My Curly Hair Routine

Hi Anjana!!

It is so nice to see a co-blogger who blogs for the same reason – the love of Curls.. 🙂 You look beautiful and the curls add so much charm to it!! <3<3

I follow a totally different hair care regimen, but curls are what we both stand by!!

Loved your blog, you have a nice way of writing….Keep up the awesome work!! Hope we can inspire more and more beauties to fall in love with their curly or wavy hair!! 🙂

Cheers!!

Hi Anjana,
I have gone through the same hair care process which ended up making my hair very frizzy from young. It is amazing to come across your blog and know better how to look after my curls. My two daughters are so influenced by models that they want sleek straight hair whereas they have beautiful wavy hair. I want them to appreciate what they have. After reading your blog I am excited in trying out all the hair care regime. Where can I buy sheamoisture , Cantu products and all products you use? Can I buy them in India? Thanks a lot for all the information ….

Thank you so much…. I have very curly and frizzy hair… I thought they were never going to look healthy… This blog gave me hope… KEEP IT UP… 😊

Hello Anjana, Where to I fit serum for frizz control in the routine.

Hi Anjana, thanks for inspiring me to embrace my curls. I found all your tips useful and the great thing is it worked for me!!!!
Third day messy bun for sure though!!!!

Hi Anjana!
First of all I just want to say Thank-you!! Finding your blog was probably the best thing that has happened to my hair. I feel like I was living my whole life in a hole! I have 2c/3a hair (I think) And omg I used to think I have the worst hair possible till I found you. I have now fallen in love with my hair and I actually want to do everything possible to nourish it. The density of my hair is kinda low. It’s genetic I guess. But I want to look after whatever there is.
I have just started the curly hair routine.
I am using Tresseme Botanique and conditioner. I also use the same conditioner in the diluted form as a leave in. I am applying the squish to condish method to rinse the conditioner. I finish with applying aloe vera gel and I tried set wet -wet look medium hold gel for the first time today. I applied both the gels using the prayer hold and a bit of scrunching. I plopped my hair for about half an hour and then left it open to air dry. And finally once the hair was completely dry I did SOTC to remove the gel cast. The curls were fine in the beginning. But soon the top section of my hair started losing the definition and started to frizz out a bit. And now I am noticing more frizz happening. I don’t have curls throughout the hair beginning from the roots although some sections curl that way. What else could I do to retain the shape of the curls? Also I have begun oiling once a week and washing twice a week
PS – I am from Bangalore too. I would love to meet you someday 🙂

How do you put up your hair when you are not washing them ?
I tried claw clip but then I have to roll my hair to put them in the claw clip.
And putting them in a bun changes the curl pattern…

Hi! How do you go 2-3 days without combing or brushing your hair? I am a college student and I cannot leave my hair as it is, I have to tie it up and considering I go to different places during the day, when I do let my hair loose, it’s kind of hard to not comb thru it.

Hi anjana,

its a great blog must say! i have a doubt in your video my curly hair routine… after u use conditioner and washed it, again u took conditioner and apply and didnt washed it… u used creams after that.. is that ok not to wash conditioner and leave it?

Hey anjana, i love my curls a lot. But i hate it also because of drying time it takes. Please tell me how to sleep with wet hair. When i sleep with wet hair hair around my neck make me awake all night. I literally want to follow night routine.

Very recent entrant to the whole new world of curly hair upkeep. Im amazed to know that combing is not needed!!!!!!!!!!! I cant believe it and thats exactly what i was doing and wondering where my curls went.
Ok here’s what i do and need help with. I have long hair and planning to keep it long till waist/hips. When i wash it i get beautiful curls which dry out in frizz. i also do a strict oiling regimen once or twice a week (its needed as my hair was falling). I use a mild shampoo next day and do need to use lots to remove all the oil. I use natural oil based shampoos but still hair looks greasy if i dont use enough.
Now I dont want to use any chemical product post shampoo. So what options do i have? I use couple drops of jojoba oil to get that hydrated look.
But my question is_
1) what else do i do to get defined curls WITHOUT any store bought product.
2) do I not comb my hair going forth? Not at all? then what about blood circulation in scalp? Can i use a wide toothed comb? or do i just wake up and go to work? I cant fathom this not combing 🙂 pls help 🙂

Hiya,

I’ve been following your method for applying the products while still in the shower and although I’m having great results I find quite tricky to no dry my hair once I’m done with all the treatments.
I tried diffusing but I found my hair was a bit crunchy afterwise.
Do you think it would ok to wrap my hair for maybe 15 to 20 minutes with a microfiber towel to absorb the excess and then just air dry?
Btw your post and updates are fantastic!

Thanks
Eilyn

Hey Anjana
I have never tried anything like this before. I have bought loreal smooth intense conditioner, taft marathon power gel and cantu shea butter moisturising curl activator cream. The activator cream has not been delivered yet so i was wondering if i could follow your routine without the activator cream for a couple of days. Will my hair become curly just using the conditioner and the cream?

Hi
Instead of the Cantu creamy lotion if I apply Cantu curl activator , is the application procedure the same as shown in video? Do I need to rake in the activator cream and then scrunch?

Thank you SO much for all of this helpful information! I am still working on nailing down how much product to use, but I think I am close. Squish to Condish and scrunching product into soaking wet hair has made a HUGE difference for me! I can get great 2nd day hair even after working out! 3rd day hair is becoming more of a challenge, and I think rewetting my hair (close to soaking) gives the best results for me to keep my hair looking good while down. I don’t use quite as much product when I do this (only about half as much) and hair milk (lighter than a leave-in) doesn’t weight it down. I can even get good 4th day hair doing this! I only use a good hydrating curl refreshing spray or light misting with a Flairisol spray bottle on days 2 and 4. It’s humid here (summer in the US) so I’ll have to see if this can work for winter time.

Thank you for all you do, and I love your site!

Hi Anjana. Your blog is a like a Bible for curly girls. I haven’t come across anything that’s so informative and has such simple and easy tips to follow to get great looking curls. I usually follow YouTube videos by Bianca Renee (i live in Mumbai) but currently i m glued to your blog 😃 . I have 3b/3c curls and have largely benefited from your cowash and squish to condish technique. I use a kerastase cleansing conditioner followed by kerastase oleo curl leave in and top it up with home made flaxseed gel. However i want to try the Cantu products and the Deva curl gel. I have a concern and will appreciate your suggestions/feedback on the same. Is it advisable to purchase cantu/Deva curl/ shea moisture or any of these US manufactured products on Amazon india website? I am a bit apprehensive of buying these in India as am not sure if the products delivered will be genuine. Please do respond so that i can proceed with purchasing these online in India. Thanks

Thanks for the response Anjana. So in the meantime (before the next wash), how to deal with the knots that have formed? Can I brush it out? I just want to make sure it’s not a mess by the time I wash it causing all that hair to fall off.

Thanks again.

How to reduce these extra bouncy curls ?? I like them low and flat but they dont behave like that

and I forgot About salicylic acid. It peels facial skin. So does it do the same to scAlp ? I mean scAlp is a part of our skin too no ??

Hi Anjana,
It is a great help for girls like me. I have started my cg method but the problem I face is that when I air dry my hair after washing I am getting cold so could you tell me any good brands of hair driers with diffuser?

How do you know which products work best with curly hair? I used to use a brand that actually got discontinued because it was actually harmful.

I just wanted to let you know that your easy to follow routines and techniques have been a godsend for me. You are a great teacher! Keep up the awesome work! ❤️

Hi Anjana,

Thank you SO MUCH for this wonderful blog and BEAUTIFUL CURLS btw! I, like you and many others only learned to love my curls in my twenties and I thought I knew enough and accepted my somewhat curls as is. But after reading your blog, I have new and renewed love/enthusiasm to styling my curls and can’t wait to try it.

Question:
1) I’ve been using the Shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie and then a hair mousse (herbal Essences or Tresemme). Can you tell me if you’ve tried this and how it compares to using a gel?
2) Have you used the Shea Moisture Gel Souffle? I use it, but its very heavy and a little goes a long way. But I don’t think it provides much hold.. however I am wondering if maybe I am using it incorrectly or not enough?

THANKYOU!

Hey, Anjana.

Do you use shampoo at all, or do you just stick to conditioner on wash day?
And do you comb the tangles out very often?
What exactly does your hair look like after a few days before washing again? Is it very frizzy?

Have you tried any natural homemade products? It would be really cool to make our own products for the curly girl method! I am going to start my curly girl journey, got inspired from your website!

Hi Anjana,

Can you please share a video for your co wash routine.
You use the same enliven conditioner for co wash?

Thanks!

I am having fine medium length hair when i tried CG routine i dint get good results my curls are loose my hair is soft and looking very thin and greasy. what should i do for my hair to look good.

Thanks! My daughter has short hair( not too short) Is it fine to apply conditioner on scalp?

Hi, would like to like follow the curly hair routine . But I’m so confused. Not sure if I have wavy or curly hair to start with. ( I’m leaning towards curly though). How can I be sure? How will I know the curl type? Would be great if someone could help me in person 🙂

Hi Anjana thank you so much for tips. Have some queries
My crown area is also very flat
After applying gel my curls becomes thin and tight.. I even can’t flip my hair.. Thin stringy curls..🙁 You have lovely hair.. Your curls are just ❤️.. Help me out girl

Hello Anjana!

I have been dabbling with CG for a couple of years, but haven’t had the mental space to really devote to figuring out what my hair needs. However, I am finally ready to jump in, and this blog is SUPER helpful! Thank you for the clear explanation of what is happening in the hair and why certain chemicals, ingredients, routines are causing (or might be causing) certain results. I am a type of girl who doesn’t love research, but also wants to know the why of things and not just be told what to do — especially since every Curly Girl is different!

I am only just beginning my process, like I said (though I’ve been trying to stay away from sulfates, drying my hair by plopping with a T, and sleeping on a silk pillowcase with my hair up in some fashion for the last couple of years). However, after scouring several of your posts, I did a multi-step regimen yesterday as kind of an emergency moisturizing treatment — my hair is, and has for months now been, severely dry. While I am still learning a LOT and know it could be a long time before finding my perfect routine/products, etc., it was an amazing boost to this 24-weeks-pregnant mama to roll out of bed this morning and have picture-perfect hair. That has NEVER happened before!!

Thank you for giving me a jumping point and bringing a boost of confidence to this lady who has been feeling frustrated and self-conscious about her hair for months. <3

Hi Anjana,
I have just started following the curly hair routine. Today is my first day and I did observe the perfect curls when I washed them at night. I slept on a silky pillowcase but in the morning they were open and falling. Is this normal in the initial days or am I doing something wrong?
Additionally, I go to gym on daily basis and have long hair (till hips). Before following the curly hair routine, I used to tie my hair in a plait (which involved combing). Can you suggest me some hair dos or techniques to tie my hair which will not effect the curls? I wonder how you used to keep your hair open at home. Please suggest me some ways to tie the heavy and long curly hair.

No ..I don’t even blow dry my hair in salon after hair cut.

Last December cut my hair ear length from shoulder length.

Using 2 pumps of gel and almost 2tbsp each of leave in conditioner and curl cream.

It just has to frizz up. I don’t rub my hair too. Intact use cotton t shirts to just wrap my wet hair after using products in dripping hair.

What to do?

Have heard olaplex no 3 is good for dry hair. Should I try?

Hi Anjana!
I have been following CG for past 4 months, seen a lot of improvement in my damaged hair.
What I’m observing is that still I can see some frizz even in wet hair while applying products.
I scrunch and it increases.
Your advice would be deeply appreciated.
Thank you.

Hi Anjana!
It’s me again with a new question. 😅🙈
So I read somewhere that at times hair does undergo haircut shock!
I have no clue about it..! 🤷🏻‍♀️
Could you please give some light upon it?

This 23rd, Sat is my birthday and I’m planning to have a haircut (more of trimming of the ends and give more defined layers) the previous Sunday of it which is on 16th.

What would be your suggestion about it?

Hi Anjana. I was reading your curly hair routine and had a small doubt if you could clear it plz. Why do we need a hair cream after shampoo? Hair will already have defined curls after hair wash when it is wet. Can’t we just use a gel to set those curls?

Hi Anjana!

I have been following your curly routine since the day I started my journey and I’m absolutely loving it. Thankyou for making me adore my curls.
I have also lately started watching other curly hair blogger videos where they brush their damped hair with the products applied on them. I want to know is that beneficial? Do you do that? If yes, then how do you do it?

Hi Anjana,
It is a delight to be on your website, a blessing indeed. Like many others i too have started embracing my curls quite lately, in my late 20s actually. But is do face a lot of issue with my curls. First up:
1. I experience a very bad hairfall, like there is hair everywhere.
2. The thickness of a single hair is low….which means the they are quite weak singularly.
3. They give me good texture on the day i wash them but starting 3rd day they start falling flat and sometimes brittle.
4. The length of my hair does not and even if it does i experience a bad hairfall because of which is have to again cut them short.

I normally use cocount oil mixed with camphor and onion juice before every wash. Sometimes i do indulge in hair mask of dahi/banana or eggs.
i wash my hairs with himalaya protien shampoo.
i condition my hair with rice water
i use a after wash hair cream from himalaya.

i am hoping to get some fruitful advice.
Best
Priyanka

Hi, I’m transitioning from almost straight to wavy hair now.
Is this entire CG method supposed to be followed by someone with wavy hair or should there be any changes to it?

Hey i like ur hair.
My natural hair are wavy and frizzy
And i have starightened my hair 1 year ago and now u i have half staright and waves are coming back
And after seeing ur hair i want to try if i can reduce d frizz and get some curly look
What do u suggest how shud i start??

Hey Anjana, I have been following the CG routine for the past one year now, and have been using right products right method, and has seen great results. But very recently, my curls have are not forming proper clumps, these are very loose curls on the wash day. My hair looks like third day hair now on the first day itself. There is little bit of frizz, no dryness, but no clumping, very loose curls, and are not being formed and my hair is weighed down completely. I am sure the method i not wrong, neither are the products. I am also not seeing any crunch in my hair despite applying the gel in the end, so the need to scrunch out the crunch is also not there.

Can you tell me the possible reason for the same. Please help me with this. I have no clue why is this happening all of a sudden.Its been a month.