The One Method That Changed My Curls For The Better
I know you’ve heard of it before and probably had the question, “What is the Curly Girl Method?” If you’re new to getting your curls to where you want them to be, then you’re in the right place!
I remember when I would look at pictures of people with beautiful curls with the definition I wanted. It was 2013 when I realized my hair was far from where I wanted it to be. Imagine curly roots and straight ends or straight ends even when my hair was wet. I didn’t experience a relaxer, but I fried my hair over and over again from straightening it.
(L-R) My hair before the Curly Girl Method, during, and my hair at its longest (with shrinkage)
Courtesy
I remember dreaming about full luscious curls and healthy hair. So how did I get my hair to where I wanted to be? Years of practice and training my hair, yes. But ultimately, learning a version of the Curly Girl Method saved me!
The Curly Girl Method is a hair care approach that emphasizes the use of natural, sulfate-free, and silicone-free products to enhance and care for naturally curly hair.
The Curly Girl Method: In 4 Steps
- Cleanse
- Condition
- Style
- Maintain
The Benefits of the Curly Girl Method:
- The Curly Girl Method encourages the use of gentle, natural haircare products that are free of harsh chemicals. This can help reduce hair damage, breakage, and dryness, leading to healthier and stronger curls.
- The Curly Girl Method emphasizes techniques like scrunching, plopping, and diffusing to enhance and define natural curls. This can result in more defined, bouncy curls with less frizz.
- By following the Curly Girl Method, people often find that their hair becomes more manageable, making it easier to style and maintain on a day-to-day basis.
- For people with naturally curly hair, the Curly Girl Method can be a way to embrace and celebrate their natural hair texture rather than feeling like they need to straighten or manipulate it to fit in with societal beauty standards.
So where to start?
A good place to start is to think about your full routine. And now would be the perfect time to take a look at the products you’re using on your hair because they could be doing more damage than good. What to look out for? When shopping for products, it's important to steer away from products that include sulfates, silicones, and parabens. Also, since water is one of the only ways to hydrate your hair, ensuring water is one of the first items listed in the ingredient list for your products is important.
Bonus Step: Prep your hair before you wash.
Trust me when I say this, detangling your hair in sections before washing will not only save you time but help you decide what products to use on your hair for cleansing and styling. Part your hair into four or six sections, then dampen your hair with a spray bottle that has water. Or sometimes I like to use a mix of conditioner and water. Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner with Peppermint and Eucalyptus is a product you didn't know you needed until you use it. The slip creates the perfect base for detangling. Once you've detangled, twist or braid the hair before cleansing.
1. Cleanse
In the shower or in your sink, wash your hair in sections, starting with one section at a time. Apply shampoo on the scalp to start. There is so much controversy about not using shampoo and using a co-wash-type product, and truthfully, a clean scalp and hair are how you’ll see the best results with styling and moisture. Additionally, you can use a shampoo that won’t strip your hair of its natural oils.
Products can only work properly if the base is prepared correctly! Every hairstyle lasts long with a good base. Ensure that the shampoo touches all of the hair shaft.
2. Condition
Replenishing the moisture after shampooing is key. Apply a deep conditioner for the time it says on the product label. I’ve tested it out and can confidently say that there are no additional benefits from keeping products in longer. On the contrary, doing so can sometimes do more harm than good. Unless the product suggests you can keep it overnight, I wouldn’t do it. After rinsing out your deep conditioner, be sure to condition your hair. Don’t skip this step, this step is the beginning of the styling product, believe it or not.
3. Style
DO THIS STEP WITH YOUR HAIR SOAKING WET. I'm not yelling, but I can ensure that you'll get the best results this way. Whether you're twisting your hair or preparing your hair for a wash 'n go, apply your product in sections using the praying hand method, gentle finger combing, or a Denman brush. Also note that leave-in, styling product, and mousse will be your best friend.
Oh, and if you've heard about the LOC (leave in, oil, cream) or LCO (leave in, oil, cream) method, skip the oil. Oil is not intended to go on wet hair. It creates a layer on the hair and makes any maintenance hard. Think about it, if you apply oil to water, what happens? They don't mix!
4. Maintain
How you maintain your hair is up to you because this part of the routine looks different for everyone. But my recommendation is to do low manipulation styles. The phrase “less is more” in this scenario is true. The most important part of maintaining length or preventing damage is ensuring your ends aren’t split, and your hair isn’t breaking off. If you find your hair is missing hydration or moisture, spritzing with water or a water and conditioner mix will do the job. If needed, massage your scalp with oil but not too much or too often because your hair grows from your scalp, and too much oil could clog your hair follicles.
Other key factors in achieving flourishing curls include little to no heat styling, taking your time, and being gentle with styling and detangling. Overall, the Curly Girl Method can help people with naturally curly hair achieve healthy, defined, and manageable curls while also embracing their natural hair texture. I would recommend the Curly Girl Method to anyone who is just getting started.
Ultimately, find what truly works well with your hair, experiment, and be patient!
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Featured image by Hector Pertuz/Getty Images
- Is There Really Such A Thing As A "Bad Hair Day"? ›
- Sick And Tired Of Hair Shrinkage? Have You Ever Tried This? ›
- 7 Steps To Perfect Natural Coils ›
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Why We'll Probably Never Hear Lupita Nyong'o Share Her Relationship With The World
Lupita Nyong'o is sharing a transparent look into her life after a recent breakup.
In a cover story for NET-A-PORTER, the A Quiet Place: Day One star shed light on the significant heartbreak she experienced following the end of her relationship with ex-boyfriend and TV host, Selema Masekela.
As a public figure, Nyong'o, 39, sought to divulge the news of the breakup in hopes of presenting a more authentic perspective on the pain that follows a separation.
"I was living in a lot of pain and heartbreak," she told the publication. "I looked at the environment of my social media and thought I don’t want to be a part of this illusion that everything is always coming up roses. Surely there is a lesson for me to learn in this, and I just want to be real about it."
The Black Panther star went on to explain that her choice to be transparent with her fans about her breakup came from the certainty she felt after ending the relationship. “In my mind, when I shared my relationship status with the world, it was because I felt sure about it,” she said.
While she didn’t know how the news would land with her fans, she found relief in knowing she wasn’t alone in her experience.
“I knew how it could be interpreted; I knew it would have a life of its own,” she reflects. “But then I started to see the comments and people were being so loving and supportive. The ones that moved me the most were other people sharing their pain and their heartbreak.”
Nyong'o and Masekela went Instagram official in December 2022, publicly announcing their relationship in a couple's video. In October 2023, Nyong'o took to her personal Instagram account to share the news of her breakup in her caption, writing, "At this moment, it is necessary for me to share a personal truth and publicly dissociate myself from someone I can no longer trust.”
She continued the vulnerable note, "I find myself in a season of heartbreak because of a love suddenly and devastatingly extinguished by deception. I am tempted to run into the shadows and hide, only to return to the light when I have regained my strength enough for me to say, 'Whatever, my life is better this way.' But I am reminded that the magnitude of the pain I am feeling is equal to the measure of my capacity for love."
These days, Nyong'o tells NET-A-PORTER that she is prioritizing profound self-discovery that extends beyond her career. She notes having a deliberate and unhurried approach to understanding herself.
She also alludes to keeping her relationships private moving forward after noting it was "very, very sage" of her not to talk about her private life professionally in the days before her last relationship. "I'm going back to those days by the way," Nyong'o shares of her reinstated boundaries around her personal life.
Earlier this month, Nyong'o made headlines alongside her new boyfriend actor Joshua Jackson. Nyong'o and Jackson went through public splits from their respective SOs in October 2023, with the latter splitting from his long-time partner Jodie Turner-Smith following her divorce filing from the Dawson's Creek alum.
The pair have been spotted together as early as December 2023, but nothing screamed "couple" quite as loudly as their recent getaway to Mexico for Nyong'o's 41st birthday featuring passionate displays of affection.
"Our purpose in life is to love. And so you have to get back in it," she tells the outlet, seemingly alluding to her budding new romance.
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Featured image by Taylor Hill/Getty Images