Taking care of curly hair needs a lot of commitment from its owners and well-chosen cosmetics. In addition to styling, conditioning, oiling, curly hair also requires special treatment during washing, which the cg method provides.
What is the cg method?
The “ curlygirl” method is considered the best technique for caring for curly hair. The author is American hair stylist Lorraine Massey, who founded the Deva Curl cosmetics brand and created Deva Curl. This is a special type of dry cut for curly hair. By following the basic tips of the cg technique, you get a more beautiful curl and better condition of curly hair.
What are the main assumptions of the cg method?
The curly girl method is based on gentle care of curly hair, which begins at the washing stage. The key fact is to exclude shampoos that contain strong cleansing detergents – SLS, SLES, ALS, silicones and other ingredients that can create a heavy coating around the hair. The group of such substances also includes some quaternia and polyquaternia. The cg technique prohibits the use of cosmetics that have paraffin and its derivatives, as well as gums (xanthan gum) and waxes. This applies to cleansers, masks and conditioners, which are used in the next stages of hair care.
Washing the hair is therefore carried out with gentle lotions, conditioners and hair masks of simple composition. The cg method excludes the use of shampoos, even with mild compositions, at any stage of washing. The shampoo is applied only once every 2 to 3 weeks to clean the hair of styling residue.
In addition to using conditioner to wash, you should also wash your hair with lukewarm water and then drain excess water in a cotton towel. Terry towels and wrapping hair in a turban are inadvisable actions. Brushing the strands is also discouraged. They should be allowed to dry naturally. If this is not possible, at least do not set the dryer to the highest temperature. After using the styler applied to damp hair, knead it. This is best performed through a cotton T-shirt. When the hair dries, you dent the oil into the ends.
Using conditioner instead of shampoo
The cg method may seem quite complicated at first, but in practice everything looks much easier. The fact is that hair requires quite a bit of attention. Even without this method, it is difficult to avoid with curly hair.
Curly hair is dry and fragile, so it requires constant and effective moisturization at every stage of care. A shampoo even with the best natural composition cannot guarantee them this. Conditioner is a much gentler cosmetic for hair and skin, it does not have detergents in its composition and does not dry out the hair. Using it to wash your hair allows you to protect it from tangling. It also does not dry out the ends and takes care of the scalp. Washing hair this way makes it bouncier, softer and perfectly moisturized.
However, washing curly hair with conditioner does not exempt you from using a mask, which is applied to the hair after washing. For this purpose , a cosmetic with a more rich and substantive composition is used. When choosing a mask used after washing, pay attention to the PEH balance. Overprotecting your hair can contribute to it becoming severely frizzy, and too many emollients can weigh it down.
How to use the cg method?
Starting to use the cg method requires preparing the hair in advance and cleansing it of silicones and substances that could build up on it. It is worth using a shampoo that has a strong detergent in its formulation. Then you can move on to washing your hair using the cg method. A light conditioner is applied to moistened hair. It can be slightly mixed with water for better distribution. You need to wash your hair as if you were doing it with a shampoo. After washing thoroughly, rinse off the conditioner, drain excess water from the hair and apply a richer conditioner.
After washing off the conditioner, lukewarm water is poured over the hair to close the scales and excess water is drained from the hair with a cotton T-shirt. Next, work the curly hair stabilizer into the hair and wait for it to dry. The oil of choice is applied to the dried strands of hair. The oil is rubbed in the palms of the hands and pressed into the hair. The final step is to shake out the hair with your hands at the roots to create volume.
The cg method vs. oiling the hair
The cg method excludes the use of shampoos, silicones and mineral oils. However, nothing prevents the use of vegetable oils and hair oiling. Oils are emollients that protect hair from moisture loss and adverse effects of external factors. They smooth their texture and emphasize their natural twist. They also cause dried strands to become more visibly shiny.
When choosing an oil for curly hair, go for oils recommended for highly porous hair. Flaxseed, apricot kernel, wheat germ oils will be an apt choice. Oils are good applied over a foundation of flaxseed and emulsified with conditioner.
Is the cg method for everyone?
The cg method can be successfully used by all people who have curly hair. It is also perfect for the straightened. However, there are some people for whom washing with conditioner is too aggravating and causes hair fall. Then it is worth looking for a more humectant and lighter conditioner.
Advantages of the cg method
The cg method is distinguished by one major advantage – the good condition of the hair. One spares one’s hair the trauma of the drying effects of detergents such as SLS and SLES, which are found in every shampoo. Anything that lathers intensely washes away the hair’s natural fatty cuticle, which provides a healthy appearance and protects it from harmful external factors. The conditioners have small amounts of foaming ingredients. Instead, they are rich in moisturizers, emollients, proteins. That’s why after washing with them, highlights look better than after shampooing. As a result, a true natural twist is revealed.
Another plus is to improve the condition of the scalp. In many cases, dandruff, scabs and greasiness also disappear. This is because the scalp is not irritated by drying surfactants. Washing hair with the cg technique is also a great solution for giving curly hair a second life. Curls gain nourishment and begin to curl more nicely. They also become more flexible and shiny.
The most common mistakes made in the cg method
Some of the most common mistakes made in the cg method include:
- Choosing the wrong conditioner to wash the scalp. People who are starting out with the cg method should choose conditioners that have “co-wash” in their name.
- Washing the head too briefly. The scalp should be massaged a few minutes. Instead, the conditioner should be left on the head for some time. Cosmetic ingredients need time to penetrate the hair structure. People who wash their hair too short may complain of itchy scalp and dandruff.
- Irregular (or no) scrubs. The cg method requires scrubbing. Without it, the effects can be the same as with too short a head massage when washing. Peeling once a week is an absolute must.
- Using many different cosmetics at the same time. This is a common mistake, because if any of the cosmetics did not work, you will not know which one it is. It is worth observing the behavior of the hair and scalp in relation to different compositions.
- Not reading lineups. Even if one is not interested in the composition of cosmetics, it is easy to put something on the scalp that does not comply with the cg method. This is the way to grow a superstructure on your hair, and cause scalp problems.
