Shampoo (WHAT!? Don’t freak—you just can’t use traditional drying shampoos, but you can use sulfate-free shampoos . More on this below) It’s all about unschooling yourself and letting go of the idea that we need non-water-soluble silicones, alcohol, heat and fragrance for our hair to look and feel its best. So, what else still holds true from the original handbook? Well, there’s reducing heat styling and opting to air dry, plus ‘plopping’ works (a technique using a cotton T-shirt or pillowcase to ‘plop’ sopping wet hair into a mound, avoiding damage caused by twisting up traditional towels) as does ‘scrunching out the crunch’ (applying gel to soaking wet hair, leaving to dry, then scrunching out the hardened product), which is ASMR-bliss, plus a super-fun way to experiment with spirals. If I diffuse a certain way, my hair gets frizzy. When I scrunch out the crunch, my hair gets ridiculously frizzy. When I wake up after sleeping, my hair is frizzy. I can’t even detangle knots gently with my fingers without it getting frizzy. It’s insane. My hair is really fine too so it ends up just looking like a static mess 😂

So, don’t throw in the towel on CGM! Just like curls, bend the rules (a bit) and you’ll find a way that works for you. “As a hairstylist familiar with the method, it’s a brilliant system for those embarking on their natural hair journey,” says Dionne Smith, Cantu natural hair education expert and celebrity stylist. “Research your products well and look out for overly-drying ingredients. My hair is a mixture of 2a/2b/2c waves, depending on the day. I have waves that are wavy at the top, straight in the middle and curly at the end sometimes. I suspect this could be damage. I’ve always looked after my hair, but it is dyed with semi-permanent colour. I’ve used sulphate and paraben free products for over a year now and I always use heat protection on my hair whenever blow drying or styling. The main factor behind the Curly Girl Method is the total or partial elimination of shampoo, which will encourage the natural oils present in our hair to take on the job of moisturizing and nourishing dry, split ends. As good as it can feel, don’t use your fingernails when your massaging in your chosen cleanser – apply gentle pressure with your fingertips instead.It can be really difficult to enjoy the method if you don’t actually feel like it’s doing anything good for you :/ Do not brush your hair except when wet and only with a wide-tooth comb or simply your fingers (this is what I do). Establishing a co-wash routine is easy – simply listen to what your hair is telling you. Once you feel it needs a good cleanse and moisturizing, hop in the shower and get to work. You’ll basically want to use your co-wash as your newly appointed shampoo.

scrunch out the excess water from your hair and apply gel or mousse again. You’ll need more than you think.

So I don’t have naturally curly hair but I do have wavy hair. When I use the CG Method, I get curly hair. So for me, this works 🙂 One of my favorite gels is the Umberto Giannini Scrunching Jelly. It is Umberto’s best-selling product and is recommended over and over again for its quality, hold, and texture.

Routinely co-washing or skipping cleanser completely doesn’t have great results for most,” says Claire. “Instead, choose a sulphate-free shampoo or a scalp scrub to keep your scalp clean.” Example: If your hair is still feeling dry after a month of following strict CGM, try adding in a leave-in conditioner before your gel, and/or a smoothing on a layer of oil after your gel to seal in moisture. Gel still not working out for your waves or curls? Try switching to a mousse layered on top of a lightweight curl cream. Remember it really does take time. You’ve spent years putting chemicals into your hair as well as ironing it….it’ll take time to heal. It really can be a minefield but if you experiment and keep at it, you should definitely see results! 🙂

Drying & Diffusing

Curly – When hair is completely dry, bend forward and fluff from underneath to create lift. Don’t touch the top layer to avoid frizz.