outside, worked out, or live in a busy city. This builds up in your curls because curly hair has an open structure that traps more impurities than straight hair. You’ll notice this as dull, lifeless hair that just doesn’t look fresh, even if you’ve just styled it. A good clarifying shampoo will solve this problem, too.
Do you see yourself in more than one type? That’s possible! It’s very common to have a combination of types, especially if you’ve been using products for a while without a good shampoo in between.
What kind of shampoo do you need?
Now that you know what kind of buildup you have, it's important to choose the right shampoo. Because not every "deep clean" shampoo works the same way.
Clarifying shampoo cleans deeper than regular shampoo and is perfect for removing product and oil buildup. It removes the layer of styling products, waxes, and oils that have accumulated on your hair. Think of it as a thorough reset for your hair.
Detox shampoo goes a step further than clarifying shampoo and focuses more on your scalp. It contains ingredients such as activated charcoal, clay (like bentonite clay), or apple cider vinegar that draw impurities, dirt, and air pollution out of your scalp. This is perfect for seborrheic buildup and environmental buildup.
Chelating shampoo is specifically designed to tackle hard water buildup. Hard water leaves minerals like calcium and magnesium on your hair, and a clarifying or detox shampoo can’t remove these minerals. A chelating shampoo contains special ingredients like EDTA or citric acid that chemically bind to the minerals and pull them out of your hair. Do you live in an area with hard water? Then this is a must-have.
If you do this for a while, you'll naturally start to notice when your hair needs it again. So you don't use this shampoo every time. Personally, I use it once or twice a month, or whenever I feel like my hair has buildup.
More tips:
If you have a lot of hair, or if your hands get tired easily—like mine, haha—you can use a shampoo brush to thoroughly clean and massage your scalp.
Double shampooing: After using a clarifying shampoo, I personally follow up with a regular sulfate-free shampoo. There’s no scientific evidence that double shampooing is better for your hair, but I personally find it leaves my hair feeling nice and clean. You can give it a try and decide for yourself.
In the next section, I'll be talking about personal care products. In the meantime, you can read my other blog posts, such as this one and this one.
Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask them in the comments!
