Whether you are newly natural or you’ve been rocking your curls for years you’ve probably heard about “The Curly Girl Method,” (CG Method). Depending on who you talk to, you can hear all different types of opinions about the CG method.

I have naturalista’s who are so strict about following the Curly Girl Method, it’s almost like a religion. Even if they have amassed a couple hundred dollars on “non-CG” products, they will gladly throw all of their products away and start fresh instead of spending one more day with silicons.

Then there are other curlies, who think it’s all hype. Some have even tried the method for a week or two and found there were far too many rules and it took way too much time and energy to commit to the #CGlife.

I’m going to be honest with you.

I truly believe there is no one size fits all approach. Different strokes, for different folks. We’d like to focus on providing you with the many different ways you can care for your curls. So stay tuned, and we’ll give you a brief overview of The Curly Method so you can decide if it’s the right choice for you.

What is The Curly Girl Method

The Curly Girl Method (CG Method) was actually created by author and lifelong curly Lorraine Massey. It is a manifesto on maintaining a healthy head of curls and coils and goes through the cleaning, conditioning, and styling.

CG Method Do’s

Cleansing

If you are just starting the CG method it’s appropriate to start with clean strands. According to Massey, most products marketed to managing curls are filled with harsh chemicals like silicons.

Silicons are chemicals that will seal the cuticle of each strand of hair. It acts as a barrier between your hair and the elements. Curly hair is prone to frizziness, and because of silicons “sealing” quality, it can appear to make hair more silky and smooth.

The issue is, that the silicons are only temporary fixes for dry and frizzy curls. They do such an amazing job at sealing your hair that they actually avoid allowing moisture to penetrate your strands.

Silicones are designed to be resilient and impenetrable to moisture. They are not easily washed away and thus they continue to build up on the hair shaft.

In the long run, products with heavy silicones are cutting your hair off from the moisture it truly needs. Removing silicons allows your hair to actually take in the moisture and nutrients it needs to get healthier.

Clarifying Shampoo

In order to remove silicones from your hair, you need to use a shampoo with sulfates. Simply put, sulfates are harsh cleaning agents that are able to penetrate the barrier silicones create and strip them from your hair.

If you are uncertain which shampoo to purchase, you can always grab a “clarifying shampoo.” They are specially formulated to strip the hair clean.

Conditioner Washing

Once you’ve removed the silicones from your hair, you can stop using shampoo to wash your hair. In fact, Massey encourages women to cleanse their hair with conditioner instead of shampoo.

Studies show that the right conditioner does a great job of cleansing your from dirt, oil, products, without overly drying your hair.

Plop or Air Dry Your Curls

I, for one, am known for air drying my curls. During the summer, it’s pretty easy to run out of the house, and let the sun rays gradually dry my curls.

However, that could take hours depending on how hot it is outside. Also, sometimes you aren’t in the mood to run around with dripping wet curls. Especially, when the temperature begins to drop.

Massey suggests using a blow dryer/diffuser or plopping your hair to cut down on dry time. When you step out of the shower, gently scrunch your hair with an old t-shirt to sop up some of the excessive water.

Then spread an old t-shirt or micro-fiber towel onto a flat surface in your bathroom. The counter or the toilet should work just fine. You are going to bend over at the waist and position your hair in the middle of your towel.

Make sure your curls are touching the towel, while you begin to drape the back section of cloth over your head. You’re going to twist the sides so they form a rolls and you could either tie or clip them together clip or tie them at the base of your neck.

After 15-30 minutes you can remove the towel.

Give your Hair time to Adjust

You will probably have to wait a couple of weeks before you see your results from deciding to go CG. Massey says it may take as long as 2- 4 weeks for your hair to adjust. Some curlies report that their hair actually looks worse while adjusting to no shampoo or silicons, but don’t give up!

CG Method Don’ts

Avoid Products with Silicones

Now that you’ve done the hard work of removing the silicons; keep them out of your hair! Some curlies consider this part of the CG Method to be the most difficult rule to practice for a couple of different reasons.

For one, most curly hair product companies do not openly publicize if their products are actually CG friendly. That means it requires you do to do some detective work. There are tons of blogs and forums out there with lists of CG friendly products.

Be warned though, hair care companies are notorious for changing their formulas over time. Even if a product is on a CG approved list, always double check the ingredients list to avoid accidentally reintroducing ‘cones to your curls.

Don’t use a brush

The CG method encourages you to throw away your brush because it only encourages your hair to frizziness by disrupting your curl pattern. Instead, opt for a great wide tooth comb. If you’re feeling brave you can even try finger detangling.

Try the CG Method 

In the end, I say you owe it to your curls and coils to experiment with all different types of curl maintenance in order to find what fits for you. The CG method just may be the cure for your curls, but you’ll never know unless you give it a shot.

So try out this do’s and don’ts on The Curly Girl Method and comment below if it works!