Multipurpose products are a great way to maximize what you already have, allowing you to save money and luggage space when you're traveling. Lip, cheek and eye colors are the most common and obvious ones, but sometimes an unexpected beauty hack provides alternative usage!

A member of the PVC Facebook Group recently raved about a hack that we'd never heard of before. Instead of the usual hair gel, Katrina used water-based lubricant as a styler for her curly hair and got great results! We were definitely intrigued and had to test this out for ourselves.

But first, what is the Curly Girl Method?

Also known as "CGM", this hair care method is based on Lorraine Massey's book Curly Girl: The Handbook. It outlines the right routine, techniques, and even ingredients to keep curly hair healthy and celebrate its natural growth rather than trying to flatten and straighten it.

The CGM is quite detailed, but here are some of the basic concepts that it advocates:

Avoid ingredients like non-water soluble silicone, sulfates, and drying alcohols.
Shampoo should be used rarely (maximum of once a week). After lurking around a CGM Facebook page for more than a year, I learned that most girls do not wash their hair every day as this disrupts the curls.
Some people choose to co-wash (use conditioner for cleansing) instead of shampoo. The CGM also suggests specific ways to applying the conditioner, such as squishing it on the hair and possibly not rinsing it out, and "scrunching out the scrunch" after styling gel has dried to prevent crunchy-looking curls. (Note that non-CGM-approved conditioners may have drying alcohols and should always be rinsed out). CGM also suggests deep conditioning the hair at least once a week.
To help maintain the shape of curls, gel is commonly used as a styling product for curly hair, but the ingredients must be CGM-approved. To find out if a product is CGM-approved, you can head over to curlsbot.com and input the product ingredients there.

Do I personally follow CGM?

Despite the beautiful results I've seen from others, I find it difficult to commit to CGM because it requires more time and effort than my current routine. It also deviates from what I feel comfortable doing.

CGM users aren't supposed to wash their hair every day, and are encouraged to help prolong their curls by using silk pillowcases or wrapping their hair while sleeping. Some also opt to reapply product during no-wash to refresh their curls.

Meanwhile, I prefer to wash my hair daily, and find it difficult to be careful with my hair as I struggle to find a comfortable sleeping position. I do follow some of the suggestions, though, such as using a CGM-approved shampoo and conditioner. My current faves are the Zenutrients Coco Honey Shampoo and Conditioner, a combo that makes my hair feel very moisturized! I also leave conditioner in my hair, and dry with a microfiber towel. I find that this routine really feels gentler on my hair, and makes a difference in bringing out my curls beautifully!

Lube on my curls

To help maintain definition and shape, CGM recommends applying hair gel and gently scrunching hair to develop curls. Unfortunately, a lot of commercial hair gels contain alcohol, which is a no-no ingredient in CGM.

To test this hack, I purchased a tube of EZ Lubricating Jelly (P32.50 for 10ml and P175.25 for 75ml), which is easy enough to find in Watsons and even convenience stores. There were no ingredients listed in any of the packaging but a quick Google search shows that it simply contains a mix of glycerin and water. Glycerin is a common cosmetic ingredient famous for its humectant properties, so it helps maintain moisture and softness.

I used about two dollops of the lubricant, and I scrunched it from below the crown down to the tips of my hair while it was still damp from washing. The product is odorless and pretty viscous but I found it very easy to spread and non-stick, so a little went a long way. I left my hair to air dry, and was pleasantly surprised that the lube not only helped to shape my curls well, but also held them up on a hot, humid day! It made my hair feel a little bit crunchy, but much less than a hair gel normally would.

Do I recommend this hack? Yes, I do, but I probably won't repurchase for this purpose because there are other CGM-approved styling products available. Still, it's good to know that this works if you don't have access to other products or prefer a super short ingredient list.

As with skincare, your mileage may vary (YMMV) so test on a small area of skin first. Also, remember that the Curly Girl Method is a cumulative process - the longer you do it, the better the results will be.

Do you follow CGM? Would you consider trying this hack?

Source: Naturally curly

Product photography by Nicole Quindara