Dear curly-haired friends,
You often ask me what I think of the Curly Girl Method and how it works. To shed some light on the subject, I’d like to dedicate this blog post to the Curly Girl Method:
The Curly Girl Method
Lorraine Massey, the creator of the Curly Girl Method, first introduced it in her book *Curly Girl: The Handbook*. The basic idea behind this curly hair care method is to completely avoid chemical products and shampoos in order to help curls achieve their purely natural and, above all, healthy form. By avoiding harmful ingredients such as sulfates, silicones, and alcohols, curls are supposed to retain their moisture and maintain their natural structure.
Getting Started with the Curly Girl Method
First, you should thoroughly remove any chemical or silicone-based product residue from your curls by washing them with a silicone-free shampoo or cleansing shampoo. This step allows your hair to rebuild its natural protective barrier, which will make your curls shine even more beautifully.
When you start using this method, your curls may look dull at first until their natural protective layer has had a chance to rebuild itself.
The Curly Girl Method
1. Final Wash – wash one last time with sulfate
.Most "conventional" products contain chemical ingredients that are harmful to curls, such as silicone, which coats your hair and makes it appear soft and smooth, but actually does the exact opposite. Silicone prevents essential nutrients from penetrating the hair, causing it to dry out from the inside. At the same time, you then need relatively “harsh” products to rinse the silicone from the care and styling products out of your hair, which further strips your curls. Therefore, you should wash your curls one last time with a sulfate-containing shampoo before you start using Curly Girl products.
You can really use any regular shampoo for this (Dove, Nivea, Fructis, Head & Shoulders, etc.)
2. Co-Wash – Not for Every Curl
I’m often asked about co-washes, but I’m not a big fan of recommending them for European curls, as they can weigh the curls down, causing them to lose their shape and get “flattened out.” They can also make your hair look greasy and unkempt. I would use it if the curls are very strong and defined or tend toward Afro curls—in other words, curls that can’t be easily “smoothed out” by products that are too heavy.
2. Shampoo – even for curly girls
After you’ve done your “final wash,” only use sulfate-free shampoos to wash your curls, such as those available at lockenkopf. The only exception is if you’ve been to the salon and they used conventional products, or if your hair was chemically colored—in that case, your curls need to be “cleansed” again with a Final Wash.
Use the shampoo as often as necessary, but as infrequently as possible. A good rule of thumb is about 2–4 times a month, but every head of hair is different—find the right routine for your curls.
If you tend to want to use shampoo more often (e.g., after exercising), then use only a small amount and focus mainly on your scalp and hairline. This cleanses the roots and removes the body’s natural oils without drying out the ends of your hair (the oldest hair) too much. So close to the scalp, the strands are continuously nourished by the skin.
3. Hair Mask – for healthy, radiant curls
I recommend using a hair mask about once every 1 to 4 weeks to give your curls everything they need in a concentrated form. When applying a curl mask , you should first rinse your curls with warm water; this opens the hair cuticles and best prepares your curls for the mask. The mask works even better if you put a plastic shower cap over your hair and then a winter hat or a heat cap—like the ones from Hot Head—over that. The two layers generate more heat, allowing the mask to penetrate your hair even more effectively. Leave it on for about 45 minutes, then rinse it out and follow up with conditioner to close the hair cuticles again.
4. Conditioner – Your Curls’ Best Friend
Conditioner is probably the most important product to use in the shower. It seals the hair cuticles and locks moisture into the hair. This makes your curls much easier to comb. After all, it’s the tangled cuticles that can make combing your curls so unpleasant.
On days when you don't wash your curls with shampoo, just use conditioner to rinse your hair. So, wet your hair with water, work the conditioner through with your fingers, then detangle your curls (comb them), and rinse.
As a general rule, always finish your shower with conditioner !
Despite all its benefits, you should never apply conditioner (or styling products) to your scalp, because the effect intended for the hair (sealing the cuticles for easier combing and longer-lasting moisture retention) is actually quite undesirable for the scalp! Here, too, the conditioner would close the pores of the skin, which can lead to itching, dandruff, or an oily scalp.
5. Drying – a different approach for curls
Curls really hate being rubbed dry with a terry cloth towel—that’s the surest way to get frizz!
Instead: divide your curls into sections and gently squeeze out the excess water with your hands, or wrap an old T-shirt around your hands (even better, a microfiber cloth) and use it to lift the curls and scrunch them. This gently shapes the curls while removing excess water without causing them to tangle, frizz, or lose their shape. (Rubbing dry = frizz)
6. Leave-in - Define Curls
This leave-in conditioner helps define and shape your curls while moisturizing your hair. Apply it to towel-dried or wet curls by working it through with your fingers. To do this, rub a small amount between your palms and comb it through your hair with your fingers; if needed, you can comb through your curls again. Finish by scrunching. Scrunching helps your curls take on an even more beautiful shape.
To give your curls more life and bounce, start applying styling products about a hand’s width away from your scalp. This keeps the curls lighter, especially for finer hair and wavy or curly textures.
7 Gel & Mousse - Keeps defined curls in place
Use the gel to set your curls, which have been defined by the leave-in conditioner. Rub the gel between your palms and work it into your curls with your fingers, then scrunch them again to finish.
The choice between gel and mousse is a personal one; mousse gives you more volume but less hold, while gel usually provides better hold. In my experience, it’s almost always a matter of personal preference.
8. Drying, Part 2: Let styled curls air dry
Once you've finished styling your curls, the next challenge is: how should you dry them?
It’s best to let curls air dry or use a diffuser, making sure the heat setting is on cool. This is because hot air can dry out the curls and make them frizzy.
And very important: while drying—DO NOT TOUCH THE CURLS!
I know it's difficult, but it's worth it. Touching your hair while it's drying "disrupts" the curls' definition, and the dry top of your head will end up frizzy again.
The Curly Girl Rules
- No shampoos containing sulfates, no styling or hair care products containing silicone
- No chemicals, no silicones, no sulfates—only organic products
- Rinse out the cold-set curls
- Do not brush or comb when dry
- Dry: microfiber cloth, T-shirt, or air
- No heat
- No Touching – Don't touch your hair while it's dry
- Trim the ends regularly (about every 6 weeks)
- No hard hair gummies
- You have curls—be proud of them and give them plenty of love!
The Curly Girl Method & Me
I think it’s a good way to “reset” your curls, and you figure out pretty quickly what works best for your own curls —and then you stick with it. But I still wash my curls with shampoo every now and then (100% natural, of course). What I’ve really found to be a revelation, though, is “not touching” them while they’re drying.
After my curls have dried, I take a little oil, rub it between my palms, and "run my fingers" through my curls starting from the bottom. This adds a bit of shine and protects my curls.
Well, I hope that sheds some light on the Curly Girl method.
See you soon
Yours
Rosa Maria
