Dear Curly Heads

You often ask me what my opinion about the Curly Girl method is and how it works. To bring some light into the dark, I would like to add this blog post to the topic Curly Girl method:

The Curly Girl Method

Lorraine Massey, the inventor of curly girl Method presented this for the first time in her book: Curly Girl THE HANBOOK. The basic idea of this curling method is to do without chemical products and shampoos to help the curls to their pure natural and above all healthy form.  

The Curly Girl Start

The first thing you should do is to clean your curls completely from chemical and silicone based product residues by cleaning your curls with a silicone free shampoo or cleansing shampoo. By doing this, you allow your hair to rebuild its natural protection. Which will make your curly crown shine even more beautiful.

If you start with this method, it is possible that your curls will become dull until the natural protective layer is restored.

The Curly Girl steps

1.  Final wash - wash one last time 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 the exact 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 the curls down, causing them to lose their shape and become "flat".  it can make your hair look greasy and unkempt. I would use it if the curls are very strong and pronounced or tend towards afro curls - i.e. curls that cannot be "straightened" 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. 

The Shampoo as often as necessary, but as rarely 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. So close to the scalp the curls are continuously greased through the skin.      

3. hair mask - for healthy, radiant locks  
I would use masks approximately every 1 to 4 weeks to give your curls everything they need in a concentrated form. If you have a Curl Mask you should rinse the curls with warm water beforehand, this opens the hair 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
The conditioner is probably the most important product in the shower. It locks the hair cuticles and at the same time the moisture in the hair. This helps to make your curls easier to comb. Because it's the hair scales that get caught that can make combing your curls so uncomfortable. 

On the days you don't wash your curls with shampoo, just use the conditioner to rinse your hair. So wash with water, comb in the conditioner with your fingers, then detangle (comb) your curls and rinse. 

In principle, you always close the shower with the Conditioner off!      

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 (better still, a Microfiber cloth) and use it to lift the curls and scrunch them (scrunching). This presses the curls a little "into shape" and only removes the excess water 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 the "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 even more beautifully "in shape".    
To give your curls more life and bounce, start with the styling products about a hand's breadth away from the head. Especially with finer hair, wavy and curly textures, the curls stay lighter this way.       

7 Gel & Mousse - Keeps 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 Gel or mousse is individual, with mousse you get more volume but rather less hold, with gel you get a better hold in most cases. In my experience, it's almost always a question of personal preference.            

8. drying for the second time - letting styled curls dry 
Once you have finished styling your curls, the next challenge is how to let them dry.
Curls are best left to air dry or dried with a DiffuserThe heat setting should be set to cold. Too hot air can dry out the curls and make them frizzy. 
And very importantly: during drying - DO NOT TOUCH THE LOCKS! 

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  

1. No shampoo with sulphates, no styling & care products with silicone  
2. No chemicals, no silicone, no sulphate, only organic products
3. Wash out curls COLD
4. No brush or comb in dry
5. Dry: Microfibre cloth, T-shirt or air
6. No heat
7. No Toca - Do not touch curls when dry
8. Cut the tips regularly (approx. every 6 weeks)
9. No hard hair rubbers
10. You have curls, be proud of them and give them enough love!

 Curly Girl Method & Me    

I think it is a good way to "restart" the curls and you can find out relatively quickly what is right for your Curls is; and you take care of it. But I still wash my curls with shampoo from time to time (100% of course). But what I really experienced as a revelation is the "don't touch" while drying.        

I'll take a little bit of this after the curls dry. Oilrub it on my palms and "reach" into the curls from below. This gives a little shine and protects the curls.    

So, I hope this sheds some light on the method Curly Girl.
See you soon

Cordially 

Rosa Maria