When I was a small child, I hated my hair. It’s big, poofy, becomes easily frizzy, and is high maintenance to take care of. When you are blessed with wild curly hair, you have to make it a part of your shower routine in order to take care of it or else it will look frizzy, tangled, and unhealthy.
I never wanted to do this. I never had the energy to develop a hair routine and because of that my hatred of my hair perpetuated. I yearned to have stick straight hair, that was easy to brush and put in a ponytail and forget about. I envied my friends who had easy hair care routines, and would often brush the curls out of my hair only to make it frizzier and angry.
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About 3 years ago I was told about the curly girl method. This is a method of hair that involves using all natural products and a shower hair dryer diffuser to maintain curly hair. When I do this method, and I find myself using it almost every time I shower now, my hair is in a healthy looking space for several days and has luscious curls. I find myself enthralled with my hair, constantly plucking the curls and enjoying running my hands along them. My hair is noticeably healthier, with a delightful shine and soft silky strands that I enjoy.
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I will admit I fell out of doing the curly girl method for about a year and a half after my toddler was born. It was too much to have to do such a lengthy hair care routine when having a brand new baby in my life. But my toddler is almost three, and now we are in a space where myself care has become a priority again and it is easier for me to act upon that want to take care of things now that I have an older guy who’s a bit more independent.
This hair care routine has become part of my offerings for lady Rhiannon. Of the Welsh pantheon, she is a lesser known deity associated with horses. In my high school years I had two horses I was very fond of, and some of my favorite times included me braiding their main and tail. When I learned of lady Rhiannon’s influence in my life, it felt appropriate to start a hair magic journey together.
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The curly girl method itself is pretty lengthy. It is a method I learned through the internet and will provide source links for the method at the bottom of this post. However, I will give a general overview of the method and talk about my additions in my hair magic journey.
🐴 The method
First, it’s important to know what sort of shampoo and conditioner you are using in your hair. Ideally, it is best to have a shampoo that is sulfate free, and a conditioner that is silicone free. These added chemicals only serve to strip your hair of it’s natural oils and make you feel like you need to wash your hair more often. I have found the brand of Pure Naturals on Amazon to be a delightful shampoo and conditioner for my hair. For the method you will also need some sort of oil, whether it be coconut oil or Moroccan oil or aloe vera, water-based lubricant such as astroglide, and some sort of curl shaper such as moose. You will also need a t-shirt and a hair dryer with diffuser head attachment.
🤍 DIRECTIONS
🐴 Before your shower, brush your hair with intentions of cleansing. Our hair contains our vital life energy, and running a brush through the tangles can act as cleansing away negativity.
🐴 Hop in the shower and set to washing your hair. Remember to use a shampoo that is free of sulfates.
-I like to add drops of essential oil into my shampoo depending on my intentions. I might consider five drops of tea tree oil for good health and healing. I might consider lavender essential oil for protection. I might consider cinnamon bark essential oil for focus. I might consider frankincense essential oil for clarity. Simply mix a few drops of the oil with the shampoo before you begin to run it through your hair. Remember to work from the ends of your hair towards the roots.
🐴 Once your hair is rinse of shampoo apply the first round of conditioner. I will condition my hair once through and rinse it, before adding another layer of conditioner to sit in my hair while I do the rest of my shower. When I first started my hair magic journey I was gifted a shampoo brush from a friend, and I enjoy using this to help work the conditioner into my hair.
🐴 Go about the rest of your shower
🐴 When you are done with the shower, dry your hair using a t-shirt. The follicles of hair get pulled in the rough fabric of most towels and a t-shirt can help cut the frizz if you have frizzy hair.
🐴 Begin working the products into your hair once your hair feels a bit dry. There are multiple ways you can do this. You can put the products in your hand and mix them all together, then run them over your hair with closed hands. Praying hands, was the way it was described to me. I personally enjoy taking the products in my hands and scrunching them into my hair. At this time I will repeat any affirmations that I may be working on with myself during this time such as I am strong, I am protected, I protect my vital life energy. When you’ve worked the products into your hair, then you want to get your diffuser.
🐴 This is an optional step, if you want to just allow your hair to naturally dry you can, but if you are going to use a hair dryer you want it on a low setting with the diffuser attachment option. This will help cut the frizz and keep your curls looking nice. If you plan on going to sleep shortly after the shower, you will want to wrap your hair in the T-shirt or in a loose hat to keep your curls nice while you sleep. You will want to get in the habit of doing this as you go through the week to protect your curls and protect your hair while sleeping. This will keep your hair looking better longer.
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To explain some of the above products that I mentioned … Using an oil such as Moroccan oil or coconut oil will help your hair feel soft and healthy. These oils are great for hair and give them lots of nutrients. Adding a water-based lubricant, such as astroglide, will give moisture to your hair and cut its frizziness. A curl shaper helps hold the curls in place. I personally enjoy using aloe vera gel as not only does it have helpful metaphysical properties such as warding away evil and protection, but it is very healthy for hair and provides a lot of healing nutrients.
Taking an extra moment to braid your hair in a lot of small braids or to wrap the curls around curlers or fingers will give your hair extra waves and volume.
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This method has helped me really connect and enjoy my hair, and learn to embrace the poof and big personality that comes with my hair. When I do this method I don’t always enjoy how tedious it is, but I always feel better once it is done and my hair is looking stylish. Taking care of ourself is expensive and requires a lot of energy for constant maintenance, but prevention and maintenance are the best medicines and will help us stay healthy and looking fresh well into our aging years.
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The curly girl method
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curly_Girl_Method#:~:text=The%20Curly%20Girl%20Method%20is,too%20harsh%20for%20curly%20hair.
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