The Simple Curly Girl Method Guide for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started

So, you’ve decided to embrace your curls—welcome to the curly club! Whether you’ve got curls, coils, or something in between, this beginner-friendly Curly Girl Method (CGM) guide is here to help you ditch the frizz, fall in love with your natural hair, and create a routine that actually works.

Let’s get into it—without the overcomplicating things 🎉

🌿 What Is the Curly Girl Method Anyway?

The Curly Girl Method, created by hairstylist Lorraine Massey (author of Curly Girl: The Handbook), is a hair care routine designed to bring out the best in your curls by avoiding ingredients and practices that dry out or damage textured hair.

The method is all about moisture, gentleness, and letting your curls thrive naturally.

🧴 Ingredients to Avoid

Before you run to the hair aisle, let’s talk no-go ingredients. These are the biggest curl villains:

❌ Sulfates – Harsh cleansers that strip natural oils.

❌ Silicones – They coat the hair, block moisture, and need sulfates to wash out.

❌ Drying alcohols – Think isopropyl alcohol. They can be super drying.

❌ Waxes and mineral oils – Heavy and hard to wash out, these can cause buildup.

💡 Look for products labeled “Curly Girl Approved” "Natural Ingredients" or read the ingredients list carefully.

✅ Ingredients to Love

✔️ Water-based moisturizers (first ingredient should be water always, if not run!)

✔️ Natural oils and butters (like castor oil, shea & mango butter, jojoba oil, etc)

✔️ Proteins (for strength—great if your curls are damaged or limp)

✔️ Humectants (like glycerin, honey or aloe vera—to draw moisture into your hair)

💦 The Simple Curly Girl Method Routine for Beginners

Here’s your easy 5-step starter routine. No stress. No 15-product wash days over here please!

1. Final “Reset” Wash (One Time Only!)

Use a regular shampoo one last time to get rid of silicones, waxes, and buildup from your old products. After this, you’ll be ditching sulfates for good. Our tested & tried washes to use are either Fairy Dish Wash soap (the yellow type) or Johnsons baby body wash (anything for head and body)

📌 Product tip: Use a basic clarifying shampoo—nothing fancy, this is just to strip your hair down from all bad chemicals used previously before you enter the next step of your haircare journey.

2. Co-Wash or Chemical Free Shampoo

Now you’re officially starting CGM! From now on:

• Use a co-wash (cleansing conditioner) or a sulfate-free shampoo to gently cleanse your scalp. This can either be a natural clarifying shampoo or a natural hydrating/moisturising shampoo

• Massage your scalp with your fingertips—this boosts circulation and breaks up buildup.

📌 Beginner tip: If your scalp gets oily easily, start with a clarifying shampoo & always double cleanse!

3. Conditioner + Detangle

• Apply a rich conditioner to soaking wet hair. This can either be a rinse out conditioner or a deep conditioner that is natural

• Detangle with your fingers first then proceed with a wide-tooth comb or detangler brush in sections starting from the ends upward.

• Rinse out or leave some in for extra moisture, depending on what your hair likes.

📌 Look for: Slippery, creamy conditioners with NO silicones, parabens, harsh chemicals or fragrance. Always use a cotton t-shirt or a microfiber hair towel to dry your hair.

4. Style (While Wet!)

Apply your styling products while your hair is still soaking wet. Here’s a simple styling combo to try:

• Leave-in conditioner (hydrate strands for easy detangling)

• Hair Butter or Styling cream (lock in moisture)

• Gel or mousse (hold and definition) if need be

Technique matters! Try one of these:

• Praying Hands – Smooth products over your hair in flat palms.

• Scrunching – Gently squeeze upward to encourage curl formation. for tigher textures, more techniques may be required for a defined look such as working in very small sections, using gel & a curling cream as well as a styling brush to help define coils.

📌 If you happen to towel dry before this step always rehydrate your strands with water from a spray bottle to ensure that the product gets absorbed into the hair shaft! Water helps product distribute evenly.

5. Dry + Set

You’ve styled your curls—now let them dry!

• Air dry for zero damage.

• Or diffuse on low heat with a blow dryer to boost volume.

• Once completely dry, scrunch out the crunch (aka SOTC) if your gel made your curls crispy. This reveals soft, bouncy curls!

📌 Defining your curls is not a must under the Curly Girl method, its just about putting your hair in a style that shows love to your curls so if that for you is twisting, braiding, cornrows and so on do carry on, the goal is to just focus on low tension hairstyles that help your hair stay moisturized.

🔁 How Often Should You Wash?

There’s no one-size-fits-all, but here’s a starting point:

• Coarse, dry curls: Wash every 2 - 3 weeks. 2 weeks is the sweet spot.

• Fine hair: Every 2 weeks. You can do every 1.5 weeks

Listen to your hair and adjust as needed. It’ll tell you what it loves. 💁🏽‍♀️

🧠 Common Curly Girl Method FAQs

Q: Will my hair look amazing right away?👉 Not always! There’s a transition period where your hair adjusts. Be patient—consistency is key.

Q: Can I color my hair?👉 Yes, but stick to gentle, curl-friendly dyes and be sure to deep condition regularly. The moment you dye your curls just know your texture & porosity could be altered and one common issue naturals face with color jobs is the excessive dryness of the hair strands which could lead to breakage if hair is neglected. So hey, if you're gonna color, be ready for the commitment!

Q: Do I really have to give up heat tools forever?👉 Not forever—but minimize heat, and if you do use it, always use a heat protectant.

💖 Final Thoughts: Give Yourself Grace!

Starting the Curly Girl Method is like learning a new language. Your curls might feel dry or confused at first—totally normal! Stay consistent, experiment with what works for your hair, and celebrate small wins (hello, curl clumps 👏).

The best part? Your natural texture is beautiful, and this method is all about helping it shine.

Ready to rock your curls? Grab that conditioner, toss the relaxer, and get glowing. 💫