Curly Girl Method Australia & NZ

(all genders welcome)

CURLY KIDS GUIDE

The Curly Girl Method

Caring for your Child’s hair can be a difficult THIS GUIDE SHOULD BE READ IN
part of your day. What to do, how to make it CONJUNCTION WITH THE NEW MEMBERS
doable, and have healthy, clean hair.
GUIDE, WHICH CONTAINS MORE DETAILS
The Curly Girl Method is a way of caring for ABOUT THE CG METHOD
curly, wavy and coily hair based on the
knowledge that curly hair needs more moisture
than straight hair. Simple techniques can easily
be applied to your children’s hair. It outlines
ways to reduce dryness by removing certain
harmful ingredients, such as sulphates and
silicones. And importantly – how to handle curls
so it isn’t a painful battlefield. The originator,
Lorraine Massey, has recently released the
book ‘Curly Kids: The Handbook’.

TIPS
1. KEEP IT SIMPLE
We suggest an easy 2 step routine below.
With your child there is no need for the
more complicated parts of your routine,
like styling products, plopping and deep
conditioning

2. KEEP IT FUN
Distract them with their favourite bath
toys. A spray bottle to play with is always a
hit! A suction toy or in the shower, try a toy
on top of the shower head. ‘Look at the
rabbit’, so they look up when you need to
rinse.

Curly Girl Method Australia & NZ (all genders welcome)

 3. KEEP THEM PART OF IT
They can choose their own special ‘hair kit’
– pillow case, shower cap, comb, clips.

4. KEEP IT POSITIVE
Hair care doesn’t need to be a
battleground! Positive words and h love are
part of teaching them to love their hair.

Be careful not to criticize or joke about their

hair. We hear many, many stories of adults in
mid life who are finally ‘brave enough’ to
wear their hair curly for the first time and
embrace their curls, after a lifetime of
hearing jokes (finger in powerplug), and
often being told to tidy their hair. Be a good
role model for them with your own hair. And WATCH YOUR WORDS!
watch for teasing family too!
MODEL CURL LOVE!
DON’T BRUSH DRY HAIR!
Here is a link to some great books to read with
your curly hair kids
(It causes frizzy, bushy hair)
https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=11460

A SCALP MASSAGER BRUSH

IS A GOOD IDEA – THEY STEP 1
LOOK A BIT FUNNY AND Cleaning the Hair and Scalp
THEY CAN TRY TO USE IT
Wet your Child’s hair. You can use a jug for
THEMSELVES
a young child, or an older child can put their
hair under the shower.
PRODUCT SUGGESTIONS:
Low Poo – Gaia Baby Shampoo, Little Apply product to your palm or directly onto
Innocents Shampoo, Coles Hair and Baby
the hair. You can use either a sulphate and
Wash
Co-Wash – Goat Conditioners, Childs silicone free shampoo, which we call a low-
Farm Conditioner poo, or you can co-wash (washing with a
conditioner that has a cleansing ingredient
FOR TYPE 4 HAIR – THIS IS A GREAT
ARTICLE or suitable botanical ingredient. This has
http://www.curlynikki.com/2012/10/kid the advantage of being gentle, as it does not
-curls-healthy-hair-care-tips- have harsh ingredients, and giving extra
for.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR2tg6Ix97RzMuG moisture to the hair. Using your fingers,
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gently massage the scalp to promote blood
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flow and thoroughly clean the scalp. 3-5
MOISTURE! MOISTURE! minutes would be ideal (best case scenario).
Kids scalps get sweaty and dirty with their
MOISTURE! active days, and scalp health is important.

Curly Girl Method Australia & NZ (all genders welcome)

STEP 2
Conditioning and Detangling
Smooth conditioner into washed hair,
adding more water to create slip (seaweed
feeling). Glide your fingers through the hair
and begin to finger detangle, adding more
water and product as needed. A wide tooth
comb can be used at this stage. If you find a
knot, apply more conditioner to that area
and gently untangle the knot. Never
attempt to brush or detangle dry hair – the PRODUCT SUGGESTIONS:
best time is when hair is soaking wet. If you Goat Conditioners, Little Innocents
are not washing the hair, then spritz the hair Conditioner, Childs Farm Conditioner
with a mix of water and conditioner. You
can use this when washing too if the hair
starts to dry off. Wet hair won’t get
damaged and break, like dry hair. Once the
tangles are removed, then start the squish –
scrunch pumping handfuls of hair towards
the scalp (squish to condish technique), and
trickle rinse the conditioner off the scalp. At
this stage, you can choose to rinse out all
the conditioner, or leave a small amount in
(to replace a leave in conditioner).

Towelling causes frizz, so switch to a
microfibre towel or an old cotton t-shirt.
PRODUCT SUGGESTIONS:
Organic Kids Styling Gel, Curly Kids Curly
Gel
STEP 3
Styling (Optional)
A styling product is not essential. The key
to keeping the hair detangled is lots of
moisture, so a leave in conditioner may
really help. Smooth the conditioner over
the hair and gently squish it in.
Gel is not a must, but it works well to keep
your child’s hair styled for a special
occasion. Follow by air drying, or use a
diffuser on your hairdryer, with the
temperature set to cool. When the hair is
completely dry and crispy, then scrunch
out the crunch for soft curls with hold.

Curly Girl Method Australia & NZ (all genders welcome)

 SOME EXTRA TIPS
SLEEPING
Use a silk or satin pillowcase, so the
curls survive the night. A Sleep
bonnet can help too. You can also
pineapple the hair or use a buff to
protect the curls.

THE NEXT DAY – REFRESH

Spray the hair with a mix of water and
condition. Then gently smooth the hair and
scrunch to bring the clumps back together.
PONYTAILS AND PROTECTIVE STYLES
Ponytails should be slightly loose. Use a
scrunchy or invisibobble (these are great as
they just roll out of the hair). Elastic bands
and metal bits easily snag. Plaits and braids
work well as protective styles.
DANCE
Use some gel mixed well with water to
smooth over any flyaways.
SWIMMING
Salt and chlorinated water can be
damaging and drying for curly hair. Make
sure the hair is thoroughly moisturized and
conditioned prior to swimming. If possible,
have your child wear a swimming cap. You
can rub some conditioner inside the cap
before they put it on. When they have
finished swimming, rinse their hair with
fresh water as soon as possible to remove
the chlorine or salt. Then at home, co-
wash and condition the hair. Watch out for
swimmer’s shampoo, as they usually are
laden with harsh, drying sulphates when
you are needing to moisturize the hair.

This is a guide and isn’t meant to be a rigid

method. Find what works for you and your
family, and keep it focused on your child.

Aim to make this a fun time of the day !

Here is a wonderful short film to watch

with your child.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNw8
V_Fkw28

References:
Curly Kids The Handbook, Lorraine Massey with Michele Bender, 2020, Workman Publishing, New York
Dee Poulson, 2020, Curly Girl Method for Kids: Easy Guide, Loved By Curls .com, July 23, 2020
Reallifecurlygirl, 2017, How I Care for My Daughters’ Curly Hair, Real Life + Curly Girl, November 21, 2017

Curly Girl Method Australia & NZ (all genders welcome)