Looking for CG-safe products that are truly good for your curls? This guide explains exactly which ingredients to avoid, like sulfates and non-water-soluble silicones, and which ingredients nourish and strengthen your curls. With this list, you'll be choosing only curl-friendly products that ensure healthy, shiny, and frizz-free curls.
Curl-Friendly Product Guide
Not every hair product is equally kind to your curls. The Curly Girl Method (CG method) is all about avoiding ingredients that dry out, weigh down, or damage your hair. At the same time, you want to use curl-friendly ingredients that hydrate, nourish, and protect your hair.
In this guide we list the most important no-go's and must-haves .
🚫 Ingredients to avoid
These ingredients are commonly found in regular shampoos, conditioners, and styling products, but they don't fit into a curl-friendly routine:
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Sulfates (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate)
➜ Strong cleansers that strip natural oils and dry out curls. -
Silicones based on non-water-soluble variants (Dimethicone, Amodimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane)
➜ Apply a layer to the hair that builds up and can only be removed with sulfates. -
Waxes and non-water-soluble oils (Petrolatum, Mineral Oil, Beeswax*)
➜ Can cause buildup and make your hair feel heavy and lifeless. (*Note: some plant-based waxes, such as candelilla wax, are CG -friendly.) -
Drying alcohols (Alcohol Denat., SD Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol)
➜ They strip moisture from the hair, which is especially bad for curls. -
Paraffin and Vaseline (Paraffinum Liquidum, Petrolatum)
➜ Heavy, occlusive ingredients that are not easy to wash out.
✅ Ingredients that make your curls happy
In the INCI list, look for nourishing, moisturizing and curl-enhancing substances:
- Vegetable oils such as jojoba oil, argan oil, avocado oil, coconut oil
- Butters such as shea butter, cocoa butter, murumuru butter
- Humectants (water binders) such as glycerin, propanediol, sorbitol, panthenol
- Herbal extracts such as aloe vera, chamomile extract, green tea
- Proteins (for those who benefit) such as hydrolyzed wheat, rice, or silk protein
- Softeners and conditioners such as cetrimonium chloride, behentrimonium methosulfate
💡 How to quickly check whether a product is CG-proof
- Scan the ingredients list and avoid the no-go's above
- Look for natural oils, butters, proteins, and humectants
- Remember: What's in the first places of the INCI list is in the most
Conclusion:
Curl-friendly products are free of sulfates, non-water-soluble silicones, heavy waxes, and drying alcohols, but are rich in hydrating, nourishing, and curl-enhancing ingredients. This way, you give your curls the care they deserve – for more definition, shine, and bounce.