Day 10: Frizz is OK

This morning I woke up and did nothing more than a cold rinse. I plopped with my hands while may hair was still wet, blot dried with a t-shirt, I then plopped with gel and then again when completely dry. I have a slight halo of frizz; however, I have come to accept it and appreciate it.

I'm in a good mood, so the frizz doesn't bother me... today. I'm sure a time will come when it drives me crazy but for today I'm ok with it.

Curls: 7
Frizz: 5
Weather: 52 F, cloudy, 59% humidity
Stress: low

Day 9: Communication

It may sound a little odd to say that there needs to be communication between a women and her curls; however, I find it to be true! If you pay attention to what your hair is doing or how it feels, i.e. what your hair is saying, you will learn how to care for it properly and be stunned by the results. By listening to what your hair needs it will reward you with shine and softness.

Yesterdays curls ROCKED and for the most part they all were still in tact when I got up this morning. Normally with them looking so nice I would spray them with some water to tone down the night frizz and be done; however, this morning I took a minute to feel them and they felt dry. I worried about wetting them for fear of losing the spring and initially was just going to do a spot clean. As I was rubbing the conditioner into my scalp I could feel how dry and frizzy my hair was, it needed some moisture. Against my gut I slowly and VERY carefully worked conditioner into the ends of my hair and lightly added some to the crown. I didn't go as far as to detangle just carefully attempted to remove as many lose hairs as I could with out breaking the strands too much. I rinsed with cold water and made sure to rinse my scalp and all of my hair really well; touching it as little as possible. I *blot dried with a t-shirt and applied gel with my hair still dripping slightly and plopped. I blotted when ever the ends would drip and then laid the t-shirt across my shoulders and let my hair sit on the t-shirt until I left for work. I plopped again once it was completely dry and was shocked by the result.


I will admit I was COMPLETELY wrong about the curls. The curls are still intact and look better than they did yesterday because today they are soft and light. My scalp is not itchy and my hair looks great. From not on I will be sure to pay attention more often and let my curls tell me what they need.

Curl: 9
Frizz: 1
Weather: 68 F, cloudy with a 30% chance of rain, 65% humidity
Stress: low

[*Note: I never blot or touch the crown of my hair with a towel or t-shirt. I only blot/ "dry" the ends of my hair. Touching the crown with any thing usually causes my hair to frizz so I let the moisture run down to the ends and then blot just the ends in a plopping motion]

Day 8: Cold Water Rinse

This morning I woke up with a little extra time on my hands. Normally, this is where I would take time to do something special with my hair or makeup but instead I laid in bed until I almost didn't have enough time. :)

All of that to say, I did nothing more than a cold rinse this morning. I didn't wet my hair in the shower, which is hard to do with hair as long as mine. When I got out I tipped my head over the tub and gently poured 2 liters of cold water on my hair; one liter while my hair was upside down and one while upright and leaning over the tub. I changed it up a bit in that I dried my hair with a T-shirt instead of a towel. I plopped with the usual dime size amount of gel and let it air dry; once dry I plopped again. I noticed that drying with a shirt helped with the amount of frizz so I think it would be worth the investment in a couple shirts to dry my hair with. I might have considered using the ones I own but I wear them so frequently that I may not ever have a spare one clean.

I was having problems getting the front curls to curl and lay the way I wanted so I gently pulled the front, top part of the crown, back and pinned it. I pinned it close to the front of my hair line so that it would have a slight "bump" and would give off an 80's feel with out having to tease it. :)

With all the water in the air from yesterday's rain and the rain that is coming tonight my curls are CRAZY curly today and have, for the most part, stayed off my neck! I LOVE it.

Curls: 8
Frizz: 2
Weather: 63 F, cloudy with a chance of rain tonight, 70% humidity
Stress: low, I slept in.

Day 7: One Week Down

It has been a full week since I've used shampoo and my hair is not dirty, smelly, or greasy. I am slowly becoming a believer in the "no-poo" method. I was a bit skeptical at first and my curls have always had a mind of their own but I think this may really help us to learn to communicate with each other. ;)

Knowing that it was suppose to rain today, all I did was spritz my hair with cold water and plop it. As always, once it was completely dry I plopped again. The under layer of my hair has ALWAYS been much curlier than the crown or layers I've had cut into it. Thus the curliest of curls are always laying on my neck tickling me. If it gets to the point where the curls won't stay off my neck I brought a hair clip to gently pull them back and off my neck and face. The only time I have touched my hair has been to move a stray curl or hair out of my face.

I still can't get over the softness of my curls, CrAzY!

Curls: 7
Frizz: 3
Weather: 55 F, cloudy (rained this morning), 93% humidity
Stress: Moderate, I didn't really sleep last night.

Day 6: Lemonade

Before going to bed last night I put together Lorraine's Lemonade recipe. One large lemon mixed with your normal amount of conditioner. Not having a lemon handy I improvised with the pure lemon juice we use for cooking. I gave the bottle a good squeeze and "measured out" around a 1/2 cup of juice in a small travel bottle of approved conditioner. I shook it up really well and left it for in the morning.

When I got in the shower I made sure to give the conditioner bottle another good shake before using. I took small amount at a time on the pads of my fingers and starting at the base of my skull and working toward the front I gently rubbed it in. Starting at the ends of my hair and working my way to the crown I gently worked conditioner through my curls detangling them. I have never used a brush or a comb, even before curly girl, just my fingers. When all of my hair was coated and felt like seaweed I rinsed all of my hair with cold water. I only fingered my scalp while rinsing, again gently rubbing with the pads of my fingers. I did not touch the strands of my hair, instead I tilted my head back as if under a waterfall and let the pressure rinse my hair. The effect on my hair is awesome; it's so soft,shiny, and smells wonderful! I could feel that the cold water rinse really helped with frizz today so as long as I can handle a splash of cold water in the morning I'll keep doing it.

As I do everyday, I plopped my hair lightly with some clear gel and left it to dry. Once fully dry I plopped again to give it some volume and get it off my ears and neck. Even though it's only been about a week I can tell a great difference in the health my hair. I'm still adjusting to it's softness and I'm having to daily remind myself that soft does not mean dirty, hehehe. The curls are better than yesterday so I'm feeling encouraged to keep going.

Curl: 6
Frizz: 2
Weather: 48 F, cloudy with a chance of rain tonight, 84% humidity
Stress: low

Day 5: Spot Cleaning

Another morning, another trial. I have already learning something and I haven't even been doing this for a week. All day yesterday my scalp itched; I believe it was due to me not being able to wet or condition it. Although it felt soft it was also brittle, broke easily, and itched. I about drove myself nuts yesterday trying not to scratch my scalp off. In lue of the itch I did just some "spot cleaning" this morning. I wet my hair and then worked conditioner into only the spots that itched; mostly the base of my skull and the front of my hair. I then applied a little conditioner to the ends and did a cold water rinse.

The cold water rinse seemed to frizz my hair more than help it so I'm hesitate to try it again. I'll plan on cold rinsing all week and if it still isn't helping I may not do it again. With the weather getting colder and the air getting dryer I don't see how a cold rinse would help with the frizz, we'll see.

After plopping and lightly adding some gel I pinned the front sides back, gently. The pins are lose so they don't cause breakage but it also keeps my "wave" off my face for the day. There are a few shorter curls that wouldn't pin back so I left them to fall freely and frame my face; the effect is nice.

I don't know if my hair is adjusting to being well taken care of or if I just don't have as curly of hair as I think. I say this because yet again this morning my curls were more waves. I did read that too much conditioner and product can weigh the curls down and stretch them out so that might be my problem as well. Tonight I plan to put together one of Lorraine's homemade recipes to clean my hair of all product and build up with out stripping my hair of natural oil; I think I may try the "lemonade". Hopefully, that will add some spring to my curls tomorrow.

Curls: 3
Frizz: 6
Weather: 43 F, cloudy, 73 % humidity
Stress: low

Day 4: No Water

I'm visiting family and as it turns out the plumbing is shot so I wasn't even able to wet my hair this morning. Today I let it do it's own thing until it annoyed me enough to be pinned back off my face and neck. After sleeping on it dry it was fairly frizzy when I woke up and needed something to tone down the frizz. I hesitated to add product to my hair while it was dry for fear of it becoming crusty or greasy looking. The curls have remained in tact but could have used a little lift with some water; with it pulled back like it is it looks nice and hides the frizz.

Curls: 3
Frizz:5
Weather: 59 F, Sunny, 39% humidity
Stress: Low

Day 3: Putting it to Use

With it being a Saturday I slept a lot later than I normally would causing my to post to be much later in the day, sorry. This morning I followed the basics steps to curly girl:

The Basic Steps of Curly Care

1. Step under the "waterfall" of your shower and rinse your curls well (but don't touch them!).
2. Once-a-week Cleansing Step: Using your fingertips and a bit of conditioner (gentle shampoo if you're a wavy girl), gently rub your entire scalp. Rinse well.
3. Gently but generously and evenly distribute conditioner through your curls. Wavy Girls, rinse well. Botticelli Curly Girls, rinse 'til your curls feel right. Corkscrew Curly Girls, rinse for just a second. (Rinse with cold water to "seal" the hair shaft.)
4. Use your towel to "scrunch-dry" your curls, gently scrunching towards your head.
5. Spread a small amount of gel over your palms and scrunch your curls in an accordion motion. Repeat until all your curls have been scrunched (scrunching the canopy last), but don't over-gel!
6. Use claw clips to arrange and style your curls (click here to see examples), twisting any last curls into place. Then don't touch your hair while it dries! (Use a diffuser on the coolest, lowest setting if you must speed the process.)
7. Bend over and shake your dried curls to give them more volume. Enjoy your soft, springy curls!

I didn't rinse with cold water nor did I style with clips but I did follow everything else accordingly and am pleased with today's results. My curls are SUPER soft and I've had to refrain from constantly stroking them. Although not all of the curls are quite as tight as I would like or they have been in the past I believe that they just need to adjust to being cleansed properly. I may need to use less/ more product or rinse the conditioner better. Too much conditioner or product may weight them down or may cause dryness so I'll need to play with the amounts of each as I go.

Curls: 7
Frizz: 3
Weather: 49 F, cloudy, 68% humidity
Stress: none, it's the weekend and I'm visiting family. :)

Day 2: SHAMPOO FREE

Per my usual routine I did not wash OR condition my hair this morning. I carefully bent over the tub and sprayed my upside down locks with tepid water. I scrunched the dripping water from my hair and using Curly Girls "plopping" method added product to my wet head.

[Plopping: You cup the ends of your hair and scrunch upward in an accordion fashion. Start with the under hair and work your way out to the crown; making sure to "plop" the crown last.]

Once I was done plopping I rubbed my fingers above my ear in a scratching motion to get all the curls off my ears and to prevent my large ears from sticking out from my hair. It also adds a little volume to the curls.

Since the last time I attempted this method my hair became nasty, gross, and smelly I'm not sure what to expect in the end result. I will admit that since reading the book I have noticed that my hair is DRY and while spraying it I could tell it was a little stringy and brittle. I regret not conditioning it but at that point I didn't have time and needed to leave for work. Due to my lacking of time and inexperience with this I have a feeling I'll be itchy all day at work due to a dry scalp. Oh well, live and learn.

Curl: 5 out of 10
Frizz: 6 out of 10
Weather: 63 F, 94% humidity, light rain.
Stress: moderate- I hate driving in the rain

Day 1: Shopping Spree

In case you have not read Curly Girl or have no interest in doing so I will give you a brief summary of what Lorraine says to avoid and what to look for in your hair care products.

She explains that many products contain non-water soluble ingredients that over time will build up, weigh down, and dull the look of your hair. The 3 main ingredients: sulfates (sodium lauryl, ammonium laureth), alcohol, and silicone's (any ingredient that ends in -cone with the most common I've found to be dimethicone). The sulfates are harsh cleaning agents that strip the hair of needed oils while the silicone's over time cause build up and coat the hair in a wax like substance. As alcohol dehydrates the body when you drink it, it also dehydrates your hair when you use it.

You want to keep an eye out for disodium EDTA, citric acid, cocoamidopropyl betaine, and decyl polyglycose. Along with natural ingredients like wheat germ, soy protein, and amino acids. I won't give you her full list or explanation; for that you can read the book.

I headed to Target and started with the high end top of the line shampoos and conditioners. My first thought was that the salon professionals would have the best products; nope, nodda, zilch. John Frieda, Nexxus, Infusium, and even Tresmee all contained silicone's. Even the non-salon brands like Patene, Dove, Aussie, Herbal Essence and Gardier, my favorite, sported the same bad ingredients. I was a little put out that all the name brands were robbing my hair of essential oils and in a way my money!

As I continued to peruse the isles I came across Catwalk: Oatmeal and Honey Conditioner. It was perfect! All natural ingredients with no sulfates or -cones, YAY! I was severely disappointed when I noticed that a 8.5 fl. oz bottle was $14.49. I might have considered the splurge; however, I have long curly hair and could kill that bottle in a little over a week. I'm open to changing my ways but I don't think my wallet could handle that much change.

I finally found solace in a cheap less than $2 bottle of Suave. Almost every bottle of Suave I picked up contained no silicone's and no bad sulfates. In the end I bought 2. Suave Humecants and Sauve Natural Lavender. Both offered me no harsh chemicals and cleaning agents as well as adding some proteins, amino acids, and lavender extract. I can use the Humecants for mixing with other natural ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar and the lavender when I want a little relaxation or a softer smell. Lorraine highly recommends natural lavender so it was a bonus to find it IN my conditioner.

I must admit I was shocked at how few products offered what Lorraine recommends and how expensive the all natural products cost. I was able to find something cheap that works and for that I am grateful. Hopefully after a month or so I will have luscious, healthy, and shiny curls because starting tomorrow morning I will officially be SHAMPOO FREE!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Day 1: Getting Started

I've never been one to read non-fiction so even reading a non-fiction book as small as Curly Girl seemed to take a lot out of me. The book is chalked full of so much information I feel like it didn't all set in.

After doing some outside research on the book itself and the no shampoo theory I found that the best way to start is to wash my hair with a sulfate shampoo to remove any oil or build up that is currently in or on my hair. I realize that this is completely against the no shampoo method; however, I feel that starting with a fresh and clean slate is the best way to go. It should also show me the best results in the end product.

This morning I washed my hair with my normal shampoo, Garnier Fructis Hydro Curls and conditioner, Garnier Fructis Curls and Shine. After reading the labels and the labels of all my other shampoos and conditioners I realized I needed to do a little shopping. So on my lunch hour I will go in search of a "good" conditioner. As it turns out my LA Looks Mega Hold hair gel is an approved product with no silicone's, sulfate, or alcohol; 3 main ingredients that Curly Girl recommends avoiding. It's also clear so there is no dye that will cause build up or dull my hair.

I'll take notes on my shopping experience and be sure to record my findings.

What's This All About?

Over the last decade or so the look of luscious curls has become more and more popular and the care and desire for those locks has caused a huge market in the world of curl hair care. Products to soften, kink, and de-frizz your curls are everywhere and it can sometimes be hard to distinguish what products to use and what products to stray away from. The fact that every researcher has something different to say or uses the excuse that every curl is different does not help those of us that don't have a clue on how to get the most of out our curls.

In 2001 a brand new idea hit the book stands and a phenomenon was born, stop using shampoo. Lorraine Massey explains in great detail the destruction shampoo, a product we've trusted for years, can do to your curls in her 2001 book Curly Girl. Although I have attempted her method before I didn't really delve into her concept of no shampoo and was highly skeptical of it. The book and idea has become so popular and such a hit I am willing to make another go at it. Over the next 6 months to a year, depending on how long I can withstand writing about it, I plan to document the care of my curly hair based on Lorraine's method. Like everyone else, she too claims that every curl is different and not everything will work for everyone. My intention is to determine what works best for me through a detailed account of my trial and error that I hope my hair can withstand.

I will record the products I use, both homemade and store bought, the way in which I wash and handle my hair, the weather of each day, and my stress level for each day. I plan to document my stress because many researchers state that those levels can change the hormone levels in your body; which we all know affects everything!

To start I would like to introduce myself. My name is Erin and I have curly hair. I am on a quest to find out how to really take care of my curls. I have not always had the curls I now adorn; however, I have had them long enough to know they can be wonderful and frustrating at the same time.

Most days in high school I would pull my hair up into a pony tail or blow dry it straight; constantly wondering why it was never as glossy or soft as the other girls. In college I began to blow dry it less and less and slowly it began to curl more and more. Some days it's gorgeous while others it's a frizzy mess that I end up pulling back. On a normal day to day basis I shampoo and condition it every other day, scrunch some gel into it, and let it air dry.

With the start of this blog I will be following the method set forth by Lorraine in Curly Girl. Let's see if her no shampoo method really helps with my curly and frizzy mess that I call my hair.