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When it comes to styling and caring for curly hair, it seems like there are as many techniques out there as there are types of curls! One of the most talked-about is the Curly Girl Method, which has its own set of rules on how you should—and shouldn’t—care for your curls and what products to use when washing, drying and styling. Are you curious about the Curly Girl Method? We’ll get into all of the details, so you can figure out if this technique is the right fit for you, including:
Hairstylist Lorraine Massey created the Curly Girl Method. In 1999, she published the book Curly Girl, the Handbook which detailed her strategy for cleansing, caring for and styling her curls, and the Curly Girl Method was born.
The Curly Girl Method involves three steps—cleansing, conditioning and styling—with hair care products that enhance the health and integrity of curly hair. When practicing the Curly Girl Method, Massey advocates using hair care products without sulfates and silicones, which can potentially dry out your curls and cause build-up over time, respectively. She also suggests finger-combing your curls rather than using brushes or combs. Last but not least, because high-heat tools such as curling irons, straightening irons and blow dryers can damage the hair cuticle, Massey recommends avoiding heat tools to style curly hair, advocating instead for air-drying or diffusing on a low-heat setting. Here’s a breakdown of the three basic steps in the Curly Girl Method:
Start by cleansing your hair with a silicone-free, sulfate-free shampoo. How often you shampoo your hair is up to you—some experimentation may be needed—but Massey recommends every two to three days. “While some people do better with less frequent hair washing, sometimes that can lead to build-up and problems with scaling or a condition called seborrheic dermatitis, which is a dandruff-like issue,” says board-certified dermatologist and LovelySkin CEO Dr. Joel Schlessinger. “For this reason, in general, I’m a fan of daily hair washing, or a frequency of one or two weeks for my patients who are people of color.”
Next, condition your hair with a sulfate-free, silicone-free conditioner. Conditioning is an important step to help infuse your curls with moisture, according to Massey. She also notes that tighter curl patterns and/or drier hair types will likely need more conditioner, so you may need to experiment with the amount that you’re using on your hair.
When it comes to styling hair according to the Curly Girl Method, Massey recommends you avoid using traditional terry cloth towels, brushes and combs. Instead, she suggests gently blotting the moisture out of your curls with a 100% cotton T-shirt or a bamboo towel and using your fingers to gently separate and arrange curls as needed.
After toweling, the key styling step is applying a water-soluble hair gel that is also sulfate-free and silicone-free. Once you’ve gently scrunched your choice of gel into your hair, Massey recommends letting it air dry (diffusing with a hair dryer on a low setting is also okay) until the gel hardens into what she calls a “curl cast.” When it’s 100% dry, she suggests “scrunching out” the curl cast by tipping your head upside down and using your hands to softly scrunch your hair up toward your scalp.
In order to jive with the Curly Girl Method, the shampoo you use should be free of sulfates and silicones. Here are three Curly Girl Method-approved shampoos that will help gently cleanse your hair.
This shampoo formulated especially for curls contains vitamins E and B5 to help boost shine and nourish your strands, while sunflower seed and olive oils help infuse curls with moisture without weighing down. This formula also contains Ouidad's unique Omega 3-6-9 Complex, which helps to target dry areas and improve your hair’s natural lipid barrier, resulting in smoother, softer-looking curls.
This sulfate-free, silicone-free shampoo gently cleanses while providing volumizing benefits for curly hair that’s prone to falling flat. Hibiscus extract helps boost volume and shine while vitamin B-rich banana extract helps nourish and hydrate. This formula also contains linden flower extract, which has a high concentration of antioxidants to help support healthy hair. If choosing vegan hair care products is important to you, you’ll be happy to hear that this hair care line is made without the use of animal-derived products.
Curly hair looks and feels its best when it’s hydrated, and this shampoo helps replenish and lock in much-needed moisture as it cleanses. In addition to hydrating glycerin, it also contains white clover honey and marshmallow root extract to help hair look and feel soft, shiny and more manageable.
To stay in line with the Curly Girl Method, the conditioner you use should be free of sulfates and silicones as well. Here are three Curly Girl Method-approved conditioners that will help infuse your curls with moisture, leaving them looking soft and smooth.
This hair conditioner helps repair and nourish stretched-out curls with a lineup of moisturizing emollient ingredients, including oils derived from olives, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and Japanese camellia. It also contains Ouidad’s botanically based Omega 3-6-9 Complex, which helps restore elasticity and keep frizz at bay.
Is your curly hair also color-treated? This conditioner protects against color fade while also being Curly Girl Method-compliant. A blend of protein-packed oils (jojoba, amaranth and karanja) help detangle hair, guard against frizz and lock in moisture. This conditioner is also packaged in an airless tube that protects its organic ingredients from degrading.
Formulated to help improve dryness as well as reduce frizz and tangles, this Curly Girl Method-approved conditioner contains hydrating glycerin, algae extract, apple fruit extract and nourishing squalane. As an eco-friendly bonus, the bottle is made with recycled material and is also recyclable as well.
For the last step of the Curly Girl Method, styling with the right gel is key. You’ll want to choose a hair gel that is free of both silicones and sulfates and also has enough hold to help preserve your natural curl pattern until it fully dries. Here are a few of our favorites.
This gel for curly and and wavy hair helps provide a soft hold and shiny finish. It contains sericin, a silk-derived protein that helps protect your hairstyle from humidity and a subtle floral scent that will linger throughout the day.
This unique gel is infused with a blend of oils to help reduce frizz and add shine to curly hair. Surface’s signature babassu oil combines with cocoa butter, soy protein and moringa seed oil for a soft finish and light hold.
If your curls are easily weighed down by heavy gels, this lightweight gel-to-foam formula could be an ideal option for you. It provides definition and shape to your curls while adding shine with a blend of grapefruit peel, sunflower seed and jojoba oils.
Are you curious about vegan hair care products? You can learn about the best vegan products for curly hair on the LovelySkin Blog.
Aaron serves as Editor at LovelySkin. Since graduating from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2016 with degrees in Creative Writing and English, he has immersed himself in the beauty industry. When he’s not writing about the latest beauty trends, he spends time cuddling his dogs, scouring antique stores, playing tennis and hiking.
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