Thank you so much for all the love for my first post What is the Curly Girl Method? I’ve been on my curly hair journey since May 2017. I wanted to share this post on understanding curly girl techniques. So you know your plop from your pineapple. And how to best enhance and maximise your curls, whilst also reducing frizz. In this post, I’m going to help you understand the lingo and get to grips with the techniques. So you can continue on your curly hair journey, feeling more confident and knowledgeable.
Co-Wash
This is staple part of the curly girl method, but not in my Curl Maven Method. A co-wash is a conditioning wash (shampoo). Or using a conditioner – in place of shampoo – to wash your hair. But conditioners can feel heavy and greasy, especially on fine hair. So the co-wash was born. However, co-washing is best suited to those with type 4 curly, kinky or coily hair which tends to need more moisture. Co-washing doesn’t really suit type 2 wavy or type 3 curly hair for very long. As it tends to over moisturize and weigh down those hair types.
My favourite budget co-wash is the As I Am Coconut Co-Wash – CURLMAVEN for 20% off at LOOKFANTASTIC. Or Miribel Naturals Creamy Hair Cleanser is another favourite. CURLMAVEN for 10% off Miribel Naturals in the USA, or Kiyo Beauty in the UK. I also talk a little more about co-washing in this post.
SOTC
This one baffled me in the beginning! It means Scrunch Out The Crunch. Which can still leave people guessing. Almost every curly girl has experienced that wet look, with crunchy or crispy curls. Mousse, gels and custards are the culprits, as they create a “cast” on the hair. Which is good, you want that! That protective cast is forming as the hair dries to prevent it from getting frizzy and losing definition. This is my hair, fully dry before I’ve scrunched out the crunch. I used Pantene Defined Curls Mousse, and Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly – CURLMAVEN for 20% off.
What I didn’t realise was that you’re supposed to break that cast, to reveal your soft, bouncy curls underneath. Think of it like applying fake tan. Applying it is only part of the process. You’ve got to wash off the guide colour to reveal the golden tan underneath. Same with applying your hair products. Scrunch out the crunch and break that gel cast to reveal the soft, bouncy waves and frizz-free defined curls underneath. Just don’t do it too soon. Your hair needs to be 100% dry before you SOTC otherwise you’ll just create lots of frizz.
Look at the difference in volume and texture after I SOTC. I use my hands, some people use a light oil like jojoba or grape seed. But I don’t recommend using or putting oils on dry hair. It’s only “sealing moisture in” if your hair is wet when you apply oils. You can’t seal moisture into something if it’s already dry when you apply it.
I’ve used Pantene Defined Curls Mousse for years and years – actually decades! Long before I discovered the curly girl method or developed my Curl Maven Method. On my wash days, I would always have crunchy, crispy hair – which I hated! It wasn’t until the next day that my real curls would make an appearance. After the cast and crunch had been scrunched out during the night as I slept. Now I do it once my hair is fully dry and I don’t have to wait a day to have gorgeous curls.
Top Tip: If you wash your hair in the morning and have a date or event on in the evening. Leave your cast in for as long as possible before SOTC. This will protect and preserve your curls for longer.
Pineapple
“What on earth does a pineapple have to do with curly hair?!” I thought the exact same thing. Think of those cute little toddlers walking around with a tiny ponytail right on the top of their head. It looks just like a pineapple right? Well, putting your curly hair in a pineapple is one of the best ways to protect your hair at night while you sleep. Or naps – I love a good nap during the day! Don’t mistake this for a top knot. The pineapple is much looser, to protect your curls, and less twisting into a knot. You can use a silk scrunchie – CURLMAVEN for 20% off. Or I prefer to use a mini sized Puff Cuff – CURLMAVEN for 15% off. Or 10% off at Kiyo Beauty in the UK who ship worldwide.
Top Tip: Always SOTC before putting your hair in a pineapple, especially before bed. I’ve tried leaving my hair in a cast and putting it in a pineapple before bed only to wake up the next morning and my hair is a hot mess!
If you’re hair is shorter, you might not be able to gather all the pieces of your hair at the back of your head into your pineapple – that’s okay. If you’re hair is longer, like mine; don’t pull it all the way through the last loop of your hair tie. Keep as much hair as possible on the top of your head. Pineappling is my favourite time of the day! It means it’s time to wash my face and do my night time skincare routine. And bed time isn’t far away. Here’s how to do it, and you’re only going to loop the hair tie once or twice at most – it shouldn’t be tight.
Plopping
This one is worse than the pineapple! I found a photo recently from the early 90’s. And there I was, plopping with a massive towel on my head. It’s basically using a dry towel or t-shirt to soak up excess water and product, reduce frizz, enhance definition and speed up drying. Make sure you use a cotton t-shirt or microfibre towel to “plop.” My favourite curl towel for plopping is either the Bouclème 100% cotton jersey towel or the Aquis Lisse Luxe Towel.
I don’t really like microfibre towels, I find them only a little better than a regular terry body towel. They tend to absorb too much water and product, and the roughness still causes some frizz. But, if you prefer a microfibre towel to the ones mentioned above. Then the best one, in my opinion, is the DevaCurl microfibre towel. CURLMAVEN for 20% off all those towels mentioned at LOOKFANTASTIC, who ship worldwide. Alternatively, you can use a cotton t-shirt.
How to Plop
The art of plopping – indulge me here; let’s at least try to make it sound glamorous! Lay the towel/t-shirt on the bed, usually below waist height helps – especially if you’ve got a bad back. Flip your hair over, grabbing it in the same way you would start your pineapple. “Plop” your wet or damp hair onto the middle of the towel, with your forehead nearest the edge. Fold over the remaining towel or t-shirt over the back of your head. So it sits at the nape of your neck. Then tie with the sides of the towel, or the sleeves of the t-shirt to secure.
To avoid your dry towel or t-shirt soaking up all your styling products. Either wait 10-15 minutes or I prefer to diffuse for 10-15 minutes until my hair is about 60-70% dry. THEN I plop! Leaving it on for no longer than 20-30 minutes before taking my hair out of the plop to fully air dry.
Plopping really helps define the curl pattern and formation. Always scrunch the hair just before putting it in the plop. This is to get as much definition and curl into the hair as possible. As you can see from the images, it ain’t pretty or flattering. But – when done correctly – the definition is worth it! DO NOT plop overnight, or longer than an hour MAX! This causes all sorts of issues, from itchy, irritated scalp, to dandruff, yeast infections and over-moisturized hair – even hygral fatigue! I have medium-high porosity hair, which takes ages to dry and is naturally prone to being over moisturized. So I never plop over night, always diffuse before plopping, and never plop for longer than 15-20 mins.
Caution: Going to bed with wet hair increases the risk of hygral fatigue. This can leave your hair limp and fluffy to the point where it’s almost mushy and can’t hold a curl. I don’t recommend going to bed with your wet hair in a plop. And certainly not with a deep conditioning treatment in.
Rake & Shake
I feel like this post is getting more ridiculous with each title! Raking is a technique to de-tangle curly hair in the shower, and distribute products through your hair. I use my fingers to rake through my hair during the shower when I apply my conditioner and any deep conditioning products – from the ends upwards. Some people like to use the same raking method to distribute their styling products too. And then “shake” their hair to encourage curl pattern and formation.
This is done by holding the ends of your hair in sections, and shaking it up to the root. You can also use a brush to do this, like the modified Denman brush (just pull out every other row of bristles). Or the Denman cushioned paddle brush (my personal favourite and have used for decades!) – CURLMAVEN for 20% off both. Personally, I’m not a fan of this method as it pulls out my curls.
Top Tip: If you want a looser curl pattern, more like beachy boho waves. Then use the Rake & Shake method either with your fingers, or a wide tooth comb to wash and apply all your products.
Praying Hands
No, not yoga! Using praying hands to distribute hair products is a great alternative to brushing, combing or raking. Which can sometimes pull your hair, disrupting your curl pattern and formation. You can use praying hands (from the ends upwards) to apply your conditioners and styling products. Then gently smooth down and scrunch to encourage curl formation, pattern and clumping.
Squish to Condish
If you want to get the most moisture and hydration from your conditioner, deep conditioner or hair mask, you need to learn the “squish to condish” technique. It’s means squishing your hair to condition it. Also called “scrunching.” This is the art of scrunching your hair, primarily to encourage your hair to drink up and absorb the hydration from the water, and the moisture from the conditoner. As well as encourage curl definition – which I’ve mentioned a lot in this post.
Top Tip: If you’re pushed for time, using this method is a great way to get product into the cuticles of your hair quickly. It’s also great for low porosity hair where the cuticles tend to lay flat. By pushing the product upwards, it penetrates the hair shaft more efficiently than brushing or using praying hands which uses downward motions.
I apply conditioner from the ends upwards to about two or three inches from my root. Using the glazing or praying hands method. Then I brush through with the Denman Paddle Brush – CURLMAVEN for 20% off. To 1) distribute the product evenly throughout my hair. 2) detangle my hair and only remove what’s naturally excess shedding. And 3) define my curls and create clumps. Once I’ve done that, I gently “squish to condish” for a minute or two, until I can see that my hair has absorbed the conditioner. Low porosity hair will need to do this for longer. High porosity hair only do this for a minute or two. Read this post for more info on Hair Porosity. I do this exact same technique, to do all the same things when I’m styling.
Top Tip: Don’t squish to condish too hard. Otherwise you’re squeezing the product and water out of your hair instead of squishing it in. And it’ causes lots of root/halo frizz. It’s a gentle squish, rather than a tight squeeze.
Finally, Clumps
Like I’ve said, the titles in this post sound ridiculous. Anyway, clumps are a curly girl’s best friend. All of the techniques (apart from Rake & Shake) will help encourage big, thick, juicy curl clumps and ringlets. However, if you’re going to use a brush to help you do this. I only recommend the Denman Paddle Brush – CURLMAVEN for 20% off. The Wet Brush (or ones like it with the same kind of thin bristles) will separate the strands of the curls too much. Resulting in stringy, bitty curls – the opposite of clumps. So if you’ve tried using a brush, but you’re not getting the results you want, change the brush.
One of the reasons praying hands, squishing and scrunching is so good, is because it encourages the hair to cling and bind to itself. Thus, clumping occurs! And this is a wonderful thing as it creates big, bouncy curls. Rather than stringy curls, which tend to be looser too. If you’re struggling to get curly clumps, try squeezing sections of your hair together, vertically, with your hands.
Top Tip: If your hair looks stringy and bitty after applying your products. Wet your hair again with the shower head, tap or spray bottle. Just enough to wet your hair, not so much that you wash all the products out. Voila, clumps will re-appear! Scrunch the individual clumps a couple of times to encourage curl pattern once again, and then dry.
Wow, that was a really long post! But I really wanted to get all the techniques in one post so you can be fully up to speed. I hope you found this post helpful and you know your plop from your pineapple.
If you want more tips and advice like this post for your washday, check out my Washday Workbook here! Comment below with any questions, what are your favourite techniques? And let me know what you’d like to see me cover/try out next.
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Your blog posts about curls are so helpful! I have 3b curls, usually I use a heavier cream product everyday 2 days after washing because I have a lot of frizz, and just apply it lightly in a downward motion root to tip. Lately, as my hair is long, this is making me lose volume! I also moved somewhere with a very low humidity which seems to make my curls dry and flat. Any troubleshooting tips?? Anytime I try a most of these techniques – pineappling, praying hands, and sometimes even clumping my curls, they turn stringy and thin – or too separated as if I’ve brushed it.
Heavy cream products in low humidity on long hair is going to weigh your hair down and cause it to lose volume and be flat. Check out my post on how I get root volume in my curly hair to help you with that. If your curls are stringy or separated after brushing, re-wet your hair again, then scrunch, a lot. Hope that helps, Gabriella xoxo
Love this post! I’m a lot less confused now
Do you use the As I Am cowash for squish to condish or a different leave in conditioner?
I only wash my hair once to twice a week and would scrunch conditioner into my hair instead of using product anyway. Going CG for me seems to be more about changing to CG friendly products and tweaking my current Haircare methods as I do most of them anyway (phew!).
Thanks for your response on the FB page – just putting in my order for the As I Am cowash as recommended but just wondering whether to add anything for squishing at the moment!
Thanks
Nikki x
Hi Nikki, I use the As I Am Co-Wash as a “shampoo”. After rinsing that out, I apply a conditioner using the squish to condish method. Then I squish to rinse, cupping water in my hands before squishing my hair. This way I don’t wash all the conditioner out of my hair. My hair seems to prefer this to using leave-in conditioner. Hope that helps, Gabriella xoxo
You have great information and beautiful hair!! I’m trying to find information regarding deep conditioning. Thank you
Thank you so much! I will definitely do a post on deep conditioning soon! Make sure you check out my DIY Microwavable Deep Conditioning Heat Cap tutorial because that’s going to make any deep conditioner really penetrate your hair shaft and give you much better results. Gabriella xoxo
What do you think about the rest of the as I am hair products line for low porosity hair!?
I’ve heard good things, I have only tried the coconut co wash and the leave in, but I love them both for my low porosity hair. x
Hi Gabriella, love your posts! So good to find someone in the UK talking about products we can get here. I have fine porous hair, 2c/3a with a few ringlets thrown in. I actually use the pantene mousse and the gel you use. What amounts do you apply? I think your hair is a bit thicker than mine..thanks again, Lou
Thanks Lou, I’m glad you’re finding the posts helpful! I love the Pantene Mousse! I used to use lots of it when it was the only styling product I used. Now that I layer my hair care products though, I use less of each product if that makes sense. And yes, my hair is super thick!
You’re hair is so beautiful! I started my CG journey January 2017, my curls were popping and looking so good for about 10 months! Then I wanted to go blonde and started the process in November …. my hair is dark brown… my curls loosened up but I was ok with it because I knew bleaching my hair would loosen up my curls and I will have to baby my hair back to health. My curls kept up with me so I was happy that I didn’t ruin my curls. Last month I had a root touch up and lightened my hair even more. I think I pushed it 🙁 my hair is now in a stringy wave funk that it won’t go past it. I started protein treatments but I noticed my hair is starting to be straight! My hair is drying out and barley curling again. I know, I messed up! I’ve recently started following you and have been reading your blogs. I have naturally 2c & 3a curls but right now my hair is looking like a 2a. My hair is low porsity and the creams/stylers I used before I bleached it is now weighing my hair down. I’ve been struggling to find a new cocktail for my hair after I bleached it. This may sound silly, but would protein treatments be the cause of my hair not curling? I’ve stopped the protein treatments, I cowash and deep condition. What do you recommend to help with my hair? It doesn’t break but lately my hair has been feeling very brittle and frizzy. I haven’t found a good combo for my hair. I usually use a leave in condistioner and styled but my hair is not working with me Help!!!
Hi Gabriella!
You hair is simply gorgeous! I have 2 quick questions, do you get your hands wet when SOTC? and do you diffuse your hair to dry it before you break the cast?
Thank you! 🙂
Hi Monica, I don’t wet my hands to SOTC or use oil or anything else. I always diffuse my hair to dry it. I have low porosity hair so it takes hours and hours to dry if I let it hair dry. Diffusing also adds volume and helps with my curl definition. Hope that helps!
I can’t wait to get started
I am just about to start the CG method, but the thought of leaving conditioner in my hair scares me!! I have low porosity hair that is fine and thin. Any product that is thick or oily weighs my hair down tremendously. Is it OK to rinse all of the conditioner out and use a light spray leave in conditioner on the ends of my hair plus gel or mousse?
I’ve just started the CG method myself. I think I have low porosity hair with maybe a 2c curl. I washed my hair yesterday evening and left to dry natural and just scrunched in my leave in conditioner. Soon the curls began to form and I was happy with the result! However I am defo going to try the SOTC method with Pantene moose as I didn’t have any product to seal the curls. I was just wondering how you go about touching up your hair on the 2nd day? Do you spray with water or a leave conditioner and do you add more product on day 2? My hair doesn’t need a wash yet so just wondering what to do until it does… Rach x
Hi Rachael, your curl pattern doesn’t really matter, as that will often change when embarking on the CG journey. I have a post about that. Your hair porosity is important though, I’ve got a post on that too so be sure to check it out. My favourite and best washes are when I don’t have to refresh between washes. But if and when I do, I spray my hair with warm water, or use handfuls of warm water and scrunch it up into my hair. I then smooth and scrunch in a mixture of gel (either Boucleme Gel or Aussie Instant Freeze usually) with lube, yes KY Jelly. That’s great at reviving my curls and locking them in for frizz free curls between washes. I hope that helps. xx
What is your opinion about flaxseed gel.i love my hair with flaxseed gel but the problem is that the cast lasts only one day.is there any tip to lasts2 or 3 days..i don’t like readymade products since most of store bought products are allergic to me.
SAME! I like flaxseed gel as a curl enhancer, but it doesn’t have enough hold for me, and rarely do I get a cast. So maybe try pairing it with a gel after you’ve applied your flaxseed for more hold that will last longer….As for most ready made products causing allergic reactions. I would advise to do a bit more research into the ingredients of what products cause that reaction. For example, there are 2 ingredients that are really long and start with the letter M, also known the Itchy M’s and these can cause people to have a really itchy, sensitive scalp. So maybe you need to stay away from products that contain those ingredients…Hope that helps xoxo
I’m just about to start trying the Curly Girl method, this was so so helpful thank you for writing it.
Aww thank you! Make sure you check out the CG Basics tab on the site, and the post on What is the Curly Girl Method? I’ll link it here for you, https://curlmaven.ie/what-is-the-curly-girl-method/ xoxo
Love your directions but confused about brushing. You use the word a couple times in your directions. At what stage can you brush your hair.
Hi, sorry if I didn’t explain it properly. I only brush my hair when it’s got conditioner or a deep conditioner in it, or sometimes when I’ve got my styling products in my hair while it’s still wet to help the curls clump together. Does that make sense/help? I never ever brush my hair when it’s dry though. Never!
Great post! Thanks for sharing some specifics about the pineapple and other things… I’ve been twisting my hair up, so there’s one thing to stop doing. I’m looking forward to trying wetting my hair after applying products…I did everything right yesterday and had nice juicy clumps right out of the shower, but things went stringy with gel, so hopefully that’s the ticket for me!
okay, a couple of things. Twisting your hair up in one big bun is pulling out the natural curl pattern. I did a lot of damage to my hair by doing that! When you said your hair went stringy with gel. It may be because the gel contained protein. Too much protein can cause the hair to go stringy. Alternatively, if it’s not a protein gel, and your hair goes stringy after applying your styling product. You can either use praying hands a few times, or brush it with a Denman paddle brush to, both will encourage your hair to clump again. Hope that helps! xoxo
I just need to be reassured that I understand correctly about the order of applying gel for a cast and plopping. Do you apply the curling gel right out of the shower while hair is wet and then diffuse to dry it somewhat and THEN plop? OR is the order different from my understanding? I am new to the CGM. Glad I found you! I have a lot of long but fine, low porosity hair.
Hi Ruth, no worries. It can be very confusing, especially at the beginning! To answer your question, it depends on what works for you. I like to apply my styling products in the shower while my hair is still wet. I then let the products sit for a little bit to set. If you go straight to towel drying your hair, the towel will soak up the products you’ve just applied, instead of your hair. After 5-10 mins, I then diffuse my hair until it’s about 80% dry, and then I plop using my curl towel, or clip the roots and let it air dry the rest of the way. Once it’s FULLY DRY, only then will I scrunch out the crunch. Does that all make sense?
How did you lay in bed and sleep that night? Was it hard to undress and put on nightclothes when your hair was in conditioner?
Yes, I wouldn’t recommend sleeping in the plop or with your hair full of conditioner – it can lead to over moisturised hair or hygral fatigue
You have beautiful hair!!!! Mine can look like this wet, but once it dries and I scrunch out the cast, it all goes downhill.
Are you using enough product? If it goes limp ,lifeless and loses curl defintion after a few hours, it could also be that you need to clarify, or your protein moisture balance is off and you need to do a protein treatment, see this post for more info and details, https://curlmaven.ie/protein-moisture-balance/
This is so, SO helpful and straightforward. I used to have straight hair, but my hair gets more and more curly after each baby (in sections of course, not evenly over my scalp. It is only the very front section that is still straight now), so I had absolutely no idea what to do with my new found curls. Thank you for the information and techniques!
Aww that’s so amazing Aerylin – and what a beautiful name! How do you pronounce it? My curls have never changed, not through puberty, pregnancy or after having babies. I’m glad my content has been able to help you though! xoxo
I have shorter hair that barely hits my shoulders, so I don’t know what to do for the plopping and pineapple method (God these names), will I just let the shorter parts of my hair fall out? (By the shorter parts I mean about half of my hair ;’D)
Hi Eva, do you mean when you’re protecting your curls at night? If so, I’ve got a new post dedicated to how I protect my curls at night and my hair is just to my shoulders so you should find it helpful. https://curlmaven.ie/how-i-protect-my-curly-hair-at-night/ xoxo
I would like to know what you use as stylers when travelling.
I know I can bring gel but not mousse and trying to figure out what to pack. Have purchased travel size Giovanni products.
Thanks love your knowledge.
Hi Jenifer, that’s actually a really great question! And I’m going to do a post on that soon, as I’m travelling in a few weeks. I either purchase travel sizes of my favourite products, or I’ll save travel sized bottles that are empty, and just refill them before I leave. For mousse, I purchase it once I’m either the other side of the security gates, or I purchase it in the country I’m travelling to. Hope that helps xoxo
Is the LOC method CG method friendly? Do you recommend using it as well? What about pre-poo? How often do I use hair mask? What about protein treatment? Is Detangler CG friendly? How often do I co-wash and pre-poo? Do I ever wash with a sulfate free shampoo for like build up? I’m sorry for all the questions. My daughter has type 3a curls and I know nothing. My hair is as flas a board and oily. She Puerto Rican and white. What do I need? Please help!
Oh and do I need mousse as well? Lol
Use a mousse if that works for your daughter’s hair. It’s trial and error, see what works and what doesn’t. Don’t expect to crack it first time. It takes research, time, patience, trial and error.
Hi Balie, if you have a look at the posts on this site, you’ll find the answers to a lot of your questions. Take a deep breath, one thing at a time. The LOC = leave in conditioner, oil and them cream. Personally I don’t use oils on my hair, so I don’t do it. I don’t pre-poo either. Use a hair mask as often as you feel your daughter’s hair needs it. Once a week, a fortnight, a month…I have a couple of posts on protein treatments: protein moisture balance, and my rice water rinse. Maybe don’t get SO caught up on what’s CG, as in techniques. By detangling, do you mean a brush or a product? Use a brush if you have to, like a paddle denman brush. Co-wash if you like, or low poo – whichever works best for your daugther’s hair. There’s a post about build up, clarifying, sulfate shampoo etc. Slow down, take a breath, start simple and take it from there. x
The funny thing is, I’ve been using a number of these methods for years without knowing there were names for them! I actually put my gel in while still in the shower, then shake it out with my fingers inserted near the roots, scrunch and then put in a microfiber turban/towel. When I take it out, I give it another shake and some scrunching and hands off until it dries crunchy (often sleeping with it pulled loosely up). Then I put some Moroccan oil on my hands and run them over my hair as if I were going to put it up in a ponytail until the curls have softened. I’m good as gold for days!
Hi Stephanie, yes I was the same. There’s lots of CG things I’ve been doing for years, I just didn’t know there was a name for them, or they were part of a particular method. I will say though, just in case you do follow the CG method, Moroccan Oil isn’t CG friendly…..
I can’t believe the idfference this made! Ever since I started the CGM I’ve had frizzy hair until right now! I washed and applied using prayer hands and scrunching, then diffues for 6 mins and plopped for 20 mins. Then I let air dry and I have almost zero Friz. Thank you!
Aww Melissa that’s awesome to hear! I’m so glad my tips helped you! xoxo
Thank you so much for such informative post! I have been so lost trying to figure out how to take care of my daughters curls! I am so glad that I found out about these techniques now and it will help to preserve her curls. She is 5 and I can’t believe no one ever asked me if I know how to take care of her curly hair since both my husband and I have straight hair (she got my dad’s hair). I noticed that it really got out of shape lately and started researching and asking for help in mom’s groups and they told me about CG method. You have gorgeous hair by the way 🙂 Thank you!
Aww thank you so much Anna! My mum didn’t have curly hair, I got it from my dad, who wasn’t around when I was growing up. So she had no clue how to look after my curls. I have 2 curly children, and I’ve got a few highlights about how I care for my daughter’s hair on my Instagram if you want to check that out. http://www.instagram.com/curlycailin.ie
I recently stopped straightening my hair, and decided to go curly again. I have always layered my hair when I had it cut. Now that I am going natural. Or I call it wash & wear hair, i bought a curly shampoo & conditioner & then use lustig argon oil curl wave twist. After washing, conditioning and using the lusti’s, I scrunch my hair, i leave the bottom part of my hair down. Then i put the rest in a scrunchie. As it dries I repeat until it drys. I wash hair at night, then put in 2 scrunchies when I go to sleep 1 around the middle of my head the 2nd part is I take the top part of my hair into the other scrunch on top of my head [ like the pineapple. ] My hair is to my shoulders. Is this ok?
Hello! Just finding out about curly girl method. I am trying to understand what of my routine I need to change currently. Overall my hair will curl, but after day 1 of washing/styling it will get very frizzy. I think I have 3a? It is coarse, thick, and long. Low porosity.
My current method: use shampoo and then conditioner, then was towel drying a little, then applied Herbal Essence totally twisted gel, followed by HE totally twisted mousse, then air dry.
So I understand I need to change to the cowash (saw your As I Am coconut recommendation). So do that, then condition after that? With the same product or different one (if so which one)? Then no towel, but apply gel or mousse after out of shower and hair still wet? And then do the plop? My current regimen does not create a cast, which I’m guessing is why it looks awful the next day because it’s not staying in place? How do I make a cast? Just different hair product? Thanks for any help!
Hi Allison. You can use a low poo or a co wash. It just depends on what works best for your hair and what you prefer. DEFINITELY ditch the towel as that does nothing but roughen up the cuticle and cause frizz! I’ve got posts on my favourite products and how to build a curly girl routine, so definitely check out those posts for product recommendations and how to put it all together. Don’t use the As I Am Co Wash as a conditioner though. If your hair is very dry and frizzy, I would use a leave in conditioner such as Giovanni Direct Leave In, then apply mousse (the one you have is fine) and then apply gel. Leave for a few mins before diffusing, dont’ move your hair around too much until the cast has formed and it’s fully dry. Hope that helps!
Hi Gabriella,
Thanks for such an amazing website. I’m just at the very start of my CG method journey and am finding it incredibly helpful, especially as I’m in Ireland so it’s great to know which products I can order online etc. I have a question that I’m hoping you might be able to help me with please. Is it ok to use a tangle teezer to detangle my hair when I’m washing it? I usually comb out the tangles with the tangle teezer while the conditioner is in my hair. Or is there a different type of comb or brush I should use instead or just try to detangle with my fingers? Thank you, Claire
Hi Claire – fellow Irish curly, yay! Personally I’m not such a big fan of the Tangle Teezer. I would much prefer and recommend the Denman Paddle Brush – you can get it in Boots, most pharmacies or supermarkets that sell Denman brushes. But please note, it’s the ONLY Denman brush, or any kind of brush I recommend using for curly hair. You may come across some stuff in the curly community about modified Denman brushes, and I don’t find those as good, they aren’t as gentle on the hair as the padded one. Hope that helps! Gabriella x
Help! I have tried multiple different methods for overnight care of my hair, durimg the day my job requires me to put my hair up multiple times through out the day, I have yet to find a product or method that doesn’t end up with my hair being a tangled and snarled mess at the end of the day. Morning time my curls are on point, by bedtime I’m having to fully wet and wide tooth comb my hair because it is so snarled and awful.
Hi Elizabeth, I’ve got a post about how I protect my curls at night which I think you might find very helpful. Here’s the link: https://curlmaven.ie/how-i-protect-my-curly-hair-at-night/
Hi Gabriella, Thank you for the wonderful post. Is a wide tooth comb good for detangling in the shower? I have a Denman brush not the paddle one. I didn’t realize it was hard on the hair should i use the wide tooth comb instead i don’t want to spend more money on another brush at this time. Also do you have low or High porosity hair? I think mine is high because it takes so long to dry and it gets so frizzy and gets wet fast. Has your porosity changed over time? Also are you also known as Cailin? In your post on plopping you mention diffusing first till about 70% dry then scrunching like crazy before plopping for 20 min. Did you mean to scrunch after plopping and the hair is completely dry? One more question when i apply my products upside down in the shower often the hair at the back of my head gets tangled after i apply my products and the curls don’t fall nice maybe i have to concentrate on moving my head side to side more when apply the products.
Hi, loving all this information and it’s really helping me.. just one quick question, do you use any hairspray, spritz or anything else to keep the curls longer? My curls seem to fall after a few hours . Thanks
Hi, Yes, I use the Bounce Curl Hairspray, which I spray onto my hair just before I start diffusing, or when I’m half way through diffusing. You can get 10% off Bounce Curl using code CURLYCAILIN10
I’m new to all this and I discovered that Ihave high porosity hair. I did the dry strand test and it takes all day for my hair to dry. However, my hair gets weighed down very easily as if it were low porosity. Should I start with lighter products and then go from there or do you have another recommendation? Thanks.
Personally I always advise using light weight products, unless your hair is very textured and coiled and prefers heavier products. If your hair is fine, like the strands are fine, or you don’t have a lot of hair, it will get weighed down easily. I have lots of posts on my blog on what to buy, reviews and recommendations which I suggest you check it out. I’ve got medium porosity hair, which is very fine and gets easily weighed down too.
Hi, Great post, thanks so much for explaining, helps a lot! One question though: I’m still a little confused about brushing. See, I only wash my hair 1-2 times a week, so the rest of the time it’s dry and you said to never brush hair when it’s dry. How should I go about that? I don’t really have time (or enough warm water) to wash it more often…Thanks!
Hi Marie, twice a week is perfect for washing. You don’t need to brush in between, you’ll do so much damage brushing dry hair! Just run a brush through it on wash days, when you have your conditioner and/or styling products in it before you diffuse/dry and that’s it. Hope that helps x
Won’t it tangle like crazy if I only brush it twice a week? I already have enough trouble getting it detangled on a daily basis, how will that be with so little brushing? I have no doubt you’re right, I’m just curious how it works. Thanks!
I’m so glad you asked this, because this is exactly what has me completely confused. I don’t know what to do with the tangled mess of hair at the end of the day or the next morning.
Hey! Recently discovered your blog via a friend, using covid 19 quarantine to rediscover my curls. So far so good! Pineapple at night and silk pillowcase is giving me second day curls that I never had before! My question is for when I go back to work. I know it’s a while away yet and my curls should be even better by then, but I work in a swimming pool and need to keep my hair up out of the way, but still look half decent (so I can’t do a full on noght time pineapple for work!) but I don’t wanna ruin my curls by tying them up in a tight bun. Do I have any tutorials or tips for top knot type things daily for people in a similar position? I guess it would be the same for anyone on holiday who wants to keep their hair up off their neck and shoulders. Thanks in advance!
Hi Lyndsay, I’m so glad you’re finding my content helpful. Check out this post for alternative styles: https://curlmaven.ie/7-hair-styles-to-make-your-wash-days-last-longer/
Hi, have you ever used the brand Shea Moisture? If so what did you think?
Yes I have. I can’t think of anything worse to put on my hair. I do not recommend any Shea Moisture, Cantu or Not Your Mother’s Nature products on this blog, they will only cause damage in the long term. I see it time and time again, and would rather wash my hair with dish soap.
Oh dear, I have just spent on Shea Moisture repair and protect leave in conditioner (the one with castor oil). Just curious to know why you avoid Shea Moisture products and what long term harm it can do. I have absolutely no doubts about your advice but I just want to make an informed choice that is all, to either
1. Ditch it right away or
2. Ditch it after the tub is empty
Thanks in advance!!
I would ditch right away, but that’s completely up to you .
I was wondering if you have any tips for air drying. And also if you’ve done it vs. diffusing and have pictures. Your website is great – just did the rice water rinse and it helped my hair so much!
I really enjoy your posts! They have helped me so much in trying to figure out my hair and what it wants and needs. Iv read through so many articles and watched so many videos and always come back to yours. You do your research and add in all the details needed to fully understand the information. I appreciate that and your time! Your post about knowing if your hair needs protien vs moisture and balancing it was so informative and it’s the first time I was able to pinpoint that I had to much moisture. Thanks for all the details in that and what to look for!
Hello, I ‘m excited to start the curly girl routine. I’ve ordered some curly girl friendly products, such as Boucleme low poo cleanser, light conditioner, curl cream and of course Pantene curl mousse! I have high porosity fine hair, that has a mix of 2c and 3a curls currently . This week, I thought I would begin by Co washing using the As I Am Co wash and I used some leave in conditioner etc. The problem is now my curls are waves, and they feel straw like. I am guessing after reading your blog, that my hair is experiencing protein overload. Looking at the ingredients, they appear to be high in protein as they all contain coconut oil amongst other oils. I also tried applying my products by raking, however I don’t think helped with curl formation. I’m going to try the praying hands method once my products turn up this week. Any advice you can give to help me on my curly girl journey would be much appreciated! Thanks, Zoe.
Hi Zoe, it could be more that the coconut co wash was too heavy for your fine hair. Or you used too much. I also don’t advise skipping regular conditioner. Raking will often pull out the curl pattern, especially on fine hair and waves. I have a YouTube video on my full wash day routine where I go through the various different application techniques to encourage and enhance curl definition, volume, clumps and minimize frizz, I recommend you check that out here: https://youtu.be/b3y593StTcA
Hello! I love all your information! I have very thick, 3b high porosity hair and still struggle with frizz. I’ve been following CG method for almost a year. I am using all jessicurl products but feel it leaves my curls more stringy and not enough hold. I deep condition weekly. Just curious what products you recommend for thick, hair that does not get weighed down!
Hi Stephanie, I’ve got a few posts on reviews of brands and products I love, as well as My Favourite Products of 2019, and previous years if you want to take a look at those posts as they are all products that I love, use and recommend and they don’t weigh the hair down.
Hello! Thank you for your wonderful posts. I’ve been having great results with the LMG method. I just purchased a Denman brush to try out for the first time, and I’m wondering: Do you plop before or after using the Denman brush? Or should I skip plopping entirely? Right now I apply all my products in the shower after washing, then plop, then diffuse. Thanks!
Hi Jessica, so glad you’re having great results with the LMG method. I don’t really plop, as I don’t find it beneficial for definition and volume, and I have high porosity hair so it takes longer to dry anyway. If I do plop, due to needing to dry my hair quicker, or don’t have time to dry it fully, then I’ll diffuse my hair until 70-80% dry and THEN plop. Huge difference!
Hi. Your site is great and your hair lovely.
I have type 2b, maybe 2c waves if I’m being generous. I’m 60 years old and it’s dyed (forgive please). Is it possible for it to become more curly using the CGT and loose the frizz halo? I’ve been put onto your site by my son and daughter in law and have been following your system for about a month now. They recommend the Shea Butter Carribean range. Please help!
Cherry
Hi Cherry. Please don’t feel guilty for dying your hair. Yes it’s entirely possible for your natural curl pattern to become more curly from following the basic principles of the curly girl method, and focusing on healthy hair. You can get rid of the halo frizz too, I’ve got a blog post on exactly how to do that. But I don’t recommend Shea Moisture. Check out my Reviews and What to Buy tabs for what I use and recommend.
Hi, i’m trying curly girl method for the first time. My hair are wavy but in some parts they are also curly. So I decided to try As I am coconut cowash cleansing conditioner but I’m confused do I need to use also shampoo or anything else with it or just this cowash.
The co-wash is used in place of a shampoo, you still need to rinse it out and use a conditioner afterwards. x
Thank you so much for all your wonderful advice. Can you explain why she’s moisture and Cantu are bad. They seem to be approved products of the curly girl method. I’m confused why you feel they are so bad. Thanks
Geri
Just because something is “curly girl friendly” doesn’t make it a good product, or made using good quality ingredients or a good formula. (nothing is curly girl approved, as that would mean Lorraine Massey, writer of the curly girl method, would have to approve thousands of products).
Hey! I’ve been using the Kerastase Cleansing Condition that you mentioned at the top, and I’m wondering what you used to clarify your hair from all of the build-up? I bounce the Bounce Curl Clarifying Shampoo. Will that one work or do I need something stronger before moving to a different co-wash?
Thanks for all your posts! I think I’ve read almost all of them in the last two days lol.
Hi Claire, this post was written three years ago or more so I may need to update it and be using different products. I have a blog post all about clarifying if you want to check that out. Just use the search button on my site. x
Hi! After having a conversation with my sister about wanting to actually like my curls, I came across this year your site! I’m going to buy the co wash you recommend and probably the mousse but I need a couple things cleared up!
Does the mousse get put on with wet or dry hair?
I was going to use the co wash and mousse but would you recommend a conditioner too?
Thank you so much for the inspiration!
A co wash is just a cleanser, you still need to use a conditioner. And yes, apply mousse to wet hair works best. Not dripping wet hair, but wet.
you absolutely need to use a conditioner. A co wash is just a cleanser, in place of your shampoo. It doesn’t replace a conditioner. See my favourite products of the year posts, reviews and what to buy posts for more information on what products I use and recommend.
Hi! I know this is a bit of an old post but I’m gonna start trying some of this stuff to bring back my natural curls! I had a fun couple of years playing around with colors and short cuts, but now I’m growing back out and trying to get my old curls back. I was wondering, do you know of any shampoo and conditioner bars that you would recommend for this method? I’m working my way to eliminating unnecessary plastic waste, but there aren’t really any bars specifically for curly hair that I can find at least.
Sure, check out The Vida Bars x