Curly Girl Method UK: Full List of Approved Products

63 thoughts on “Curly Girl Method UK: Full List of Approved Products”

1. Really interested to see there are no Maui products on the list here – is there a reason for that? Do you not like them?

   • Hi Helen,
     I wasn’t familiar with this brand, will add to the list ASAP! Thank you for letting me know 🙂

     • Maui conditioners often contain an un-identified alcohol and waxes, which are not CG

   • So I started the curl girl method about 2 months ago and I’m still incredibly confused! The information that you have provided is amazing but the whole thing is still a mine field.
     My hair is a mixture of 2a/2b/2c waves, depending on the day. I have waves that are wavy at the top, straight in the middle and curly at the end sometimes. I suspect this could be damage. I’ve always looked after my hair, but it is dyed with semi-permanent colour. I’ve used sulphate and paraben free products for over a year now and I always use heat protection on my hair whenever blow drying or styling.
     My hair is fine, but there’s lots of it, and it’s high porosity, despite the moisturising products I use. My mums is the same so I think it’s more hereditary than it is due to damage or colouring (I’ve never boxed dyed, it’s always done professionally and it’s not been bleached in over 10 years).
     Also my hair is really long, down to the bottom of my back, but I recently had layers cut in to try and help the curls. I also get it trimmed every six weeks.
     My issues are that my waves are just sort of flat, not really defined, there’s not much volume and it’s incredibly frizzy. I also tend to get an oily scalp the day after washing.
     I literally follow the curly girl method to a tee but I’m not sure if I’m using the right products. I really don’t want to have to go through so much trial and error with a whole bunch of products that will eventually cost a fortune and have no pay off 😩
     So my method this far is –

     1. Wash just my scalp with Coily Curls Moisture shampoo by Umberto Giannini
     2. Then co-wash all of my hair and scalp with Curlsmith Curl Quenching Conditioning wash. Whilst this is on I brush my hair with a Denman brush (only time I brush my hair). Leave it on for 3-5 minutes and rinse using cold/slightly warm water.
     3. I then apply Curlsmith Defining Styling Soufflé through mid to ends, then top using praying hands method. My hair is sopping so I do the scrunch method.
     4. After this I plop my hair on a micro fibre towel and wrap it up for about 5-10 mins.
     5. I use Umberto Giannini Frizz Conditioning Miracle Styling Milk, put this through mid-ends gently using praying hands method.
     6. Add Aussie Mousse Turn Up The Curl using the scrunch method.
     7. Diffuse on a cold setting. Tend to put the curls gently into the diffuser whilst it’s off, bring the diffuser to my scalp and then switch it on. To avoid frizz.
     8. Scrunch out any crunch when my hair is fully dry
     9. Sleep using silk/satin wrap

     I’ve been doing this for 2 months and there’s clearly something wrong.
     If I diffuse a certain way, my hair gets frizzy. When I scrunch out the crunch, my hair gets ridiculously frizzy. When I wake up after sleeping, my hair is frizzy. I can’t even detangle knots gently with my fingers without it getting frizzy. It’s insane. My hair is really fine too so it ends up just looking like a static mess 😂
     Also once I scrunch out the crunch, my waves begin to drop, and not in a nice way. Essentially after all that work I end up looking like someone who has just woken up, decided to wave parts of her hair and keep some of straight, and then rubbed a balloon against every strand 😂
     I can’t seem to fathom where I’m going wrong.
     When I was younger I had ringlets. Once upon a time my hair was actually curly (pre-teen).
     I’m not sure if the sheer weight of my hair is pulling down on my wave and I’m loosing the wave because of it! Especially with having fine hair. I’m also wondering if having fine hair but lots of it is the reason it’s frizzing so much and maybe the products aren’t really working for my hair type. I’m also wondering if the weight of the products are pulling down on my hair. Which is a bit of a nightmare as it’s high porosity and I need the moisture locking in.
     I’d love some advice, any advice on where I go from here with my hair. As it’s starting to drive me mad.
     I have a chronic illness and my stomach is partially paralysed. I’m usually lacking in a lot of energy and it’s becoming difficult to maintain. So I desperately need help with it 🙈
     Also incredibly sorry for how long this is. Thank you! 🥰

     • Hi,

       That’s a lot of products you’ve got going! 🙂 Have you tried foregoing the shampoo and co-wash and just use a conditioner for washing? Perhaps go back to basics and find a conditioner for co-washing and conditioning (you can use the same product) and then really focus on mixing the product with water while you ‘squish’ your curls. At this point, lots of water is key. If your curls are frizzy before you leave the shower, you need more conditioner mixed with water squished into your curls. I’d also recommend you simply style your hair with gel when it is soaking wet. Then plop for 5 minutes and then use more gel if needed. In the beginning my hair was very frizzy but I found that I wasn’t using enough gel. Each curl should be cased in gel (or mousse) before you begin to dry.

       So try using only a couple of products and see how you get on. If your hair feels coarse and straw-like, you could add a weekly moisturising conditioning treatment to your routine. If it feels limp and very soft, then try a protein treatment like a rice water rinse.

       It really can be a minefield but if you experiment and keep at it, you should definitely see results! 🙂

       Dee x

2. Have you ever used any of the body shops banana range ? I think my hair is lacking in protein and needs some banana based nourishment

   • Interesting you should say so, I’ve just bought this one so will provide an update. I’ve heard really great things! My hair generally doesn’t need protein but I seem to go through phases. I have to say I really like the Garnier Banana Hair Food mask but I know that Lorraine Massey recently added Sodium hidroxide to her list of no-go’s which is an ingredient in Hair Foods. Personally, I don’t worry too much. People have been using these for years without problems. I will dedicate a post to protein products as soon as I have time!

3. Hi! I noticed that no hairspray’s were listed in the Other Products section? Is there any reason for that? FYI. I’m a newbie to the Curly Girl Method and just checking what products are good!

   • Hi Kelly,

     Hairsprays are not used on the Curly Girl Method as they can contain silicones and drying alcohols. If your hair is really frizzy, try using a bit of lube (trust me…) to smooth any stray hairs. It really does work 🙂 If you’re looking for hold, then I’d suggest root clips when diffusing and just a good amount of gel or mousse. You always need more than you think. Having said all this, it’s completely up to you if you want to use hairspray. I see the CGM as a guide and if you want to use hairspray I’d suggest getting one without silicone. But see how you get on first without, gel can really do wonders! Good luck!

4. Hi Helen,
   What a relief it’s been to come across your website. I tried the Curly Girl method last year but I think I completely misjudged my hair type! I saw your photo of protein overload hair and I thought “bingo” that’s what happened to me last time! I have to admit I only tried a few products, the Garnier hair food banana conditioner/mask and Superdrug black castor and shea, both products left my hair feeling better to begin with but after a few more co-washes, my hair became product-clogged, heavy, lacking in shape, tangly and it had a dry-oil feel. I will give one of the conditioners on your list a go, I was just wondering if you had any other tips or product recommendations for what I think is hair that doesn’t like too much protein. When I get my hair wet in the shower it immediately transforms into curly locks (my hair is fairly thick with large waves on a good hair day, I believe I’m a 2a curl type) and in sea water it goes into even tighter curly-waves. Sorry for the info dump but any advise for a newbie would be greatly appreciated and give me a challenge during this isolation period! Many thanks and I hope you are well, Kate.

   • Hi Kate,

     Thanks so much for your lovely comments!

     I was actually a bit like you when I started out. Tried the method and had some success straight away. Then a few weeks in, during co-washing, my hair started to feel a bit oily as if it had a coating of silicone on it.

     The biggest difference I experienced, was when I did an apple cider vinegar rinse. I simply added half a cup of ACV to some water and poured it over my (wet) hair and massaged it in. Left it for a few minutes and then continued to condition as per usual. It made such a big difference so I would suggest you do that first. In regards to products, I find that I have better luck with thinner consistencies. So no thick conditioners or ones which contain a lot of oil. I have low porosity hair so my hair doesn’t absorb moisture very well. I really do like the Banana hairfood from Garnier even though it contains a bit of protein. It’s light and works great as a deep conditioner. Also give the Papaya one a go if you like the Banana one. My other go-to co-wash is the Pantene cleanse and reconstruct conditioner. It is SO light and smells amazing. Use this as a co-wash and then try a thicker product for deep conditioning once a week.

     Honestly, I think it’s down to how you tackle the entire process. Perhaps try mousse instead of gel. This is now my preferred way because my curls are so much softer. Sure I don’t get a super hard cast, but there’s so much less product build-up. Sometimes I add a bit of gel and then mousse. It’s all about trying different things. I wouldn’t go spending lots of money on products though, I really do believe it’s down to the method.

     Try the following:
     1) apple cider vinegar rinse
     2) deep condition with Banana hair food (seeing as you already have this) – or try a new one!
     3) Finish your wash with COLD water. I always find my curls are so much better when I do this
     4) Apply mousse on dripping wet hair in the shower, scrunch scrunch!
     5) Use T-shirt or microfibre towel and plop for 10 minutes while you get dressed, makeup etc
     6) apply gel to hair at this point – experiment with the amount
     7) either air dry or diffuse. I used to swear by diffusing (on cold setting) but now I kind of like air drying

     Even though it takes SO much effort and takes SO long, really try and master ONE good wash+dry. If you get it right, you’ll know that you actually CAN do it and that your hair responds well to the products you used. I find that I have a bad hair day when I didn’t really give it my all.

     Right now during isolation, I’m giving my hair a break. I co-wash and condition but then I don’t add any additional products. I’m not going anywhere so… 🙂 My hair gets a breather but I’m still following the method. And what I am finding is that even in its natural state, my hair is curling so much more than it did 12 months ago. I could probably just co-wash, condition, plop with no products and apply 2 pumps of mousse and I’d be OK.

     So to summarise, ACV rinse, deep condition with banana hair food, end the wash with cold water, scrunch your curls with mousse, apply gel after plopping and diffuse on cold or air dry. See how you get on! 🙂

     Remember it really does take time. You’ve spent years putting chemicals into your hair as well as ironing it….it’ll take time to heal.

     Also…scalp brush! A must! 🙂

     Good luck and let me know how you get on!

     Dee

5. This article is a life saver, thank you so much for laying it all out so simply! I’m new to the CGM and was finding it hard to find UK product advice

6. Can I use Johnson Baby Shampoo for my final wash?

   • Hi,

     It is actually not recommended to do a final wash if you want to follow the Curly Girl Method, but it is of course completely up to you. I wrote an article about why it’s not needed. You can read it here. Thanks! Dee

7. Hi please can you recommend a clarifying shampoo that I can buy in the UK? Have just started CG and think I might have to occasionally use one

   • Hi,

     Unfortunately, there isn’t really such a thing as a clarifying shampoo if you want to follow the CG method to the letter. Lorraine Massey’s argument is that if you are using 100% water-soluble products (no silicone), then you shouldn’t need to.

     I have found that an apple cider vinegar rinse does the trick for me. I add a couple of spoonful’s of apple cider vinegar to some water and massage into my hair after co-washing. Really rub it into your scalp and hair. Then finish the wash with a deep conditioner. It did absolute wonders for me! You can also squeeze half a lemon into a bottle of conditioner.

     I’m 12 months on the method now and I never use shampoo. In the beginning, I did feel my hair was very sticky, but it resolved itself. Definitely get a scalp massager and use it vigorously and try a natural clarify such as the ACV rinse or lemon rinse. Of course, it’s your hair and many CG’s follow a modified version of the method. The only problem with clarifying shampoos is that although they don’t contain sulphate, they might contain other harmful chemicals to substitute the cleansing agent…which is sulphate. I, unfortunately, don’t know much about these but I have heard that people like the Johnson’s baby shampoo. Good luck!

     • really helpful, than you x

8. What an amazingly helpful article wow. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this. I have finally identified why my hair is so dry lately.. Too much protein. With your list I have a set of products I can try. Thank you!!!

9. What do you recommend as a leave in conditioner for a hair suffering protein overload? Thanks so much x

   • Hi Emily,

     Sorry for the delayed response! I would suggest you do an ACV rinse first and then try Organic Shop Avocado & Honey Hair Mask or the Garnier Ultimate Blends Argan Oil and Almond Cream Dry Hair Treatment Mask. neither of these contains coconut oil 🙂

10. ⭐️ Hey OMG thank you so much for your time and effort with this post! It’s been so confusing for me getting into cgm and I was so overwhelmed and nervous but this has helped so much! 🙂
    ⭐️ question: is condition and deep condition the same? So in my routine would I do
    -massage scalp with conditioner
    -? Then deep Condition? Or use the same conditioner?
    – also Acv would that be the last step or before the conditioner? Thank you 🙂 xxx

    • Hi Hamzah,

      Thank you so much for your kind words!

      There are three steps when washing your hair on the CG method:

      Co-wash (conditioner washing)
      Condition
      And if needed (maybe once a week), a deep condition.

      For co-washing, you should choose a lightweight conditioner. During this step you’re actually washing your hair, so treat it like shampooing but without shampoo of course! Wash your hair as you would normally and use the scalp massager to get product out of your scalp.

      Once you’ve co-washed, you then condition.

      You can use the same conditioner for this step if you want, but I mix it up and use a thicker product which might be more hydrating. I personally like the Banana Food hair mask for this. During this step, you want to try and get as much product mixed with water into your hair whilst squishing your curls. So flip your hair upside down and continue to pour water over your head whilst squishing the product up towards your scalp. Curls should begin to form.

      As you end the wash, switch to cold water and continue to squish your curls. I find cold water really helps my curls to form.

      You can then add gel or mousse on dripping wet hair and then use a microfibre towel or t-shirt to gently scrunch the water out of your curls. The goal is to keep the curls you have formed intact and seal in moisture with gel or mousse.

      I apply gel when dripping wet and then I use an old t-shirt to get rid of excess water. I then apply gel again and start diffusing.

      Don’t worry if you have frizzy curls to begin with. It takes a long time to get those big juicy clumps of curls in the shower if you’re just starting out.

      If you think you need an ACV rinse, I would recommend you only do it once a week for two weeks and then do it monthly. It is to clarify any dirt, excess product and oil from your scalp. It can also help massively if you think you may be suffering from protein overload. After you do the ACV rinse, finish off with a deep conditioner. So do a deep condition weekly but only do an ACV rinse every two or four weeks. Hope this helps! 🙂

      Dee

11. Hello there! Fab post thank you so much. Can I just check the Pantene hair biology cleanse and reconstruct conditioner recommended for a moisturing cleanser – it’s the conditioner to use in that product range not the shampoo? Reason for asking is the picture shown is of the shampoo. Thanks so much.

    • Hi,

      Yes you’re absolutely right, wrong photo! Thank you for letting me know 🙂 It is the conditioner and not the shampoo which is OK to use. And it’s one of my favourites. Very lightweight and smells incredible.

      Thanks again,
      Dee

    • Thank you Dee! I’ve just been reading your blog and replies to everyone you are such a star 🌟 helping everyone to make sense of it and in such a clear, concise and easy to digest way. Thank you acainn

12. 🌟Thank you so much for taking the time to really break everything down in your article! It’s helped me understand my hair and the method. I tried to start last year but felt totally overwhelmed and my hair wasn’t taking to it but seeing your protein overload picture and the explaination and what products I was using it all made sense.
    You have spurred me on to start the routine and given me confidence to try our products as I had thrown the towel in. I want my big bouncy curls I know are in here.
    Do you have any tips for your hair at night? Wrap it up? Use a scrunchie on the top of your head?
    Honestly thank you for putting this together, I’ve already had to share with my curly headed family and friends. 🌟☀️

    • Hi Amy,

      Wow thank you so much for your kind comments!

      So I do a mixture of things at night. Sometimes I wear a satin cap which you can buy for cheap on Amazon. I use this kind – https://amzn.to/2Vp2Jps but I noticed this seller only has a large left, so shop around if it’s not your size. It holds in your curls really well but it can be a bit slippery if too big.

      You can also use a hair buff. It’s basically a long fabric tube. You can also find this on Amazon.

      Sometimes I just put my hair in a pineapple, so exactly what you said -a scrunchie on the top of my head 🙂

      You’ve inspired me to add to this post – other CG products that are not actually conditioner or styling products but tools as well. I find that these are just as essential. Thank you!

      Wishing you the best of luck with your curls!

      Dee

13. Hi there,

    I have been looking into the CG method for a while but I don’t see a lot of talk about products that can be used on colour treated hair. Can you use most of these products on coloured hair? If so, which ones are best.

    Thanks!

    • Hi Laurie,

      You can use all CG approved products on coloured hair. I have coloured my hair and haven’t had any issues. If anything, next time you colour your hair, you could try and go for one that is not too damaging for your hair. I haven’t personally gone down that route and have just used a box colour. But any products on this list can be used 🙂

      • Hi Dee,

        Thank you so much for your help! I am just about to start my CG journey and this was so helpful!!

14. Hello! Firstly thank you for all of the information on this site. It is really helpful! I had been half heartedly trying the CCG method for a few months to no avail, until I realised I was suffering with protein overload. I found your site recently, snapped up a load of your recommended products and started to take it more seriously. For the first few days I couldn’t believe the difference! My hair had become increasingly curly and was starting to feel softer and healthier. Now however, over a week in, my curls are not forming despite using the same methods as the first few days and I wondered if you had any advice?

    The products I bought are:
    Pantene cleansing conditioner
    Almond crush garnier conditioner
    Argon oil hair mask
    Umberto garnier crunchy jelly
    (And I also did an ACV wash before I started)

    I doubt my hair could now be suffering with moisture overload because I dye my hair a lot and have bleached it extensively in the past, but I guess it is an option.

    My hair type is probably a 2b/2c on good days, but it had recently become a 3a in places around the front.

    I unfortunately have been having to wash my hair every day as my hair doesn’t like refreshing, so maybe that is it? I normally wash my hair very infrequently so it might be due to overwashing? I’m so confused.

    If you have any insights I would greatly appreciate it.

    I hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy during this time xxx

    • Hi Lianne,

      Thank you for following the blog! I’m so glad you had some success! Apologies for the delay in replying to you. I wanted to think carefully about my response because I didn’t want you to go out and buy new products and if you have already seen some changes, then maybe we can build on that.

      The first thing I would recommend is to continue to do an ACV rinse on a weekly basis. Perhaps 2 or 3 weeks in a row. That’s what I have been doing lately as my curls were becoming a bit stringy and I think it has helped.

      Another thing that may help, is to cut your curls a teeny tiny bit. I’m not talking inches, just the very tips. Sometimes this can make a huge difference. I recently cut my own hair and it really gave life back to my curls.

      A third tip (which I am sometimes now very good at following), is to use cold water when you condition. I hate this bit because I love a hot shower but I have to admit that my curls always come out much better with cold water.

      And this goes for heat too. I would sometimes cheat and use medium heat (or even high…ooops) on my hairdryer and I get no way near the same results as I do with a cold setting.

      The only product I might be inclined to swap is the Almond crush and this is ONLY because I’ve recently found it to no longer works with my hair. That doesn’t mean it won’t work for you, but seeing as we’ve had some of the same issues, maybe another product would work. I am currently in Denmark and I am actually using a super cheap supermarket brand called Elida. The expensive products are not always better so if you want to try something different, maybe go for Sainsbury’s Apple conditioner or the Superdrug Cherry and almond conditioner. If it doesn’t work, at least it wasn’t £10 out the window!

      I’ve had so many ups and downs with this (mostly downs…) but it’s worth it in the end. During lockdown, I’ve mainly just been washing my hair and not even styling with mousse or gel. And I am so surprised at how curly my hair au natural is! It was never like this before, so that’s why I know the CGM works 🙂 I still get frizz and I sometimes still struggle with the curls. But I am just so happy I no longer use harsh chemicals or straighten my hair.

      So to sum up:

      1) Continue ACV rinse (or squeeze a lemon into your conditioner) once a week for another few weeks
      2) Use only cold water when squishing to condish
      3) Only dry on cold setting
      4) Cut ends of hair
      5) Switch the almond crush conditioner

      You can also experiment with the amount of gel you use. I need a lot more than I am willing to admit….but then I sometimes mix gel with mousse.

      I also don’t like refreshing btw. I have switched from a wet refresh (it gave me horrible frizz) to a dry refresh. So now I simply just take a big dollop of mousse and squeeze my curls. It takes about 10 minutes and the curls feel a bit hard and then I scrunch the curls out 🙂

      It doesn’t always work, but when it does, it saves me so much time!

      Wishing you all the best with your curls! Any questions, just ask 🙂

      Stay safe!
      Dee xxx

15. Hi Dee,

    Thank you for this article, and the step-by-step guide! I’m feeling more prepared and confident to give CGM a go after seeing it all broken down into steps! 🙂 The only thing I’m confused about is whether the dryness in my hair is due to protein sensitivity or related to moisture – do you have any more advice on how to determine which it is? I’m trying to decide whether to opt for the protein-free products or not 🙂
    Thanks,
    Hannah

    • Hi Hannah,

      It’s tricky for sure.

      If your hair feels dry and straw-like, then I would definitely recommend you do a weekly deep-conditioning treatment. I always recommend the Banana Hair food mask from Garnier, even though it does contain coconut (protein mimicker). It just makes my hair feel super soft but you can try others. I wrote an article about protein vs deep conditioning treatments and you can read that here

      Perhaps try an apple cider vinegar rinse first. Mix a couple of spoonfuls of ACV with water and massage through wet hair. Leave it for about 5 minutes. Then finish off with a conditioner as usual. You might not feel a difference after the first wash but if you have too much protein in your hair, it should feel nicer by the second wash for sure. You can also add some lemon juice to conditioner if you don’t have ACV.

      Also consider your styling products. Do you use gel or mousse? I get a great cast with gel but it made my hair dry. I now switch between mousse and gel and I found this helped a lot.

      So definitely add a weekly deep condition to your routine and try a clarifying rinse.

      Remember, if your hair is damaged, it will, unfortunately, take a while for it to be restored back to its natural health.

      Thanks for reading!

      Dee

      • Hi Dee,

        Thank you for this. The ACV wash seemed to be a good cleanser so will keep that up. I have been using gel (Cantu Lock and Twist) but my hair has felt very producty and matted so I’m looking for an alternative product. I’ve had the same results from the conditioner that I tried (Faith in Nature Aloe Vera and Noughty leave-in). I’ve tried washing by phasing these on an alternating basis this week and haven’t had a day where my hair hasn’t felt gross.

        Do you have any recommendations for a lightweight gel (and conditioner) that doesn’t leave residue?

        Thanks,
        Hannah

16. Hey,

    I’m planning on starting the CGM but noticed that you don’t have any hair serums on your list. I’ve always applied serum to my hair when wet and again once dried to reduce frizz. Is this not advised?

    Thank you,
    Liz

    • Hi Liz,

      Serums are very oily which isn’t recommended but I’ve looked into this and the XHC serum and Treluxe styling serum are CG approved 🙂 I’ll add these to the list. If you can’t find any of these nearby, try lube! It’s so great for managing frizz! Good luck 🙂

17. Hi there!

    Thank you so much for putting this together, it’s super helpful.

    I struggle with oily roots and dry ends, would that be protein overload or the other end of the spectrum? Thanks in advance!

    Meg

    • Hi Meg,

      Thank you for your kind words 🙂

      I think my hair was similar when I started out but now I can go 4 or 5 days without a wash. Oily roots tend to be caused by either product build-up or sebum produced from your scalp so I would definitely get a scalp brush if you don’t already one. Spend 2-3 minutes in the shower just vigorously massaging your scalp.

      If you are new to the method, give it time. Before starting CGM, my roots always got so oily, but this changed with time. If you now only use conditioner to remove dirt, it’s going to take a while before the process works. I would definitely recommend doing an ACV rinse to see if it balances out. Add a few spoonfuls of apple cider vinegar to water and massage into wet hair. Leave for a few minutes and rinse with conditioner. Do this every 2 weeks.

      And yes, if you have dry ends, definitely go for a moisturising deep treatment once a week and not protein. Try and avoid coconut products as these can also be very drying.

      All the best!
      Dee

18. Hi this site is amazing and is full of so many tips! Thank you

    Just one question, I find my long hair falls out quite a lot (Or i just notice it more maybe) the only way i can keep on top of it usually is by brushing it? I am waiting for my new products to arrive to start the CGM process but am i still going to be able to brush it whilst wet and at what stage?

    Thank you 🙂

    • Hi Jess!

      Thank you for your lovely comments 🙂

      My hair falls out a lot too. On the CG method it is advised to only use a wide-tooth comb on wet hair. Personally, I don’t brush anymore. I just use my fingers when I condition. That’s not a conscious choice and it’s not because I don’t want to brush, I just find it easier. So if you want to follow the method to a tee, you cannot use a regular brush, only a wide-tooth comb. You can do this whilst co-washing and then squish to condish afterwards.

      I’ve seen some Curly Girls use a Denman brush but I don’t have any experience with this unfortunately. I think if you have 3b+ curls, this is probably more appropriate. I’m wavy/curly so my hair is easier to manage.

      Thanks for reading and good luck with starting the method! 🙂

      Dee x

19. Hi Dee

    Excellent post thank you but I’m really struggling. Over a year of religiously following the method my scalp and hair is greasy and feels like it needs a good wash. What could I possibly be doing wrong? I just co-wash and condition, I don’t use anything else now just in case it was exacerbating the problem. Thank you x

    • Hi Anna,

      It can be really difficult to enjoy the method if you don’t actually feel like it’s doing anything good for you :/

      If your scalp is greasy, I would recommend that you do an ACV rinse or a Lemonaid rinse. Buy some apple cider vinegar and mix a few spoonfuls with water. Then use this mixture on wet hair before your co-wash and condition. Vigorously massage it in to your scalp and use a scalp brush if you have one. If you don’t have one…buy one! It made such a difference to my scalp. it’s easy to get build-up if you’re not using shampoo.

      The ACV rinse is essentially a natural way to remove dirt and build-up from your scalp and hair. You can also add a few squeezes of lemon juice to your conditioner.

      I’d recommend you do an ACV rinse or Lemonaid rinse at least once a month and in the beginning, maybe even once a week.

      Also consider switching your co-washing product to a lighter product. You can do an Amazon search for ‘co-wash’ and you should get a bunch of results. I also really like the Pantene hair biology conditioner cleanse & reconstruct conditioner. It is super lightweight and works great as a co-wash. Consider buying cheap products for co-washing and more expensive products for your condition or deep condition.

      If all this fails, no one is going to judge you for using a mild shampoo every now and again. At the end of the day, it is just hair. Do what feels right for you 🙂 But try the natural rinses first and see how you get on 🙂

      Hope it helps!
      Dee x

20. Hi!

    This post is so so incredibly informative for a complete newbie like me. I’ve actually been washing and treating my hair as straight for the last 20 years, but the other day I decided to experiment by just casually scrunching my hair with no product and letting it air dry instead of brushing through it, and I was so surprised that my hair formed beachy waves with a few small ringlets.

    I was just wondering if you think it’s worth me trying the curly girl method (as I don’t want to invest lots of money in products if my hair is destined to be forever straight or just have a slight wave) and also how you would suggest modifying this for wavy hair as opposed to proper curls?

    sorry about the information dump, but I’ve been dreaming of having curly/wavy hair for YEARS so now that I know it might be an option for me I’m super excited and want to give this method a proper try!

    • Hi! Thanks for your lovely comments 🙂

      So I actually had dead straight hair until I was around 12 years old. But then I wanted to be Mel B from the Spice Girls (I am Asian btw…DEAD STRAIGHT HAIR), and for some reason my mother allowed my hair to be permed! Massive mistake. I did NOT look like Mel B…

      Anyways, ever since then, the texture of my hair changed. It was never curly but certainly a bit wavy. But I straightened it for the next 20 years because, well, I just assumed it was supposed to be straight.

      So I don’t have naturally curly hair but I do have wavy hair. When I use the CG Method, I get curly hair. So for me, this works 🙂

      I, therefore, think you can use the method the same way I do. At the end of the day, it’s just about finding the right products which work for you and be willing to invest time. I have no doubt that you’ll get more curls or waves if you try the method, especially if you’re already getting a few ringlets.

      I wrote an article about how to go about it if you have wavy hair (because that’s what I have), and you can find that here.

      But for some quick tips, this is what I would do:

      1) Ditch the shampoo and start using conditioner only. You can find a list of approved products here.

      2) Do not brush your hair except when wet and only with a wide-tooth comb or simply your fingers (this is what I do).

      3) As you’re finishing the wash, flip your hair upside down and scrunch carefully towards your scalp with lots of cold water and some conditioner.

      4) As the curls begin to form (or waves), apply gel or mousse on soaking wet hair. Begin to scrunch out the water a bit.

      5) Wrap your hair in a t-shirt or microfibre towel and get dressed etc.

      6) scrunch out the excess water from your hair and apply gel or mousse again. You’ll need more than you think.

      7) Leave to air dry (can take ages) or use a diffuser and dry to 90%.

      8) If you get a cast, scrunch it out.

      You shouldn’t be able to fail if following this routine. The most important thing is to get your curls forming whilst in the shower and then adding your styling product towards the end.

      If all this sounds too complicated, you can honestly just wash with conditioner and when you step out of the shower, use a big dollop of mousse and scrunch into your hair. I do this sometimes and I still get great curls. It’s just a bit more frizzy but sometimes I quite like this.

      I have no idea if I answered your question haha, but honestly, I had wavy hair and my hair curls really well when following the method. I am sure yours will too! If anything, it’s a way to get a bit of texture into your hair without using curling tongs 🙂

      Oh and don’t go buying expensive products to begin with. I love the 99p Boots Essentials Gel or Pantene Vol.5 mousse. For a cheap conditioner, try the Superdrug Cherry conditioner and maybe invest in the Garnier Banana Hair food. All of this shouldn’t set you back more than £8. Of course, if you want to use a diffuser, you’ll have to buy one. The one I use is the Hairizone diffuser which I bought from ebay. It’s £17. I’ve linked it here.

      Good luck!

      Dee x

21. This list has now been bookmarked and is really helpful. I have been a big fan of the UG curl Jelly for definition but it does make my hair feel greasy. I have just started the As I am Co-wash and that is the first time my hair has felt properly clean without Shampoo so I would definitely recommend that.

    My big problem is my curls fall out quite fast and I just get wavy frizz, not sure how to combat that.

    What I struggle with is trying to do CG but also trying to go as zero waste as possible. Pre CG I was shampoo and conditioner bars only but now I feel I am using so much plastic! I wish Lush’ co-wash was GC compliant!

22. Thank you so much! You have been super helpful – I ordered some of the products you recommended today and I can’t wait to start my own curly hair journey!

23. Hi, thank you for this list. I tried curly girl method a couple of years ago on my long dyed very damaged hair and gave up because it was so time consuming.
    Since then, I’ve had chemo and a stem cell transplant. One of the benefits of this, apart from saving my life, is that after losing my hair, it’s growing back thicker and healthier than it was before. No, I don’t recommend it lol, but, I have the opportunity to try it again on my “ virgin” hair. My hair is very short atm, just looking like very short waves. I’ve been using the organic shop avocado and honey mask to wash my hair with. Do you have any more advice to train my hair without looking like sonic the hedgehog whilst it is growing. I still wear a hat when I’m out as it’s so short but hope to stop that in a couple of months. I’m tempted to leave it grey/ white now as apart from the chemicals putting me off, I got fed up of touching up the roots every few weeks…… unless there is a natural wash in/ wash out colour about that I don’t know about.
    Many thanks for your hard work devising this list.

    • Hi Julia,

      So sorry for just responding. I’ve had to take some time out due to Covid 19 but now back on it.

      First of all, thank you for your kind comments. Secondly, from your story I honestly don’t think there’s anything I can teach you that you’re not bossing already! 🙂 I’m so glad the stem cell transplant was successful and that you’re doing well!

      I have no experience with starting ‘fresh’ but if your hair is very short, I don’t think there’s much else you can do but take care of it the way you are. I really admire you for even committing to the CGM after what you have been through so I would recommend you take it slow and just use the products which you feel are doing you good. I don’t know if you are using styling products such as gel or mousse, but perhaps mousse would help settle your hair a bit whilst growing.

      I personally have always just coloured my hair with a box hair dye from Boots or Superdrug so don’t have any advice on that part. But rock your greys and whites I say! 🙂

      Thank you again for your kind comments. I am sorry I can’t be of more help but don’t overthink it, keep it simple and all the best of luck to you! Dee x

      • Thank you Dee. I hope you’re feeling better, I hear it can really take it out of you.
        Thanks for the advice, I tried gel, whoa! I head of very tight little curls lol. I think I’m just going to need to be patient although I’m dying to see how it turns out when it’s longer.
        Thanks again. Keep up the good work and take care of yourself.
        Julia x

24. Lovely finding your experience here! I believe my hair is protein overloaded and I am looking for solutions! Thank you for sharing!
    I am confused about the organic avocado and honey deep conditions you recommend as protein free.. I just got it ordered and one of the top ingredient is “Hydrolyzed wheat protein”… isn’t that going to build up even more a protein sensitive hair? I’m new here, trying to understand these terms!
    Thank youuuuuu:)

    • Hi Nina,

      Thanks for reading the blog 🙂 So, this is actually quite odd. I checked the ingredients on the Organic Shop website and this product definitely doesn’t contain hydrolyzed wheat protein. But I then Googled it and can see that there is an express version of this product which does. However, it seems to only be available from shops outside the UK. Can I ask where you bought it from? The link I provided in this article definitely takes you to the right product on Amazon.co.uk BUT I can see that I have used the wrong image, showing the Express hair mask and for this I am very sorry! I have changed the image now to reflect the correct hair mask. Does your hair mask say Express on it? It should be the Lavish Avocado and Honey hair mask. I am so sorry, I didn’t realise there were, in fact, two different kinds of Organic Shop Avocado and Honey hair masks! The express one doesn’t seem to be available on the UK Organic Shop website.

      I would give this hair mask a try since you’ve bought it. You will be able to tell after one or two washes if it works or not. Sometimes products surprise you. I have favourites which work for me one week but then the next week I need to change it up.

      Again, I am so sorry if the image was confusing! I genuinely didn’t know that there were two very similar products. I’m just glad it wasn’t a £20 product!

      Thanks again for reading the blog and all the best with your curly journey x

      • I ordered it from Amazon UK as well, from the Organic Shop (Organic Shop Honey Avocado Hair Mask, 250 ml https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N096MYU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_4dy2EbEVHY7SA). I understand that you got mistaken, but It’s a bit disappointing…I waited for weeks to find some guidance for my issue, then I found your blog and still waited couple more weeks to receive the product… because it was sold out. It’s not about the price, for sure, but anyway.. thanks for replying.

25. Hello,
    I’ve cowashed twice now and I think its going to change my life so thank you for your really informative website! I colour my hair too (well my hair dresser does!) And I wondered what i should do about that? She will colour it (red) then shampoo twice and then condition. I have protein overload hair. She does it at my house so should Iask her to use other products? I’ve got the johnsons baby shampoo for my kids. Been using the faith in nature conditioner as you recommended it, and I love the smell!
    Thanks
    Helen

    • Hi Helen,

      Thanks so much for your kind comments!

      I personally use a box colour every now and then and I just use the shampoo that comes with the box. In my book, one wash won’t hurt the progress I’ve made and so far it hasn’t. However, I don’t colour my hair very often, once every 4 months or so. So what I would recommend is to let your hairdresser do her thing and use her own shampoo (seeing as your hair colour probably contains silicone) and so you’ll need a sulphate shampoo anyway to rinse this out. Then use your own CG friendly conditioner and style as per normal.

      This way I don’t think you’re doing very much harm to your hair. Many curly girls use shampoo once a month or every 6 weeks anyway because they don’t get along with co-washing only. So you could consider your colour session your clarifying session as well 🙂 Perhaps use a deep conditioner after colouring?

      Hope this makes sense and I’m so pleased you’re seeing results!

      Dee x

26. Hi,
    You mentioned colouring hair. How do you wash the dye out (especially at the hairdressers), without using Shampoo?
    Thnaks
    Emma

    • Hi Emma,

      I would let the hairdresser use their own shampoo. Most hair dye contains silicone so you’d need a sulphate shampoo to wash this out. I would just bring your own silicone-free conditioner and ask them to use this 🙂 I do not think your hair will become damaged by using shampoo once every 4-6 weeks, many curly girls already do this when clarifying.

      Hope this helps!
      Dee x

27. Hi! Just wanted to say thank for this awesome resource & your CGM for wavy hair post! Very excited to try and figure out the right routine for my hair, and you’ve helped me start with products that won’t break the bank. I have processed hair (bleached & coloured with semi-permanent dye) so I think I might need a leave-in conditioner to add moisture? I normally use Olaplex 3 to repair my hair after it’s been bleached and I was really excited to find that it’s CGM approved, but now I am paranoid about overdoing the protein and not having enough moisture! Thank you so much 🙂

    • Hi Claire,

      Thanks so much for your lovely comments. It’s such a tricky one because damaged hair tends to lack protein but the signs of too much protein look very similar. If you are regularly bleaching and colouring your hair then I don’t think you should worry about your hair lacking protein. Protein loss is the first thing that happens when your hair is being chemically treated. However, you need a healthy balance of both protein and moisture so as much as it’s not groundbreaking advice, I suggest you follow up any bleached/colour session with Olaplex 3 and weekly deep conditioners with a protein-rich product. Then use protein-free conditioners for your regular washes and see how you get along.

      Hope this helps!
      Dee x

28. Hiya,

    So glad I came across your site! Everything I’ve found has been US based and SO helpful to have. a list of UK products and using this to try and identify why I have so much frizz!!

    Just wondering I currently use the AS I AM coconut cowash and noticed it’s listed as protein free in one section, and protein rich in another?

    Many thanks
    Ellie

    • Hi Ellie,
      Thanks so much for your kind comments! I’m so sorry for the mistake, the As I Am Coconut Co-wash is a protein free co-wash. I’ve tried looking for where it was listed as protein-rich but I haven’t been able to find it. Do you by any chance remember if it was another post? I’ll have a thorough look through all my posts!

      Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention!

      Dee x

      • It’s listed as a protein rich conditioner in the “best UK protein rich conditioners” section, I just saw this as well and was very confused. Thanks for clarifying it is protein free, phew!

        • So sorry about that! I’ve just checked and the table had been duplicated with the wrong heading. All of these cleansers are protein-free which is listed correctly further down below. Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention!

          Dee x

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