What is the Curly Girl Method?

Curly Girl Method: If you have curly hair, you'll be interested in these tips: What is the curly girl method? Which products are right for your hair type?

It seems that the 'Curly Girl Method' is causing a sensation among women with curly and wavy hair. What this method promises is to put an end to several of the problems of this type of hair, such as the feeling of being dry and frizzy.

The curly girl method has its origins in the American stylist Lorraine Massey, who launched a book on the subject 'Curly Girl: The Handbook', and has created a community, with many followers. It is a guide to care for curly hair, and achieve beautiful, voluminous, bouncy and natural curls.

The method is based on hydration and natural respect for the hair. To this end, the weekly cleansing and care routine suggests spacing out washes and nourishing the hair well, using specific products without sulphates, silicones, mineral oils or waxes, as these ingredients accentuate the dryness of the hair. She also advises against styling curly hair when it is dry. Instead, she suggests styling and detangling it when wet, either by hand or with an open-toothed comb.

Blow-dryers, straighteners or straightening treatments are enemies of curly hair, and are therefore not recommended if you are following the curly girl method.

Products for the curly girl method

The first step would be to replace traditional shampoos with low poo products, i.e., little shampoo, or in other words, to use products that do not contain sulphates or silicones in their formulation. And how can we know this?

To find out which products we can use, we must look at their labels and the ingredients used in their formulation. Massey rules out products that contain parabens, sulphates, silicones, alcohol or any of their derivatives. It's all about finding moisturising ingredients, such as glycerine, that help nourish the hair, or that are based on natural oils, such as coconut, argan, olive, jojoba or aloe vera.

The general idea is that the fewer washing products you use, the better. The frequency will depend on your hair type, but washing once or twice a week should be sufficient.

If you are interested in this method of treating curly hair, you may have heard the expression co-wash, which stands for "Conditioner Washing". This involves washing your hair using conditioners that are formulated with surfactants. It moisturises and cleanses the scalp really well. That is what Massey advocates, dispensing with shampoo and using only conditioner to keep the hair clean and moisturised. She explains that this improves the appearance of curly hair, as the sulphates present in shampoos, due to their cleansing function, are aggressive to the hair fibre and, in the long run, dry out and weaken the hair.

Steps to follow:

Hair washing. The first thing to do is to remove any residue from the hair with a sulphate and/or clarifying shampoo for a week or two, and then move on to the sanitising phase.

Co-wash or co-washing, which is washing the hair with conditioner, is one of the most moisturising ways to wash the hair. Although it can be used perfectly to moisturise and soften after shampooing.

Moisturising mask. An example could be a shea butter based mask. Remember to use a hair mask twice a month to provide extra nourishment and moisture to your hair. Apply for 15-30 minutes and then rinse out the mask.

Enhance and define curls. Apply curl defining cream, gel or mousse products that do not contain silicones or drying alcohols. With very damp hair, apply evenly throughout your hair with your fingers.