The 14 Best Curly Hair Products for Hydrated, Bouncy, And Defined Curls
Curls just wanna have fun – and by fun- I mean they want to be bouncy, hydrated, and well-defined! A beautiful head of curly hair starts with the proper products for your waves, curls, or coils. Once you determine your natural curl type, you can start to build a customized routine that suits both your curl pattern and desired aesthetic. As a wink to awards show season, I am inspired to nominate the below best sellers for the product awards for curly hair within their respective categories. *Toss toss*
Editor Beauty Profile
- Hair Type: Curly
- Hair Color: Brunette with caramel balayage highlights
- Hair Concern(s): Frizz-prone, Fine hair
Our Top Picks
Best Curl Cream: Briogeo Curl Charisma Leave-In Defining Creme Best Curl Wash Duo: VIRTUE Curl Bundle Best Treatment Mask: Oribe Moisture & Control Deep Treatment Masque Best Hair Oil: Charlotte Mensah's Manketti Hair Oil Best Mousse: Moroccanoil's Curl Control Mousse Best Curl Butter: Christophe Robin Luscious Curl Defining Butter Best Curl Spray: Act + Acre Cold Processed Curl Spray Best Leave-in Detangler: Unite Hair BOING Curl Leave-in Best Dry Accelerator Spray: DevaCurl DevaFast Dry Accelerator Spray Best Dry Shampoo: Olaplex 4D Dry Shampoo Best Hairspray: Sisley Paris Invisible Hold Hairspray Best Hairbrush: Act + Acre Detangling Brush Best Hairdryer: Shark Beauty Pro Flex High Velocity Hair Dryer System
Shop the Best Hair Products for Curly Hair
Best Curl Cream: Briogeo Curl Charisma Leave-In Defining Creme
37 reviews
$24.00
Briogeo’s Curl Charisma Leave-In Defining Creme is a multi-tasking styling cream to define and enhance curls with a soft finish. Apply onto damp hair to reveal bouncy, uniform curls, whether you blow dry with a diffuser or let your hair air dry. This leave-in formula gives your hair some ‘rizz (without the frizz)!
Key Ingredients: Rice Amino Acids, Avocado Oil, Vitamin E, Tomato Fruit Ferment and Mollis Leaf Extract
Beauty Insider Tip: 1 curl cream is sold every 3 minutes! That’s a lot of fellow curly girlies that are purchasing this product, as it’s the “cream as the crop”.
Best Curl Wash Duo: VIRTUE Curl Bundle
1 reviews
RRP: $86.00Current price: $73.00
Virtue’s Curl Bundle features their Curl Shampoo paired with their Curl Conditioner for an easy-to-use hair washing routine made specifically with curls in mind. The shampoo gentle cleanses while removing oil and build-up on the scalp to maintain your natural curl pattern. This can be followed by the conditioner which detangles, de-frizzes, and hydrates strands without weighing curls down.
Key Ingredients: Jojoba Oil, Carob Gum, Rice Protein & Extract with Sunflower Seed Oil
Beauty Insider Tip: Virtue’s proprietary Alpha Keratin 60ku ingredient is a healing protein that strengthens and repairs brittle hair. The curl-optimizing polymers in the formula works with the Alpha Keratin to facilitate natural curl patterns.
Best Treat Mask: Oribe’s Moisture & Control Deep Treatment Masque
29 reviews
$66.00
Oribe’s Moisture & Control Deep Treatment Masque is the perfect hair treatment for my self-care everything shower. The mask is deeply hydrating to restore moisture to strands, and results in beautiful, silky soft curls. I recommend massaging the formula into wet hair and letting the product absorb for 10 minutes before rinsing out.
Key Ingredients: Murumuru and Mango Seed Butters, Coconut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil & Almond Protein, Illipe Nut Butter
Beauty Insider Tip: The masque lives within Oribe’s Moisture & Control collection, which is an amazing range of wash and styling products formulated for thick, curly hair to hydrate and control frizz.
Best Hair Oil: Charlotte Mensah’s Manketti Hair Oil
1 reviews
$55.00
Charlotte Mensah’s Manketti Hair Oil is a delicious bespoke blend of oils to add shine, tame frizz, and smooth hair. This is a deeply nourishing oil that can be applied to wet or dry hair. Plus, the product comes in a chic glass bottle packaging that looks luxurious on the vanity.
Key Ingredients: Organic Manketti Nut, Castor Oil, Kernel Oil, Argan Oil, Ximenia Oils
Beauty Insider Tip: If you are looking to braid, twist, or cornrow your hair, you can apply a few drops of the oil to your lengths and ends before styling to prevent frizz.
Best Mousse: Moroccanoil's Curl Control Mousse
$32.00
Moroccanoil’s Curl Control Mousse is a lightweight, airy foam that can be used to tame and shape curls without weighing hair down. While hair is damp, I recommend flipping your head over and scrunching the product into your strands towards the root to ensure a curly, voluminous result. The formula provides long-lasting hold with a touchable finish, ideal for both curly and coily hair types.
Key Ingredients: Argan Oil, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Vitamin E
Beauty Insider Tip: All of Moroccanoil hair products double as a hair perfume, with their signature scented blend of spicy amber and sweet floral notes leaving a lingering whiff.
Best Curl Butter: Christophe Robin Luscious Curl Defining Butter
$32.00
Christophe Robin’s Luscious Curl Defining Butter is as buttery soft as it sounds. This is a deeply moisturizing leave-in to hydrate and define curls and coils. The formula will smooth and nourish hair for a frizz-free and shiny finish.
Key Ingredients: Kokum Butter, Creative, Chia Seed Oil, Flaxseed Milk
Beauty Insider Tip: As the texture is richer than a leave-in cream, this butter is ideal for thick or dry hair types.
7. Best Curl Spray: Act +Acre Cold Processed Curl Spray
$36.00
Act + Acre’s Cold Processed Curl Spray is the perfect spritz to refresh the shape and texture of curls. As healthy hair always starts at the scalp, this is spray is formulated to soothe your scalp while hydrating your strands. The product can be used on damp or dry hair, so you can also spray from root to tip as a hair prep step prior to styling.
Key Ingredients: Glycerin, Watermelon Extract, Aloe Vera
Beauty Insider Tip: I love to spritz this formula on dry curls in between hair wash days to give a bouncy refresh and revive curl pattern, without needing the re-wash curls daily.
Best Leave-in Detangler: Unite Hair BOING Curl Leave-in
$35.50
To leave the knots to the girl scouts and away from the curly girls, Unite Hair’s BOING Curl Leave-In is my favorite detangler. This leave-in spray will also nourish, strengthen, and protect hair, suitable for any dry or damaged hair types. This spritz gives your hair the extra “boing” it needs to ensure curls are moisturized, soft, and frizz-free.
Key Ingredients: Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Glycerin, Amodimethicone
Beauty Insider Tip: This product provides thermal protection which means you can use it as a heat protectant prior to heat styling your hair. It’s also safe for extensions & chemically-treated hair.
Best Dry Accelerator Spray: DevaCurl DevaFast Dry Accelerator Spray
$30.00
As thick, curly hair can take a long time to dry post washing, DevaCurl’s Devafast Dry Acccelerator Spray is the ideal spray for your hair to get you out the door quickly on a busy morning or when you’re running late. This spray speeds up air drying and diffusing time by 66%! Think of it like quick-dry topcoat for your nails, except for your curls instead. The formula accelerates the rate at which water evaporates from hair, without drying out your curls.
Key Ingredients: Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Phytantriol, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Silica
Beauty Insider Tip: Spray hair 6-12 inches away from your head, and then scrunch your locks to activate the formula.
Best Dry Shampoo: Olaplex 4D Dry Shampoo
11 reviews
$30.00
Olaplex’s 4D Dry Shampoo is an innovative, volumizing dry shampoo that can be used on curls for 2nd or 3rd day after washing hair. This is a great style extender for hair that looks (and feels) freshly washed without weighing it down. I love that this formula doesn’t leave any white residue or powder behind on my dark brunette hair. Plus, the formula is clinically proven not to clog hair follicles.
Key Ingredients: Rice Starch, Rambutan Seed Extract, Patented Olaplex Bond Building Technology
Beauty Insider Tip: This dry shampoo can be used after your workout, as the formula detoxifies as well absorbs any sweat, odors, and buildup to leave you with a healthy scalp.
Best Hairspray: Sisley Paris Invisible Hold Hairspray
$115.00
Sisley Paris’ Invisible Hold Hairspray offers an amazing flexible hold to keep locks in place without a sticky residue or stiff coating. With a haircare-infused formula, this award winning spray has volumizing, anti-frizz, and humidity resistant properties. The spray will leave your hair with an instantly shiny and soft finish.
Key Ingredients: Pro-vitamin B5, Vitamin E
Beauty Insider Tip: While you can certainly use this daily, I use my hairspray for any special occasions or updos to ensure my curls last from the start to end of the evening.
Best Hairbrush: Act + Acre Detangling Brush
$34.00
Act + Acre’s Detangling Brush is a two-for-one special. Not only will the brush gently detangle your locks, but it can be used as a scalp massage for your roots to support your overall hair health. Start from the ends and work your way up to the roots for a smooth brush that will prevent frizz and breakage.
Key Features: Nylon bristles, PCR Plastic
Beauty Insider Tip: I recommend to only brush your curls dry right before you wash your hair or damp post-washing.
Best Hair Dryer: Shark Beauty Pro Flex High Velocity Hair Dryer System
$229.99
Shark’s Pro Flex High Velocity Hair Dryer System is a professional-grade hair dryer system with 4 attachments to suit all your hair drying needs. For curls, the “Defrizz Fast Diffuser” attachment is perfect to dry your curls quickly while defining their shape. Flip your head over while diffusing for maximum volume - and voila- your curls should be fabulous!
Beauty Insider Tip: I love that their Scalp Shield has been developed with dermatologists to ensure regulated, adjusted temperatures to protect scalps from extreme heat. Preventing heat damage from blow drying is the best tip for healthy hair!
Additional Products for Curly Hair
Slip Pure Silk Pillowcase
319 reviews
Slip’s Pure Silk Pillowcase is the chicest pillowcase to ensure your curls get their beauty rest too! The silk fabric against my hair reduces frizz, preserves the curls, and prevents “bed head” that happens with cotton or satin pillowcases. While the pink color matches my bedroom (no surprise), the silk pillowcases come in a variety of shades so you can match your bedroom sets to a tee.
Key Features: 100% Pure Mulberry Silk
Slip Pure Silk Turban
$90.00
How could I possibly sleep without knowing my curls are tucked away safely in a silk turban to match my pillowcase? Slip’s Pure Silk Turban is double lined with pure silk to protect your hair from the effects of friction causes by tossing and turning throughout the night. The elastic ensures this will fit on a range of head sizes and hair lengths.
Key Features: 100% Pure Mulberry Silk
Beauty Insider Tip: This can double as a daytime hair accessory by the pool to keep hair dry and away from splashing in such an elegant way!
FAQs
Is Mousse or Gel Better for Curly Hair?
One formula type is not “better” than the other- the preference is simply a personal choice. If you lean towards a gel- make sure you pick one that will not leave you with crunchy curls. And if you select a mousse- look for a non-sticky and airy consistency that will melt right into your hair.
How to Make Curly Hair Not Frizzy?
It took me years to learn this one- but stop touching, fussing and playing with curly hair once it’s dry! The right styling products- from mousse to gel to cream to oil – paired with a bedtime routine of protecting curls overnight with silk turbans and pillowcases- will ensure your locks have a longtime frizz-free finish.
What is the Best Treatment for Curly Hair?
A weekly deep conditioning treatment is the best treatment for curly hair. Curls require extra hydration compared to other hair types, and leave-in masks will provide the deep moisture that will quench your curls. Keep these masks on your hair as long as possible for all of the good-for-you ingredients to have the maximum time to absorb into your strands. Healthy curls are always in style.
What is the Best Haircare Routine for Curly Hair?
The best routine is one that you can keep up with for your lifestyle! Curls are often misunderstood as a difficult to manage hair type. I love a curly routine that allows you to embrace and enjoy your natural texture - whether it be unique waves, curls, or coils. For me, this means a hair wash 2-3 times a week, layering of leave-in styling products, and proper drying and styling tools for bouncy curls that twist and shout!
The Bottom Line
And the real winner of the curly hair product awards is…all of the curly girlies out there! Can’t wait to see your redefined curls and coils bouncing around town. Discover more fabulous haircare must haves available on Dermstore here.
Taylor Gross is a NYC based “buy-ologist” and founder of ReTaylor Therapy, a leading retail consultancy for beauty and wellness. She has held the position of Head Beauty Buyer and led brand curation at iconic retailers from Space NK to Barneys New York. She has also optimized sales strategies and led partnerships for international beauty brands tailored to the US market. As she is a buying and merchandising product expert, Taylor is known for her extensive knowledge of the beauty industry and the best-in-class product essentials. She is excited to share beauty’s best kept secrets with fellow beauty lovers here at Dermstore.
