If you’re not sure who the Curly Girl Method is best for, or if it work for your hair, I will say that type-3 curls tend to see the best results from CGM (again, make sure you know your hair type; it’ll make the jargon you read so much easier), though tons of people with 2c and 4a hair have also had amazing success. So it doesn’t mean you can’t experiment if you have straighter or coilier hair, but just know your mileage may vary. It sounds obvious, but when you're in the throes of a good-versus-bad hair mentality, breaking the “rules” can feel...hard. But I’m here to tell you that it’s FINE. Since quarantine, I rarely use more than a lightweight curl cream (<3 Seen Curly Cream) unless I’m going somewhere. As long as you’re still using gentle, moisturizing, CGM-approved products, you can do whatever works best for you and your lifestyle without undoing all of the work you’ve put in. scrunch out the excess water from your hair and apply gel or mousse again. You’ll need more than you think.

At this point, you can kiss sulfates goodbye: They are no longer welcome in this method. “It’s recommended to follow up with a cleaning conditioner or sulfate-free shampoo,” Williams says. Just be sure to massage your scalp, with your finger tips not your nails, for at least a minute before rinsing. 3. ConditionDon’t worry, you don’t have to go cold turkey, you can wean yourself off at your own pace. It may even be a good idea to start your new haircare regime when you’ve got some time off work, in case you’re worried about complete styling fails thanks to this new method. So try using only a couple of products and see how you get on. If your hair feels coarse and straw-like, you could add a weekly moisturising conditioning treatment to your routine. If it feels limp and very soft, then try a protein treatment like a rice water rinse. Don’t use shampoo, specifically shampoos containing sulfates such as ammonium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate, or non-soluble silicones found in styling products and conditioners. The CGM has also been adapted by those with wavy hair to suit this hair type - known as the wavy girl method. The rules for this method include:

Hi, thank you for this list. I tried curly girl method a couple of years ago on my long dyed very damaged hair and gave up because it was so time consuming. Wash your hair with a sulfate-filled clarifying shampoo to remove all silicone buildup. Repeat this step any time you accidentally use a product with silicone or wax. STEP 1: Co-wash/cleanse No, I’m not going to leave you stranded there with an armload of products and a whimper. Here’s how to put all of your newfound knowledge to use: STEP 0: Final “reset” washThere are many UK products that can be used on the Curly Girl Method. These range from budget conditioners and gels from drugstores such as Boots and Superdrug and more high-end products from brands such as Umberto Giannini and Cantu . The Curly Girl Method ‘technically’ doesn’t recommend the use of shampoo. However, many Curly Girls choose to use a clarifying shampoo once every month to get rid of build-up. After two sessions of cleansing, this step surely feels good. Grab your favorite hair conditioner and load it up. You want your hair to feel completely saturated during this step. Personally, I like my hair to feel slippery. Then I know I’ve applied enough conditioner to not only nourish my curls, but to help with detangling, too.

After a few months of obsessively following the Curly Girl Method, I felt tired. I didn’t want to do the whole song-and-dance every single shower—I didn’t want to constantly worry about the state of my hair while I slept, while it dried, while I worked out, etc. And I wish someone had told me that it was fine to just, like, not do your hair sometimes? That it was fine to have bad-looking hair some days?Smooth conditioner over hair in sections, until all hair has been coated with conditioner. Let the water distribute the product evenly. It was first introduced by the founder of the famous Devachan Salons and curly hair expert, Lorraine Massey in her 2011 book, Curly Girl The Handbook. If you have naturally curly or wavy hair, you’re probably more than familiar with the challenges of getting your curls to pop and look healthy. As you’re finishing the wash, flip your hair upside down and scrunch carefully towards your scalp with lots of cold water and some conditioner.