Hello, Curlies! How’s your CG Journey going? Let’s start off by cheering ourselves for being committed and consistent on the path to gorgeous natural curls! We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – the CG Method is a journey with ups, downs, highs and lows, but can be a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable journey irrespective of the final destination. While the CG Method was first conceptualised in the US by Lorraine Massey and then spread its wings to the rest of the world, Indian Curlies have caught up well with it too.

Curly hair is anything but a minority, especially in India. Ironically, the Indian media, especially Bollywood, has always portrayed lead actors with silky, straight hair and darker, negative roles with wild curls. But we’re happy that post the inception of the CG Method, a wave of appreciation and recognition for curly hair was seen all over the world which eventually made its way to India. The Indian blogger community has also stepped up and are encouraging girls and women to embrace their naturally beautiful curls that run deep in their DNA.

The crux of the CG Method in Massey’s own words can be summed up as:

"The CGM follows three simple steps: cleanse not wash, like laundry this preserves the health and integrity of the curls; condition, protect, hydrate and organize curls; and style, to keep curls groups moisturized and intact to maintain them as you wear them daily."

Let’s circle back to the CG Method and the scenarios Curlies face in Indian conditions. India has its unique climatic conditions that almost have a direct effect on how curlies perceive and maintain their tresses. Let’s dig into this a little deeper. 

India in all its intricacies and complexities has diverse geographical and climatic conditions. For the most part, India has a tropical climate which throughout most of the interior is a mixture of wet and dry tropical weather. While the air is cooler and drier in the northern parts of the country, the south is mostly governed by tropical weather with a fair amount of humidity. A major part of living in a tropical country is dealing with the humidity that seems to linger in not just the air, but hair too! 

As Curlies, we all know how humidity affects curls and gives rise to our not-so-great-friend – FRIZZ. 

What’s with Curly Hair and Frizz?

Frizz is essentially a reaction to the lack of moisture in your hair. When dry hair tries to quench itself with moisture from the air, the cuticles swell up as well. Since the cuticle can have overlapping layers, these protrude out and appear as visible frizz. It all comes down to how moisturized your hair is. The drier the hair, the worse the frizz. 

Frizz and humidity can cause a world of trouble to hair, especially curls in the following ways:

• It causes the hair shaft to dry out, making curls dull, tangled and difficult to manage.
• It causes curls to ‘grow’ or double in size but in an unpleasant way.
• Undoes precious wash day curl care in a matter of hours.

But, remember that while frizz cannot be eliminated completely, it can definitely be tamed, controlled and even made to work in your favour. The Queen, Lorraine Massey says, ‘Frizz is just a curl waiting to happen.’ 

Let’s get into this a little deeper and understand how the temperature of your surroundings has a direct effect on your hair, especially curls. 

A good way to ascertain the weather or humidity of a particular area is figuring out its dew point. 

Wondering what a dew point is? 

Well, it’s simply the atmospheric temperature (varying according to pressure and humidity) below which water droplets begin to condense and dew can form.

When dew points are:

Below 50°F (10°C) - the air is considered dry.

Between 50-59°F (10-15°C) - this falls under the comfortable range. 

Above 60°F (15°C) - the air is humid.

Though India is primarily a warm, tropical country, it does have its areas of both dry, cool and comfortable weather. Here’s a breakdown of what tweaks you can make to your CG curl care routine to keep your curls going however the weather may be! 

Curl Care for Dry Weather:

While moisture is of prime importance to all kinds of curls, it is even more crucial when you live in an environment with dry weather. Here are a few tips to quench your curls and keep them bouncy and lively, even in dry, cold weather:

•       Go for highly moisturizing treatments such as Deep Conditioning such as the Curl Up Intense Hydrating Mask regularly. You can do this with a heat cap for better penetration of moisture into the hair shaft or even swap your regular conditioner for a more moisture-rich deep conditioner.
•       Go easy on the shampoo and focus on conditioning your hair every time you wash it.
•       A good way to add moisture to hair is through oils, be it a nourishing pre-poo or a light oil while styling. Go for natural oils such as coconut, olive or argan that come with a bevy of other benefits for dry hair. You can read more about our ultimate guide on oils for curly hair here.
•       During styling avoid using gels, and if you must, use one that forms a film over your curls to cover your ringlets with a protective cast, that will also hold moisture in.

Curl Care for Humid Weather:

Humid weather which is prevalent in India, can cause hair to go limp and lifeless due to the absorption of additional moisture from the air. It can also cause added frizz and undoes your natural curl pattern easily. Here are a few ways to tackle this challenge:

•       To balance the additional moisture in the air, go for lighter leave-ins, conditioners and creams so that your curls don’t feel heavy and weighed down. Opt for mousse or light creams to keep your curls lively without turning limp due to the high humidity.
•       To seal the moisture in and prevent more absorption, go for a hard-hold gel with strong polymers like VP/VA copolymer, Polyquats etc. that will form a defensive cast and keep frizz away while maintaining curl pattern. The Curl Up Ultra Defining Hair Gel is free of glycerine and packed with nourishing ingredients to form a cast around your styled curls to keep them bouncy and luscious even in humid weather.
•       While it’s advisable to not rinse out conditioner entirely, humid weather dictates the opposite. Ensure that your conditioner is rinsed out well before applying humidity appropriate stylers.

Curl Care for Comfortable Weather:

Well, it’s the weather of our dreams! The air isn’t too dry or humid but just right and a thriving environment for your luscious curls. Here are a few ways to make the most of it:

•       Practice your CG-routine with the usual Cleanse-Condition-Style and feel free to use both a leave-in and gel on your curls.
•       You could even experiment with varying textures and moisture content in products and see what suits your unique hair best. This could be mousse instead of creams, only cream, only gel and more.
•       Try new curl hairdos to flaunt your curls and keep them en pointe thanks to the favourable weather.
•       Don’t forget regular DCs, occasional clarifying and such, to keep your curls lively and bouncy.

 Along with the tropical weather and its repercussions, Indian Curlies also face quite a few additional challenges while traversing on the CG journey:

•   Unsolicited Advice and Comments – Every curly can attest to the fact that sometimes even the closest of friends and family can have some opinions on your hair and its appearance. From being called ‘Maggi Head’ to complaining that your curls look messy and unruly, curls are not easily accepted by all, especially the Indian mindset of having combed back, sleek and neat hair.
•   Touch Me Not – This challenge isn’t exclusive to Indian Curlies, but imagine flaunting a head of perfectly set and bouncy curls only to have someone ask you if they can feel it or even worse, touch your precious curls! We don’t mind the Curl Love, but we’d like to keep hands away from it!
•   Hair Care Traditions – Let’s face it, while we all love a pamper sesh from our moms and grandmoms, some Indian traditions such as excessive oiling, combing and braiding of curly hair can undo your precious curl pattern and weigh down curls. While oiling and pre-pooing is vital on the CG Method, running a fine-toothed comb through your curls is a strict NO-NO.

As fellow Indian Curlies, we feel you! Yes, there are a few struggles being a Curlie in India, but there’s also a rainbow that surrounds us in the form of fellow Curlies and products catered specifically for Indian curly hair such as the Curl Up range! Providing premium quality, natural hair care products is our ultimate aim and our products are tailored specifically for Indian curly/wavy hair types. 

Curl Up products are made of botanical ingredients and are 100% sulphate, paraben and silicones free. We’ve sourced the finest ingredients from the USA, UK, Sweden, Japan and Brazil to create nourishing options for Indian curly and wavy hair. 

We’re also all ears to your curl queries, struggles or just about anything to do with curls! Reach out to us at customercare@letscurlup.com, +91 9945373597 or @letscurlupdotcom on Instagram to answer your questions or even just be a part of our #letscurlup community!

As fellow Indian Curlies, we feel you! Yes, there are a few struggles being a Curlie in India, but there’s also a rainbow that surrounds us in the form of fellow Curlies and products catered specifically for Indian curly hair such as the Curl Up range! Providing premium quality, natural hair care products is our ultimate aim and our products are tailored specifically for Indian curly/wavy hair types. 

Curl Up products are made of botanical ingredients and are 100% sulphate, paraben and silicones free. We’ve sourced the finest ingredients from USA, UK, Sweden, Japan and Brazil to create nourishing options for Indian curly and wavy hair. 

We’re also all ears to your curl queries, struggles or just about anything to do with curls! Reach out to us at customercare@letscurlup.com, +91 9945373597 or @letscurlupdotcom on Instagram to answer your questions or even just be a part of our #letscurlup community!