Are you tired of taming your hair every morning? Do you long for perfect curls without using heat tools or harsh chemicals? The Curly Girl Method is here to rescue you!
The Curly Girl Method is a natural hair care routine that will help you enhance your natural curls. This method is perfect for those who have been struggling with frizzy, unmanageable hair.
The method is simple. All you need to do is to detox your hair from harsh chemicals, commonly found in shampoos that contain sulfates and refrain from manipulation styles caused by using hairdryers, brushes, and combs. These things ruin your natural curls.
The foundation of the Curly Girl Method is to wear your hair in its naturally curly state as a way to train your curls. This method suggests you avoid shampoo, heat tools, combs, and brushes (finger detangling is allowed only). You should also avoid ingredients such as sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate, non-water soluble silicones, alcohol, and fragrance.
Now, let’s get into the details. Here are some things you should avoid while using the Curly Girl Method.
Shampoo – Although the Curly Girl Method calls for you to avoid shampoos with harsh sulfates, to start, it is best to use a clarifying shampoo to completely clean your hair of any product build-up. Afterward, the method suggests you should avoid shampoo completely and opt for cleansing co-washes instead.
Sulfates – A sulfate is a detergent commonly found in hand soaps, dishwashing products, laundry detergents, and shampoos. Unfortunately, sulfates completely strip the hair and leave behind a rough, brassy-like feeling to your stands. Here are the sulfates to avoid while using the Curly Girl Method:
- Sodium Laureth, Myreth, or Lauryl Sulfate
- Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
- Ammonium Laureth or Lauryl Sulfate
- Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate
- Ammonium or Sodium Xylenesulfonate
- Ethyl PEG-15 Cocamine Sulfate
- TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
- Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
- Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate
- Sodium Xylenesulfonate
Heat Tools – Do not use any heat styling tools. This includes hairdryers, flat irons, curling irons, etc. Heat damage is the quickest way to damage curls.
Combs & Brushes – The Curly Girl Method prefers all styling to be done via finger detangling only. Using combs or brushes on dry or wet hair causes tension and breakage. If you must use a comb, use a wide-tooth comb.
Water-Insoluble Silicones – Silicones, in general, are known to create product build-up and stick to the hair, which is the primary reason they have a bad reputation. These silicones require a deeper cleansing with a sulfate-containing or clarifying shampoo to remove the silicones from the hair after perpetual use. Here are the water-insoluble silicones to avoid:
- Amodimethicone
- Dimethicone
- Dimethiconol
- Cyclomethicone
- Cyclopentasiloxane
- Behenoxy Dimethicone
- Bis-aminopropyl dimethicone
- Cetearyl Methicone
- Cetyl Dimethicone
- Phenyl trimethicone
- Stearyl Dimethicone
