How Janell Stephens Gets Her Flat Twist Out to Look Like This By Cristina Cleveland

"I was a young preteen when my waves transformed into curls," Janell Stephens told us when we interviewed her for our new book, The Curl Revolution. "It was pretty hard to swallow at

first. All anyone could ever want to be was Jennifer Aniston at that time." It's true, I recently polled the NaturallyCurly community on Instagram and 70% of you said you tried to get the Jennifer Aniston "Rachel" cut (without much success).

Stephens has come a long way since her preteen years. Not only did she figure out how to appreciate her late blooming curls, she also created her own line of products to help women around the world learn to care for their hair too. As the founder of Camille Rose Naturals, Stephens is responsible for cult favorites like the Coconut Water Leave In and her Almond Jai Twisting Butter. She recently shared with us how she uses those products and a few simple techniques to create this gorgeous stretched look above.

Step 1. Shampoo, Condition + Detangle

I Use CRN's Sweet Ginger Cleansing Rinse to thoroughly cleanse my hair, focusing primarily on my scalp to break down any build up. I follow up with our Moroccan Pear Conditioning Custard to moisturize and detangle my hair.

Step 2. Apply Leave In

Then I apply CRN's Coconut Water Leave In Treatment to freshly shampooed and conditioned hair, working the product through the strands from roots to ends.

Step 3. Stretch

I like to braid my hair into one big plait and letting it air dry. Once it's at least 80% dry, I part my hair into 4 sections and apply our Almond Jai Twisting Butter to flat twist each section.

*Editor's note: If you are new to flat twisting, it's a technique used for stretching and defining the hair that's similar to a twist out or braid out. The difference with a flat twist is that the hair is twisted lying flat against the head. You can learn how to do it here.

Step 4. Untwist + Fluff

I apply CRN's Cocoa Nibs & Honey Growth Serum to the palm of my hands to unravel the flat twists. The Growth Serum works to minimize frizz and seal the strands. To finalize the look, sometimes I use a wand curler on medium heat to give less defined areas more definition, and I finish with the Ajani Growth and Shine Balm.

Are flat twists a part of your routine? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: naturally curly