21 Best Curly Hair Products Of All-Time
Manage those curls!
getty Curly hair is beautiful, but those who have curly hair have to consider all sorts of factors from humidity to dryness, and breakage and tangles. There are a lot of struggles, but there's also a lot of payoff when you get it right. Looking for the best products for curly hair doesn't have to be time-consuming, so put frizz, puffiness, and those awful tangles to rest.
We'd all love to be like Felicity or Carrie Bradshaw and have luscious curls that look like they are straight out of a shampoo commercial. Unfortunately, that's not all that easy and we need to learn how to whip them into shape.
But with the best curly hair products and a bit of practice, gorgeous curls are not only possible, they're in your future! Here are our favorites, all at different price points, to get the job done.
1. Curly Sexy Hair Curl Bounce Mousse
Energize limp lackluster curls by applying a golf ball-sized amount of mousse to damp hair. Then, comb through hair before blow drying for volume, shine and flexible hold.
(Amazon)
2. Dove Quench Absolute Supreme Crème Serum
Designed specifically for naturally curly hair, Dove Absolute Curls Supreme Creme Serum helps to give natural curls up to four times more definition, leaving them feeling soft and smooth. This nourishing leave-in treatment gives curly hair softness, shine and manageability, as well as natural movement and definition.
(Walmart, $6)
3. RICH Haircare Rich Argan Curl Enhancing Cream
Curlier hair is drier than straight hair, making it harder to control and style. This moisturizing cream contains argan oil, which hydrates and makes hair more manageable and less frizzy, while also adding beautiful definition, shape and bounce to curls.
(Amazon)
4. Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse
With notes of mixed berry essences, this pH-balanced, color-safe mousse delivers a level-3 hold with no parabens, silicones, gluten or colorants. Just shake it, foam it, twirl and scrunch hair, then diffuse on low.
(Walmart, $2.97)
5. BioSilk Silk Therapy Glazing Gel
Silk reconstructs damaged cuticles, strengthens hair, adds moisture, and revitalizes and rejuvenates hair for soft, supple, shiny results. Silk protects against heat, cold, humidity, UV rays and pollution. It's a light hold sculpting gel that distributes evenly to give body and shine without stickiness or flaking.
(Ulta, $15.50)
6. Revlon Perfect Style Thick & Curly Comb Set
The Perfect Style Thick & Curly comb set is designed to detangle and keep curls bouncy with maximum shine. Its long curved teeth comb helps prevent breakage while its hair pick comb is great to create volume, tease or lift your hair.
(Target, $4.99)
7. Pai-Shau Royal Abundance Mousse
Royal Abundance Mousse provides incredible style memory with luminous, weightless volume. After cleansing, apply a generous amount to hair, turn over and scrunch (hello, 1980s!), then go to bed and wake up with soft, beach-wavy curls.
(Pai-shau, $26)
8. Peter Coppola A-Keratin Styling Dream
The Peter Coppola a-Keratin Styling Dream gives curls up to 12 hours of natural hold without clumping or adding build-up and weight, resulting in a natural, lived-in look. It protects hair from heat damage and is strengthened with an infusion of vitamin C, resulting in the perfect blowout that lasts for days.
(Posy Beauty, $24)
9. #DearBlackGirl Kit from Belle Bar
This kit contains products that promote growth and thickness, easily detangles hair, and moisturizes and strengthens to lock in moisture.
(Belle Bar Organic, $149-$185)
10. 100% PURE Honey & Virgin Coconut Restorative Shampoo
This hydrating, restorative formula intensely nourishes for stronger, healthier, and glossier curls. It offers a coconut foam that deeply moisturizes and gently cleanses. The best part? The formula is completely free from synthetic chemicals, artificial fragrances, chemical preservatives, sulfates, detergents or any other harsh ingredients.
(100 Percent Pure, $20)
11. 100% PURE Honey & Virgin Coconut Conditioner
This restorative conditioner deeply moisturizes, repairs, softens and detangles dry, damaged hair. It's gentle enough for color treated and all hair types. The formula does not contain synthetic chemicals, artificial fragrances, chemical preservatives, sulfates, detergents or any other harsh ingredients.
(100 Percent Pure, $20)
12. Velvet Hammer Hydrating Control Cream
The moisture-rich formula softens, smooths, and adds amazing shine while controlling fly-aways for soft hold and definition. Pracaxi oil prevents frizz and delivers radiance, soy proteins retain moisture, improve elasticity, and protect from damage, and cetyl esters smooth hair and provide a cushiony, silky touch.
(The Dry Bar, $29)
13. Infrared Styling Brush by Gina Excel
This unique styling tool is a hybrid of a professional bristle brush blended with a flat iron, which is perfect for smoothing those curly locks with ease. Ceramic heating elements and an exclusive infrared smart technology infuses micro-moisture particles to revive dry, brittle tresses.
(By Gina, $169)
14. Ouidad Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel
A weightless gel that provides frizz-free, flexible hold with exceptional curl definition. It’s formulated with wheat protein and pliable styling polymers that form a weightless, flexible lattice that expands as heat or humidity rises to hold curl definition without frizz.
(Sephora, $26)
15. DevaCurl SuperCream Coconut Curl Styler
A coconut-oil infused styler that hydrates and gives curls perfect definition. Less is more, so experiment with different amounts of product to find the right balance for your curls and texture.
(Sephora, $28)
16. MoroccanOil Intense Curl Cream
This product is color-safe, sulfate-free, phosphate-free, paraben-free, and defines, moisturizes, nourishes and fights frizz without leaving a sticky residue. Apply one pump throughout damp or dry strands, style as usual, or let hair dry naturally.
(Amazon)
17. Bumble and Bumble Bb. Curl (Care) Conditioner
This conditioner moisturizes your strands and enhances body, leaving your hair silky and smooth, and transforming damaged hair with this intensive conditioning.
(Amazon)
18. KÉRASTASE Discipline Cream for Curly Hair
Hair-smoothing definition and suppleness cream for frizzy or curly hair. On towel-dried hair, apply Oléo-Curl and spread downwards on lengths and ends, using the fingers to gently relax curls. On dry hair, after styling as a second-day touch-up, smooth Oléo-Curl over lengths and ends, pushing curls up to reshape.
(Amazon)
19. AMIKA Curl Corps Defining Cream
A smoothing control cream that softly coaxes curls to keep them from frizzing, splitting or sagging. Gently work through damp or dry curls from roots to ends. Then, let air dry or style as desired.
(Sephora, $25)
20. Oribe Curl Gloss Hydration & Hold
For fine to medium curls that need definition, hold, and shine. A blend of Brazilian extracts, including passion flower, jicama and cupuaçu, fight humidity and deeply condition for soft yet defined curls that hold all day.
(Amazon)
21. Living Proof Curl Enhancing Styling Mousse
This curly hair product provides frizz and humidity protection, and creates flexible, long-lasting touchable curls. It's best suited for naturally wavy or curly hair.
(Amazon)
Aly Walansky is a NY-based lifestyles writer. Her work appears in dozens of digital and print publications regularly. Visit her on Twitter or email her at alywalansky@gmail.com.
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