How to Build a Curly Girl Hair Routine

Step 1. Final Wash | Clarify

If you’re just starting the curly girl method, you need to do a final wash to get rid of the silicones out of your hair, and any product build-up. For this, you’ll need a shampoo that does contain sulfates but doesn’t contain silicones. My favourite is the Bumble & Bumble Sunday Shampoo.

Technically it’s a chelating shampoo, which is stronger and harsher than a clarifying shampoo. Containing ingredients that remove hard water, limescale, metal, and mineral deposits. So if you live in a hard water area, or swim in the pool or ocean regularly, use this as your final wash and keep ahold of it to clarify once a month. Read this post for more information on chelating and clarifying your hair.

Step 2. Cleanse

So you’ve ditched the shampoo, but now what should you use to wash your hair? And how often should you be washing it? I always recommend washing your hair twice a week, with a sulfate-free, silicone-free cleanser. The goal here is a healthy scalp and hair, not to see how long you can go without washing your hair. For most people, once enough isn’t enough. But three times or more a week is too much, and not good for the hair.

If you’ve just discovered the curly girl method, here’s where it can get confusing and overwhelming. Because the emphasis seems to be ongoing as long as possible without washing your hair. Or avoiding anything that lathers. With confusing terms like co-washing, lo-poo, and no-poo. I’m going to try and simplify it, so you can understand what will work best for your hair. Regardless of what any book, method, or rules say.

Step 3. Condition

This is usually where you find silicones in products. So it’s really important to check the ingredients when purchasing your conditioner, deep conditioner, and/or leave-in conditioner. I’ve included product suggestions for all three conditioner categories below. But please note: you do not need all three! So don’t feel you have to rush out and buy all of them.

Get one conditioner made with good quality ingredients, leave it in for 15+ mins to deep condition, but no longer than an hour. Instead of purchasing a separate leave-in conditioner, simply leave in some of the conditioners you already have in your hair.

Step 4. Style

Clarifying, cleansing, conditioning and deep conditioning is where you fix any issues with dry, brittle, or frizzy hair. Or limp, lifeless curls that drop within hours of washing. You won’t fix any of those issues with styling products, not with long-lasting results anyway.

When choosing your styling products, think about what you want your hair to look like. What do you want from your styling products? Some people want texture and volume, others want definition and hold. Most often, people want a combination of a few different things.

Feeling overwhelmed?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the tips, advice, and product recommendations. Click here for more information on my Curl Clinics™. A completely bespoke curl consultation service tailored to suit you and your hair. Designed to help get your waves and curls back and achieve your healthy hair goals.