What is the Curly Girl Method?

The Curly Girl Method, or CGM, is exactly that: a method, or a regime.

CGM is geared toward people with curly hair.

Basically, cut the sulfate, silicone and heat out of your hair care regimen. This means cleaning your hair with conditioner (cowash) or sulfate-free shampoo (low-poo).

You may find this concept strange at first. That's okay! (Don't wash my hair?! But, it'll get greasy! We aren't supposed to apply conditioner to our roots! Basically every commercial and bottle says so!).

I'm hoping that this little series helps you achieve your hair goals as we go along. I want to make the instructions basic and to the point. I don't want to make it more complicated and overwhelming than it is already perceived to be!

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What is Wet Plopping?

The difference between wet plopping and regular plopping is with wet plopping, you plop your wet hair on top of your head in a shower cap instead of a cotton t-shirt, leggings, or micro fiber towel. Why wet plop? It encourages hair hydration It defines curls It reduces frizz ... and more. How do I do it? After you wash and condition, apply your leave in, curl cream and/or stylers to soaking wet hair with praying hands and rope each clump Squish out excess water with your hands Dip your clumps into a shower cap Wrap a towel around your head and the shower cap to keep water from dripping all over you, OR just keep a towel around your shoulders, OR wrap a headband around the shower cap Plop for 10-20 minutes Remove the shower cap, remove excess moisture by squishing with your hands, a microfiber towel or a cotton tshirt (some prefer to regular plop at this stage) I learned about this method from @powerdomi on Instagram - she is the queen of hydration for wavy hair,...

What are Praying Hands?

Praying hands is a good way to apply product to your hair. You know what it looks like when you pray and your palms touch each other? Now, put your hair between those hands! Apply your conditioner (and afterwards, styler) into one palm, rub your hands together and hang your hair over your head, or to each side. Now, place your hands together with your hair between them, and rub the product on, from the root to the tip. Then you can finger come to detangle, STC, etc. Why praying hands? It helps apply product more evenly across your entire hair, it smooths your hair and reduces frizz. VIDEO HERE.

What are Itchy Ms?

Itchy... What? These refer to preservatives, usually listed near the end of an ingredient list, that are long and start with the letter "M." The common ones are Methylchlorioisothiaolinone and Methylisothiazolinone. Basically... if it begins with Meth and ends with One , it's an Itchy M. What do they do? They are preservatives that keep your products from going bad. They are anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, so they keep your conditioner and other bath products safe in a hot and humid climate. But, they can seriously irritate your skin . Many people get scalp itch, irritation and pain from using products with Itchy Ms. If you have skin allergies, it can be quite serious. So, what should I do? It's generally a good idea to avoid co-washing with Itchy M ingredients. I don't use them as a co-wash, as I have psoriasis. But, I do occasionally use them as a conditioner (Suave Essentials and Beauty & Planet, for example). If you use them as a condition...

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