You’re here because you want to learn how to start CG Method on your wavy hair. You’ve tried the routine for your curly hair sisters- but you don’t get those kinda results!
This is because you’re doing it wrong– let me explain how.
I did this post because so many wavy hair people would try my routine and message me disappointed because it did not give them ‘results like me’.
Now, natural hair comes in SO many forms. From wavy to loose curls to tightly coiled kinky hair, there is no one routine that will suit everyone.
It needs to be modified according to your texture, thickness, porosity, length. It needs to be modified according to the result YOU want.
(Psst- You can learn more about Natural Hair Types and also learn what type of hair you have.)
If you already know you have thick waves or loose curls but don’t know how to start the CG Method, keep reading! 🙂
What is CG Method Anyway?
CG Method, also called as Curly Girl method was created by Lorraine Massey.
It has it’s rules (sometimes I think it can be too strict) but there is a lot of positive change in your hair when you follow it.
In this routine, you stop using any product that has harsh drying sulphates, silicones, drying alcohols, mineral oil, wax and more because these ingredients over time, build up on your hair leading to dryness and frizz.
Learn more about this movement and what ingredients to avoid in this post – CG Method for Natural Hair
Otherwise, take a look at my simple steps below to start following it for YOUR hair. But first,
PIN IT TO SAVE IT
Day 1
Step 1- Pre Poo
Lightly oil your waves with a light oil like Jojoba, almond or argan oil. Use your fingers to detangle gently. Heavy oiling will not suit your waves and make them flat so remember to be cautious with the amount and the oil you choose.
Step 2- Clarify
To remove the build-up of previous products from your hair (to start with a clean canvas), you need to use a shampoo that has sulphates but no silicones. Use Pantene lively clean (Rs. 120) if you’re in India and rinse off.
If you’re from the states, use Suave Essentials Shampoo Daily Clarifying Shampoo, TRESemme Purify & Replenish Deep Cleanse Shampoo or any Vo5 Shampoo. You’re off to a fresh start!
Psst – Wavy hair gets oilier faster and product build-up happens faster than for curlier hair, which means you should clarify your waves at least once a month to keep that bounce and shine!
Step 3- Condition
Next, apply a light but moisturising conditioner to your waves from crown to ends. Take your fingers and detangle gently and follow with a wide-tooth comb. Rinse off well.
Try Enliven Conditioner (Rs.300), Reequil Conditioners (Rs.350) or Matrix Biolage Hydrasource Conditioner (Under Rs.300) if you’re from India.
People in the states, you can start with SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl & Shine conditioner or Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner.
Step 4- Squish to Condish Method
Reapply a small amount of conditioner to your hair and rinse out with this technique called Squish to Condish. Watch the video to learn how. This will help in forming bigger clumps of waves and loose curls which is always slightly difficult with this hair type.
Step 5- Praying Method
After this, smooth on a leave in conditioner or styler on all your hair (skip the crown) with hands clasped as if in a prayer. DON’T use your fingers to rake in or comb after applying anything now, it will break your clumps. Just smooth on the product on your hair, like how it’s done in the video below.
Types of Products to Style Waves
Light Leave-in-Conditioner (For slightly wavy hair)
What Is It– A light, hydrating product. Also sometimes called as styling milk, lotion etc.
Examples- DIY- Any normal conditioner+ water in a spray bottle or get Giovanni Spray Leave in Conditioner,Anveya Curly Hair Mist
You can skip a leave in conditioner if you have done Squish to Condish. If you didn’t do it, then only use a leave in conditioner.
or
Mousse (For very fine, light waves)
What Is It– This is lighter than a leave in conditioner. For 2A, 2B waves, a light mousse after a good session of conditioning can deliver the right amount of lift, bounce and moisture for fine, thin waves.
Examples- Giovanni Foaming Mousse (Rs. 595), Herbal Essences Mousse (Rs. 1189) or Cantu Mousse
or
A Curl Cream (For very wavy, thick hair)
What Is It– This is a thicker, more richer product that you leave in your hair until you wash again. It will give more definition and clumping than a leave in conditioner or mousse but can also weigh down waves. So if you do get one, experiment with quantity by starting with less and then adding more if you find it’s not enough.
Examples – Arata Hair Cream (Rs.599 – Use my code CURIOUSARATA for 20% OFF on orders above Rs.999) or Cantu Curl Activator (Rs. 1562), Fix My Curls Butter (Use TheCuriousJalebi for 20% OFF)
A Custard (For more wavy hair)
What Is It– A custard is a mix of leave in conditioner/curl cream and gel and is called as a one and done product.
Examples- Mop Top Curly Hair Custard, Kinky Curly Knot Today Custard
or
A light gel
What Is It – A product that is jelly like and forms a light cast around your wavy curly hair. Gels helps the definition to last longer and becomes another barrier against frizz.
Examples- DIY Flaxseed Gel (Cheap and super easy to make), Arata Hair Gel (Rs. 599 – Use my code CURIOUSARATA for 20% discount for orders equal or above Rs.999), Fix My Curls Jelly (Use TheCuriousJalebi for 20% OFF), or Bounce Curl Light Creme Gel
or
Hard Hold Gel
What Is It– This will create a harder cast around your clumps and will hold up against humidity better. Once your waves dry, it will feel crunchy but that is normal. You can softly scrunch out the crunch (SOTC) by taking sections of your waves in your palms and scrunching them upwards gently.
Remember to shake the hair from your crown with your fingers to give more bounce there too.
Examples- Taft Gel (Rs. 389), Giovanni Gel, Aussie Moist Instant Freeze Gel (Rs. 2456)
How to Choose What Products to Buy
I normally recommend wavies to start with Squish to Condish with their conditioner and then follow up with basic DIY Flaxseed Gel (or any good gel at home)
Or just condition your hair generously and then one by one, add a product to the routine.
First just do a leave in conditioner. Then once just do gel alone. Once, do both of them after the other.
What results did you like more?
Some wavies LOVE a curl cream or a custard to help clump their waves. Some need a hard hold gel after a leave in conditioner. The wavier and thicker your hair is, the creamier and more stylers you will need.
Remember, all of this is trial and error. You will need to try and experiment and find the right amount of conditioning for your waves.
Step 6- Scrunching Method
After applying your products, take sections of your hair and scrunch up, gently so as to preserve the clumps but also encourage them to shrink.
You’ll hear a very satisfying squelch. If you don’t, spray some water and then scrunch.
Follow next by scrunching with a t-shirt.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhWaSONlkKQ/Step 7- Plopping Technique
Take the t-shirt and wrap your hair inside as shown in the video. Keep it like that for 3-5 minutes as this helps the waves to shrink and look more defined.
Step 8- Air Dry or Diffusing
For more volume, I’d recommend diffusing your waves but air-drying also works! Simply let it be and don’t touch it until it fully dries.
Step 9- Srunch out The Crunch or SOTC
After your hair fully dries, take some light oil in your palms and scrunch out the hard gel cast and fluff your roots for more volume.
Every Night
Step 10- Protect Your Waves
Okay so you have to learn if you have wavy hair, that your hair will get flatter faster than curly hair. It will be difficult to retain shape – and that’s okay! I know many wavies get upset with this but honestly, this movement is help you learn more about your hair and love it how it is.
If you find it get’s flatter faster, keep some handy hairstyles up your sleeve!
But if you do want your waves to last as long as possible, you have to protect them at night. Tie your hair into a pine-apple or a loose bun and cover it with a satin cap or scarf.
Day 2, Day 3
Refresh Your Waves Each Morning
The next morning, take your hair out of the pineapple, and shake it around. Apply some water to your hair with a spray bottle or use your leave in conditioner spray and then apply some custard or gel to the frizzy sections and go about your day!
Do it every morning until you feel the waves are just not bouncy and shiny anymore- means it’s time to wash again.
See the video below to see how Liz takes care of her daughters wavy hair.
If you find your hair gets frizzier, with water, try a Dry Refresh as shown below in the video!
Day 4 – Wash Day
Wavy hair gets flatter faster. You will need to wash it faster than your curly sisters. Accept that fact about your hair & modify your routine accordingly.
So the next time you wash your waves after the first wash, you will switch your shampoo from a clarifying one to a CG Friendly shampoo, that is, one without sulphates and silicones. Rest of the steps are the same.
Examples – Indian wavies choose from True Frog Shampoo for Curly Hair(Rs. 555), Plum Goodness Olive and Macademia Shampoo (Rs. 675) Giovanni Smooth As Silk Shampoo. (Rs. 600)
International wavies try Sheamoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Shampoo, Nature’s Gate various shampoos or Not your Mother’s Tahitian Gardenia Flower & Mango Butter Shampoo.
You can also once in a while, choose to ‘co-wash’. If you find you need to wash your hair too often, instead of a CG Friendly shampoo, choose a Cg Friendly ‘Cleansing Conditioner’. A co-wash will be super gentle on your scalp and can be used now and then.
Examples- Fix My Curls Evermore (Rs.895) (Use TheCuriousJalebi for 20% OFF)
Once A Week – Deep Conditioning Routine
Wavy hair benefits a LOT from deep conditioning their hair often. You can deep condition and use JUST a gel to style your waves if your hair is already very healthy.
Deep conditioning is basically using a stronger, richer conditioner (or mix conditioner with a tsp of honey and oil), keeping it on for 30-40 mins instead of your regular conditioner under a shower cap or a thermal heat cap (or even a plastic bag!) and rinsing it off for moisturised, soft waves!
If you find your waves get weighed down by deep conditioning, wet your hair, apply it and THEN shampoo!
You can read more about deep conditioning in this post.
Conclusion
And done! I hope this step-by-step blog post helps your understand more about your gorgeous wavy hair and how to start the CG Method for bouncier, healthier hair.
If you want more tips about wavy hair care, check out these AWESOME tips by my favourite Wavy Hair Blogger on Instagram!
I’d love to see you until my next post on Instagram @thecuriousjalebi or simply subscribe to my email list below.
Until next post wavies!
62 Comments
Vedantee
atHey Pallavi, thank you so much for this complete guide specifically for wavy hair in just one blog. I am new to CGM and did a lot of research but it was difficult to find resources for wavy hair. I absolutely loved this and can’t wait to start my CGM journey. But can you please suggest me a Good styling brush. I have 2a wavy hair. Thanks in advance!!!
Pallavi Juneja
atThank you Vedantee, glad you liked it! So for waves, I wouldn’t recommend a styling brush as a must have as it can suit some and not suit some. But to detangle, flexy brush is good, any detangling wet brush works. For styling, denman brush is an option but remember- styling with a brush breaks big clumps into multiple small clumps. For some wavy hair types, smoothing/praying hands method works better to get fatter clumps.
Vidya Kunnathully
atGreat article Pallavi. I would like to buy a clarifying shampoo based on your suggestion, but I am unable to find the Pantene lively clean shampoo. Any other suggestions?
Pallavi Juneja
atCheck here!- https://www.amazon.in/shop/thecuriousjalebi?listId=1F9ZJR2731Y5X
P W
atI’m planning to start restoring my waves, I’d gotten a keratin treatment done almost 1.5 years ago. Can you recommend a good shampoo and conditioner to start with? I’m planning to follow your suggestion of – shampoo + condition + DIY flaxseed gel. TIA!
Pallavi Juneja
atTry True frog shampoo and conditioner. Lovely products. You can also use my code CURIOUSJALEBI10 for a discount on their website.
Abhirami
atIs it okay to oil before using sulphate free shampoo?I’m new here and I have fine thin curly hair. Also a dandruff problem .Oiling and using a sulphate shampoo helped in keeping dandruff at bay but I really want to follow cg method. Please help😥
Pallavi Juneja
atIt is but don’t oil too heavily. Esp since you have light hair, choose a light oil like almond or jojoba. Don’t keep the oil on for too long- that actually encourages dandruff. So best to do it for 10-15 mins, max 30 right before you shower. Also, I used a medicated shampoo every time my dandruff flares up- I don’t follow a pure cg routine and you don’t need to either. Follow what works best for you.
Divya Gupta
athi,im new here. so much info to soak in. im 2B – you have shown picture of cantu but not mentioned the names,as in u mentioned other brands so is cantu an option also? 2b – light – wavy – short hair – not dense
Pallavi Juneja
atHi Divya, thank you for pointing it out! I’ve corrected it and updated products good for wavy hair as well do check it out. For your hair type, try a mousse or a leave in conditioner in spray form 🙂
Parika
atHi Pallavi. First of all, thank you so much for your blog!
I started following the CG method just by looking at your pictures. absolutely INSPIRATIONAL!
Anyway, I have 2A-2C type of hair I think. I have never really gotten it permanently straightened and coloured it only once some 6 years ago. I have sported a bob for a long time and most of the damaged hair has been cut. So i would say i have pretty much “virgin” hair right now. Except, I have been guilty of excessively straightening the strands that lie close to my face. So now, I have almost 2C type curls at the back of my head and the front part simply refuses to curl up.
I am new to the CG method and am getting lost in the SEA of information. I am basically confused about what products would suit my hair. I tried the fix my curls travel kit of leave-in cream and gel. But the smell gives me a headache and i find myself with very dry and frizzy hair. When I apply more of the product my hair ends up looking greasy. I also noticed some new greying which freaked me out.
I think I need a good leave-in to control dryness and frizzes. However, beyond that I am confused between Arata cream and gel combo, and the Curl up Curl Defining Cream as a one and done product. What would you suggest?
Sincerely,
Confused CGM Beginner
Pallavi Juneja
atFor 2A/2B hair, I won’t suggest any heavy creams. Try A mousse or a spray, I’ve linked some in this category – https://www.amazon.in/shop/thecuriousjalebi?listId=1OXNE1IT2CBT0
Also, severe heat damage can’t turn back into natural hair again… grow it longer and cut that off if you want the front also to have natural hair. Start slow, a shampoo that cleanses (don’t co-wash), a good conditioner and then follow with a mousse or a leave in conditioner in spray form (linked above).
Rachel
atThis was such useful info, thank you! It helped confirm that I’m on the right track but need to just keep comparing different creams and gels after each wash. It’s definitely teaching me patience!
Pallavi Juneja
atI’m so glad! ❤️ And haha patience is necessary for our type of hair 😀
Renjusha Varma
atHi Pallavi, your blog is really a blessing..I have been going through it again and again. I am just going to start with CG journey. My hair type is fine, very thin strands and wavy. (no volume and hence easily gets weighed down). I have been on sulphate free shampoo and conditioner for past 2 years almost though. I have started DC with matrix DC. Now I want to introduce a leave in and gel. Do you think I can start with Giovanni Foaming Mousse followed with their gel? Or any other suggestions? Thank you so much.
Pallavi Juneja
atThanks Renjusha! Yes, I think a mousse is light enough to start with. OR you could try leave in conditioners that are watery and come in a spray form. Check this- https://www.amazon.in/shop/thecuriousjalebi?listId=1OXNE1IT2CBT0
Abigail
atThis is super helpful! Everything is created for curly hair so it was so refreshing to read something specifically for wavier hair! Thanks!
Pallavi Juneja
atYay, so glad you liked it! more in this category coming soon!
Thima Ali
atHi,
So I’ve been trying the cgm and my hair just feels even more rough. Someone on wavy hair subreddit suggested using products with no glycerin and adding protein over moisture. However, I’m finding it hard to find one with no glycerin in India. Any suggestions? Right now my hair is a dry frizz ball of a mess and breaking easily.
Oh also, any suggesting for a good satin hair cap/pillowcase that can be purchased online?
Thank you in advance!
Pallavi Juneja
atI’d love to see your hair type so I can suggest better. If you’re comfortable, email me at pallavijuneja92(at)gmail.com or drop the query on Insta Dm/ my fb group Ask Jalebi with hair pictures.
Vanya Gupta
atI have been using many hydrated products from quite time without sulphates n silicones. Still I feel my hair very frizzy n dry.. Specially Mane. Hair have lost their strength and they have become brittle prone to breakage. This makes drastic hairfall and mane full of tiny curly hair standing in air.. Hair dressers just suggest me keratin n olaplex treatment..But I don’t want to have more silicones induced. I want permanent resolution. Please suggest some hair care routine with products.
Pallavi Juneja
atEmail me your hair pictures and full routine – we’ll figure out what’s going wrong
Vanya Gupta
atThanks Pallavi. I will share pictures with you.
Vanya Gupta
atHi Pallavi. I have been trying most of these things..And my hair two years back used to be very healthy n nice wavy (though not much wavy as they are little lesser wavier than even 2A type). But strands used to be very nice looking and moisturized. I used to apply Sulphates n Silicones (Matrix Opti Care shampoo, conditioner, Schwazkorpf Spa Creme etc.)
Then eventually I started feeling dryness in my hair and I looked around so many alternatives.. Tried curly girl method.. Home DIYs but results are not that great. My locks from the end don’t look that bad but my mane looks horrible with small small hair frizz standing..
Complete hair texture is changed and hair are so brittle that they tend to break n I daily loose so many strands of hair. I can’t see that volume or pop in my hair that I can leave them open. I can feel no strength in my hair that they can hold themselves together..But just after wash they become horribly frizzy like I start thinking why I gave them even a touch of water.
I have tried herbal shampoos, CG friendly conditioners but after some time frizz n dryness is back. Not sure if I need to get back to those silicones again which had managed my unruly hair.
Can you please suggest me a perfect hair care routine for my hair.
Pallavi Juneja
atIf your hair is just frizzy and not even 2A type wavy, then you don’t need CG as such. for you sulphates will actually give crown volume and as a consequence you can use silicones. Just try to deep condition once a week and use a leave in conditioning spray or a mousse at max for the frizz. A good conditioner will also help.
Hiral Kataria
atHi Pallavi! I discovered your website by chance and it has been a huge blessing. I have long coarse wavy hair which matts easily and your write up about the cg method and the products to use is a boon to someone like me who is tired taking care of her endless hair 😅
Pallavi Juneja
atI’m glad you found the blog useful Hiral! All the best on your natural hair journey!
Jenna
atHello! I am wondering if it is okay to leave my hair plopped overnight? My hair takes a while to dry and I’m thinking that would save me some time getting ready
Pallavi Juneja
atSome girls do so you can def try! If you find developing a cold or headaches, then avoid
Lisa
atThank you for the very informative post. I have pretty wavy hair and I’d love to try the CG method for it, but all the other posts I’d seen were very confusing. This breaks it down really well and I appreciate that you listed products for India AND the US!
Pallavi Juneja
atYay! So glad you liked it and found it useful! 🙂
Shubhi
atIs it important to apply a curl cream/gel on Day 2 refresh day ?
Pallavi Juneja
atDepends on person to person. Use either leave in or curl cream or gel in very small amounts on the very frizzy sections only after spraying hair with water.
Anilee
atHi! I am new to curly girl! But very excited to get started 🙂
I am a little confused… if i do “squish to condish” method, do i need to apply leave in afterward as well?
Thanks!
Pallavi Juneja
atSOme people follow up with just gel after Squish to condish! But you can experiment! Try a little leave in or curl cream and see if it makes any diffference
shalini
atcan I use deep conditioner every wash day instead of normal or is that harmful?
Pallavi Juneja
atah, its okay, esp if your hair is very dry, coarse, thick!
Rishita
atHi Pallavi. I’m in real need of someone who can tell me what to do with my hair. I have short curly hair and I’ve kept it that way because of the amount of weather damage it has had. My hair has thinned at the crown and it frizzes up completely on drying. It’s very dry and brittle too. And I’m overwhelmed by the product choices. Please help!
Pallavi Juneja
atStart simple. Shampoo, condition, comb, rinse, apply DIY Flaxseed gel or set wet gel (blue, yellow). See if your hair needs more moisture and then add accordingly a leave in conditioner or mousse.
Shampoo and conditioner, honestly try any in your budget, all are good. – https://www.amazon.in/shop/thecuriousjalebi
Deep condition once a week. Don’t buy a dc immediately on starting the method, simply Add a few drops of oil and a tbsp of honey to your conditioner, and apply.
Emma
atHi! Thank you for this post, it’s by far the most helpful I’ve found! Just one question, after the first wash with clarifying shampoo, before my next wash should I still use a pre-poo? Thank you!
Pallavi Juneja
atYes you can! Just don’t over do the oil since that will require more shampoo to remove it 🙂 So glad you liked the post!
Aditi
atI learnt that Biotique products are chemical free too. Are they CG Friendly?
Pallavi Juneja
atThey don’t reveal their full ingredient list so we can’t be sure. Many find it drying so its best to avoid. If you’re looking for beginner friendly affordable products check this list- https://thecuriousjalebi.com/2017/05/17/pocket-friendly-curly-hair-products-beginners-india/
Katherine
atIf you can’t find any of those shampoos, I found this beautiful brand, ODX, which has no sulfates or silicones or anything nasty like that (I checked). It’s at most supermarkets, unlike most of the other curly shampoos I’ve read about, and my hair thanks me for using it.
Divya Agrawal
atMy hair type is neither straight not wavy. Please suggest me the products.
The main problem is frizzyness and dryness.
Pallavi Juneja
atSo you mean lightly wavy? Or just dealing with frizz?
In that case, use a good conditioner each time you wash. Apply a leave in conditioner in spray form or a mousse. Try DIY Flaxseed gel as an alternative. Deep condition once a week.
Priyadarshini Padmakumar
atHi Pallavi. I seem to have severe hairfall. While shampooing. Conditioning, while apply gel or cream or deep cond mask… all thru the time. I comb my hair before shower and see to that its thoroughly tangle free.
Pls advise.
I have coarse wavy dry hair. I use argan shampoo from the blessing tree brand. And coconut enliven conditioner and also leave some on the hair as leave in.
Pls advise.
Pallavi Juneja
atAny time you touch or comb your hair, there will be some hairfall. If its excessive, I’d ask you to consult a dermatologist and get your blood work done and see if there is any iron, vitamin deficiency. I’m assuming you don’t have PCOD, thyroid or any hormonal imbalance as that also causes hair fall. Also, if you are following such a routine, please note that since you comb your hair only once or twice a week as compared to daily before, so the 50-100 hair strands that would shed daily is trapped and will suddenly come out when you wash.
Also, be gentle when you condition, always finger detangle before you use a wide comb. Be generous with the quanitity of the conditioner as well.
Ayesha Mohammed Lajporiya
atHey, I’m really new to CG method and have been reading things which literally made my head spin and you just simplied everything. Thanks Pallavi!
Pallavi Juneja
atSo glad you liked the post Ayesha! <3
Ankita
atAre we supposed to follow this each week, for example: Day1, day2, day3.. day 6, each week ? or after does the routine change each week ?
Pallavi Juneja
atDay 1- Wash Day
Day 2 Morning- Refresh Night- Protect hair in a pineapple/loose bun with satin/silk pillowcases or hair cap
Day 3- Repeat
Day 4- Repeat or Wash day again. (How long you go without washing completely depends on your hair type, the humidity, how physically active you are during the day etc)
Day 7- Shampoo+ Deep Condition instead of condition+ Rest routine remains same
Washing and styling routine remains the same
Seema Yadav
atCan i use mama earth conditioner and products ?? Is that cg approved ?
Pallavi Juneja
atmost are but only the masque has decent slip I’m afraid
Lucie
atGURL this post was so helpful and gave a wavie some hope. 😊 thx for making this rlly helpful and thorough cg guide.
Pallavi Juneja
atThank you lucie, so glad it helps!
Kirti
atThank you so much Pallavi this is so helpful for us wavies.
Pallavi Juneja
atyay! Let me know if they work for you!
Sheji
atCan flax seed gel be used as a leave in?
Pallavi Juneja
atSee technically you are leaving it in your hair even when you use it as a gel. Some girls don’t need leave in, just gel works as well. Try it and see if the results suit you!
Pooja
athey !!! great help .. starting the process .. please guide me if Wow shampoo conditioner and Aloe vera gel is ok to start with.
Pallavi Juneja
ative listed some good beginner friendly brands here- https://thecuriousjalebi.com/2017/05/17/pocket-friendly-curly-hair-products-beginners-india/
I’d suggest DIY FSG or even set wet gel over aloe gel.