Curly Girl Method (CGM) Thread

[zuzannaa.aaa]

I haven't found an official Curly Girl Method thread, but if there is one, please feel free to let me know or redirect me somehow! I thought it would be useful for us doing the method to have a place to troubleshoot on this website.

My current routine for my fine 2b waves consists of using Alberto VO5 Kiwi Lime Squeeze conditioner for both a CO-wash and as a final conditioner. For the CO-wash, I massage it in while bent at waist for about five minutes, then let it sit for about 15 minutes while I do other shower things to let the grease dissolve. I do this 1-2x a week. After rinsing throughly, I put in a palmful more into the lengths and fingercomb (gently) to detangle my hair. As soon as I get out of the shower, I scrunch out excess water from my hair using an old cotton t-shirt then flip my hair upside down while bent at waist and scrunch in some Herbal Essences Totally Twisted gel and let it dry. I found that plopping makes my hair heavy, but I still struggle with volume at the roots. If anyone has any tips, please let me know!

If you're also following the Curly Girl Method, I have some questions!

1) What's your hair type/curl pattern?
2) What do you use for your CO-wash?
3) What do you use for your final conditioner?
4) When do you put in your styling products and what are they?
5) How often do you wash?
6) How long have you been using this method and what results have you seen?
7) Do you do any other treatments along with the basic CO-wash and styling?

Let me know if you have any pro-tips as well! Thanks in advance.

[Dark40]

My hair type is 2c/3a, and I CO-wash using any type of cheap conditioner like Alberto VO5 Kiwi Lime Squeeze Conditioner. Or, I will also use Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Conditioner. My final conditioner is Herbal Essence Hello Hydration. I put my styling products in after I'm out of the shower, and they are just leave-in conditioners and hair creams. I wash 2-3 times a week. I've been following this method for 5 years, and I've been seeing some awesome results! Yes, I do deep conditioning treatments along with the basic CO-wash and styling.

[desisparkles]

I'm modified curly girl so there's that - I do use sulphates and clarifying shampoos as well as sulphate free shampoos and I brush my hair when wet and use boar bristles soft brush when dry from time to time.

I do not use silicones whatsoever.

I have fine mostly 2c waves.

when i clarify it's with renpure sage, tea tree shampoo or Vo5 mint tea shampoo.
mostly shampoo with giovanni root 66 or giovanni tea tree triple treat.
condition with gvp conditioning balm, nutrafix reconstructive protein treatment, not your mothers naturals purple, or not your mothers dark blue conditioners.
sometimes I mix a couple drops of oil with my condish in the shower (ROO rinse out oil method).
I wash every 5 to 6 days but if I wanna wash sooner I do.
I use a hair mask/ deep condish in the shower once every 2 to 4 weeks - green not your mothers masque is what I have used the last couple times.
Been curly girl since I first found out I was a wavy at the beginning of 2018.


I put this in the wavy wurly thread but I started doing the routine from this vid and my hair is loving it but I also like to just use mousse (blue not your mothers foam) or gel on it's own as a one and done.

https://youtu.be/pMV8JHS6HCA

after I wash and condition I put a pea amount of kinky curly knot today, then 2 pea amounts of blue not your mothers moisturising cream, brush with a wet brush, then smooth devacurl ultra defining gel - adding a quarter amount at a time about 5 quarters worth on wet but not dripping wet hair then scrunch.

I then plop in a muslin baby blanket for a while after gently squishing hair at roots and lengths to remove as much water as possible first - then let down and air dry - sometimes I use a claw clip to clip the front sides to the top as to add a little lift and get it out of my face.

i love flax seed gel as a curl enhancer and will be making some this week. I will use it before I smooth on my gel.

also I sleep with a silk scarf over my head and use satin pillow cases. The silk scarf has done wonders with smoothing and taming.

[lapushka]

I can't CO-wash, so I still use sulfates. I condition twice after a wash to "keep" my wave pattern and because I have quite dry lengths (oily scalp though, and SD (sebborheic dermatitis), which is why CO-washing is out).

I do stick to the "rules" such as not brushing dry. And use the LOC/LCO method for styling.

I don't strictly follow this method, but pick the things out that I like and that work for my hair.

[Simpscone]

I'm modified curly-girl too. I think a lot of people who follow CG do so in their own way!

1) What's your hair type/curl pattern? I tend to say I have 2c waves/wurls. Some of my hair forms ringlets, some barely waves without damp-styling though.
2) What do you use for your CO-wash? I have As I Am's Coconut Cowash and have used it for years. I shampoo every other wash with a sulphate-free shampoo (currently Maui Moisture Sea Minerals). Sometimes I'll use a clarifying shampoo if my hair has been acting funky.
3) What do you use for your final conditioner? Currently using Tresemme Botanique Conditioner - used on and off for years and love it.
4) When do you put in your styling products and what are they? It varies a little depending on my schedule, but I try to put in my stylers immediately after getting out of the shower, then plopping in a microfibre towel for about half an hour to soak up all the excess water, before letting it down to air dry (or diffuse if I need to be somewhere). I use Cantu's Curl Cream and Deva Curls Ultra Defining Gel. Sometimes I will use a Denman Brush to twirl individual pieces and help with definition, but I've been super lazy with this recently and just been scrunching my hair then leaving it.
5) How often do you wash? Shampoo & Condition once a week, Cowash once a week. Considering switching to washing once a week instead, but I'm not a fan of how greasy my roots get and how tangled up my wurls get.
6) How long have you been using this method and what results have you seen? On and off for years, but I've properly been following the rules since February/March this year.
7) Do you do any other treatments along with the basic CO-wash and styling? I do a deep conditioning treatment whenever I fancy, normally once a week or fortnight! I also sometimes use argon oil on my ends when they are dry, but overall I've been trying to leave my hair to do it's own thing!

[SallySue]

My hair is fine/thin 2b/c-3a. I have done mostly CG for a year. Over time my hair has become much healthier, with more curl and shine. The worst things ever for my fine curly hair are direct heat and sulfate shampoos.

Practicing CG showed me what sulfates and silicones do to my hair. Since mine is prone to dryness I cannot use them on a regular basis. Instead, I use Shea Moisture shampoo and conditioner once or twice per week. Skipping shampoo to cowash can result in no volume, which is bad since my hair is thin. Shampoo is ok for me as long as it's sulfate free. Every other wash I do a deep conditioning treatment from the ears down. (If I put DC on my scalp I'll never have root volume!)

For styling, I start with wet hair and put leave-in conditioner and/or curl cream well distributed through the bottom half. I do scrunch+pump with plenty of gel all the way up to the root. Ecostyler is the best gel for me as it has lots of hold without drying hard.

For root volume, pay extra attention to the shape your hair is in when it dries. Clipping works wonders. So does sleeping in a pineapple in the days after a wash. When your roots get stretched out from tying hair up, mist with a spray bottle and the texture will come back.

Also, play attention to the weather when selecting products. Know what ingredients do what for you. Monitor the humidity. Selecting products is a delicate science and it takes time to get it right.

[lapushka]

If you're also following the Curly Girl Method, I have some questions!

I'm "kind of" following. Sort of haphazardly. But I will answer the questions!

1) What's your hair type/curl pattern? 2b/c
2) What do you use for your CO-wash? I don't CO-wash; I have to sulfate wash.
3) What do you use for your final conditioner? Anything I have on hand! My favorites are the Herbal Essences Hello Hydration and the L'Oréal Elsève (aka Elvive) extraordinary oil.
4) When do you put in your styling products and what are they? After my hair comes out the towel (usually after 30-45 minutes after washing). I have all sorts of stylers, leave-ins, curl creams, my gel, and a serum.
5) How often do you wash? Once a week, every Sunday usually.
6) How long have you been using this method and what results have you seen? I have been WCC, ROO, LOC/LCO (see signature) for years.
7) Do you do any other treatments along with the basic CO-wash and styling? All that I do is in my signature. I wash and then style. I do detangle dry before I wash (to save the drain), to get sheds out, then I have a sifter in my tub to catch hairs that come out during the wash, and then I last detangle once my hair comes out the towel. So I am big on detangling especially since I leave my hair mostly alone during the week.

[Arciela]

I follow CG, mostly. I cowash with suave clarifying condtioner..its the only condtioner I have found without ingredients that will irritate my scalp.

I use biolage ultra hydrasource condtioner as a leave in then plop for about 20 mins then I'll add gel. I'm looking for a good gel with a strong hold without proteins.

So far I've been doing this for a month and my hair is already way less oily, looks better and feels softer. It's no miracle yet though...I feel like I have a long way to go still.

[unheardletters]

1) What's your hair type/curl pattern?
2c a mix of waves and curls - almost 2c/3a

2) What do you use for your CO-wash?
Jessicurl

3) What do you use for your final conditioner?
Innersense color radiance conditioner

4) When do you put in your styling products and what are they?
I use curl keeper original or ag recoil then I use biosilk rock hard gellee. I either put them on soaking wet hair or damp hair, depending on the results I want. More volume if damp; frizz free if soaking. I rake in product and scrunch. I air dry, takes all day and my hair often is not fully dry until the next day. I’d probably get more spirals if I diffused dry but after 30 seconds I’m too bored to continue, so I cannot imagine doing that until my hair was fully dry.

5) How often do you wash?
I aim for once a week but I am not always consistent.

6) How long have you been using this method and what results have you seen?
Almost 2 years. My curls have gotten more defined, less frizz. My hair is my hydrated and happier. More curls than before doing cgm.

7) Do you do any other treatments along with the basic CO-wash and styling?
No. I tried deep conditioning but my hair doesn’t like it.

[zuzannaa.aaa]

My hair type is 2c/3a, and I CO-wash using any type of cheap conditioner like Alberto VO5 Kiwi Lime Squeeze Conditioner. Or, I will also use Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Conditioner. My final conditioner is Herbal Essence Hello Hydration. I put my styling products in after I'm out of the shower, and they are just leave-in conditioners and hair creams. I wash 2-3 times a week. I've been following this method for 5 years, and I've been seeing some awesome results! Yes, I do deep conditioning treatments along with the basic CO-wash and styling.

Dark40 Your routine seems to follow the basic CG ideas, and I also really like that conditioner and I'm glad you get awesome results from the method! I'm still relatively new to the method, and haven't found a good deep treatment or protein free conditioner since the VO5 one contains Hydrolyzed Collagen and gives me straw ends after a few washes. If you have any recommendations please let me know!