Our 20th Anniversary Campaign kicked off this week, and what better way to celebrate than to share our Top 20 viewed articles EVER?! So let’s take a trip down memory lane, and weave through the Curly Girl Method, co-washing, figuring out your curl pattern, and so much more!
1. How to Follow the Curly Girl Method
It’s no surprise here that our number one article ever is a how-to guide of the “Curly Girl Method” or CGM. For those of you who don’t know what this is, it’s basically a textured hair regimen guide that helps you achieve healthier hair, and you probably follow some of the rules already.
“The Curly Girl Method, from Lorraine Massey’s book “Curly Girl: The Handbook,” is a hair care method that trades in damaging habits (like shampooing and heat styling”> for a healthy curly hair regimen using just conditioner and gel. While this set of recommendations has been shown to have incredible results for many curlies in our community, you should always feel free to modify them to suit your hair!”
Some of the most basic guidelines for the CGM is to discontinue the use of shampoo, sulfates, alcohol, non-water soluble silicones, and fragrance in your hair products or regimen. This can be difficult when navigating your local hair retailer, but luckily for you NC has been giving reviews for CGM approved products for years!
2. I Tried Diffusing with a Strainer, Here’s What it Looked Like After
NC Managing Editor Cristina basically went viral with this article showing how she diffused her hair with a strainer.
“This may sound crazy to the the non-curl enthusiasts, but when I shared it with my NaturallyCurly teammates they mostly nodded and said, ‘yea, I can see that.’ It’s brilliant really.”
Benefits of using a strainer to diffuse your hair? Definition. Defintion. Definition. Check out the article to see how it worked on Cristina’s 2c hair!
3. The Dos & Don’ts of Deep Conditioning
If your deep conditioning sessions consist of a lot of trial and even more error, then you may need these no-fuss dos and don’ts of successful deep conditioning.
4. How to Do a Mayonnaise Hair Treatment
“We have published hundreds of curly hair recipes on NaturallyCurly, but to this day the most popular treatment of all time is: the mayonnaise hair treatment. This is probably because our grandmothers, our mothers, the magazine you browse at the grocery – everyone is telling you to use mayonnaise on your hair.”
5. What Olaplex Did to My Hair
We have gotten a lot of questions about Olaplex across the years, and I for one am their biggest advocate. As a bleached 3c curly, it has helped keep my hair healthy as possible while trying to keep my signature Beyoncé honey colored curls.
“The more I use the treatment, the better and better my hair is becoming. My ends are less fuzzy, my hair overall is more manageable and I am starting to get some nice wavy curl definition back. My hair seems to be air drying a little quicker too. Also, it my hair just has this shine and brilliance to it that I didn’t think I would ever have.”
6. We Tried Biotin, And Here’s What Happened
Biotin has been a sought out curly hair growth treatment for years. But how well does it actually work? We asked the curly community and tried it ourselves to find out.
“I didn’t notice a positive difference in any category: hair, skin, or nails. My hair didn’t grow or become thicker. My skin didn’t become clearer or suppler. Actually, my skin broke out in cystic acne, which I’ve never had before. This terrible side effect is the number-one reason I stopped using it. I hear my results are not atypical. I have a few friends that experienced the same thing. On the other hand, my mother has been taking the same biotin tablets in the same dosage with completely different results (the results I was expecting to see”>.” -Nikki Johnson
7. This is Why Bleached Hair Turns Orange (And How to Stop It”>
As a chemically blonde curly, I know the dreaded feeling of looking in the mirror after a day out in the sun and realizing your hair looks brassy. This article explains why that happens, and most importanlty, how to prevent it from happeneing in the future.
“To remove an orange brassy tone from blonde hair, you should use a blue/purple shampoo. Hair absorbs a small amount of blue/purple pigment contained in the shampoo, that lead to cancel out orange undertones. Those shampoos deposit a light blueish tint that helps counteract brassiness and keep your blonde light and bright.”
8. 9 Ways to Sleep with Curls
This is one of our most asked questions on Instagram and most discussed forums in CurTalk!
“You had a glorious hair day, all of your products did what they were supposed to and frizz stayed away. Your curl definition could not be beat. But the big question for every curly girl is – how can you make this last until tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, without having to shampoo and style all over again?”
9. Is Baking Soda Really Worth the Hype for Your Hair?
“Many naturals have promoted baking soda because it cleanses the hair as a shampoo and softens the hair as a conditioner. Some have even promoted it as something to loosen the curl pattern.”
10. 25 Best Gentle Shampoos for Curly Hair
Every single one of the cleansers on this list has won an Editors’ Choice award, voted on by the NaturallyCurly editors, or a Best of the Best award, voted on by thousands of NaturallyCurly community members.
11. 6 Ways to Use Aloe Vera Gel
I use aloe vera in my skincare routine so I wasn’t surprised to see how people use it in their hair. My favorie tip from this article is using aloe vera juice as a part of your styling routine!
“Many curly girls are extremely careful about the ingredients found in the products that they use on their curls…as they should be! With aloe vera gel, there’s no doubt that you’re using a natural product that’s great for your hair. It consists of water, 20 minerals, 12 vitamins, 18 amino acids, and 200 phyotonutrients.”
12. The Clay Mask Recipe that Will Give You(r Hair”> Life
Every curly girl loves a good DIY hair mask, this was our most popular one!
“This DIY clay mask has forever changed my regimen. It hydrates, moisturizes, de-frizzes, softens, and banishes dryness, while encouraging curl clumping and shine. Any problems you’re having with your hair, this mask can probably solve.”
13. 12 Best Moisturizing Products for Type 4 Hair
“Maintaining proper moisture is important for all hair types, but coily hair is even more susceptible to damage if it lacks moisture. Because of the structure of coily hair follicles, moisture can escape from the shaft quite easily, so not only is it a must to restore and maintain precious moisture, it’s important to find a way to seal it in.”
14. Curly Hair Guide: What’s YOUR Curl Pattern?
“If you are new to the world of natural curls, getting to know your curl pattern can help you discover styling techniques and products that will work for you. You’ll also be able to more easily find the videos that’ll be most relevant to you.”
15. How to Plop Curly Hair: A Curly Girl’s Guide
Did you know that plopping is a technique that was born here on NaturallyCurly’s forums??
“You plop your wet hair after you’ve applied your styler and before you start to dry your hair. It will accordion your curls, helping them keep their defined, spiral shape, even after they dry.”
16. LOC Method: The Routine EVERY Curly Should Know
“LOC is an abbreviation for leave in conditioner, oil and cream. The name itself signifies the products a curly should apply, as well as the order in which to apply them, making it an easy-to-remember curly routine.”
17. Top 15 Products for Low Porosity Hair
It’s amazing how many people don’t know what their hair porostiy considering how much knowing this can help you achieve your best curls!
“Naturals with low porosity have a tightly bound cuticle layer that lays flat and can be hard for products to penetrate and get the good stuff in! Low porosity strands resist moisture and are protein-sensitive, so steering clear of protein or using it sparingly is ideal.”
18. The Truth About Propylene Glycol, According to a Chemist
“Propylene glycol should not be a feared ingredient. If product manufacturers are finding replacement ingredients to fulfill the same purposes in their formulas served by propylene glycol, I see no harm in that. However, I hesitate to support marketing materials that use this as a selling point.”
19. Top 10 Curl-Defining Hair Products
20. The 15 Best Moisturizing Products for Coarse, Dry Natural Hair
Last, we have one of my favorites articles on this list (because my hair is always SO dry”>! Check out some of our top products for all of your moisture needs!
“SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner has multiple uses as a conditioner, leave in conditioner, and styling prep base. It’s a combination of Shea Butter, essential oils, and avocado oil to moisturize deep in the shaft and smoothing the cuticle on the outside for flawless styling. For Coarse hair, this product is great for enhancing elasticity.”
Do you have a favorite NaturallyCurly Article? Share in the comments below!
