Curly girl method for a year and greasy roots on day 2

[Fannydango]

Been doing CGM for a year. Hair is much more consistently curly where as previously I never knew if my hair was going to be curly, wavy or straight and meh from one day to the next.

Lots of trial and error and the best products I’ve found as yet are: co-wash with As I Am coconut co-wash which I love (co-washing with a standard conditioner makes my hair absolutely disgusting!) use a Giovanni leave-in conditioner (which is ok - I think my hair is low-porosity so I have to use v light conditioners) and Umberto Gianni scrunch jelly (looks lovely when first styled but drops throughout the day).

My main problem is that the following day, my roots (particularly around my ears) look really greasy. The hair there is all strandy and eugh. I see all these women with beautiful bouncy curls on the CGM FB page who manage not to wash their hair for 4,5,6 days , just refresh it, and it looks lovely. What am I doing wrong?

All the advice says that you get greasy hair through the transition stage but surely I’m well past that?

I’m so gutted as I really thought I was for once on my way to lovely hair but I can’t seem to master it. Any tips?

Yes I forgot to answer I feel a mix of no sulfate/lo sulfate shampooing and co washing in between is kinder to my curls and helps with shine and condition 👍

For example in the summer if I’m in the sun a lot/beach then I’d co wash and use more intensive hair masks more often. Sometimes I co wash for 10+ days exclusively and other times I do the Trepadora shampoo once a week and co wash in between.
Depends on Curl condition, behaviour, time of year and whether my scalp is getting a bit itchy or my curls are losing definition too quickly. It’s a bit of a dark art but you get to understand what works for you in the end

Oh, thanks all - so much good advice and product suggestions. Think I’m going to start by swapping my cowash for a lighter one and alternate with a lo/no poo.

Yes, I want to endorse everything @SoyYo says (I think our curls might be very similar).

@Fannydango this last time I had mine cut I noticed he'd missed two curls at the back which still needed snipping to keep the overall shape so I did it myself using the CG way and it's fine, so I'm quite pleased with myself.

Too much of even lo-poo makes my hair and scalp feel a bit dry and itchy so I use the Cleansing Clay co-wash one week and then the Gojiberry lo-poo the next or once a month only depending on what my hair feels like. I notice with the co-wash that my hair feels much silkier and EVERYONE tells me how lovely my hair smells.

Once a month i use the Quinoa deep condition with a heat cap.

But there's always something to learn and other products to try and I've learned more on this thread that SoyYo has brought so it's all good .

Funny, cowashing has done wonders for my scalp which is great but like a lot of you said, sounds like it could be weighing my hair down.

So it’s the Boucleme cowash I need to try and Trepadora gojiberry lo poo? Need to read through the thread again and check what everyone’s recommended. Discovered a brilliant shop near me the other week, it’s an “African/European hair and cosmetics shop” - they do loads of CG brands but I wasnt looking for Trepadora or Boucleme at the time - wonder if they’d stock them or are they online only/in hairdressers?

I’d not come across Trepadora until this thread (thank you, will check out that shampoo!) but you can buy Boucleme products via naturisimo.com as well as Planet Organic and Space NK. Naturisimo has frequent discount codes.

Fab, thanks Ypsilanti

Shamelessly following as I am three weeks into my curly girl journey

I have coarse curly hair and do cg but think I need a shampoo that is sulphate free. What would be good for my dry hair?

Hi again glad the product tips are helping, some CG purists think you should only wash with conditioner but then you’d have to be so religious about massaging your scalp briskly for 5 minutes every time, some people mention a scalp brush but to me it’s easier just to use something like a no sulfate shampoo once in a while as it lasts forever and so if you pick a good one it’ll probably last nearly a year using a pump or two every week/10 days or less frequently.
I think Trepadora is only available via their webpage (online). I discovered it last year because Lorraine was giving a curly cut masterclass @ my CG hairdresser in Botley and the founder of the Trepadora range was there and they were using their shampoo so I’m assuming if it’s endorsed by Lorraine it’s a good sulfate free option.
i think Body Shop rainforest moisture shampoo is sulfate free, I like that but not as kind/gentle as the Trepadora one.
@Bike I also have the Trepadora quinoa conditioner but like you find it almost as heavy as Shea Butter so use very occasionally when I need a deep condition.

My hair was very very dry before CG method. Now I would say it’s more normal to dry. I have Boticcelli type curls (Lorraine’s description) mainly 3a.

And Boucleme products are also fab, if I had to choose one only it would be the gel...followed by the co wash shampoo (it’s really a light conditioner with scalp cleansing ingredients) and finally their curl cream (also to style after washing)
IMHE you pay for what you get...I’ve tried the Superdrug and cheap Tesco silicone free conditioners to co wash etc but they simply don’t compare to ranges designed for CG method...
Another recommendation is the Holland & Barret Aloe Vera conditioner: silicone and alcohol free, a bit cheaper than Boucleme and Trepadora for every day and good for co washing and every day conditioner

Just a little update - I did a clarifying wash today and although the shampoo I used does feel like it strips my hair, it definitely helped with the limpness. In fact, someone said my hair looked lovely and curly - I never get hair compliments so I was pretty chuffed. Downside is it did drop as the day went on.
The pp who said they cut their own hair the cg way - how did you do it? I’ve got some hair at the front that was curly but is straightening as it’s got longer- how do I trim it a little if I can’t see where the curl is? Or should I not risk it?!!

That was me. I cut a couple of curls on the length at the back. Picked up each curl (very carefully) and at the end of the C shape of the curl I snipped off in a downward slant - which wasn't easy as I was kind of looking at it in the mirror to get at it. I think it's important to cut the curl in the right place so that it hangs right. I wouldn't want to do it too often though, I reckon I was lucky to get it right.

Perhaps you lovely ladies can help me? I have an unruly two year old with a huge mop of unruly ringlets. I’m not really sure what to do with her! I wash it every 3 days and use conditioner on it then too. In between days I wet it and carefully comb so that it goes back to ringlets. In the mornings it’s a mass of backwards bush - I need a silk pillowcase? Or satin?
What products should I use for her? Bearing in mind she’s two and not a fan of hair washing. My hair is so straight it’s a surprise to me and I have no idea where to start!

@Alfie you are a lovely mum for trying to find out what works best for your curly DD, wish my DM had been as enlightened but in her defence CG didn’t even exist then.
Try and minimise washing with shampoo (Johnson’s baby shampoo is at least silicone free but only recommended for clarifying washes) and switch to a low sulfate shampoo instead once a week tops (Boots stock sulfate free ranges like Naked/Yes to) and then also choose a silicone free conditioner. You can use the conditioner to wash her curls in between Lo sulfate shampoo washes, it’s what CG refers to as “co washing”. Disentangle with wide tooth comb when wet and full of conditioner. Never ever brush it dry or you’ll destroy the curl. You can also after the final rinse reapply a little bit of conditioner to calm it down.
Or maybe try Cantu curl custard cream (a tiny pea sized) after washing.
I gave product recommendations earlier in the thread but the products I use are not cheap and for a little one probably unnecessary.
Some of Garnier conditioners and their hair youghurt masks are silicone free and CG friendly (not the shampoos though as they are all full of sulphate).
Finally if you are on FB you may like to join the U.K. CG group where they post lots of product recommendations and a few mums post questions on their curly CG care. Here is the link
www.facebook.com/groups/CurlyGirlsUK/?ref=share

Or buy Lorraine’s book from Amazon which explains the method well but I’m not one for exclusively co washing I need a low sulfate shampoo once every 8/15 days
www.amazon.co.uk/Curly-Girl-Handbook-Lorraine-Massey/dp/076115678X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?s=gateway&crid=3DLEQBAUBN66Y&keywords=lorraine+massey&sprefix=lorraine&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1555664213&sr=8-1

Tbh for all CG girls the FB page is the most useful (you just ask to join as it’s private posts).
In there there are tons of files with CG friendly products you can find in the high street (some super cheap like SuperDrug and Tesco own brand conditioners) plus lots of tips for the method and home remedies, you just look at their archive files and photos.
Great CG resource!

@Fanny good to read a clarifying wash helped 👍 yes once in a while is fine but if you want to do it more often then go for a Lo sulfate option then you get the best of both worlds (imho).
I had a girl in the office ask me yesterday day 3 after sulfatefree shampoo and condition) ask me what I did to have such bouncy curls she had started CG for a month but said her hair was losing the curl and felt “heavy” and I could see her lovely curls being weighed down with too much heavy products.
It’s one of those things where keeping things light and simple works best. I don’t like piling on styling products either like some girls recommend (eg leave in conditioner + curl cream + gel or curl cream + gel + mousse) . I’m one for gel OR mousse OR curl cream, depending on how dry my hair feels sometimes I leave in a small amount of my last rinse conditioner but prefer to fully rinse out.
Not too many deep conditions either unless you’ve got very chemically damaged/chronically dry hair. Once a week tops. I can stretch to once every 2/3 weeks and my hair is naturally dry/normal, medium porosity.
Finally using a micro towel to stop hair cuticle from frizzing (or t shirt but it takes ages to dry) works very well. I diffuse with head upside down as I can’t be waiting around for hours for curls to dry and using medium/low heat is not damaging (confirmed by CG purist hairdresser).
I haven’t tried silk pillows or bonnets but some CG girls swear by it

I'm really liking the Giovanni tea tree as a conditioner and their direct leave in. Very light, and boy does the tea tree tingle!!!

@Yes I’ve heard great things about that range so thanks for the heads up, I’ll give it a try (I’m always trying new cg products ) tea tree sounds fantastic clean tingly feeling actually 👍

@SoyYo it foams too if you use it as a co wash. I felt like I had dumped an entire bottle of that original source mint on my head

Soyo Totally agree with you re product - I’m always amazed at how many different products some people following CG use. I only ever use one at a time - and even then, it’s still a bit alien to me to use product in my hair every day. Before CG I only ever used it if I was going out - so, rarely! And yep, deep conditioning doesn’t really suit my hair. It’s not dry, never, ever tangly, so I really only need the lightest touch of moisture.
You’re full of good advice, thank you 😊

Where’s the best place to buy Trepadora from - the Trepadora website?

Yes that's where i buy it from. They always stick a freebie (generous sized) sample of a product in as well. It's a marketing strategy, obviously, but also a very good way of being able to try their range out and see if something else they sell works better than the one you're using at the time.
I just received an order from them (two of their big bottles of product) and they gave me 4 samples.

Great. Love a freebie!

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