The Curly Girl Method for Wavy Hair
As more women are tuning into their bodies and practicing self-care, the Curly Girl Method (CGM) has taken hold of the Internet. While variations of this routine has been around since the early 2000s, it really got its wheels in the early 2010s. Here’s a breakdown of the Curly Girl Method and some modifications for wavy hair.
Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you see something you like, click the link, and make a purchase, we may receive a commission. But this post is NOT sponsored. Everything here is from careful research and our own experience after a month-long journey of experimentation and bad hair days with products we bought with our own money.
What is the Curly Girl Method?
The Curly Girl Method was coined and popularized by hairstylist Lorraine Massey. She’s even written a curly girl manifesto called Curly Girl: The Handbook for for an in-depth look at curl types, daily routines, and styling tips. The CG method teaches you how to embrace your waves, curls and textures and the best way to bring out its full curly potential.
Types of curls
Wavy hair falls somewhere on the curl spectrum (2A-4C). So when we say “curls,” we may actually be referring to waves.
It’s important to know what type of hair you have, so you can manage your expectations and know what method and products work for you. Type 1 is straight. But curls can be categorized into three groups: wavy, curly, and coily or kinky.
While your hair may naturally be one type of curl, the Curly Girl Method can enhance your curls, and potentially bring you up one or two levels.
Curly Girl Phrases and Vocabulary
If you’re new to to the CGM, you might’ve never heard of these phrases before:
Squish to condition. Using cupping hands, squish the product from the ends to the roots.
Praying hands. Imagine the praying hands emoji. Spread your hands apart to allow enough room to coat your hair in product.
Scrunch the crunch. Break the gel cast by gently scrunching, taking care not to create frizz, for more moveable curls.
Plopping. Putting all your hair on top of your head to keep the curls intact while drying in a microfiber hair turban or cotton t-shirt.
Hover diffuse. With the diffuser on your hair dryer, move it around your head to gently dry your roots.
Pixie diffuse. Place your hair on top of the diffuser, then turn the hair dryer on. When you’re ready to move to the next section, turn the hair dryer off and repeat. (This prevents blowing your hair and causing fly-aways while you move from section to section.)
The pineapple. A method of sleeping with curly hair. Gather your hair in a loose, high ponytail on top of your head. Secure with a scrunchie.
Do’s and Don’ts of the Curly Girl Method
Today, there are many versions of CGM out there. Here are the general principles that curly girls follow.
Do’s
Ditch the heat. We’re embracing our curls. That means stop straightening, relaxing and using heat to manipulate and breakdown your hair. While some curly girls use a hairdryer with a diffuser on low heat, you should definitely stop with all other heat tools.
Squish to condition. Use a heavy hand with your conditioner. And squish the product from the ends to the roots to encourage your curl pattern.
Deep condition. Use a deep conditioner every week to give your locks a little extra love. Curly hair needs moisture.
Dry gently. Opt for a microfiber towel or a cotton t-shirt to wrap your hair and soak up excess water after you wash your hair. Then, ideally, let it air-dry.
Protect your curls at night. Use a silk or satin bonnet or sleeping cap to keep your curls on top of your head. This prevents sleeping on and flattening your gorgeous 3-dimensional curls you just made on wash day. Silk or satin also help manage frizz and tangles when you toss and turn in your sleep. Alternatively, you can choose a silk pillowcase if you find bonnets and sleeping caps uncomfortable.
Don’ts
No sulfates. The curly girl method bans the use of sulfates in products. It only allows you to use a sulfate, clarifying shampoo as needed to remove product build-up. Instead, it recommends using a sulfate-free shampoo (also known as low-poo) or a cleansing conditioner (also known as co-washing or no-poo) to cleanse your hair.
No waxes and silicones. Avoid waxes and non-water soluble silicones and anything in the “cone” family, including dimethicones and trimethicones, as they coat the hair shaft and may weigh your curls down. And since sulfates are a no-no in CGM, you won’t be able to dissolve or wash them out.
No alcohol. Another ingredient to avoid, the Curly Girl Method claims it can strip moisture from your hair.
No parabens. The Curly Girl Method is on the anti-paraben, anti-preservative bandwagon.
Don’t brush your hair. Opt for a wide-toothed comb.
Sample Curly Girl Method Routine
Do a hair reset. Using a clarifying shampoo like Neutrogena Clarifying Shampoo, wash your hair thoroughly to remove product build-up.
Do a deep conditioning treatment. Since clarifying shampoos can dry out your hair, be sure to follow up with a hydrating conditioner like Shea Moisture Hydrate and Repair Protein Power Treatment. You’ll want to hop out of the shower and slather your hair in a deep conditioner. Wrap it in a conditioning shower cap, and then wrap it again in a microfiber towel to keep the heat in. (Heat opens up the hair shaft so the conditioner can penetrate deeper.)
Apply curl cream. Use a little bit of curl cream (we recommend Aunt Jackie's Curl La La Defining Curl Custard) to activate your curls and gently comb it through with a wide-toothed comb. For wavy hair, avoid applying too much cream, as it can weigh your curls down. Now flip your head upside down and scrunch.
Apply curl gel. While upside down, use “praying hands” to gently spread the curl gel. Now SCRUNCH!
Plop your head. Put your head upside-down with all your hair gathered on the top of your head in a microfiber towel or cotton t-shirt. Leave it on for about 10 to 15 minutes to absorb any excess water.
Air dry. Remove the towel and don’t touch your hair. (Some curly girls say it’s okay to diffuse. Be sure to hover diffuse first to dry your roots, and then pixie diffuse to dry your ends.)
Scrunch the crunch. When your hair is dry, gently scrunch your curls to break the gel cast.
Modified Curly Girl Method for Wavy Hair
Case Study: Here’s our writer’s experience with the Curly Girl Method.
Background
My hair was stick straight as a child — like Pantene’s “Smooth and Sleek” was my natural condition. But as I got older, my hair always felt that it easily tangled, had frizz at the bottom but lacked volume at the roots, and frankly, I looked like a lion.
I figured it was from coloring and heat damage because I love my curling iron. But the pandemic revealed something I never expected: After one and a half years of no coloring and no heat, why was my hair still damaged and frizzy?
Then I saw a random YouTube video about curly hair being prone to frizziness and dehydration. And I began to wonder maybe that was me. Maybe my hair was screaming for deep conditioning and it was frizzy bc I did nothing but let my hair air dry after showering.
But how could that be? I have Asian hair. Even my eyelashes are straight and point downward. How could I have curly hair?
One month of the Curly Girl Method
So I followed the Curly Girl Method for a month. Here’s what I noticed:
My hair was loving deep conditioning.
My waves were more defined when I diffused with a hairdryer, rather than air drying.
My hair is wavy and has texture. But the CGM doesn’t achieve the curl I want, which I can get with a curling iron. (My hair is 2A/2B. I want 2C/3A curls.)
I didn’t notice a difference switching to sulfate-free products.
5 Things I learned from My CGM Journey
Here' are a few takeaways and things I will continue doing going forward.
1. Not all curly hair products are Curly Girl approved
Products marketed for curly hair may contain ingredients that the CGM say are a no-go. Fortunately, there’s a Curly Girl ingredient analyzer that you can use to enter the product to see if it passes the test.
2. Choose products that work for you
So when I finally found the Curly Girl ingredient analyzer, I put in the products that I had been using. I was shocked to learn that some of my favorite newly-discovered curly hair products, were not CG-approved.
At the same time, I began researching issues with the clean beauty industry and all the misinformation on the Internet that makes consumer avoid certain ingredients. Clean beauty makes a ton of claims about ingredients being dangerous as part of its marketing strategy, and the Curly Girl Method does the same.
The fear of these ingredients is not evidence-based. It comes down to the product and how it’s formulated. For example, the Good Housekeeping Lab tested color-protecting shampoos and found that its top performing product had sulfates. And some sulfate-free shampoos stripped color faster than others.
So, after my month of CGM, I stopped caring about whether a product was arbitrarily Curly Girl-approved and stopped avoiding sulfates, silicones, parabens and alcohol just because someone (whose not a cosmetic scientist) said so. Instead, I started listening to my hair and focusing on products that worked well for me.
And remember, a hair product that works on coils isn’t going to work on wavy hair. Even though we both are on the curly spectrum, our hair types and textures have different needs. You might consider a brand like Miss Jessie’s that organizes its lines based on hair type.
3. Continue deep conditioning
While I know I can’t heal damaged hair, I can definitely make my hair softer, smoother and more manageable. The protein-rich deep conditioning hydration helps smooth the hair cuticle, leaving me with less frizz and fewer tangles.
4. Continue avoiding heat
I’ve given up my heat tools because it’s better for my hair and I’ve found a heatless way to achieve curls: TikTok’s Robe Curls. And it’s faster than a curling iron and incredibly low maintenance.
5. Learned to love my hair
The one thing I’m appreciative about on my curly hair journey is that I love my hair now. The Curly Girl Method made me analyze my hair routine, experiment with products and embrace my hair potential. I now have a solid hair routine that is actually less work than when I first started. And my hair feels healthier than ever.
My Modified Curly Girl Method Routine for 2A Curls
Here’s a glimpse of what my routine looks like for a full hair cycle from wash day to wash day.
Wash day
Cleanse. I alternate between the Neutrogena Clarifying Shampoo and a regular shampoo.
Deep condition. I flip-flop between Aunt Jackie’s Fix My Hair Intensive Repair Conditioning Masque and Shea Moisture Hydrate and Repair Protein Power Treatment because they are both excellent protein treatments, which help fortify dry, brittle hair. I can’t decide which one I love more. After I put the conditioner in my hair, I’ll brush it with a Wet Brush, and then wrap it in a conditioning cap and a microfiber towel.
Apply hair treatment. I use a few pumps of SGX NYC Hair IQ 10-in-1 leave-in treatment and then spritz the Shea Moisture Hydrate and Repair Multi-action Leave-in treatment.
Plop your head. I plop my hair into the same microfiber towel.
Apply curl cream. When my hair is still damp, I use just a smidge of Aunt Jackie’s Curl La La (curl custard) and use a wide-tooth comb to brush it through.
Apply curl gel. After flipping my head upside down, I spread and scrunch Aunt Jackie’s Ice Curls (curling jelly).
Wrap robe curls. I do the TikTok robe curls method (but using socks because I don’t have a robe belt) and sleep.
Day 2 hair
Getting ready the next day is lightning fast compared to using a curling iron.
Scrunch the crunch. Then the next morning, I remove the socks and break the gel mold with just a pump of Tresemme Keratin Smooth Shine Serum. I’ll also spray the Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo for extra volume at my roots.
Protective hairstyle. The next night, I do a pineapple and secure it with a silk scrunchie. Then, I slip my hair into my silk sleep cap on top of my silk pillowcase. I double-up with a bonnet and pillowcase because my bonnet sometimes slips off in the middle of the night.
Day 3 hair
Refresh curls. To refresh my curls, I apply Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Refreshing Curl Foam, smooth out any frizz and scrunch to redefine waves. I also spray some dry shampoo as needed.
Wrap robe curls. I usually can get away with another round of robe curls. But since my hair isn’t damp, I apply some curl foam and Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray, wrap, and sleep.
Day 4 hair
Refresh curls. Repeat refresh routine with curl foam and dry shampoo.
Protective hairstyle. Repeat nighttime routine with a pineapple and tuck into a silk bonnet.
Day 5 hair
Updo. My hair is now on its last leg. Spray with dry shampoo and put it up in a ponytail or bun.
Wash day. It’s wash day!