My Vegan Curly Girl Routine

Despite always knowing that my hair had the ability to form natural curls, like most girls when they hit the teenage years, I experimented heavily with straighteners, bleach, and hair dye, which definitely did not do those waves any good at all!

A few years back as my hair was growing out from a short cut, I realised that I really loved the texture of my natural hair. It was so intriguing that every time I would wash my hair the curls would slowly form as the hair dried naturally, and formed a different pattern of loops and whirls. I went against the grain and decided to embrace my natural curls again.

I quickly discovered the curly girl method through social media (there’s a big community on Instagram with a range of hair textures) and realised I had been doing a series of wrongs against my curls that needed to be rectified!

WHAT IS THE CURLY GIRL METHOD?

The curly girl method is a series of guidelines on how to best care for naturally curly hair, which is more prone to dryness and frizz than straight hair and so needs extra care and attention. There are a variety of approaches but most include avoiding shampoo, which is thought to strip and dry out the hair and using a technique called co-washing, which is short for conditioner washing. This means using low/ no poo alternatives

Also important for the method is making sure you avoid heat such as straighteners and hot brushes, avoiding certain chemicals like silicones, and styling the hair with less damaging products.

IS IT WORTH IT?

This is a solid yes from me. My hair has never been happier (and I still bleach and dye it turquoise!) and I’m still in love with my curls.

One tip from me would be doing the first few months of no shampoo and switching up your products during winter (where you can hide in hats) or potentially during lockdown! My hair took a while to get used to not being shampooed and to regulate the natural oils by itself. It also took a lot of experimenting to find the right products for my hair! Everyone’s hair texture and type is different and certain products work better on some people. Luckily, there are plenty of vegan brands out there who also specialise in curly girl products!

WHAT IS A NORMAL CURLY GIRL ROUTINE?

I think we all find our own patterns and routines that seem to fit our hair. The best thing to do is experiment to find your hair’s best fit. However, I can give you a rundown of what I do:

• I wash my hair roughly three times a week after my gym sessions, I avoid washing it late at night as I need a good amount of drying time.
• When I wash my hair I use a co-wash (no shampoo) and then a deep hair conditioner that I put in my hair liberally, comb through my hair with a tangle tamer, then “plop” my hair (plonk it onto my head and secure) for about 5 minutes while I wash.
• I sometimes like to rinse the conditioner out with cooler water as this helps seal the hair and create shine, but I tend to avoid that step in the winter!
• Once rinsed, I create my parting and “scrunch” (dangle my hair and from the bottom lift up towards scalp and grasp) my leave in conditioner into the hair. Other people may add oils, gels or mousses at this stage, but as my hair is quite fine, I avoid anything too heavy.
• I leave my hair to naturally dry and form curls. This again is where different things work for different hair. Those wanting more volume at the top “plop” their hair by laying down a hair towel dangling the hair upside down, and laying hair into hair towel, so when you flip your head back up it all neatly on top of your head in a towel to dry (watch YouTube videos of this to makes sense!). Some people use a hairdryer and diffuser on the cold setting to help dry their hair if it is very thick.
• I do not brush my hair any other time, unless with a soft brush on the top to put it in a ponytail etc. Combing when dry can cause more frizz and break up the curl pattern.
• Get a good hair cut! You can get curly girl haircuts from specialist hairdressers which help a lot, make sure you go to someone who knows curls as this can really help them bounce.
• I wear protective hairstyles quite a lot like a loose bun on my head while painting and every night when I sleep.

WHAT SHOULD I AVOID?

‘Unfriendly’ chemicals:

Parabens, silicones (anything that ends in “cone” or “xane”, sulfates, mineral oils, alcohols (a few are okay). You can get full extended lists online if you search the Curly Girl Method.

Our filter system makes it really easy for you to find Curly Girl suitable products! Just go to our hair section and  click on the ‘Hair Type’ filter and select ‘Curly Girl Method’ or click here to see our growing range!