I am often posed with questions like… ‘I want to have Hair like yours. How do i get it?’
‘I used to have absolutely straight hair, can i have curls like yours?’
‘Over years my ringlets have straightened out. Its the age!! How do you have such curls?’
Well, the answer is!! A gentle hair care routine.
It has been 1 year since i found, explored & religiously followed the Curly Girl Method.
So, Who can start this hair care method?
If you know your hair is not poker straight then this hair care routine is for you!!
To start at the beginning, Curly Girl method is not ‘just’ for curly & not just for ‘girls’!! Everyone can use the basic products like the shampoo & the conditioner, as they are not HARSH. They will not take away the lustre by stripping away our natural oil.
If you are reading this, you are already one step into knowing that your hair needs care. Natural hair care. To bring the natural hair back, some changes in your hair care routine is the need of the hour.
I am no expert, just learning on my way. 1 year of gentle ways of taking care of my hair & I am in love. I still have bad hair days & it’s a part of having hair on your head;)
It is an ideal hair diet for textured hair. A gentle way to take care of your hair like you do for your skin.
read it online somewhere & it has stayed with me.
Where did I start?
From the ingredients of my existing hair care products. Check yours now!! NO SULPHATE, NO SILICON & NO DRYING ALCHOHOL.
How do I know about this method? I have read & have been glued to CG method techniques for almost a year – by all these lovely bloggers world-wide. Tried it on & the results have been great.
OUR GOAL : TO HAVE CLEAN & HEALTHY SCALP & HAIR.
The 4 points mentioned below are the golden rules of curly hair care routine!!
The 4 golden rules: What did I ‘not’ do since I started Curly hair care/ Curly Girl Method?
- No heat on hair.
No using hot water on hair. This was the most difficult one, as I use hot water 12 months in a year. (I stay in a coastal city, btw)
No heat on hair through blow dry or the heat settings of your hair dryer.
No heat whatsoever!!
Well, this was a mindset change!! We don’t need heat/blowdry/iron to get silky salon shine hair. All we need is healthy hair for it. The shape doesn’t matter! Infact, ALL SHAPES MATTER J
- Said NO to clarifying shampoos with SULPHATES, SILICONS, DRYING ALCOHOLS
By doing so, I was, no longer stripping my hair of moisture with sulfates, but was also feeding the hair real moisture, not the superficial version silicones give.
P.S. It’s amazing how curly/wavy hair people can completely transform their hair simply by eliminating silicones and sulfates.
Ok, occasionally I do use a (sulphate) clarifying shampoo to burst the buildup on my hair. I detox my scalp. Make it squeaky clean of the build-ups, I would have gathered.
This process is once in a blue moon. So I made sure, I found the right one & not the harsh one.
I use other ways to detox my scalp. That’s on another post
- Never Comb my hair when dry
I used to break them, rip them. Ouch!!
Now I use your fingers to detangle. By using my fingers, I know more about my hair (intuitively). Where to use more pressure and how gentle I can be.
So, You can gently work them out without building up a fight.
Detangle only when you hair is wet.
It is better to detangle when your hair has a slip. How does that happen? Use a very little conditioner & water, use your fingers to detangle.
- Terry Cotton towels/cotton towels are not for your hair
You remember, your hair needs gentle care?
By using these towels, I was creating more friction by rubbing them together. Terry cotton absorbs the moisture that I just put it in my hair. So what was the point?
So, I use either a Microfiber towel or an old t-shirt.
It is important to be aware – that every individual is different & so are their hair structures. That is why, some techniques, some products will work for you & some may not.
You may get overwhelmed with the amount of information available on the web. The trick is to start slow but be consistent.
This is the new normal, now on!! My next post is on 3 steps of curly girl routine.
This post first appeared on Ostruck A Personal Lifestyle Blog From India, please read the originial post: here
