Even slightly wavy hair can turn into beautiful, natural curls with the Curly Girl method. Curly Girl focuses on natural care, which is ZENZ's trademark. Read more about the method here and which products we recommend to make beautiful and well-groomed curls.

NO SCRAP CHEMICALS

Natural, soft curls are easily achieved with the Curly Girl method, and ZENZ Organic Products are tailor-made for this method. Our concept is based on natural care with pure, certified organic ingredients. We avoid silicone, which lies like a film around the hair strand, and the nurturing ingredients cannot penetrate. We also avoid drying alcohols and sulfates, which not only remove the dirt we want to get rid of, but they will also take the nourishing, natural fats - those that keep the scalp healthy. No type of hair get benefits from dehydrating chemistry - not even greasy hair as it gets the scalp out of balance.

Beautiful and well-kept curls are achieved by giving the hair extra nourishment, plenty of moisture and the curls are spared washing with shampoo or, if necessary, only washed with a gentle shampoo or shampoo with conditioner effect. Products with silicone, sulfates and alcohol are deselected in the Curly Girl method.

THE THREE MAIN STEPS OF THE CURLY GIRL METHOD

First step - Wash with conditioner
Second step - Moisturize and soften the curls with conditioner
Third step - Style and highlight the curls with the right products

ZENZ experts recommend strengthening the hair with rinse detox and treatment for hair and scalp treatment before the Curly Girl method to obtain the best result.

DETOX AND TREATMENT OF THE HAIR AND SCALP

It is important to clean the hair to remove residues of silicone, limescale and dirt before using care products. Our experts recommend Hair & Scalp Rinse Fresh Herbs no. 87 , which is an intensive hair treatment that cleanses in depth without drying out, and at the same time adds moisture from aloe vera. Use three capsules of it, dissolved in a glass of water and distributed in the hair. It should be massaged well in the hair and leaved in for 2-3 minutes, after which the hair is rinsed thoroughly and finished with conditioner.

Although the conditioner always should be used after a hair detox, a deep-acting protein treatment will do wonders in any hair. Our experts recommend Treatment Pure no. 03 with gluten-free wheat protein that penetrates all the way in to the core of the hair and strengthens and moisturizes it from the inside. The hair gets an extra moisture boost by using Oil Treatment, and the treatment can stay in the hair overnight. A protein treatment can be used as needed, however most people will benefit from a weekly treatment. It is individual which products best moisturizes the curls without weighing. It depends on the thickness of the hair strands, the structure of the curls, whether the scalp is in balance and much more.

SHAMPOO OR NOT?

Some use less shampoo (low-poo), others refrain entirely from shampoo washing (no-poo), and still others avoid caring sulfates in their shampoo. Our experts use ZENZ Organic Products as they are both mild and contain coconut sulfates. The products do not dry out the hair but cleanse gently, care and moisturizes. A suitable shampoo is Shampoo Deep Wood no. 07, which intensively gives moisture and has a wonderful warm scent of sandalwood and patchouli. Shampoo Rhassoul no. 16 is also recommended as it cleanses the hair very gently, while the mineral clay from Morocco soothes and reduce split ends. Additionally, Shampoo Rhassoul no. 16 has conditioner effect and suitable for step 1 of the Curly Curl method.

HAIR WASH WITH WATER AND CONDITIONER 

Hair wash only with conditioner is called CO-wash - conditioner only wash. CO-wash can be a good way to ensure that the hair is cleaned and at the same time moisturized between the shampoo washes.

However, it assumes that the styling products do not contain silicone, which our styling products are completely free of. Often it is recommended to use conditioner only in the lengths of the hair and not in the scalp. But a silicone-free conditioner can be used from root to tip. Then the scalp can recreate its healthy and natural balance with the nourishing ingredients of the conditioner.

It is also important always to finish any shampoo wash with conditioner, as the outer layer of the hair (the cuticle layer) is opening when it gets wet, allowing water and shampoo to penetrate and it will remove dirt, limescale and product residues. The conditioner will then close the cuticle again, and the nourishing ingredients are encapsulated in the hair, making it strong and soft. Our conditioners contain a small amount of water, so you only need a small amount of conditioner distributed in the hair. Rinse it with water afterwards - unless it is a leave-in conditioner.

CONDITIONER FOR CURLY GIRL METHOD STEP 2

ZENZ's experts recommends Conditioner Deep Wood no. 08, if the hair needs a lot of moisture or it is chemically coloured. If it tends to be greasy, the lighter Conditioner Sweet Sense no. 05 is ideal as it both lifts and creates volume in even fine hair. If the hair needs extra moisture and care, we recommend Treatment no. 03 as a nourishing hair treatment. Enriches the hair and curls with proteins, vitamins and minerals and leaves it strengthened and silky soft.

After washing the hair, squeeze the water out of the hair with a towel, but avoid rubbing it too hard so that the hair is not damaged. For Curly Girl method a microfiber towel or a cotton t-shirt is recommended, but you can also use a terry towel in pure cotton.

GENTLE STYLING

The focus is on natural care with the Curly Girl method. Therefore it is also important that you do not blow dry your hair too often and only do so at low heat. This ensures that the hair is not dried out by the hot air. It is recommended to use a diffuser that distributes the heat and is careful by the hair.

To avoid blow drying, the hair can be washed in the evening so that it can air dry during the night. For more defined and shaped curls, the wet hair can be gathered upside down in a towel or a t-shirt so that they are not pulled out by gravity. Another trick is to put the wet curls up with clamps as it creates good air passage so that the hair dries quickly and the scalp can breathe in the meantime.

The experts at ZENZ always recommend a heat-protective product after washing and before blow-drying. For example use our Styling Gel Sweet Orange no. 12 or Hair Styling Mousse Pure no. 90 which adds moisture and are suitable for the Curly Girl method step 3. Add the products into the hair, turn the head down and blow dry from the tips and up.

A FINE CURL STRUCTURE WITH GEL CAST

The gel cast creates a nice curl structure within air-drying. Use a generous layer of Styling Gel Sweet Orange no. 12 in the damp hair, so that it gets a heavy "shell" of gel around the hair. When the hair is dry, the gel can be squeezed out with the hands. Use a towel and a little Oil Treatment no. 99 to release the gel-“shell” from the hair.

When the hair is dry, use extra styling gel to gather and define the curls. Avoid hot styling tools as they dry out the hair just like the blow dryer. Finish by squeezing natural oil in the tips. Our Oil Treatments are made from 100% natural ingredients and are completely free of mineral oils.

Our experts recommend a leave-in conditioner if the hair needs moisture during the day. Distribute the conditioner in the palms and stuff it into the hair from the bottom up. Make it a habit to always have a conditioner in your handbag - for example Conditioner Cactus no. 18 which is available in travel size. You can also mix 1 part conditioner with 4 parts water in a spray bottle to get leave-in conditioner as a spray.

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

• Conditioner Pure no. 02
• Conditioner Sweet Sense no. 05
• Shampoo Deep Wood no. 07
• Conditioner Deep Wood no. 08
• Shampoo Rhassoul no. 16
• Shampoo Cactus no. 17
• Conditioner Cactus no. 18
• Treatment Pure no. 03
• Hair & Scalp Rinse Fresh Herbs no. 87
• Styling Gel Sweet Orange no. 12
• Hair Styling Mousse Pure no. 90
• Hair Styling Mousse Sweet Orange no. 91 
• Oil Treatment Sweet Mint no. 96
• Oil Treatment Pure no. 97
• Oil Treatment Warm Camomile no. 98
• Oil Treatment Deep Wood no. 99

View all approved products for the Curly Girl method here.