Monday, December 15, 2008

Proof Curly Girl method works

This post should have been the second entry of my blog, following my introduction. I did an experiment this weekend. I wanted to see if the curly girl method really does make a difference. In one of my earlier posts, I discussed why sulfates and silicones were so bad and not CG method approved. Chemically, it made sense. Silicones that were not water soluble prevented conditioner from penetrating your hair and silicones could only be removed by sulfates which were too harsh for your hair so sulfates and certain silicones should be eliminated from your hair routine.

This weekend, I did my hair as usual, EXCEPT I used products with sulfates and silicones. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that using CG method approved products DO indeed make a difference. When I used products with sulfates and silicones, my hair did have a slight wave to it but, nothing like the results I got from the CG method. Products with sulfates and silicones weighed my hair done and my curl didn't hold. My hair was limp and by the end of the day I barely had any curl definition.

Day 1 - I used Pantene Hydrating Curls Shampoo and Pantene Hydrating Curls Condtioner. For my leave-in conditioner I used Frederic Fekkai Glossing Creme. Frederic Fekkai Glossing creme is a more high-end product. It's usually found at salons, Sephora and Ulta. For my gel, I used my usual Herbal Essences Set Me up gel.
These two pictures were taken right after I was done fixing my hair. My hair looks a little weighed down. This was right before I left to go Christmas gift shopping.

The next two pictures are after I got home from the mall. I barely have any curl left and I feel like my hair looks drier.


Day 2 - I used Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Shampoo and Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Conditioner. I used the same leave-in conditioner and gel - Frederic Fekkai glossing creme and Herbal Essences Set Me Up Gel.

Before I took a shower, I noticed my hair felt drier. It took me forever to comb my hair after I put conditioner in it during my shower. It was actually hurting me to comb through it because my hair was so dry, tangled and knotty. Another thing I noticed is my body felt waxy by the end of my shower. I'm guessing the waxiness is from the Herbal Essences Totally Twisted conditioner which contains silicones that are not water soluble. Even when I rinsed my self really well, I could still feel the waxiness. I never noticed that waxiness before I started doing the CG method.

These pictures were taken at the end of the night. I had just come back from eating at a Mexican restaurant. My hair was limp and some parts weren't even curly.


Conclusion: Curly Girl method definitely works. You don't even have to do the CG method step by step either. I mentioned before that I actually do a modified version of it. A plus side to the CG method is that a lot of CG method approved products are easy to find and cheap. Even when I used the more expensive Frederic Fekkai glossing creme (which has silicones that are not water soluble), it was no competition for my $7 Giovanni Direct Leave-in Conditioner.

I was going to do this experiment for a week but, I really disliked how my hair looked and felt. I will be starting CG method over again, getting rid of the silicones with a clarifying shampoo, the next time I wash my hair.

8 comments:

MakeupByRenRen said...

wow what a difference...i have giovanni tea extract clarifying shampoo...but i felt like it dried out my hair? hmmm

Girl with Curl said...

You might have to try clarifying shampoo first before you try any of the CG products, like the Giovanni line. Clarifying first lets you start with a clean slate.

Janelle said...

Where can I get Giovanni products? I haven't purchased any CG stuff yet.

Girl with Curl said...

Janelle: You can get the Giovanni Direct Leave-in at Ulta and the organic section of Farm Fresh. The other Giovanni products are sold at Target, RiteAid, and Walgreens. It's also sold at Bed, Bath and Beyonds that have cosmetics. The one at Greenbrier does. When you do the CG method, don't forget to clarify first. You can use something cheap like the Suave Daily Clarifying shampoo. I'm excited for you. Let me know if you do it.

A. Rose said...

wow. that is a big difference! i tried rounding up some products so i could try this CG method out, but i couldn't find a good leave-in conditioner. will any do?

Girl with Curl said...

Ailene: I think it will be better if you use a leave in that doesn't contain silicones. Some examples are Giovanni Direct Leave-in, Giovanni More Body - Leave-in Hair Thickener, Jamaican Mango & Lime Cactus Leave In (Sally Beauty Supply), and Palmer's Olive Oil Formula Extra Conditioning for Dry Hair with Virgin Olive Oil. The Giovanni leave-in products I've found at Ulta and Farm Fresh. The Jamaican Mango is at Sally's and Palmer's is sold at Walmart and Target, probably places like RiteAid and Walgreens too. Let me know if you end up doing it. Post pics if you do it.

Janelle said...

Yes, I have 2 clarifying shampoos, so at least I have that down! I think the leave-ins I have contain silicones. I'll look for the Giovanni line. I'm excited too. :)

Girl with Curl said...

Janelle: When I first started doing CG, I was using a leave-in that had silicones but, I didn't know it had silicones and I kept on wondering how come even though my hair looked a little bit better it still looked sort of limp. Good luck with finding everything.