It's Called A Curl Journey

For as long as I can remember my hair has always been a point of contentment for me. In middle school, my mom used to brush out my curls, leaving me with literal poodle hair that some people would, not so nicely, warn me about. I thought a head band would fix it. (Spoiler alert: It didn’t.)

So I started straightening my hair every time I washed it for probably four years and then alternated between straightening and curling it every day for another six. After ten years of everyday styling I started to get tired. I was tired of taking almost two hours to get ready every morning, tired of being frustrated with how damaged my hair looked (It probably didn’t help that I went from medium brown to platinum blonde in one sitting, but hey, hindsight’s 20/20) and tired of it never looking how I wanted- even after all of the effort of styling. In late 2018 I stopped styling my hair and just let it go au natural, which, at that point was basically straight with a bit more volume on the bottom and a tiny wave. There were a lot of low buns involved.

Then, early on in 2019, I found something called the Curly Girl Method- a set of rules made for people who wanted to preserve and nourish their curls. The idea is that prolonged heat styling ruins the natural pattern of your curls along with sulphates, parabens and silicones that are in typical styling products. By following the Curly Girl Method you stop heat styling all together and cut silicones, parabens and sulphates from your products which encourages your hair to rediscover it’s natural curl pattern. I decided to give it a try- it couldn’t hurt, and plus, I had extremely curly hair as a child and always wondered where it went.

After a year of following the method I don’t think I’ll ever stop. My hair is healthier than it has ever been- it feels great and looks great as well as growing faster every day. I experiment with different products because my hair can always improve, but it’s amazing how far it has come in just a year.

Shampoo/Cleanse

According to the curly girl method, shampooing is a huge no-no for curly hair, but it’s important to listen to your own hair and see what works for you. I wash my hair twice a week and shampoo it both times. If I don’t, my curls are flat, stringy and full of gunk and product from my last wash. I also suffer from seborrheic dermatitis that leaves me with a huge, itchy, greasy patch on the crown and sides of my head if I don’t use a cleansing shampoo and a scalp massager. I’m currently using the Bumble & Bumble Sunday shampoo (they’re cruelty free, but not necessarily clean. I’m working on finding a clean alternative!) and it gets all of the gunk out of my hair without using parabens, sulfates or any of those other nasty chemicals.

Deep Condition/Treatment

Once a month I treat myself to a bonding treatment using Olaplex No.3- I shampoo my hair, apply the Olaplex in a thick layer and then sit with it in a cap for 30-40 minutes. After, I rinse out and do the rest of my routine as below. This treatment helps to keep my hair super healthy and hydrated and it definitely improves the shine of my hair as well. I’ve seen some amazing results online for people who have extremely curly hair that is damaged or dry by using this treatment.

Once a week I use a deep conditioning treatment after my shampoo to help keep my hair nourished, and my absolute favorite is the Shea Moisture Virgin Coconut Oil Rehydration Treatment Masque. My hair loves shea and coconut oil so this mask leaves my curls so bouncy and refreshed. I’ve found that this mask works really well for people with wavy or loosely curly hair-it’s not greasy and doesn’t weigh the hair down.

Squish To Condish

Within the curly girl method there are different techniques that are sometimes more important than the product itself. For my wavy hair it is imperative that I apply my conditioner by scrunching or squishing it upwards into my hair to the roots and then using that same motion as I rinse. My go-to favorite is the medium conditioner for curlies by Pattern, it’s thick, nourishing and so hydrating. I’m also currently testing out the Briogeo Curl Charisma conditioner, but I’m finding it to be too light for my waves- it would definitely be a better conditioner for tight textures.

Leave In

The key to non-frizzy, defined curls is the leave-in conditioner/treatment that you apply at the end of your shower. This is the step in your routine that can really make or break your curls: go with something too heavy for your texture and you’ll end up with greasy or limp hair; go with something too light and your curls might be frizzy and dry. I really like the Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie. It’s a custard-like texture that I rub between the palm of my hands and scrunch into my curls while they’re still soaking wet. For something a little lighter, or a beginner’s choice, the Kinky Curly Knot Today is a curl classic and both my sister and my mom adore it. I’ve also been trying out the Innersense Sweet Spirit Leave In as a lighter alternative and a refresher for Day 2 or Day 3 Hair. This one is a spray so it’s super easy to use and to feel how much you’re using.

Gel

The holy grail of curl products, gel is the most important step in the entire routine for me specifically since my curls are more on the wavy side and need a bit of encouragement. After I apply my leave in when my hair is still pretty wet, I scrunch in a good amount of gel, enough that make me feel like these curls are going to hold. Sadly, my HG gel seems to be the DevaCurl Ultra Defining Gel- something about it just lifts my curls totally up and leaves them perfect. But, if you’re not familiar with the DevaCurl controversy going on right now, it’s not the best product to use so I’m looking for an alternative. In the meantime I’m using the Innersense I Create Hold while I look for a new HG gel. After I apply gel I wrap my head in a t-shirt or t-shirt material head wrap and let it sit for up to 2 hours. Cotton creates a lot of frizz on curls, so t-shirt material or a microfiber towel is best.

When I’m ready to dry my hair I let it down, scrunch my gel in and either diffuse with the Deva diffuser or this universal one by Conair. If I have the time on the weekends I’ll also let it airdry.

Left to Right: 2 Months on CGM, 9 Months on CGM, and 1 Year on CGM.

So here’s the thing: this method is completely flexible when it comes to what works for you. One of the biggest rules is not to shampoo- but what works for my curls is shampooing twice a week, so I do it! I haven’t heat styled my hair in over a year and I’m in love with how my hair looks, and it gets better every wash.