Are you tired of your curly hair not looking good no matter what expensive products you use and how you style it? Maybe the Curly Girl Method is just what you need to get the most out of your waves and curls. Here’s our guide to getting started.

What is the Curly Girl Method?

The Curly Girl Method is, in short, a hair care routine that highlights the natural curls and waves in a particularly beautiful way.

The care routine is very different from conventional hair care because, firstly, it excludes a number of ingredients that are found in most hair care products and, secondly, it completely removes shampoo from hair care (with a few exceptions, but we’ll come back to that later).

But the Curly Girl Method is more than just replacing your hair products. It also involves changing the way you use the products.

The Curly Gurl Method is not an “easy shortcut” to beautiful curls, but the method is gentle on the hair and you can achieve amazing results with your natural waves and curls that you didn’t think were possible.

Here are the rules in brief:

Curly Girl Rules

• No sulfates
• No silicone
• No mineral oil
• No alcohol
• No wax
• No high heat – no water
• or hair dryer
• No
• hairbrushes
• No ordinary terry towels

It can be very useful to familiarize yourself thoroughly with the method before embarking on it, as it will only work properly if you follow the guidelines.

Thats how it works

Don’t be intimidated by the long descriptions! It’s just to explain everything thoroughly to you, the actual care isn’t all that complicated.

Step 0: Final Wash

Most people have a buildup of silicone and other products in their hair when they switch from traditional hair care to the Curly Girl Method – and this product residue can usually only be removed with sulfates. Therefore, it is often necessary to wash the hair one last time with regular, sulfate-containing shampoo so that you start with completely clean hair and a completely clean scalp. However, make sure this shampoo does not contain silicone, or you will be starting over again.

This final wash only needs to be done once – and in the context of your transition from regular hair care to the Curly Girl Method. That’s why we called it step 0. After that, you only need steps 1 to 5 when you wash your hair.

Step 1: Conditioner wash

Wash the scalp with a conditioner. Massage the conditioner with your fingertips
(not your nails) down to the scalp to clean it thoroughly.

If necessary, repeat the wash with the conditioner for a more thorough clean.

Let the conditioner sit in the hair in the next step or rinse it out now.

Many people choose to use a simple and neutral conditioner without many oils and heavy ingredients for the conditioner wash so that the scalp does not get greasy quickly.

Step 2: Conditioner care

Apply a nourishing conditioner to the lengths of the hair – either with the praying hands or with the scrunch method.

While the conditioner is working, you can comb the hair either with your fingers or with a wide-toothed comb. Only do this if the hair is tangled, otherwise you run the risk of separating the clumps of curls more than necessary.

Rinse the conditioner out of the hair.

Step 3: Wet styling

While hair is splash wet,
apply products to condition and style – preferably using the
LOC principle: leave-in conditioner, oil and cream. Use scrunching to apply to encourage the shape of the curls. But remember to
be gentle so you don’t separate the curls that are forming and clumping.

Many people find that
they need to use more styling product than they do with dry hair. It’s as if
the hair is soaking up the product. Experiment with different products
and amounts – there is no one styling solution that works for everyone.

Step 4: Drying

Put hair in a
plop by dropping it onto your microfiber towel or t-shirt. Wrap hair in the towel on top of head. It gives the curls a boost.

Secure the towel and let hair dry in the plop for 15-60 minutes.

The plop absorbs the most moisture after the bath and helps the curls to stay in shape.

You can also sleep with the plop if you want. Some people get good results by drying their hair overnight this way.

It is important not to comb or ruffle the curls while drying. Wait until the hair is completely dry and stiff before doing more to it.

Step 5: Soften

Gently but thoroughly press dry hair with your hands to reduce the harshness that hair gets when air-drying. Feel free to gently lift your hair from the scalp with your fingertips. Always be careful not to break the tufts/curls into too small pieces as this can lead to frizzy hair.

This is how long it takes for the Curly Girl method to work

Most people will see an improvement in the shape of the curls from the first wash. However, it takes a few weeks for the hair and scalp to get used to washing without sulfates and for oil production on the scalp to return to balance.

Once the hair and scalp get used to
the Curly Girl Method, it is usually no longer necessary to wash the hair as often. 1-2 times a week can be enough.

On the other hand, the curls can be refreshed from day to day, as the hair can lose shape and fullness after sleeping.

Many Curly Girls and Guys see a continuous improvement in their curls over several months after starting the method, as they have to try different products before they find what works for them. This does not mean that it takes many months for the hair to become beautiful, but simply that it is worth sticking to the method, even if it sometimes goes uphill – especially if you are struggling to find the right products for your hair.

It can be very helpful to join Curly Girl groups on Facebook for help, inspiration and support and to find specific product recommendations on blogs or YouTube from people who have the same type of curls and preferences as you.

Keep your curls fresh for days

You can reactivate the hair products by spraying a little water or your favorite styling product into the hair.

In addition, you can help the curls stay in shape by sleeping with the hair in a plop, scarf or pineapple.

Tips for success with the Curly Girl Method

• Cut your dry ends. Broken ends are very difficult to curl naturally and beautifully – not even with gentle washing and lots of moisture and conditioner. They contribute to a matted and frizzy look that does not promote the beautiful curls.
• Consider cutting layers into your hair, as curls love layers. It gives more fullness and makes room for the innermost curls.
• Use the Praying Hands or Scrunch method to apply hair products.

Das braucht man

What works for each curly girl or guy is very individual, so what one needs as part of their hair care routine will vary. Here is a list of all the products and tools we recommend for a complete curly girl hair care routine. Choose the things you think can help you.

• Wash conditioner
• Care conditioner
• Leave-in conditioner / balm /
• rinse
• Hair oil
• Hair cream
• Styling gel
• Wide-tooth comb for in the shower
• Microfiber towel or t-shirt
• Blow dryer with cold setting and
• Diffuser
• Hair clips to hold hair while
• drying
• Hair tie for the pineapple method

Our product recommendation Boucleme Hydrating Hair Cleanser, Boucleme Curl Conditioner, Denman Fantail Comb to comb wet hair, Everneed Srunchie and Everneed Haarband, Schwarzkopf Osis Bouncy Curls, American Crew Firm Hold Styling Cream

Good luck with the curls!