➿ Fantastic Haircare: Making Sense and Science of the Curly Girl Method

[botemp]

Offshoot from the Fantastic Skincare threads to document the trials and tribulations in order to make sense and science of the curly girl method. We don't necessarily follow it to the letter and are even critical of it in places. Nor are we especially knowledgeable at this point but we're learning as we go. Feel free to join in (especially if you have superior knowledge) as we attempt to approach this with an interest in ingredients and try to not buy everything that promises us magical things…

Useful blogs:

Curly Cailín
Science-y Hair Blog

Oh how frustrating Pupsie. Did your hair look anything like the protein overload photo above?

I'm thinking either your hair didn't need protein and you gave it way too much or perhaps you didn't balance with a deep moisturising conditioner? (although you said you used a conditioner - which one?). My hair felt a bit dry when I did the modified rice treatment but I had ringlets at the back so I think it was obvious my hair needs the protein.

In any case I'm trying to view set-backs as positive because they show us what doesn't work and that's also key in this whole process.

just read how curly Cailin is doing the rice water treatment. I always do a rinse, let sit for half an hour, rinse with water and after, I do a deep conditioning hair mask. So first protein and then moisture. I couldn't imaging muddling these two together and I am not surprised it feels yuk. Never heard anyone else doing it that way.

I would give the rice water another go but with the 'traditional' two step method.

What benefits do you see from the rice rinse that you can't with other products @vengeancer?

I tried making homemade flaxseed gel once and it was so much mess and effort that I decided I was done with these DIY experiments for regular use haircare. When I looked into rice rinsed I saw several days fermentation and I kind of zoned it out.

I was supposed to wash my hair yesterday but my natural grease was helping with the dryness the protein treatment caused so I figured I'd leave it and brushed it all through last night and added a hair moisturiser on top (it's from Christophe Robin, I've never seen anything sold as that but it's pretty much the consistency of a facial moisturiser and meant to be used daily to keep hair smooth, I think it's just a lighter LIC, I normally use it on ends only) to get a bit more moisture in before washing.

This morning I tried out the Jessicurl gentle lather (bit slimy but does the job) and the Jessicurl deep conditioner (useless packaging, needs a tub, seems good for a DC asvery occlusive, it immediately stopped all the water dripping but I won't really know until it's dry). Then followed with my usual LIC (Kiehl's), curl cream (CR), and the Innersense gel (still really like this, annoyingly). Deep conditioned with heat cap for 45mins and hoping that undoes what the protein did.

The ecoslay matcha protein treatment definitely didn't push it into protein overload but I probably should have washed it out sooner. The guideline was 5-30 mins, the lower end for maintenance of low porosity and the upper for high porosity treatment. I went with 15mins but probably ended up being closer to 20 by the time I set the alarm. Probably should have stuck with the 5-10 range.

My husband and two teenage DSs watched me preparing it and reckoned it was a prank: "yeah, this person on the internet is trolling you people by telling them to pub squished through rice on your hair". We laughed about it.

It definitely looked like a good mix of the two Sophie. It was the Phyto deep conditioner. It's the only one I have.

I agree: these things are all trial and error so I'm not unhappy that it didn't work out.

Bo what's the problem with really liking the Innersense gel? Is it hard to get or sth?

I'm always scared.to add anything to dry hair and I can't be arsed with refreshes from what I've seen of one (wet hair in sections, comb through, add conditioner, scrunch, add gel, scrunch, leave to dry). Was practically wash day but with the shampoo.

What do people use on dry hair? I'm going to have to use some dry shampoo or get past day 3. But can cope at the moment whilst on lockdown. Is dry shampoo CGM approved? I am hoping that my hair will adjust so current day 3 greasiness will subside after a while and I won't get it until day 4?

Thanks for that photo comparison Sophie. I will go look it up.

It's one of the more expensive gels, and it's not like a little goes a long way. I'm also not a big fan of the mother of the earth organic nonsense communication style. The instructions read as follows:

Hair ceremony Take a deep breath and distribute throughout hair.

There are some dry shampoos that are CGM approved but dry shampoo isn't that great for scalp health (according to my dermatologist) so I tend to avoid it as much as possible. I think it really depends on time of year on how long you can go without washing. When lockdown started and we were indoors all the time I could probably not wash for a week, now it's much sooner, I just tend to let my hair lead and respond to that rather than some made up rules. I don't think there's any great benefit to washing less past a certain point. The only advice with any scientific backing I've ever seen is not to wash every day if you can.

Bo, rice water treatment give my curls more definition and they are less frizzy. I need to follow it up with a conditioning treatment. I haven't used other protein treatments much but I prefer the rice water rinse as it is cheap as chips (I use the cheapest Lidl rice for 26 pennies or so) and it is natural.

I did my rice treatment like you today Vengeancer - left rice (not mixed with conditioner) for 30 mins with thermal cap and now doing a deep moisturising conditioner (Biolage) with the cap. The rice is a faff (although I did eat a bit as hadn't had breakfast ) but it's easy to get hold of and cheap (I bought some cheap rice purely for rice treatments). DH said I looked like Thomas Cromwell with my thermal cap on .

I used my new Innersense shampoo too - it smelt lovely. Very little lather. I laughed at the same line on the bottle Bo. And then forgot to take my deep breath.

I think Jessicurl products might be slimy ones Bo. Also heard the Rockin Ringlets described as slimy like a potion. Going to open mine in a bit and try it out. Sounds like your hair is already very balanced Bo.

I started the rice water stuff actually as it is supposed to help hair growth and I am a slow hair grower and I wanted a bit more length. Not sure this is working - I just stuck to it because it made my curls nicer. I didn't really expect that

The thing I like about homemade treatments is that it's cheaper to experiment rather than endlessly buying new products that then don't suit my hair. Plus as I make soap I have lots of butters and oils in stock. I made a diy deep conditioning mask of olive oil, an overripe avocado and some honey last weekend which seems to have had a good effect; definitely better curl definition though I'm still getting lots of frizz and little curls rather than clumps.

I'm experimenting with different refreshes - lightly wetting in the shower (my hair is thick and very low porosity so takes a lot to wet it), detangling with my denman and scrunching with mixed chicks morning after foam seems to work best though I feel it's the water doing most of the work.

Hi, I have been kind of following CGM for about a year now. Not really due to curls just because I found silicones and sulphates were damaging my hair.

My hair is waist length and wavy.

I can't really be arsed with all the styling and really can't get my head round not brushing at all.

When not on lockdown I was washing with XHC conditioner and using garnier hair food in banana on the lengths as my conditioner and my leave in. I was doing this alternate days and air drying.

I am currently managing to wash every third day instead but I am using a sulphate free shampoo every other time. I am using up some products that I am not so keen on and I think one of them causes a bit of greasy build up that needs the low poo to shift.

I would like a silk pillowcase, any recommendations for a good real silk one that isn't going to break the bank?

Bo thanks. I really don't like dry shampoo. I have quite a sensitive scalp and it makes me itch a bit and I'm.never sure it makes a lot of difference. It might make the roots less greasy but overal I'm still itching to wash my hair.

I can't really be arsed with all the styling and really can't get my head round not brushing at all.

I brush my hair thoroughly with every wash.

I am the wolf who wanted to eat little red riding hood with my heat cap on, apparently.

Yes, all you can do is laugh, especially when you're hanging your head upside down and a deep breath is probably a choking hazzard and there's nothing ceremonious about it. I've coined nonsense like that "goopshite". I think Goop actively sells Innersense too.

So what is the "traditional" rice rinse? Does it involve fermenting for several days or not as that's what I saw as the traditional method from Asia (think it was Myanmar?). I'm only really interested because it supposedly wards off grey hairs and I know my (also Asian, not from Myanmar but in the general area) great grandmother either never turned grey or ditched the grey with rice rinses (but who knows, maybe that's what she told people and just hid a packet of hair dye somewhere). But hair growth sounds appealing too now.

Lexi someone recommended these silk pillowcases and I have bought two.

My 17 year old DS was telling me yesterday that he didn't understand how the CGM was anymore natural than straightening hair, as my hair is wavy but I'm using products and processes to make it curly ie something it's not (at the moment). He can be quite contrary bless him. I was explaining it's about no heat damage or damaging products and that many people find that once they repair this damage their curls come back. But I must admit I have thought this before.

So what is the "traditional" rice rinse?

I meant a solo rice rinse instead of mixing it with conditioner. not sure what strictly traditional is, sorry

I agree re homemade treatments Una. I think clumping has a lot to do with the technique you use to apply products.

Used the Rockin ringlets. It was so liquid-y and had to use it on soaking wet hair that I'm wondering if it didn't all just drip out my hair. We'll
See. Used all my usual styling products otherwise.

Hello Lexi. I also brush my hair when it's wet and also brush in products sometimes to ensure I have distributed them correctly.

I think traditional rice rinse Bo is using the water only from the rice (as opposed to rice mixed with water - I pushed all my rice and water mix through a sieve and got a conditioner-like consistency) and pour it over your head into a bowl and keep repeating. I've tried this - less faff but I wondered if protein penetrating as deeply (although you can like the water on and use thermal cap). I don't think you have to ferment as (plus risk of bacteria etc etc)

Modified rice treatment in my head is the thick rice gloop mixed with a conditioner.

@vengeancer

I can't really be arsed with all the styling and really can't get my head round not brushing at all.

I brush my hair thoroughly with every wash.

I think there's a point of difference with brushing between wavy and curly hair. Brushing (dry) doesn't necessarily break up the waves the way it does with curls. But the opposite happens when it's wet, brushing or combing through product usually means the waves struggle to clump back together again.

I sometimes brush my hair out on the last day/wash day later in the day. There's a bit of natural oils from my scalp and it smooths down any frizz/baby hairs and there's still enough volume for it not to look weird. Less curl definition but it still looks fine, a bit old Hollywood siren waves, it basically looks like I had a blow out the day before.

I was the same as you Lexiloo, my hair has never likes SLS or SLES and silicones so I always avoided those (don't mind other gentler sulphates) but I got into the styling to get more consistent results and also as it allows me to use a blow dryer and that time saving can be really useful most of the time.

Gave the new products a whirl today, I was a fan of the shampoo was nice to have some lather but think I'll alternate with the low poo as my hair was definitely less soft afterwards.
Put on the cantu moisture and protein mask, I only left it for 5 minutes as it definitely felt very heavy while on but it washed off fine and didn't leave it feeling greasy or weighed down so think I could go for longer next time.
Currently not convinced the cantu wave maker has done anything, in fact it feels like my hair has just soaked it up rather than any hold being provided. Perhaps I need to use more. It does smell delicious though and I'm wafting round the garden smelling of coconut like I'm on holiday so that's a perk.

Pupsie, natural is a controversial word when it comes to CGM. Lorraine Massey (sp?) didn't come up with this all on her own, it's predominantly knowledge taken from the black hair community and repackaged.

In contrast to a lot of chemical treatments like relaxers to force afro textured hair to behave/look like Caucasian hair to appeal to eurocentric beauty standards the term 'natural' makes sense in contrast to that, and 'going natural' and 'natural hair' have very significant and deeply political meaning to that community that is considered a form of activism (by some).

Terms like 'natural hair' and 'the big chop' have special significance to the natural hair movement and I do consider it a separate thing that needs to be respected due to the wider cultural significance those terms have.

For me, I prefer to just term what I'm doing as embracing the texture of my hair as opposed to fighting against it.

Totally agree with your son though that there's very little 'natural' (in the conventional use of the word) about it. Everything is chemical anyhow, rice is full of arsenic and other lovely toxins people shriek about it in other products. The notion that natural is better is ridiculous, it's the dose that makes the poison and there are plenty natural things that will be very toxic and deadly.

Thanks for the pillowcase recommendation pups - I have looked at that one along with a few others, your recommendation has swung it for me I will order one.

@botemp tbh I have never really been one for blow drying. It is the main reason I keep my hair long, I can't be bothered doing a proper blow dry!

No problem lexi. Someone earlier in the thread had recommended it but I had already bought two from John Lewis. I have since ordered two of these in the teal as they match one set of our bed linen pretty well. They're half the price of the JLP ones and perfectly good.

Bo that's interesting. I wasn't aware of the origins but am of course aware of the relatively recent encouragement around people wearing their hair "as is". I'll explain this to my DS (when he's out of bed!) as I did agree with some of his points. It's more the way in which he tries to get them across that is frustrating at times.

I'm going to create a Google sheet and list my products bought to date together with their proteins.

Neither can I Lexi, but air drying takes forever, it's fine now in lockdown but it takes most of the day. If it can be done in twenty minutes with a diffuser it makes a big difference, especially as it frees up when I can wash my hair.

I've created a Google sheet to get to grips with ingredients, starting with proteins.

My shampoo, conditioner and leave-in don't have any protein from what I can tell. My Phyto mask has pea protein (half-way down) but above that it has jojoba seed oil. Jojoba is on my list of proteins but I can't find anything to suggest this is a protein. Oils cannot apparently be proteins. So is this a protein or not?

My list of proteins:

Amino acids
Corn
Gelatin
Hydrolyzed collagen
Jojoba protein
Keratin
Lupine
Oat flour
Peptides
Quinoa protein
Rice protein
Silk protein
Soy protein
Vegetable protein
Wheat protein
Yeast extract