She was always complaining about things taking the curl out of her naturally curly hair.
I feel like Frieda...Since high school my hair and I have battled between straight and curly.
Here I am in highschool, curls like crazy:
And in College, more like wavy:
And recently loose waves:
(this was taken at a play last year with our friend and housemate, Stephanie)
So my hair and I have been in an ongoing battle and I have felt utterly helpless - usually letting it do whatever it wants. I always washed every other day and loved my hair on non-wash days and hated it on wash days. It was so frizzy and dry and always ended up in a ponytail, therefore destroying any chance of curl.
But I have discovered a new method that I think I'm falling in love with called Curly Girl. (A big thanks to Stacy Leigh Hutchens for introducing me to the idea on her blog.) The method dictates that no shampoo should be used for curly and wavy hair because it's more porous than straight hair and therefore it's harder to get all the shampoo out of our hair. It dries the hair out and makes it frizzy and hard to cope with. The solution? Just use conditioner to clean and moisturize. I admit, I was skeptical. But I shared it with Reeve and he encouraged me to go for it. So I did. It's now been one week since I've used shampoo and I have to say, I LOVE it. I think it's wonderful! My hair is so healthy and so shiny! And so curly! Granted, it's too thick at the moment and needs a good cut, but I am loving my hair right now. I will post photos as soon as I get it cut. I was thinking about washing once a week, but I don't want to go back to the frizz of wash day.
I'm getting pretty good feedback in general. My friend Ashley Martin says she's totally for the idea and has a friend who hasn't washed her hair with shampoo in almost six years! And my coworkers admit my hair looks healthy, shiny and not the least bit greasy.
So, ready to let your naturally curly or wavy hair shine? Start here when you have a little time. Read what they have to say or follow these instructions for a shampoo free wash:
- After wetting your hair thoroughly, pour a dime-sized amount of conditioner in your hand and, using the pads of your fingertips, apply to one spot of your scalp and massage well, just as you would with shampoo.
- Repeat until you’ve scrubbed all over.
- Rinse all the conditioner off with plenty of warm water, still gently massaging with your fingertips so the friction will dissolve any residue.
- Pour more conditioner into your hand (sometimes another richer conditioner is necessary for this step), rub your palms together and apply over the length as you normally did in the past.
- Try to detangle with your fingers or a very wide-toothed comb.
- For extra moisturizing, clip your hair up and continue with your shower. When you’re done, set the water as cool as is comfortable to you, rinse for just a second or two, and gently squeeze the excess water off.
To style use your tried-and-true routine or try these tips. I was so shocked by some of these - especially the part about not brushing and not touching your hair while it dries.
- Choose a gel—must be silicone-free and preferably clear to allow the natural shine to come through.
- Don’t ever brush your hair.
- Detangle only when your hair is soaking wet. Use a wide-tooth comb, or better yet, just your fingers.
- Never rub your hair with a towel. Instead, gently blot the water using scrunching motions.
- Gently apply product, preferably by scrunching.
- Air dry your hair whenever possible or diffuse only partially to avoid frizz.
- Don’t touch your hair while it’s drying.
Have you used the Curly Girl method? Got any feedback? We'd love to hear about it!
