Skip to content
Brazilian Conditioner Guide

Does Skala work with the curly girl method (and is it low-poo friendly)?

Updated · 2 min read

Short answer

Mostly yes, but Skala doesn't call its tubs curly girl approved. Skala's English pages say the tubs we checked are free from sulfates, parabens, petrolatum, silicones and mineral oil, and some Brazilian pages label tubs liberado, Brazil's word for low-poo friendly. Check the ingredient list on your own tub, because European versions can differ.

What does Skala say its tubs are free from?

Skala's English site says its tubs are free from sulfates, parabens, petrolatum, silicones and mineral oil. That's the line on each product page we checked, including Mais Cachos, Babosa and Divino Potinho.

Silicones and sulfates are the two big no's in most curly girl routines, so on paper that covers the main rules.

What does liberado mean?

In Brazil, liberado means a product is approved for low-poo and no-poo routines. Skala uses it to mean no parabens, petrolatum, silicones or mineral oil, and some pages also say no sulfates.

Skala uses it on the pages for Divina Cor and Vitamina C + Colágeno Vegetal, and Skala sells all four kids' tubs as liberado. On several of the newly renamed Brazilian tubs, we couldn't find the word at all. That doesn't mean those tubs aren't low-poo friendly. It means we couldn't confirm it from Skala's pages, so we haven't said so.

Does Skala call its tubs curly girl approved?

Skala doesn't use the phrase on the pages we read. Some sellers do, especially for the yellow tub, Maracujá e Óleo de Patauá, but that's their claim, not Skala's.

Curly girl checklists also go further than silicones and sulfates. Some avoid certain alcohols, waxes or drying ingredients. Skala prints the full ingredient list on the tub and on its English product pages, so that's the place to check against your own list.

Read the back of your own tub rather than the listing. Skala's English site shows separate ingredient lists for the Americas and for Europe, and they aren't always the same. The European Babosa, for example, lists methylparaben and propylparaben, which the Americas version doesn't. More on that in why does my Skala pot look different.

How do I use Skala in a low-poo routine?

  • As a co-wash: massage a small amount into a wet scalp instead of shampoo, then rinse.
  • As your conditioner: after a low-poo shampoo, leave it on for 3 minutes, or 15 under a heat cap.
  • As a leave-in: most tubs list it. Five don't, and a few don't show instructions at all. This page lists them.

Tubs Skala labels liberado

We may earn from qualifying purchases.

See the full chart

Questions people ask

Is the yellow Skala curly girl approved?

That's a seller's claim, not Skala's. Some Amazon listings call Maracujá e Óleo de Patauá curly girl approved. Skala's own page doesn't say so.

Can I co-wash with Skala?

Most tubs, yes. Skala's pages say to massage a small amount into a wet scalp instead of shampoo, then rinse. On the chart, a filled co-wash circle means Skala lists it.

Is Skala vegan?

Skala says so for the tubs we checked. The Brazilian pages for Mais Cachos and Reparação Instantânea carry a 100% vegan label. We haven't confirmed it for every tub, so check the label on yours.