Curly Girl Method in India and CG Friendly Products in India (Intermediate and Advanced Curly Hair Care)
Wondering how to start the Curly Girl Method in India?
A strict Curly Girl method may be too overwhelming for beginners who have just decided to embrace their curly hair which is why I have a fuss-free kit for beginners – Beginner Friendly Products – Curly Hair Starter Kit
Some people can benefit with a 100% Curly Girl friendly routine. So if you have got the basics right (that is your hair looks defined, clumped and hydrated but you feel like it can maybe look a little better), try out the strict CG method.
What is the CG method / Curly Girl method in India?
The CG method is just a nickname for all the things described in the Curly Girl Handbook by Lorraine Massey (Founder of Devacurl!). The book is a great read to know how curly hair behaves and how it should be taken care of. I think every curly girl should read it at least once – Curly Girl Handbook
Sulphates are known to be very drying and some of you may realise that avoiding sulphates completely may help your hair become more moisturized and shiny. You can either use cowashing only method with occasional clarifying with a shampoo or you can use sulphate free shampoos.
Silicones (water insoluble ones) build up without sulphates and that’s why you need to avoid silicones as well.
This MEGA list has CG method approved products in India –Â List of CG Friendly Curly Hair Products in India for Every Budget
So like I said before, if your curly hair looks quite good, you can move on to a strict CG method by reading product labels and understanding ingredients.
CG Method – Ingredients to avoid and use
- Harsh surfactants to avoid:
- * Laureth Sulfate/Sulphate (for eg Sodium Laureth Sulfate/Sulphate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate/Sulphate)
- * Myreth Sulfate/Sulphate
- * Lauryl Sulfate/Sulphate
- * Lauryl Sulfate/Sulphate
- * Cocyl Sulfate/Sulphate
- * Alkyl Sulfate/Sulphate
- * Cetearyl Sulfate/Sulphate
- * Coceth Sulfate/Sulphate
- * Coco Sulfate/Sulphate. * can be Sodium or Ammonium for all the above
- Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
- TEA-dodecylbenzenesulfonate
- Alkylbenzene Sulfonate
- Ammonium or Sodium Xylenesulfonate
- MEA, DEA, TEA (monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, and triethanolamine) compounds – For e.g Cocamide DEA, Lauramide TEA
- Note : Behentrimonium methosulfate is NOT a sulfate that you want to avoid. It is a cationic surfactant(which means it has conditioning properties and smoothens the cuticle). Anionic surfactants are detergents and anionic sulphates are what we want to avoid in the CG method.
- Gentle cleansing ingredients:
- Cocamidopropyl betaine
- Coco betaine
- Decyl glucoside
- Capryl glucoside
- Caprylyl glucoside
- Coco glucoside
- Lauryl glucoside
- Cocoamphoacetate
- Cocoamphodipropionate
- Ammonium cocoyl isethionate
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
- Sodium Socoyl Sarcosinate
- Sodium lauryl/lauroyl Sarcosinate
- Sodium lauroyl lactylate
- Sodium caproyl lactylate
- Sodium laurylglucosides hydroxypropyl sulfonate
- Cocoglucosides hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride
- Disodium cocoamphodiacetate
- Disodium cocoamphodipropionate
- Lauroamphoacetate
- Sodium cocoyl isethionate
- Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
- Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
- Methyl Lauryl Taurate
- Behentrimonium methosulfate
- Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate
- Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate
- Babassuamidopropyl betaine
- Ethyl PEG-15 Cocamine Sulfate
- Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate
- Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
- Silicones to avoid:
- Dimethicone
- Bis-aminopropyl dimethicone
- Cetearyl methicone
- Cetyl Dimethicone
- Cyclopentasiloxane
- Stearoxy Dimethicone
- Stearyl Dimethicone
- Trimethylsilylamodimethicone
- Amodimethicone
- Dimethicone
- Dimethiconol
- Behenoxy Dimethicone
- Phenyl trimethicone
- Other ingredients to avoid:
- Mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum)
- Petrolatum
- Waxes: bees wax, candelilla wax, etc.
- Drying alcohols to avoid:
- Denatured alcohol
- SD alcohol 40
- Witch hazel
- Isopropanol
- Ethanol
- SD alcohol
- Propanol
- Propyl alcohol
- Isopropyl alcohol
- (Not to be confused with) Moisturizing alcohols that are good! :
- Behenyl alcohol
- Cetearyl alcohol
- Cetyl alcohol
- Isocetyl alcohol
- Isostearyl alcohol
- Lauryl alcohol
- Myristyl alcohol
- Stearyl alcohol
- C30-50 Alcohols
- Lanolin alcohol
Source: wikiHow to Determine if a Hair Product is Curly Girl Approved
Hope you know have enough knowledge on how to start the Curly Girl Method in India!
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Hi! I am Anjana and I fell in love with my curly hair after years of hating it. YOU can too!
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Blog Comments
Kawalpreet
July 16, 2017 at 3:01 pm
Great article wid lots of information
Anjana
July 16, 2017 at 6:12 pm
Thank you love 🙂
kamalapriyadharshini
July 16, 2017 at 4:45 pm
nice and useful post anjana, I’m ur new follower, I sent u my pic to tell my curl type, will u pls check that and tell me, dear!!!! waiting for ur response eagerly.
Anjana
July 16, 2017 at 6:13 pm
Sure Kamala 🙂
LucifeLMartelL
January 13, 2018 at 7:35 pm
Hello,
Any news on Forest essential shampoo and conditioners?
If they are sulfate and silicone free?
Thanks once again…
This has been of great help.
Anjana
January 16, 2018 at 11:22 am
Hey, they don’t provide the full ingredients list and hence we cannot be sure.
Abu
August 14, 2018 at 12:37 pm
Hii im am a boy with curl hair pattern of 2c while dry/3a while applying any oil..
I would like to know some method to look frizz free,shiny,with some good curl definition.
Anjana
August 14, 2018 at 6:11 pm
https://www.curlsandbeautydiary.com/start-here/
Vidya
September 18, 2018 at 4:00 pm
Hi Anjana,
Can you suggest budget-friendly cg-friendly serums for 2a/2b coarse and dry hair?
Anjana
September 19, 2018 at 5:05 pm
There are no budget CG friendly serums. Serums are not that great for curly hair. The products I suggest can be found here https://www.curlsandbeautydiary.com/beginner-friendly-simple-curly-hair-starter-kit/
Yashi
November 20, 2018 at 10:13 pm
I had long 2c,3a curly hair. Then I got them cut short ,2 days ago, but now my curls just disappeared and I am very concerned. They just have loose 2b curls only near the ends. What should I do?
Anjana
November 27, 2018 at 6:55 pm
https://www.curlsandbeautydiary.com/curly-haircut-shock-adapting-new-haircut/
Also 2c hair tends to go straighter when short.
Amrin
December 12, 2018 at 9:53 am
Hi anjana.
I have gone through your blog of cg method and types of hair and list of cg friendly shampoo.. After reading that I just had 2 questions.
1. If we are using a sulphate shampoo, can we use a cg friendly conditioner/deep conditioner on it. Or its necessary to use a sulphate conditioner on sulphate shampoo.
2. Is a diffuser compulsory for those defined curls?
Anjana
December 12, 2018 at 4:36 pm
1) Yes you can use cg conditioners
2) Not at all 🙂
Anubha
February 15, 2019 at 1:50 am
Good list!! Are the compounds listed in the “Gentle Cleansing Ingredients” list safe to use?
Anjana
February 15, 2019 at 3:32 pm
Yes Anubha
Harishma K M
March 3, 2019 at 2:28 pm
what about boutique shampoos?
Anjana
March 4, 2019 at 2:54 pm
They don’t provide the ingredients list
Suru Rane
April 18, 2019 at 10:23 pm
Hi Anjana! My hair type is 3a/3b. I have been doing cg method from the past 8 months. My concern is my hair gets frizzy soon. Like just the next day I do the entire routine of CG method. After I get up in the morning, it’s all dry and frizzy. So I have to do it all over again. What should I do to prevent it.?
Also what would you suggest for maintaining hair in humid climate?? As we know, it’s not best for curly hair.
Anjana
April 23, 2019 at 3:08 pm
How do you protect your hair at night?
What products do you use?
https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curly-girl-method/how-to-choose-the-right-products-for-the-weather-for-curly-hair
Simran
May 5, 2019 at 10:00 am
Hey big fan here!
what is your take on body shop shea butter shampoo and conditioner
Thanks
Anjana
May 16, 2019 at 2:27 pm
Hey Simran, I haven’t used that range
Hetal
June 16, 2019 at 11:22 pm
Is it necessary to use styling products like curl activating cream and gel, when you are following CGM? Or it is enough to use just shampoo, conditioner and leave in to get healthy hair.
Anjana
June 18, 2019 at 2:21 pm
The latter is enough for healthy hair Hetal 🙂
Simran
July 2, 2019 at 8:13 pm
Hi, my hair is type 3a/3b coarse. Ehich shampoo and conditioner would you recommend. I am a beginner
Anjana
July 3, 2019 at 1:16 pm
https://www.curlsandbeautydiary.com/beginner-friendly-simple-curly-hair-starter-kit/
Simran
July 5, 2019 at 7:02 pm
The list that you have given does not include shampoo
Anjana
July 8, 2019 at 2:38 pm
I think you missed it Simran. There is a post on the list of Sulphate free shampoos in India (with reviews/purchase links)
Anisha
August 25, 2019 at 5:11 pm
I got the ‘as am i long and luxe growash creme conditioner’ . I can see propoxytetramethyl piperidinyl dimethocone. Is it water soluble? I checked the ingredient on isitcg, it says approved but when I checked on curlsbot, it says silicone detected.
There are about 40 ingredients and this is the 10th last ingredient.
In case it isn’t water soluble, and not cg approved, is it okay if I continue to use it but use a clarifying shampoo once a month or once in 2 months to remove the build up?
Anjana
August 26, 2019 at 2:45 pm
Litta, I read that it isn’t water soluble. In any case, you can use it as long as you clarify often 🙂
Anisha
August 26, 2019 at 10:38 pm
So should I use a clarifying shampoo with sulphates or without sulphates to remove this silicone build up?
Anjana
August 27, 2019 at 3:17 pm
Check this Anisha https://www.curlsandbeautydiary.com/clarifying-curly-hair-what-when-and-how/