For as long as I can remember my hair has been straight – and then it made the miraculous transition to curly.

I put this down to consistently straightening my hair throughout my teenage years without that all-important heat protectant and of course, with a mindset that the idea of a protection product was absolutely futile. My regret came later.

Over the years the heat damage started to take effect and my hair set its status to permanent recovery mode. During this long, painfully extensive period, I ended up trialing the latest sprays that promised to give protection at the highest level on my trusty, now shine-infused straightener, the styling creams that left my dark strands white, crispy and barely held in place and the hair oils, which out of all of the styling products worked the best to improve the smoothness, but didn’t manage to hold my hair in place. There wasn’t a single, happy curl in sight.

At the moment, my hair is at the healthiest stage it’s been for a while, but has been hard to cater to. It’s extremely thick, dark and my natural curls are sporadic and undefined. The biggest challenge by far has been to find a product that enhances and nurtures for my curly hair and can control the sheer mass of it.

It wasn’t until I came across Kevin Murphy’s Killer Curls hair crème that my hair transitioned again, but this time without the heat damage woes. It was a light bulb moment. Although it only takes a few pumps to start seeing immediate results, I tend to go wild and use a few more than usual. Working it into towel dried hair or even damp hair, the curl activation starts with some simple scrunches.

The curl cream serves a dual purpose: nourishing and maintaining curls for coarse, thick hair, but also strengthening hair in the long run. My hair instantaneously became smoother and with more scrunches, came more curl definition.

It’s packed full of bergamot fruit oil which helps to increase scalp circulation, watermelon extract that’s enriched with vitamin C and aloe vera extract, known for its repairing qualities. The cream is quite thick, but it’s necessary for the thickness of my hair. Secondary, although still very important, the cream has a really fresh, long-lasting watermelon scent that eases the scrunching process.

After a few months of trialing, my hair has felt smoother, shinier and softer than it has ever has been. Especially with coarse, at times temperamental hair, it’s been a real question mark when it comes to what actually works. This hair cream has been a game changer in my hair journey thus far, and I’ve found a product that helps make having curly, thick hair more enjoyable.

Main image: Kiran Meeda