CG - Curly Girl method

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How to care for curly hair? A step-by-step guide.

Curly hair requires special care to maintain its beautiful curl, shine and health. In this article, we present a complete care guide, from a glossary of key terms to detailed steps to help bring out the best in your curls.

1. Glossary of terms for curly hair care:

Let’s start by explaining some important terms that will help you understand the secrets of caring for curly hair.

  • CG (Curly Girl): The Curly Girl Method is a way of caring for curly hair created by Lorraine Massey, author of The Curly Girl Method. It involves avoiding silicones, harsh detergents and heavy substances that can weaken the curl.
  • Co-wash (Conditioner Wash): Washing with conditioner, or a way to cleanse your hair without using shampoo. Choose silicone-free conditioners that contain gentle cleansing ingredients – this helps maintain moisture and avoid excessive drying of your hair.
  • Deep Conditioning: Periodically apply a more intensive mask or conditioner, rich in proteins or moisturizing ingredients. This step aims to deeply nourish and regenerate the hair.
  • Final Wash: Cleansing the hair with a strong shampoo before starting the CG treatment. This is done to get rid of any remaining silicones and other heavy substances.
  • Low Poo: A mild shampoo, free from strong detergents. You can use it every day to gently cleanse your hair without drying it out too much.


2. Hair curl type recognition

Knowing your curl type is key to choosing the right care. Here's how to identify your curl type:

  • Type 1: Straight hair, with no visible curl.
  • Type 2: Wavy hair. The waves are subtle, as in type 2a, or more visible (2b).
  • Type 3: Curly hair, strongly coiled into spirals, most often frizzy after dry combing.
  • Type 4: Elastic, afro hair, with clearly compact, fine curls.

To better tailor your care, it is also worth knowing your hair's porosity. This is the degree to which the hair's cuticles are open, which affects how easy it is to style and absorb moisture. Low-porosity hair has closed cuticles, while high-porosity hair is more prone to frizz but absorbs moisturizing products faster.


3. Final Wash – cleansing the hair before the CG method

Final Wash is the first step before fully switching to the CG method. It involves thoroughly cleansing the hair and scalp with a shampoo containing strong detergents, such as:

  • Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLeS)
  • Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS)
  • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
  • Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (ALeS)
  • Sodium Coco Sulfate (SCS)
  • Magnesium Laureth Sulfate (MLS)
  • Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate

The goal is to remove any silicone and build-up that may make it difficult to moisturize and style curly hair. Apply shampoo to the entire length of your hair, gently massaging your scalp to thoroughly cleanse your hair.

Final Wash shampoo must not contain silicones such as:

  • Dimethicone
  • Dimethiconol
  • Amodimethicone
  • Polyquaternium-xx
  • Quaternium-xx
  • Vinyl Acetate/Vinyl Neodecanoate Copolymer (PVP/VA copolymer)
  • Acrylates copolymer

After the final wash, the hair is ready for a moisturizing treatment. This reset can also be done regularly (e.g. once a month) to remove accumulated impurities or after using products with silicones.

Examples of powerful cleansing shampoos:

  Tołpa dermo hair, enzyme. Cleansing shampoo DEEP CLEAN, 300 ml

Contains Sodium Coco-Sulfate, silicone-free. For intensive cleansing of the scalp once a month, after using cosmetics with silicones or for Final Wash.

  Yope BALANCE my HAIR Shampoo for oily scalp, 300ml

As in the proposal from Tołpa - in the composition of Sodium Coco-Sulfate, without silicones. For strong cleansing of the scalp once a month, after using cosmetics with silicones or for Final Wash.

Tip: After using a strong shampoo, due to the drying and opening of the scales with a strong detergent, I recommend leaving the conditioner on the hair for 5-10 minutes. Read more about conditioners...


4. Daily hair washing and nourishment

After the final wash, we move on to our daily care routine. It is recommended to use co-wash conditioners or a mild shampoo (low poo) without strong detergents to wash your hair. This routine helps to keep your hair moisturized and supports its natural curl.

A) Washing with conditioner (Co-wash): Choose silicone-free conditioners (check point 3 - final wash), which contain gentle cleansing substances.

B) Washing with low poo shampoo: This is a mild shampoo without SLS and ALS (strong detergents), which is perfect for curly hair. With gentle cleansing substances as in the case of conditioner.

Mild detergents:

  • Coco Betaine
  • Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
  • Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
  • Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate
  • Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
  • Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
  • Coco Glucoside
  • Decyl Glucoside
  • Lauryl Glucoside
  • Capryl Glucoside
  • Decyl Polyglucose

Examples of low poo shampoos:

 Tołpa dermo hair, hair loss. Antipollution shampoo against hair loss, 250 ml

Mild detergents such as Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Chloride are ideal for the CG method.

     Tołpa dermo hair, irritation. Moisturizing shampoo supporting microbiome, 250 ml


5. Deep nourishment and masks

Deep Conditioning is a ritual that is worth doing once a week. Reach for a mask rich in ... Exactly.. Emollients to give them softness and shine (not all emollients are allowed during CG), Humectants for hydration or Proteins if your hair needs strengthening. You have to learn to recognize what your hair needs yourself. Read our article on PEH.

Examples of CG compliant supplements:

    ONLYBIO, Humectant Hair Conditioner, 200ml

Humectant conditioner without silicones, CG compliant. Humectants are substances with hygroscopic properties, i.e. they have the ability to absorb and retain water in the hair structure. They are responsible for nothing other than hydration.

           Crazy Hair by HiSkin, PEH Balance Emollient Hair Conditioner, Banana, 250 ml

Emollient Conditioner CG compliant. Emollients give hair a smooth and slippery appearance. They help absorb moisture from the environment and bind water.


6. Styling curly hair

Styling is the key to getting the curl but also the fear or reluctance of many people, because how is that possible? Every day? What about washing? I don't have time... Don't be a wimp ;)

Styling is also about treating your hair properly, i.e. ZERO dry combing. Comb wet with conditioner. And what if I told you that kneading your hair is also styling? Well, yes! Let kneading be your weapon at the beginning, and decide on the rest in slow steps, so that after a month you don't throw everything out the window.

If you decide on styling products right away (gel or cream for curls or even conditioner), perform the plopping technique ("toweling"). Apply a "curl activator" to very wet hair (almost dripping with water), it can be a special activator or a leave-in conditioner or cream for curls at first, and spread it evenly on your hair. While doing so, perform a kneading movement towards the head. The next step is to wrap your head in a T-shirt ;)

After about 15 minutes, loosen your hair and apply a fixing gel or gum, distribute this also by pressing the product into your hair towards your head. Now you will need a diffuser to dry your hair without blowing it out. You can also leave your hair to dry on its own, but we recommend always drying your hair, whether it is straight or curly, at low temperatures.

 Joanna, Styling Effect, Hair styling gum - extreme hold, 100g

The last step of this styling is to press out the pods from the gel, use oil for this, press out the pods (the hair stuck together by the gel) just as you pressed in the conditioner.

 Crazy Hair by HiSkin, Oil Mix for medium and high porosity hair, 30ml

 Crazy Hair by HiSkin, Oil Mix for medium and low porosity hair with the scent of Orange, 30 ml


7. Additional tips

  • Avoid Dry Combing Often: Curly hair is best combed wet, using a wide-toothed comb or your fingers.
  • Use a cotton T-shirt instead of a towel: This prevents frizz and protects the curl.
  • Night protection: Sleep in a satin pillowcase or use a satin cap to prevent tangling and frizz.
  • Avoid these ingredients in CG care and curly hair in general, not because they are bad, but because they weigh down the hair and can be harder to wash out with mild shampoos or conditioner alone (Lanolin, Mineral oil, Paraffinum Liquidum, Petrolatum, Wax, Cera Alba, Dimethicone, Amodimethicone, Dimethiconol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Amodimethiconol) as well as drying alcohols in the composition such as: alcohol denat., isopropyl alcohol


With proper care, your curly hair can look healthy, bouncy and beautiful. Following these few rules will help you bring out the full charm of your hair and maintain a perfect curl every day!

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