CGM products: how to choose the right ones for the Curly Girl Method
CGM products should be free from sulfates, silicones, and parabens. This is the basic rule of the Curly Girl Method, and it applies to shampoo, conditioner, and styling products. The right products make the difference between curls that are defined and soft and curls that are frizzy and lifeless.
Choosing CGM-approved products can feel overwhelming at first. Ingredient lists are long and hard to decipher. This guide makes it easy: what to look for, what to avoid, and which products actually work for curly and wavy hair. Learn more about the basics in our complete guide to the Curly Girl Method.
What should CGM products contain?
CGM-approved products cleanse with mild surfactants from coconut or other plant-based sources. They add moisture with botanical oils and humectants such as glycerin. They are free from drying sulfates, silicones that cause buildup, and parabens that can irritate the scalp.
What should CGM products not contain?
| Substance | Why to avoid it | How to identify it |
|---|---|---|
| Sulfates | Dry out hair and lift the cuticle | SLS, SLES, Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate |
| Silicones | Cause buildup and weigh curls down | End in -cone, -xane, -ol (not water-soluble) |
| Parabens | Can irritate the scalp | Methylparaben, Propylparaben |
| Mineral oils | Clog the cuticle | Mineral oil, Petrolatum |
CGM-approved products from FOAM
FOAM's Ocean Waves shampoo bar is free from sulfates, silicones, and parabens and is fully CGM-compatible. It gently cleanses with a mild surfactant from coconut and is formulated specifically for curly and wavy hair.
FOAM's DREAMY hair conditioner bar is silicone-free, fragrance-free, and CGM-compatible. It adds moisture with botanical oils and smooths the cuticle without leaving buildup that interferes with curl definition.
Learn more about how to choose the right one in our CGM-approved guide to conditioner bars for curly hair.
The Editor's Note: When starting CGM, you don't need to buy everything at once. Start by replacing your shampoo and conditioner with CGM-approved alternatives. These are the two products that make the biggest difference to curl definition and moisture balance.
Learn more about how to use CGM for your hair type in our guides to CGM for curly hair and CGM for wavy hair.
CGM checklist: how to identify the right products
| CGM-approved product | Not CGM-approved |
|---|---|
| Free from SLS and SLES | Contains Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate |
| Free from silicones (-cone, -xane) | Contains Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone |
| Free from parabens | Contains Methylparaben, Propylparaben |
| Plant-based surfactants | Mineral oils and petrolatum |
Learn more about building a complete CGM routine in our complete guide to curly hair.