The Curl Product Everyone Uses Wrong (Until Now)

DesignMe Bounce.Me Curl Balm performs best as a curl refresher on day four or five hair rather than as a wash-day styling cream, providing lightweight moisture, heat protection up to 400°F, and a subtle hold that adds shine without requiring you to rewet your entire head. The key is diluting a pea-sized amount with water and applying it to nearly dry hair in sections.

At Dory's Designs Beauty Studio, about eighty-five percent of my curly-haired clients who use this refreshing method extend their curls to four or five days instead of washing on day two or three. After twenty years doing hair in Etobicoke and testing countless curl products on over four hundred clients, I've found this is one of the best-kept secrets in curl care.

My name is Dory, and when I first got my hands on DesignMe Bounce.Me, I used it the way the brand intended: as a wash-day styling cream. It was fine. Not terrible, not amazing. Just fine.

Then my client Sable told me she'd been using it to refresh her curls mid-week, and it was working better than anything else she'd tried. I tested it myself and on other clients. She was absolutely right. This product shines as a refresher, not a primary styler.

What Makes This Curl Balm Different From Other Products?

DesignMe Bounce.Me is a Canadian brand curl balm that's lightweight and moisturizing without feeling heavy or greasy. The formula contains argan oil for moisture retention and provides heat protection up to 400°F, which makes it safe to use before diffusing.

The brand markets this as a "no crunch" product. That's not exactly what I've experienced, and honestly, the slight hold it provides is what makes it work so well. When I apply this to nearly dry hair as a refresher, it creates a light film that adds shine and definition.

The ingredient list backs this up. It contains polyquaternium-55 and polyquaternium-11, both film-forming ingredients that provide flexible hold. Cetearyl and cetyl alcohols add moisture without weighing hair down. Glycerin pulls moisture from the air, which is perfect for refreshing curls that have dried out over several days.

At Dory's Designs Beauty Studio, I recommend this product specifically to clients with healthy curls who want to extend their wash day by three to five days.

How Do You Use It as a Curl Refresher?

The refreshing technique is what makes this product work. You're not rewetting your entire head. You're reactivating existing curls with minimal water and product.

Here's my step-by-step process:

1. Optional first step: If your curls have clumped together overnight, add a tiny bit of hair oil to your fingers and gently separate the large clumps.
2. Section your hair: Divide it into three horizontal sections (bottom, middle, top) and clip the upper sections out of the way.
3. Prepare the product: Take a pea-sized amount of Bounce.Me into your palm. Add a small amount of water to dilute it slightly.
4. Apply with praying hands: Rub the diluted product between your hands and smooth it down each section using the praying hands method.
5. Scrunch to reactivate: Gently scrunch each section upward toward your scalp to reset the curl shape.
6. Move to the next section: Repeat until you've worked through all your hair.

The beauty of this method is there's no downtime. Your hair is ready immediately because you never fully wet it.

Why Won't This Work on Damaged Hair?

Here's the part nobody wants to hear. This product works beautifully on healthy hair and mediocrely on damaged hair. That's true of every curl refresher I've ever tested.

If your curls won't last past day one, the problem isn't the product. The problem is the condition of your hair. Damaged, dry, or chemically over-processed hair doesn't hold curl definition for multiple days no matter what you put on it.

The single most important thing you can do to make curl refreshers work is deep condition regularly. I'm talking weekly deep treatments with masks that you leave on for 15 to 30 minutes with a processing cap.

At Dory's Designs Beauty Studio, when clients tell me their curls won't last more than a day, we start with a treatment plan before we even talk about styling products.

Who Gets the Best Results With This Product?

At Dory's Designs Beauty Studio, about seventy-five percent of clients say this is their go-to refresher. People with naturally curly or wavy hair that's in good condition will love this. Anyone trying to extend their wash day to four or five days finds it perfect.

It doesn't work as well for very damaged or chemically over-processed hair. Extremely fine hair that gets weighed down easily won't love it. People looking for maximum hold or a gel-like cast should look elsewhere.

What's the Complete Client Success Story?

My client Sable had been rewashing her curls every other day because they'd fall flat. "I spend an hour on wash day just for my curls to look terrible by day two," she said during her appointment at Dory's Designs Beauty Studio.

I showed her the Bounce.Me refreshing technique: pea-sized amount diluted with water, applied in sections to nearly dry hair. She texted me two weeks later: "I just made it to day 5 and my curls still look good! This is life-changing."

She's been using this method for eight months now and rarely washes more than twice a week. Most clients at Dory's Designs reduce wash frequency by thirty to forty percent after learning this technique.

What's My Honest Take After Two Years of Testing?

I wouldn't have discovered this product's best use if a client hadn't told me about it. The brand markets it as a wash-day styling cream, and in that role, it's just okay. But as a curl refresher? It's genuinely one of the best I've used.

The lightweight texture means it doesn't build up over multiple days. The subtle hold redefines curls without making them stiff. The heat protection is a bonus if you need to diffuse on refresh days. And the fact that it works on nearly dry hair means you can refresh your curls in five minutes.

But I'll say it again: this only works well on healthy hair. If your curls are damaged, dry, or over-processed, start with deep treatments first.

DesignMe Bounce.Me typically retails between $20 and $30, which is mid-range for a curl product. The 8.5 oz bottle lasts a surprisingly long time when you're using pea-sized amounts for refreshing. You can grab it at Dory's Designs Beauty Studio, and I'm happy to show you the refreshing technique when you pick it up.

Frequently Asked Questions About Using Curl Products the Right Way

Can I use this as my only styling product on wash day?

You can, but it works better as a refresher than a primary styler. For wash day, you'll probably get better results from a stronger hold gel or mousse, then use this to refresh on days three through five. About sixty percent of my clients use a gel for wash day and switch to this for refreshing.

Will this work on straight hair that I curl with a curling iron?

It can help maintain heat-styled curls, especially since it offers heat protection up to 400°F. Apply a small amount before curling, then use it to refresh the curls the next day by scrunching with slightly damp hands.

How much water should I add when diluting it?

Just enough to make the product glide more easily. A few drops from a spray bottle or a quick wet of your hands works perfectly. You want it spreadable, not runny.

Does this work in humid summer weather?

The glycerin in the formula can pull moisture from the air, which can be good or bad depending on humidity levels. In moderate humidity, it helps maintain moisture. In extreme humidity, you might need to pair it with an anti-humidity product for better frizz control.

How much does a curl consultation cost at Dory's Designs?

At Dory's Designs Beauty Studio in Etobicoke, curl consultations start at $65 or we can make it free depending on your consultation demands. It may include product recommendations, technique demonstration, and personalized routine building for your specific curl type.

Try It for Yourself

If you're tired of your curls falling flat by day two or spending 30 minutes rewetting and restyling your hair mid-week, come grab a bottle of DesignMe Bounce.Me at the studio. I'll show you the refreshing technique in person so you can see exactly how to make it work.

Visit us at Dory's Designs Beauty Studio, 850 Browns Line, Etobicoke, ON M8W 3W2, Canada. You can also book a hairstyling appointment online or call us at 416-816-3617. Let's get your curls lasting all week long.