The Method
Everything you need to know about the Curly Girl Method, common myths, and why we built this.
What is the Curly Girl Method?
The Curly Girl Method (CGM) is a hair care approach created by hairstylist Lorraine Massey and published in her 2001 book "Curly Girl: The Handbook". Massey grew up in England and was ridiculed for her curly hair. A friend later suggested washing with conditioner instead of shampoo, which transformed her approach to curl care.
The core philosophy is simple: stop using ingredients that damage curls, and start working with your natural texture rather than against it. CGM is based on three steps:
- Cleanse, don't strip: Replace harsh sulphate shampoos with gentle cleansers or conditioner-only washing (co-washing).
- Condition generously: Use silicone-free conditioners to hydrate, detangle, and protect curls.
- Style on wet hair: Apply styling products to soaking wet hair to lock in moisture and encourage curl clumping.
What to Avoid
CGM identifies several ingredient categories that are harmful to curly, wavy, and coily hair:
- Sulphates: Harsh cleansers (SLS, SLES, ALS) that strip natural oils.
- Non-water-soluble silicones: Coating agents (dimethicone, cyclomethicone) that build up and block moisture.
- Drying alcohols: Short-chain alcohols (alcohol denat, SD alcohol, isopropyl alcohol) that wick moisture.
- Mineral oil, petrolatum, and paraffin: Petroleum-derived ingredients that coat hair.
Not all "bad-sounding" ingredients are actually harmful. Fatty alcohols (cetyl, cetearyl, stearyl alcohol) are moisturising. Water-soluble silicones wash out easily. Behentrimonium methosulfate is a conditioning agent, not a sulphate.
Modified CGM
Strict CGM is not for everyone. The community increasingly embraces a modified approach:
- Occasional gentle sulphates for fine or wavy hair prone to buildup
- A clarifying wash every 4-8 weeks to reset
- Drying alcohols in trace amounts (last 5 ingredients) are less concerning
The philosophy is: "If it works for your hair, go ahead." The goal is healthy, happy curls, not perfect rule-following.
The Transition Period
When you start CGM, your hair may actually look worse before it looks better. This is normal.
- Weeks 1-2: Hair may feel oily, limp, or awkward
- Weeks 2-4: More frizz, itchy scalp possible, still adjusting
- Weeks 4-6: Hair starting to respond
- Months 2-6: Significant improvement
- 6+ months: Hair health noticeably improved, routine established
Commit to at least 6 weeks before judging your results.
Common Myths
"Sulphate-free means it's Curly Girl approved."
A product can be sulphate-free but still contain non-water-soluble silicones, drying alcohols, or mineral oil.
"All silicones are bad for curly hair."
Water-soluble silicones (PEG/PPG prefixes) wash out with gentle cleansers and do not cause buildup.
"All alcohols damage hair."
Fatty alcohols (cetyl, cetearyl, stearyl, behenyl) are moisturising and conditioning.
"You can never use shampoo on CGM."
CGM uses sulphate-free shampoos and recommends a clarifying wash every 4-8 weeks.
"Expensive products give better results."
Boots Essentials Gel (99p) and XHC Banana Conditioner (£1) are holy grail staples. Technique matters more than price.
"CGM works the same for everyone."
Hair porosity, density, strand width, scalp type, and water hardness all affect what works. Wavies need much lighter products than curlies.
The Science Behind CGM
Why Curly Hair Is Drier
Sebum is produced at the root and needs to travel down the hair shaft. On straight hair, it slides smoothly. On curly hair, every bend acts as a roadblock. This is why curly hair needs external moisture from conditioners and leave-ins.
Understanding Porosity
Porosity is how well your hair absorbs and retains moisture. Low porosity has tightly packed cuticles. High porosity has gaps. Genetics set your baseline, but damage can only raise it.
Protein-Moisture Balance
Hair is 85-90% keratin protein. Too much protein makes hair stiff and brittle. Too much moisture makes it limp and stretchy. The wet strand test tells you which you need.
Hard Water (A UK Problem)
Over 60% of the UK has hard water. Mineral deposits build up on hair, blocking moisture absorption. Solutions: chelating shampoo, shower filter, or apple cider vinegar rinses.
Wavy Hair Is Not "Failed Curly Hair"
Wavy hair (Type 2) has its own needs. Less dryness, but heavy products weigh waves down. Less is usually more for wavies.
Why UK-Focused?
Almost all CGM content recommends American products. This tool is built specifically for UK shops, with products from Boots, Superdrug, Poundland, Savers, Pak's, Lidl, Aldi, Amazon UK, and specialist retailers. All prices in GBP.
About This Tool
Curly Girl Wavy Girl UK is a free hair quiz and ingredient checker built by Stackless. It covers wavy (Type 2), curly (Type 3), and coily (Type 4) hair equally, using a database of 200+ ingredients cross-referenced against multiple CGM community sources.
All data is processed locally in your browser. Nothing is sent to any server. Your quiz results are saved in your browser's localStorage.