Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

93 Comments

  1. Cheryl myers says:

    Thank you for your help. One thing is I always wash and wet my hair and put my product in but I live in an all night until I read what you wrote about it. Thank you.
    Cheryl

  2. 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.

    1. Sure, check out The Vida Bars x

    2. I bought so many products and I’m so confused I do put conditioners on why my hair is soaking wet and I also use wide tooth comb. My problem is I don’t know which to use in which sequence thanks.

  3. 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!

    1. 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.

    2. 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.

  4. 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.

    1. 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

  5. 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

    1. 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).

  6. 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.

    1. The co-wash is used in place of a shampoo, you still need to rinse it out and use a conditioner afterwards. x

  7. 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

    1. 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.

  8. Jessica Viada says:

    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!

    1. 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!

  9. Stephanie says:

    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!

    1. 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.

  10. 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.

    1. 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

  11. Christina Whitcomb says:

    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!

  12. 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!

  13. Lyndsay O'Hagan says:

    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!

    1. Gina Marsden says:

      Hi, have you ever used the brand Shea Moisture? If so what did you think?

      1. 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.

        1. 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!!

          1. I would ditch right away, but that’s completely up to you .

  14. 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!

    1. Gabriella says:

      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

      1. Marie Tieleman says:

        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!

        1. 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.

  15. 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.

    1. Gabriella says:

      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.

  16. Emma Baines says:

    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

    1. Gabriella says:

      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

  17. 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.

  18. Elizabeth says:

    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.

  19. 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

    1. Gabriella says:

      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

  20. Allison Gapinski says:

    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!

    1. Gabriella says:

      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!

  21. Teresa M Long says:

    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?

  22. 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!

    1. Gabriella says:

      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

  23. 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!

    1. Gabriella says:

      Aww Melissa that’s awesome to hear! I’m so glad my tips helped you! xoxo

  24. Stephanie says:

    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!

    1. Gabriella says:

      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…..

  25. 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!

    1. Oh and do I need mousse as well? Lol

      1. Gabriella says:

        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.

    2. Gabriella says:

      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

  26. My Curly Hair Routine (Beginner Friendly) - What Dinny Wore says:

    […] this is one of my best curly hair secrets of all. I picked it up from hair blogger Curly Cailin, who also has low porosity […]

  27. Jenifer Wrighte says:

    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.

    1. Gabriella says:

      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

  28. Eva Crowley says:

    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)

  29. 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!

    1. Gabriella says:

      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

  30. Michelle Medrano says:

    You have beautiful hair!!!! Mine can look like this wet, but once it dries and I scrunch out the cast, it all goes downhill.

    1. Gabriella says:

      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://staging3.curlmaven.ie/protein-moisture-balance/

  31. Gunnar Berli says:

    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?

    1. Gabriella says:

      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

  32. 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.

    1. Gabriella says:

      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?

  33. 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!

    1. Gabriella says:

      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

  34. 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.

    1. Gabriella says:

      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!

  35. Ishla Seager says:

    I’m just about to start trying the Curly Girl method, this was so so helpful thank you for writing it.

  36. 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.

    1. Gabriella says:

      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

  37. Rachaelrl says:

    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

    1. Gabriella says:

      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

  38. 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?

  39. Julie Mennella says:

    I can’t wait to get started

  40. 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! 🙂

    1. Gabriella says:

      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!

  41. 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!!!

  42. 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

    1. Gabriella says:

      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!

  43. Ginger Crouch says:

    What do you think about the rest of the as I am hair products line for low porosity hair!?

    1. Gabriella says:

      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

  44. You have great information and beautiful hair!! I’m trying to find information regarding deep conditioning. Thank you

    1. Gabriella says:

      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

  45. 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

    1. Gabriella says:

      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

  46. 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.

    1. Gabriella says:

      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