My Zero Waste Curly Girl Routine

I have been following the curly girl method for a year now and it has transformed my hair. It’s healthier than it’s ever been! If you haven’t seen it already, make sure to check out this post and see my curly girl hair journey/transformation.

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From the beginning, I set out to adopt the curly girl method alongside zero waste. If I couldn’t do the curly girl method zero waste than it wasn’t for me. But I have to back up. Before I found the curly girl method, I had a hard time finding a zero-waste routine for my hair that actually worked. I tried washing my hair using baking soda (loo poo) followed by an apple cider vinegar rinse… It was a disaster for my hair type! My hair was like straw after 2 months of washing it in this way. I tried a variety of shampoo and conditioning bars too. No good. So your first lesson, know your hair type!

The routine I’m about to explain is for all those with 2ABC or 3AB waves/curls. Once you get into 3BC and 4ABC territory the method changes because the about of moisture required increases drastically. But some of the products I use (or make) will be helpful!

And like most that attempt the curly girl method, it took ages to get right. Experimenting with routines. Greasy hair days. Dry hair days. Fizzy hair days. You name it, my hair lived it and tried it’s best to be normal. But after a year, I’ve found a zero-waste hair care routine that is safe for the environment, produces no waste, and keeps my hair healthy.

My Curl Type

It’s hard to categorize hair into a specific category because everyone’s hair acts differently. But classifying your hair type does help you to initially navigate a routine. It took me 10 months to finally get a routine that worked… Once I realized my hair type.

I’m secretly a wavy girl. Yup, my hair type is actually 2C. I thought for a while I was a 3A curly girl because my wave pattern is the same as 3A, with soft inch round curls. But my hair is actually very thin! Sebum and oil build up on my scalp faster than real curly girls. So I follow a routine for 2C wavy hair even if I still consider myself a curly girl 😉

This article helped me immensely at following the routine correctly for my hair type. I cannot just co-wash, I have to clarify and shampoo. But I’m not about the styling products she recommends. So. Much. Plastic. And does it really need to be that complicated? That’s why I’m here to present my more minimalist approach.

Products

The thing that bothers me the most about the curly girl method is that everyone that uses or promotes this method, uses a plethora of products all bottled in plastic. And despite them being sulfate, alcohol, and silicon-free, there still seems to be a laundry list of chemicals, dyes, and fragrances.

It’s marketing maybe. All the products I use are zero waste, vegan, and biodegradable. I have never really seen many successful zero waste curly girl routines. And mine is not perfect, but it’s something and until zero waste becomes more accessible it’ll have to do.

• Conditioner from Plaine Products* (co-wash) $$$
• Shampoo from Plaine Products* (low poo) $$$
• Shampoo bar from Lush (clarifying wash) $$
• DIY Flaxseed Hair Gel $
• Apple Cider Vinegar (deep condition soak/rinse) $
• Castile bar soap* (low poo) $
• Microfiber towel (drying hair to reduce frizz) $
  • I got my towel for €8 in Spain! It’s the towel I used while traveling and staying in hostels throughout Europe. I also used it for my hike on el Camino de Santiago. It just happens to be microfiber! You can also use an old cotton t-shirt.
• Bamboo comb* $

Low Poo Options

I have listed 2 low poo (low shampoo without sulfate etc.) options above and I like and use both! Using shampoo from Plaine Products* is wonderful but can be a bit pricey for some. I order a bottle of shampoo once every 6 months which is very economical. Plaine shampoo is definitely more effective and cleans a bit better than bar soap but I understand it might not be in everyone’s budget. You can use my code HF20 to get 10% your first purchase of Plaine Products!

The other (cheaper) option is to use a Castille soap bar*. It’s a great shampoo alternative and many people use it as shampoo. I also use it to wash my face and body. Because there are a lot of minerals in my water so I always follow up after shampooing with bar soap with an apple cider vinegar rinse. Rinsing with ACV (1 tbsp to 1 cup of water) gets rid of those extra minerals that haven’t washed away and gives shine! It eliminates the film that bar soap can leave on your hair. Then I condition as normal.

If you suffer from dandruff, incorporate an apple cider vinegar rinse into your routine every week. or every other week. It helps eliminate dandruff! One cause of dandruff is fungus and ACV can kill that. It also hydrates the scalp which can cause dandruff. I do an ACV rinse every ten days!

My Wash Cycle

My wash cycle goes like this:

1. Co-wash and condition
2. Low poo and condition
3. Co-wash and condition
4. Low poo and condition + ACV rinse
5. Co-wash and condition
6. Low poo and condition
7. Co-wash and condition
8. Low poo and condition + ACV rinse
9. Co-wash and condition
10. Clarify wash and condition

I wash my hair every 2-3 days. So I end up shampooing my hair about twice every 7-10 days and clarifying every month. Shampooing this often will definitely be too much for some people! The thicker the hair, the more moisture you will need. Most curly girls shampoo once a month! And that act likes a clarifying wash. I also do an apple cider vinegar rinse after I shampoo about every 10 days.

In terms of days of the week, my routine might look like this:

• Friday: Shampoo (low poo) and condition
• Monday: Co-wash and condition
• Wednesday: Shampoo and condition
• Friday: Co-wash and condition
• Sunday: Clarify wash and condition (once a month)
• Wednesday: Co-wash and condition
• Friday: Shampoo and condition
• Monday: Co-wash and condition

You get the idea. I can usually go longer between washes after I’ve used a clarifying shampoo. It strips all the build-up away and it takes 3 days to build back up again. Co-washing never cleans enough and I have to wash it after 2 days. Of course, everything depends on my schedule as well. If I have a day off, I can usually stretch it one more day and just throw my hair up in a bun.

Now if you are more of a curly girl than me your wash cycle might go more like this: co-wash, co-wash, co-wash, low poo and condition, co-wash, co-wash, co-wash, low poo and condition, co-wash, co-wash, co-wash, clarify and condition. This way you are shampooing about every 10 days.

Wash Day

Shampooing and clarifying go as normal. Lather, scrub, rinse.

Co-washing is the trickier part. To co-wash, put a little conditioner on the scalp. Then scrub with your fingers. I didn’t understand this at first but you have to seriously massage your roots with your fingers. All over your head, rub all the dirt loose and rinse. Your head is really not “dirty” but excess oil and skin get scrubbed away. Then condition as normal after co-washing.

When I condition, I use a half a palm-sized amount and coat my hair, not the roots but the surface of the hair and more concentrated on the ends. Then I help distribute by combing through with my fingers. I let sit for a couple of minutes and then rinse. I make sure to rinse everything out of my roots but leave some on the ends.

After showering, I comb it while wet with a bamboo comb while my head is upside down. I squeeze out excess water with my hands. Then Gel! For the first couple of months, I didn’t use gel at all. I was afraid of “that” gel look. You know like from the early 2000s or late 90s with like greasy boy-band spikes. But gel is important! It keeps moisture locked in and holds the shape of the curls.

With my head still upside down, I take a quarter amount of gel and spread it on wet hair. I use the “praying hands” method to coat my hair. This helps me apply the product evenly.

Then I scrunch it with a microfiber towel while my head is still upside down. You can also use a cotton t-shirt! Then I take a bit more gel as I scrunch my hair with my fingers to help the curls form.

I usually let it dry naturally. But if I’m short on time, I use a hairdryer with a diffuser on low with low/medium heat. After it’s fully dry, I scrunch the crunch. I was also very confused by this step never having used gel before in my life. But with my head upside down, I scrunch my curls to soften the texture. Never run your fingers through your curls; that will make them frizzy and disrupt the curl pattern. Then I loosen my scalp by putting my fingers at the roots and shaking a bit. Nothing crazy but helps gives a bit of volume.

Non-wash Day

All I do between washes is spritz my hair with water. I sometimes add a couple of drops of lavender essential oil to my glass spray bottle. You can add other fragrances if you’d like. Another oil that is good for hair is rosemary. I just dampen the hair, not soak it. Then I apply a quarter-sized amount of gel by scrunching it in.

Okay, so Why Lush and a Sulfate Shampoo Bar? Aka Clarifying Wash

So the first question, why Lush? There is some debate about how “good” this company is. But nothing is black and white. I’ve done a bit of research and got a lot of information about the company from a zero waste Facebook group that I am a part of.

Some good things Lush has going for it: cruelty-free, charitable, environmentally conscious, plastic-free (naked) packaging, and transparent about their ingredients. Everything is vegetarian and some things are even vegan. Lush is not: completely chemical-free, local, or completely plastic-free (some of their products like conditioners come in plastic bottles).

I would love to find a local alternative that would do the job, but the fact is, there isn’t. I do not have many zero waste options near me, especially for bulk or beauty products. In the end, I’m happy to support a company with a lot of good things going for them. They are setting a trend for sustainable packaging and ethical products.

The Seanik shampoo bar I buy is vegan and does not contain palm oil, but it does contain a palm oil derivative. See Lush’s article about palm oil here. I have heard the company is moving away from palm oil but it might take time. And honestly, I love their Seanik shampoo bar. It smells heavenly and works wonders on my hair. It makes it voluminous and shiny.

The shampoo bar does contain sodium lauryl sulfate. But I was encouraged by the article for wavy hair (linked above), that using sulfate is okay (in small amounts) to get rid of product build-up. It’s the perfect clarifying shampoo! We are told over and over that sulfate is bad for your hair since it acts almost like a detergent and strips the hair. But if you encounter hard water (or have hard water in your home) then it’s going to be practically impossible to follow the curly girl method. You need something that will get rid of minerals that cling to your hair! I could write an entire blog post about hair care with hard water.

Also, I do not think there are any clarifying shampoos on the market that are zero waste. The price is perfect for my budget, and since I only use it about once a month it lasts me eons. The other benefit of using a sulfate shampoo bar is that it’s perfect after swimming in a chlorinated pool! The lather cuts through any chlorine left on my scalp or hair and leaves a great smell.

Curly Girl on the Go

The first time I traveled with the curly girl method was an utter disaster! The place I traveled had hard water full of minerals that clung to my hair. I couldn’t co-wash once! I tried but I came out of the shower looking greasier than when I entered. This is when a sulfate shampoo would have saved me.

When I travel, I take Plaine Products* shampoo and conditioner, Lush shampoo bar, and my flaxseed hair gel in an old face (silicon and plastic) wash liquid jawn. I love that everything is in metal! It’s very light (unlike glass) and fits under 3oz liquid limit for carry-ons. I purchased the Plaine products travel shampoo and conditioner bottles once, removed the labels, and now just refill the metal bottles from the bigger containers.

I also take a bar of Castille bar soap to wash my face and body. But I don’t wash my hair with it while away since I can’t follow it up with an apple cider vinegar rinse. Plus, it’s more convenient to wash with liquid shampoo. Even if I don’t use it much at home, it’s great when traveling.

Final Thoughts

Overall, you should do what feels right for you and your hair. I still shampoo and it’s not the end of the world! You don’t have to follow all of the “rules” and don’t be intimidated about what others say you have to do to follow the curly girl method. And you are allowed to do whatever you want with your hair. Seriously, just follow your heart (or should I say your head?).

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So, if you have made it through all of this… congratulations! I know it was a bit long but I hope it can be of some help to you. I wanted to be thorough and provide insight into every aspect of my hair care routine. Do you have a zero-waste hair care routine? Or do you follow the curly girl method? I’d love to know how you take care of your hair and what products you’d recommend.

Happy Styling-

*Affiliate Link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure page for more info.

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