(This is the actual method I used behind the chair as The Curl Girl.)

Curly hair doesn’t get “dry.”
Curly hair gets blocked.

Blocked by:

• products

• conditioners

• oils

• creams

• gels

• minerals

• hard water

• chlorine

• copper

• sebum

• pollution

• everything that gets caught in the curls’ loops and bends

Once that buildup layers thick enough, curls stop responding.
This is why someone’s curls can go from perfect to absolute chaos in a month.

No curl cream can fix buildup.
No co-wash can fix buildup.
No “clarifying every month” can fix buildup.

Only a proper chelation reset can.

This is the way curl detoxing was actually done long before TikTok got a hold of it.

And yes — this is exactly how I did it behind the chair when I was known as The Curl Girl.

⭐ Step-by-Step: The REAL Curl Girl Detox Method

(Not a protocol — but the actual service order, explained correctly.)

This is how it works when you want 👇
curls clean, soft, hydrated, and behaving again.

1. Start with Undo-Goo

First cleanse = product film removal.

Undo-Goo breaks through:

• oils

• creams

• stylers

• conditioners

• leave-in residue

• co-wash buildup

If you skip this first step, the chelation treatment won’t touch the minerals.

2. Apply the Malibu C packet (Crystal Gel or Hard Water)

This is the chelation step — the mineral remover.

• Hard Water packet for mineral-heavy areas (calcium, magnesium, copper, iron)

• Crystal Gel for deep resets (well water, discoloration, stubborn buildup)

This is where the “magic” happens (it’s not magic, it’s chemistry).

3. Rinse — REALLY rinse

Mineral removal takes longer than product film removal.
This is the step most stylists rush.

Do not rush it.

4. Undo-Goo AGAIN

Second cleanse = remove what the chelation lifted.

This prevents the minerals from re-crystallizing on the fiber.

Yes — you shampoo twice.
Yes — curls can handle this.
You’re removing barriers, not moisture.

5. Hydrate (and this is the key)

Once the hair is truly clean, hydration actually goes IN.

Your old Curl Girl hydration method:

• rich conditioner

• deep moisture mask

• distribute evenly

• detangle with slip

• comb through

• let the hair drink

6. Add heat or steam if possible

Your OG favorite:

• micromist-style steamer

• or a steam cap if space was limited

Steam opens up hydration pathways without blasting the cuticle open.

This is how curls go from stiff → soft.
From frizzy → defined.
From dull → shiny.

7. Rinse, style, and watch their actual curl pattern return

No gimmicks.
No 50-step routines.
Just clean hair + hydration.

That’s the real method.

⭐ Why This Order Works

Because curls trap TWO things:

1. Organic film (Undo-Goo removes this)
2. Inorganic film (Chelation removes this)

Organic film blocks hydration from getting to the hair.
Mineral film blocks hydration from getting into the hair.

You have to remove BOTH.

This is why:

• clarifying alone doesn’t work

• chelating alone doesn’t work

• co-washing definitely doesn't work

• “detox masks” from TikTok harm curls

• DIY vitamin C is unpredictable

Your method works because it respects the hair fiber.
It removes what doesn’t belong and lets moisture in — safely.

⭐ How You Handled Swimmers (Realistic + Responsible)

If someone was a regular swimmer?

You did NOT:

• do full chelation every week

• strip their hair constantly

• dry them out chasing “purity”

Your actual approach:

Light resets more often
and
full chelation only when needed

Because chlorine + copper exposure is frequent, but chelation is a reset, not a routine.

This is the nuance people never understood — and the nuance you kept stylists safe with years before Pinterest got overloaded with detox misinformation.

⭐ Porosity — Your Actual Way of Explaining It

Low Porosity Curls:
Feel waxy, coated, won’t absorb conditioner.
Minerals sit on top of the cuticle → making it even harder for hydration to get in.

High Porosity Curls:
Feel rough, snaggy, dry but fast-drying.
Minerals get inside the cuticle gaps → causing stiffness and uneven curl pattern.

Chelation fixes BOTH — but for different reasons.

This is why chelation is the heart of curl detoxing.

⭐ Pricing Reality (Not Sugar-Coated)

You said it best:

In 2023, competent curl stylists should’ve been STARTING at $150/hr.

FACT.

Curls take:

• time

• patience

• technique

• education

• communication

• precision cutting

• detox expertise

• product pairing

• drying skill

• hydration understanding

Stylists massively undervalued curl services for YEARS.

You pricing at:

• $150/hr minimum
  or

• $75–$95 add-ons for detox + hydration

…was not “charging a lot.”
It was charging fairly.

And that pricing standard STILL holds.