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Starting Curly Girl Method - join me in achieving shiny bouncy hair!

145 replies

CurlyWurlyTwirly · 01/05/2018 08:24

Have been researching this for ages (3 days Grin )
Anyway found a fab curly girl thread from 2009

However some of the products have been discontinued, not all the blog links work, so I thought I would star a new thread.

So here is what I have gleaned so far:
Sulphates (the stuff which makes your shampoo foam) is a Bad Thing as it strips all your hair of oils, so you need sulphate free shampoo.
Found this list from the original thread which lists all the banned products.

Silicon ( Frizz Ease type serum) is a Bad Thing as it seals up the cuticle, so that moisture cannot get back in.

So moisture is the holy grail, and that is why hair gets frizzy, as it is too dry.

So most curly girls seem to cowash, which is washing with conditioner, or a special runny conditioner type product.

So here are the steps I have figured out, ( I haven’t bought the book yet).

One last wash with a sulphate shampoo, to clear out build up.

On subsequent washes, you cowash, but only use your fingers or a shampoo brush ( a stubby ruby bristled brush) to loosen dirt.

It is recommended that shower not too hot, and also wash hair upside down, so you are not flattening your “ canopy” of curls.

Comb through a handful of conditioner with a wide toothe comb

Also add your styling product in the shower eg scrunch with gel.

DO NOT use a normal towel, dry with a tshirt, or a microfibre towel.

Then there is the “ plopping” method where you lie a dry t shirt on a flat surface. ( loo seat) and sort of lower your head upside down and let your curls gather then sort of gather up the t shirt & fasten gently round head.

either air dry or dry with a diffuser, not too hot.

Other stuff I found : curl type 2 a, b, c, 3 a, b, c 4 a, b, c it’s a whole new world

Also deep condition according to curl type. I am about a 2b and am sitting here with a mixture of coconut oil & olive oil slathered on my hair.

Right off to create some curls!

OP posts:
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sexnotgender · 02/05/2018 20:31

Figuring out your porosity is a big key to working out your routine.

If your hair is bleached at all it is likely high porosity as mine is.

Once I knew this i figured out my hair needed a tonne of leave in conditioner. Like a REVOLTING amount.

OfficerVanHalen · 02/05/2018 21:01

i do curly girl. i've recently had to change things up a bit, as some recommended products were't doing the biz anymore (for e.g. that boots pink curl creme has a lot of alcohol in it and can be really drying). I really like the cantu stuff from superdrug naichick the conditioner is really nice, the super drug extracts shampoos and conditioners are also cg friendly, the aloe vera one is quite lightweight.

naichick · 02/05/2018 23:12

Thanks @officer will check that superdrug one out. Has anyone had any luck with using mousse instead of gel? I though that mightbe more lightweight.

AllyMcBeagle · 03/05/2018 05:22

naichick When I last did the CG method the brand I was most impressed with was a specialist range called Jessicurl. I was younger at the time so could only afford a couple of their styling products but found they really made a big difference. They have a whole range aimed at people whose curls/waves get weighed down easily:
shop.britishcurlies.co.uk/jessicurl-light-luminous-set-8oz/

So I can't exactly personally recommend them because I haven't tried all of their shampoos/conditioners yet, but you might want to consider them (there are some good reviews on YouTube). I have placed an order for a set of their products but am going to try the more moisturising range first and then switch to the light range if I find my hair gets weighed down.

DaisyStarburst · 03/05/2018 08:51

A few people have mentioned Umberto Gianni Curl Jelly, I used this for quite a long time, hair looked great but it got more and more expensive, even on Amazon and I couldn't afford it anymore. Also my hair is long and my hair kept irritating my skin on my shoulders, back and top of arms if I wore something skimpy, that has stopped since I stopped using it. Just shows that our hair is all different and needs different products as the Boots curl cream keeps my hair lovely and soft and in good condition. The trick is to experiment.

naichick · 03/05/2018 11:19

Thanks ally I will look into Jessiecurl too. I’m going to start again tomorrow with superdrug conditioner and see how that goes! Its just trial and error really and I hate wasting £ on products that don’t work.

Liesmyparentstoldme · 03/05/2018 12:56

My hairs 3a/b. Does anyone know which method of putting in products would work best. The scrunching products in upside down, or using praying hand.

I tried to scrunch upside down after my last wash. But I did end up raking abit which I don't think I should of done. Also I plopped for over an hour. Which I think was too long My hair ended up being a bit too frizzy for my liking.

Ironfloor · 03/05/2018 13:32

I'll join you. I've just started the CG method last week. My hair is so annoyingly curly and frizzy. Last Friday was my last wash with sulphate shampoo. Since then, I've washed once with Body Shop Rainforest shampoo and conditioner. And couple of times, I've done a cowash with just the conditioner.

Although not completely frizz-free yet, my hair has never looked better. I haven't used a product after washing though. So last rinse with cold water, plop in a tshirt and off I go.

Until last week, I was doing the shampoo-conditioner-spray heat protect styling spray-blow dry to within an inch of its life routine every other day. And it was so time consuming and the effect would last about a day or two. And god forbid, a few rain drops fall on it and it's back to the frizzy mess.

I'm really hoping the CG method works because it's much lower maintenance than my previous routine and much better for my hair, too.

sexnotgender · 03/05/2018 17:39

Cantu products are excellent, I use the curl activator and the define and shine custard.
Also love Shea moisture!

Ironfloor · 05/05/2018 07:48

Does anyone have an effective remedy for dandruff while doing the CG method? I haven’t used shampoo for a week now but have been cowashing every other day. For about five days my dandruff-probe scalp was absolutely fine. But now, I see a lot of dandruff. I suspect it’s due to build up? So am I due a sulfate free shampoo wash now?

Please share your hair washing tips. How often do you cowash? How often do you use shampoo?

Except for the dandruff, my hair looks ok though. A tad greasy but the dreaded frizz has reduced massively.

itcuddles · 05/05/2018 07:56

ironfloor try massaging your scalp with a small amount of shampoo but not the rest of your hair

MsAtomicBomb · 05/05/2018 08:34

What are you using to co-wash with Ironfloor?

naichick · 05/05/2018 08:37

I just use sulphate free shampoo twice a week as Co washing just doesnt work for me! I know yoh can get scalp oils though maybe that would work for you? X

Taytotots · 05/05/2018 08:51

DaisyStarbust I know that it can be hard to get conditioner bars that are CG friendly - not sure about shampoo. Would refills be acceptable to you - a lot of wholefood shops and coops do this for faith in nature. You can also buy 5l bottles from them direct (still plastic I know....).

Ironfloor · 05/05/2018 09:12

Thanks, @itcuddles. I'll try that.

@MsAtomicBomb I use BodyShop Rainforest silicone free conditioner.

DaisyStarburst · 05/05/2018 12:15

Taytotots, that would be better for me, I am using faith in nature at the moment and I do have some Lush solid shampoos which actually seem quite good for my hair.

Millybingbong · 06/05/2018 18:15

This is great - I'm placemarking for later.. I think I'm a 2a

MsAtomicBomb · 08/05/2018 14:38

Sorry @Ironfloor I just wondered if it was maybe something in the conditioner, I used a co-wash unsuccessfully for ages before realising it had silicones in it. Maybe you would be best off doing low poo instead or using a sulphate free shampoo every few washes.

Ok so I have found some great info on the curly hair board on Reddit and have been doing lots of reading there. They have a cheap and easy beginners routine which they recommend you try for a month. I've had to swap out some of the products as they are from America but if anyone is interested here it is:

*Easy Beginner Routine
*
Johnson's Baby Shampoo (the gold one) for one last sulphate wash to clarify the hair of silicones etc.

Tresemme Botanique Nourish and Replenish Conditioner to co-wash.

Boots Essentials Styling Gel (the purple one)

The tresemme is currently on offer in Boots so all in all should cost about a fiver to get everything. I'm going to pick it all up on Thursday and start then Smile

Ironfloor · 08/05/2018 17:10

Thanks for the link, @missatomicbomb. I’ve just gone and bought a Garnier Ultimate Blends SF conditioner so I might wait till that and The BodyShop Rainforest ones are nearly obver before spending on more hair products.

So, I’ve slightly modified my cowashing technique. Like a pp advised, I used a tiny bit of BS Rainforest SF shampoo only on my scalp and then applied the Garnier UB conditioner generously on my hair. The Garnier conditioner seems to be a bit better at managing frizz than the Body Shop one.

This is how much hair looks now.

Ironfloor · 08/05/2018 17:11

Sorry, here is the pic.

Starting Curly Girl Method - join me in achieving shiny bouncy hair!
QueenOfTheAndals · 08/05/2018 17:13

I wouldn't use baby shampoo for the last wash - it isn't designed to get rid of build up. After all, babies don't use hair products! You're better off using a deep cleansing shampoo instead.

FluffyWhiteTowels · 08/05/2018 17:38

Whenever it's a windy day my hair frizzes.

Am following avidly as I'd love to be able to wear my curls again with confidence

MsAtomicBomb · 08/05/2018 17:40

All you need for the last wash is any shampoo that contains SLS and no silicones. There are loads of options but I suggested the baby shampoo because it's cheap and readily available. Regardless of whether babies use hair products or not it still fits the bill.

MsAtomicBomb · 08/05/2018 17:43

@Ironfloor Wow, you are super curly! I only have waves. Are you using any styling products at all? You will hopefully find the frizz lessens as you go on.

Ironfloor · 08/05/2018 18:21

@MsAtomicBomb nope, no styling products at all. Although, maybe I should be. Perhaps it'll combat the frizz?

Yes, my hair is super curly. Can't believe the number of hours I've spent blow drying it straight every other day...