Dear curly heads
You often ask me what I think about the Curly Girl Method and how it works. To shed some light on the subject, I would like to dedicate this blog post to the Curly Girl method:
The Curly Girl Method
Lorraine Massey, the inventor of the Curly Girl method, first introduced it in her book: Curly Girl THE HANBOOK. The basic idea behind this curl care method is to completely avoid chemical products and shampoos in order to help the curls achieve their pure, natural and above all healthy form.
The Curly Girl Start
The first thing you should do is remove all chemical and silicone product residue from your locks by cleansing your locks with a silicone-free shampoo or cleansing shampoo. This step will allow your hair to rebuild its natural protection. Which then makes your curls crown even more beautiful.
If you start with this method, your curls may well become dull until the natural protective layer has rebuilt itself.
The Curly Girl steps
1. Final Wash - one last wash with sulphate
.Most "conventional" products contain chemical ingredients that are harmful to curls, such as silicone, which wraps itself around your hair and makes it look soft and supple, but has exactly the opposite effect. Silicone prevents the important nutrients from penetrating the hair and dries it out internally. At the same time, it takes relatively "harsh" products to rinse the silicone from the care & styling products out of your hair, which further depletes your curls. You should therefore wash your curls one last time with a shampoo containing sulphate before you start using the Curly Girl products.
You can really use any conventional shampoo for this (Dove, Nivea, Fructis, Head & Shoulders....etc)
2. co-wash - not for every curl
I'm often asked about co-wash, but I don't recommend it for European curls as it can weigh down the curls, causing them to lose their shape and become "flat". it can also make your hair look greasy and unkempt. I would use it if the curls are very strong and pronounced or tend towards afro curls - in other words, curls that can't be "smoothed" easily with products that are too heavy.
2. shampoo - also for curly girls
After you have done the "final wash", only use sulphate-free shampoos for your curls, as you can find them at lockenkopf. The only exception is if you have been to the hairdresser and conventional products have been used, or the hair has been chemically colored, then the curls must be "freed" again with a final wash.
Use the shampoo as often as necessary, but as infrequently as possible. The guideline is approx. 2-4 times a month, but every curl is different, so find the right rhythm for your curly crown.
If you tend to use shampoo more frequently (e.g. after sport), then use very little shampoo and concentrate mainly on the scalp and hairline. This cleanses the roots and removes the body's own oil without drying out the ends (the oldest hair) too much. This close to the scalp, the curls are continuously lubricated by the skin.
3. hair mask - for healthy, radiant curls
I would use masks approximately every 1 to 4 weeks to give your curls everything they need in concentrated form. If you use a curl mask, you should rinse the curls with warm water beforehand. This opens the hair scales (cuticles) and prepares the curls best for the mask. The mask can work even better if you put a shower cap (plastic) over your hair and then pull a winter hat over it, or a warm hat such as the one from Hot Head. The two layers create more heat and the mask can penetrate your hair better. Leave on for approx. 45 minutes, then rinse out and continue with conditioner to close the hair cuticles again.
4. conditioner - your curls' best friend
Conditioner is probably the most important product in the shower. It seals the hair cuticles and at the same time locks in the moisture in your hair. This helps to make your curls easier to comb. After all, it is the tangled hair scales that can make combing curls so unpleasant.
On the days when you don't wash your curls with shampoo, just use the conditioner to rinse out your hair. So wash with water, comb the conditioner in with your fingers, then detangle (comb) your curls and rinse.
In principle, always finish with conditioner in the shower!
Despite all its benefits, you should never apply conditioner (or styling products) to the scalp, as the desired effect on the hair (closing the hair cuticles for easier combing and longer moisture retention) is not at all desirable for the scalp! Here too, the conditioner would close the pores of the skin, which can lead to itching, dandruff or over-greasing of the scalp.
5. drying - different for curls
Curls don't like being rubbed dry with a terry towel at all, that's the best way to frizz!
Instead: divide your curls into sections and squeeze out the excess water by hand, or put an old T-shirt over your hands (even better a microfiber towel) and lift the curls with it and scrunch (scrunch). This will press the curls a little "into shape" and only the excess water is removed without the curls becoming matted, frizzy or losing their shape. (Dry rubbing = frizz)
6. leave-in - defining curls
The leave-in bundles and defines your curls while moisturizing your hair at the same time. The leave-in is combed into towel-dried or wet curls. To do this, rub some onto the palms of your hands and comb it into your locks with your fingers, combing the curls again as required. Finally, scrunch. Scrunching helps your curls to get into even better shape.
To give your curls more life and bounce, start with the styling products about a hand's breadth away from your head. Especially with finer hair, wavy and curly textures, the curls stay lighter this way.
7 Gel & Mousse - Keeps the defined curls in shape
Use the gel to fix your curls defined by the leave-in. Rub the gel into the palms of your hands and comb into the curls with your fingers, then scrunch again to finish.
The decision as to whether to use gel or mousse is individual, with mousse you get more volume but less hold, with gel you get a better hold in most cases. In my experience, it is almost always a question of personal preference.
8. drying for the second time - drying styled curls
Once you have finished styling your curls, the next challenge is how to dry them.
Curls are best left to dry in the air or with a diffuser, with the heat setting set to cold. Too hot air can dry out the curls and make them frizzy.
And very important: DO NOT TOUCH THE CURLS while they are drying!
I am aware that it is difficult, but it is worth it. The definition of the curls is "disturbed" by touching them while drying and the dry crown then becomes frizzy again.
The Curly Girl rules
- No shampoo with sulphates, no styling & care products with silicone
- No chemicals, no silicone, no sulphate, only organic products
- Wash out curls COLD
- No brush or comb in the dry
- Dry: Microfiber cloth, T-shirt or air
- No heat
- No Toca - Do not touch curls when dry
- Trim tips regularly (approx. every 6 weeks)
- No hard hair elastics
- You have curls, be proud of them and give them enough love!
Curly Girl Method & Me
I think it's a good way to "reboot" your curls and you find out relatively quickly what's right for your own curls; and you take it from there. But I still wash my curls with shampoo from time to time (100% natural, of course). But what I have really experienced as a revelation is the "no touching" during drying.
After drying the curls, I take a little oil, rub it on my palms and "grab" the curls from underneath. This adds a little shine and protects the curls.
So, I hope this sheds some light on the Curly Girl method.
See you soon
Cordially
Rosa Maria
