Today, I’m sharing my Curly Girl Method refresh routine!
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while now, you may know that for most of my time on the Curly Girl Method, I’ve struggled to find a refresh routine that works with my hair.
Well, I’ve been playing around with refreshing for the past few months, and I have finally found a reliable refresh routine that gives me great second and third day curls (and sometimes even great fourth and fifth day hair!)
So today, I’m going to talk a little bit about my struggles with refreshing and I’m sharing the routine that finally worked for me (including two key discoveries that took me by surprise).
Side note: This page does contain affiliate links, which means if you purchase something using the product links on this page, I may get a small commission. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps keep this site running. Thank you!
My history with refreshing
Like I mentioned, I’ve had a hard time successfully refreshing my hair.
I did a lot of research. I followed other people’s techniques.
In my early attempts, I would dampen my hair with a spray bottle, and apply small amounts of product, just like I found online.
But no matter why I did my second-day hair would almost instantly frizz significantly. In fact, it often looked frizzier after I refreshed than it did before.
I would often then apply more product to combat the frizz, that my hair would start to feel dirty and heavy with product.
After a couple of tries, I would often abandon my refresh attempts for a month or two, and just accept that to get good results, I had to start with wet hair every day.
But as I got further into the Curly Girl Method, I noticed my second day hair started looking better and better. So over the past few months, I became determined to find a good refresh routine.
And finally, I did!
Here’s what ended up working for me:
Wash day
First, getting good second and third day hair starts by having a hydrating wash day routine.
You can read all about my updated wash day routine here.
You’ll notice, I use a fair amount of conditioner–and several different types–in this routine, which is more than I used to in my old routine.
This is because I’ve found that if I want my hair to stay hydrated for several days, it needs a little something extra on wash day to make it last.
I’ve also found that I need less product at this stage in the game, which I think helps keep my hair from getting heavy and weighed down.
Sleep in a pineapple
Next, I sleep with my hair in a pineapple
This keeps my curls from being crushed overnight and ensures I wake up with defined second (or third, fourth, etc) day hair.
My hair is longer now than it used to be, so the pineapple is working really well for me now! I’ve definitely found that the longer my hair gets, and the farther forward I can put my pineapple, the better my hair is the next day.
If you have shorter hair, or just find the pineapple doesn’t work well for you, check out this post on how to sleep with curly hair for more options.
Shower with a shower cap
On refresh days, I shower with a shower cap, then refresh my hair after my shower.
I really like these disposable shower caps. They’re made for single-use, but I find I can usually get several weeks out of one.
I’ve tried using more expensive shower caps that were supposed to last longer, but they usually got stretched out and moldy pretty quickly.
100 of these disposable caps are cheaper than one more sturdy cap, and you could get years out of one pack. I’ve also found that one cap lasts at least as long as the more expensive kind that are supposed to be reuseable.
I usually shower with my hair still pineappled and covered with the shower cap.
After following my wash day routine, pineappling, and showering, I take my hair down. I typically end up with pretty well-defined, but frizzier hair.
Now it’s time to refresh! This routine takes me about five minutes.
Curly Girl Method Refresh
No water!
First, I want to mention what I don’t do. I don’t wet my hair at all!
This is largely because I noticed in the past that as soon as I wet my hair, the frizz situation got worse, not better. I always hoped that when I gave my hair time to dry, the new frizz would go away, but it never did.
Skipping water in my refresh routine turned out to be one of the keys to a reliable refresh routine for me.
In all my research on refresh routines, I’d never come across a routine that skips rewetting entirely, which is why I wanted to highlight this step here.
I was surprised when this worked for me.
A lot of people seem to need to dampen or rewet their hair, but if your experience sounds similar to mine, you might want to give this a shot!
Conditioner
Next, I apply Tresseme Botanique conditioner to my dry hair.
I get a large bottle at Target that has a pump. I take one pump of conditioner in my palm, which is about a quarter-sized amount:
Next, I rub my palms together and coat my hands in conditioner. Then I smooth the conditioner over my the canopy of my hair. This is typically the driest and frizziest.
Then I’ll add any remaining conditioner to the underside of my hair.
Then I gently scrunch a few times.
Styling cream
Next, I apply my styling cream with essentially the same technique.
I use Cantu’s Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream (check out the full review here). This has also turned out to be a key element to my refresh routine.
I found that this product makes my hair significantly less frizzy and keeps my curls well defined from day to day, which makes it possible (and easy) for me to refresh.
I’ve never had definition like this for several days with any other cream.
You can check out my full review of this product here.
Like I mention in my review, this cream is amazing. But a little goes a long way, and it’s really easy to use too much and end up with hair that feels dirty, tacky, and weighed down.
That’s also true when it comes to refresh.
I use about a fingertip amount on my whole head when I style, but when I refresh, I use less than half a fingertip:
I apply this the same way I do the conditioner. First by rubbing it between my palms to coat both hands, then spreading it on my canopy.
I then spread it on the underside of my hair.
And gently scrunch a few times to spread it throughout.
Gel
And lastly, I apply my Biotera gel (you can read my review here) in the same fashion.
I use about a nickel-sized amount for my whole head.
I spread between my palms, then coat it on my canopy.
Then I tackle the underside of my hair.
And then I scrunch.
How long each wash lasts
At this point, I can reliably get good second and third day hair with this refresh routine. I’ve also been about to go as many as five days, but days four and five aren’t guarantees.
It can depend on my activity, the weather, and how much product I’ve used in the previous days. (Sometimes I get distracted when I’m applying and add too much.🤷♀️)
After day three, I typically assess at the start of each day how my hair looks and feels. If it’s really frizzy, undefined, or feeling product heavy I’ll wash. If it’s not, I’ll refresh.
Modifications for Day 3 and beyond
I mostly keep the same routine for day 3 and beyond, but sometimes I have to make some modifications.
By day 3, the underside of my hair is usually starting to lose some definition. This is because it gets stretched out the most reaching the top of my head when I pineapple.
In this case, I’ll take an extra half a pump to a full pump of conditioner and apply it to the underside of my hair.
I may also do the same to the canopy of my hair if it’s looking a little frizzier.
I avoid adding extra curl cream or gel at this point because that’s usually when my hair starts to feel too weighed down by product.
Results
Here, I’m going to break down my results!
I’ve also found that my refresh tends to last longer after a protein treatment, which I do once every 7-10 days.
Day 1 (wash day)
It’s no surprise, but my hair always looks the best on wash day.
Day 2 (refresh)
My second day curls are a little softer and fluffier, but the definition is still pretty awesome and I can count on my hair looking like this pretty much all day.
It takes me about five minutes to refresh, ten to fifteen minutes for the products to soak in and dry, and then I’m good to walk out the door.
Day 3 (refresh)
My third day hair tends to be a touch frizzier, with some strands escaping from their curl clumps. But overall, the definition is still pretty great and I can totally go out in public.
Day 4 (refresh)
On this day, I skipped the curl cream because I was starting to get concerned about the product build up. Instead, I did 2 pumps of conditioner and the usual amount of gel.
Day 5 (refresh)
Again, I skipped the curl cream and just went with two pumps of conditioner and the normal amount of gel. It’s starting to get a little frizzier and my curl clumps are starting to separate a little bit, but it’s still totally wearable.
Looking for more guidance on your curly hair journey?
For beginners
If you’re new to curly hair care and looking for some help, you should check out the No-Stress Guide to Curly Hair Care!
After spending two years learning and caring for my curly hair, I wanted to create my own, in-depth guide to help fellow curlies create incredible curls in the easiest way possible.
It took me a while, but I eventually found an approach that helped me create a curly hair routine that fits into my life in the simplest way possible. And now I want to help you do the same!
For more intermediate/advanced guidance
If you’ve been on your curly hair journey for a while but still have some struggles, check out Curly Hair Problems!
After spending hours scouring the internet looking for solutions to my own curly hair problems, I found myself wishing for an easier, more comprehensive guide to the most common problems.
So that’s what I created!
Curly Hair Problems offers you 78 total solutions to the five most common curly hair care problems, including frizz, curl clumps, limp curls, product issues, and scalp issues.
Sound off: What’s your curly girl method refresh routine? Tell us about your tips and tricks in the comments! Be sure to tell us a little about your hair type too!
Amazing and beautiful curls! Now I have some new things to try out! Thanks for the easy to read blog!!!
Thanks so much for reading! 🙂
Thanks for the great tips!
Thank you soooo much for sharing your routine! I’ve been on a desperate quest for a refresh routine that doesn’t involve any water. Like you, water always causes more frizz. I already have the Cantu Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream and the Biotera Gel in my stash of products (and use them on most wash days) so I know my hair already loves them. Can’t wait to try this tomorrow!!
And also can’t wait to check out the rest of your blog!
Yay! I hope this helps you as much as it’s helped me! A new discovery I’ve made since I’ve written this post is that if you get too much product build on refresh days, you might want to try using a little more of the curl cream and gel on wash day and then just refreshing with conditioner or conditioner and gel. I’ll definitely update the post in more detail if this keeps holding up for me, but I thought I’d leave it here just in case you (or anyone else) wants to try it out in the meantime. 🙂
Question: when you use gel on the refresh days, do you worry about creating a cast? I have gel I like but it doesn’t cast, and I’m wondering if it would work for this.
I’m looking forward to trying this because I have no luck with any amount of rewetting either (I’ve tried from a light mist to soaking—both create crazy frizz). I just discovered that using a little Shea Moisture Hemp leave-in conditioner works much better than water, so I definitely have to give this combo of products a try!
I do get a little bit of a cast, but I break up just like I do on wash days. However, I’ve also been playing around lately with either just using conditioner or (if my hair is frizzier) conditioner and cream, and I’m finding I don’t need the gel as much as I thought. When I don’t add extra gel, I do still get a very light cast from reactivating my wash day gel. So, you might want to try refreshing with your gel and without it and see what works best. Good luck and I hope this helps! If you have success with something, you’ll have to come back and let us know! 🙂
Omg!!! Thank you so much. I have the same issue with water on the second day & like you, I could figure why? Since no one talked about it. I am going to try your method tomorrow. Again thank you & keep writing, I love your post😍
Thanks so much for this! I really hope this routine helps you! Like I mentioned in a few other comments, I’ve been playing around with only using conditioner (and sometimes cream if there’s extra frizz). I’m going to do a post on this soon, but in the meantime, if you find this routine leaves you with to much of a product feel, you might want to give that a shot!
Thank you so much for sharing this tip! I always have problem with water on my no wash day (I think it’s because I have low porosity hair), I tried to use just leave-in with no water and it worked soooo well!
I hope you are ok in your country, I write from Italy and your blog is helping me in this crazy days, unfortunately I have a lot of time to spend and not enough things to do. So thanks and stay well (and sorry for my English)!
I’m so happy this tip helped you!! And I’m really glad this blog can help you out during all of this craziness. I’m doing okay for now, though I’m pretty sure we’re just at the beginning of things here in the U.S. I’ll definitely be thinking of you and everyone in Italy. ❤️ Take care!
Hi, Meghan! I am so excited to find your blog! I am about a month into the CG method and ready to throw in the towel (and the T-shirt!). My fine hair has lots of natural curl, but is so weighed down and feels greasy. I really think I need to try different products and I am so happy to find your lists. I’m not giving up, yet, especially since we’re quarantined and no one sees my hair except family! 😂😂
Hey Amy! The early stages are definitely the most challenging especially when it comes to finding the right products. I’m really glad you landed here and I hope the lists can help you find products that work for you! ❤️
Hi there thank you for this! I have just started following your blog today and have read most if not all your posts on anything curly hair.
The conditioner you use for refresh is the same conditioner you use for rinse out during wash days. What about other rinse out conditioners? Or would it work to use leave it conditioner instead?
Hey, thanks so much for reading! I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog!
Really, any conditioner can work for this, it’ll just depend on your hair and how much moisture it needs. When this post went up, my hair was drier, and my rinse out gave me the best results. I recently posted my updated routine, and in that, I switched to the lighter Suave rinse out and had a lot of success with that. Lately, my hair was seeming weighed down by even the suave conditioner, so I’ve started playing around with leave-in conditioners, and they’ve been working really well for me!
I hope this helps some! If you do some experimenting, you’ll have to come back and let us know what you have the most success with!
I’ve been trying to refresh using water for months based on what I read on the internet, and was so confused as to why it kept going frizzy – so glad to see it’s not just me!! Just tried your method and it’s the best my curls have ever looked on a refresh day – thank you sooooo much! 🙂
Yay!! I’m so glad this helped!! ❤️
Hi Meghan!
I am new to your blog. I am trying to find a new complete routine for my hair. You gave given such great details in this post and in your routine post and I want to try the products. I have a couple of questions. Since I started trying to work with my curls fir the past 2 years (instead of against them for the past 50 by straightening or cutting them off) every blog or website that I have read always talks about the curl pattern (I think I am 3a) and the porisity (I think I am high since I color my hair) being important in choosing the right products. I can’t find any mention of how you classify your hair. Have you found that is not really important? My hair is much shorter than yours (pixie bobbish?) so I know I need.to adjust the amounts I use. Also, do you ever use mousse or oil in your routine and if so where does it fall in your steps? I am also unsure how to determine if I need protein. Can you give me any suggestions on that? My hair seems to do better when I use products that give a cast and I usually air dry if that tells you anything. Thanks for your help!
Hey Debra! If pressed, I would say I have 3a/3b hair, but yes, I don’t mention it all that much because yes, I’ve found it doesn’t really matter. I let go of that type of classification after I read the Curly Girl Handbook and found that Lorraine Massey classifies curls differently. I figure if the founder of the Curly Girl Method has a different perspective, then the 2/3/4 classification probably doesn’t carry as much weight as we might think. When I’m doing my own research, I tend to go by sight and gravitate towards curly girls whose hair looks similar to mine, and I’ve found that to be the most helpful. Porosity is something that I could never really figure out (which probably just means my hair is medium porosity) but the Curly Girl Handbook really doesn’t emphasize this either, so it’s another thing I just decided not to worry about.
Some curly girls use mousse, but I don’t. I’ve tried it in place of curl cream and in place of gel and I have not had success with it. I found it looks good initially but gets frizzy fast. I only use oil to moisturize my scalp, which I talk a little about in this post on dry scalp. As for protein, I have a whole post all about protein and the curly girl method that may help you!
I hope this is some help to you! You’ll have to come back and let us know what works for you! 🙂
Thanks so much for replying. I think our hair does look similar except mine is so much shorter. I am going to purchase your product regime and cross my see your fingers! Let you know my results after a month. Thanks again!
You’re welcome! I hope the products work for you! I look forward to hearing your update! 🙂
I was wondering if this refresh routine works in humid places? I have trouble with glycerin and wetting my hair on 2-4 day refreshers and am starting to get desperate. (I do have low porosity hair but it manages well under the right products) Thank you!
It gets pretty humid where I live in the summer and I’ve still had success with this! It can’t hurt to try it. And if you have products that work for you, that’s half the battle. I also have an updated routine that I’ve come to like even better. Good luck! I hope one of these works for you! 🙂
Wow thanks so much! I loved your post a lot! No other curly girl routine feels this real and original. I just worry about effects of leaving conditioner on hair every day. I’lltry this out and see the results. Thanks again 😊 🙏
Thanks so much for reading! I hope this routine helps you as much as it helps me! As long as the conditioner you’re using doesn’t have protein in it, you should be okay to leave some in. The worst thing that will happen is you may find regular conditioner is too heavy on your hair. This can mean you’re curls are a little more elongated or you’ll have some extra build-up. If this happens, you might want to try switching to a designated leave-in conditioner, which I talk more about in my updated refresh routine post.
Good luck! 🙂
Hello I´ve been checking the curly girl method and I´m about to start. Your blog has been very helpful since my type of hair is just like yours. I just have one question, do you recommend cowash with normal conditioner?
Thanks so much for sharing your experience
Hey! I’m glad I could help! I wouldn’t say I necessarily “recommend” cowashing with a normal conditioner, but that’s what I’ve always done. I’ve used the suave essentials which is a lot cheaper than any designated co-wash I’ve seen and it did a fine job for me. You can read more about it in the beginner products post (if you haven’t already. 🙂 but plenty of people use products that are made to be cowashes and seem to enjoy them. I hope this helps! Good luck!
My hair is super tangly everyday its super hard and takes a long time to detangle my hair with my fingers can I still get away with doing a dry refresh just started 2 or 3 weeks ago my hair isn’t looking very good yet at this point its very frizzy all the time and has a ton of fly aways
Only you can decide if you if your hair is ready for a dry refresh. Like I mentioned in the post it took me quite some time before my hair was ready for that, so if your’s isn’t, it doesn’t mean you won’t get there. However, if you’re just starting out, it’s likely that you might find it more beneficial to at least wet and condition your hair everyday for now–especially if you find it frizzy. Frizz is often a sign that your hair isn’t hydrated enough (which is very common in the beginning) so it’s likely that a dry refresh won’t hydrate your hair enough to keep the frizz in check.
I hope this is some help!
I’ve got low porosity hair and have struggled with the same problem for years! Im always trying out new methods, and like you over the last couple of days decided to try applying leave in conditioner on dry hair on day 2, the complete opposite of what we are taught! but it actually works..I’ve applied the same method on day 3 and it is still good. I’m guessing I may have to wash it on day 4, but will see how it goes. One slight difference is that I do use water, as my hair needs reshaping. So to begin with I apply kckt conditioner on dry hair using the pray method to evenly distribute the product and smooth the strands. Then straight after I stand by the tap and apply warm water using the pray method again, just on the strands, then scrunch a little. I find my hair accepts water without frizz this way and it dries quickly as the roots / crown aren’t saturated with water. I scrunch a very small amount of flaxseed gel on the ends once I’ve finished. I haven’t used any mousse as I’m worried that this method will not work due to build up / polyquats, but I’m going to try it out as well to see the results. Thanks for the post!
Thanks so much for sharing your technique! I’ve never tried adding water *after* the leave in. Most days my hair looks fine with just the leave in, but I may have to try adding a little water on the days I have a little extra frizz. And yeah, mousse has never worked well for me–though, more because I can’t seem to get a lasting hold than anything else. If you find any other methods that work well for you, you’ll definitely have to come back and let us know!
Thanks again for sharing!
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