As anyone with curly hair can contest; curls are a constant journey of trial-and-error. And while everyone’s journey toembracing their natural textureis as varied as their curl patterns themselves, the one thing that remains a constant is that finding the perfect styling products can be a challenge. Sure, there are specific products that help thetransition to natural haireasier, but once you’ve ditched your flat iron the question becomes; what products should I be using for styling? In search of that answer, we decided to reach out to real-women, to share what products they swear by for keeping their curls in top shape. Ahead you’ll find their tips which product works best for them, theircurl types, and of course their tips for using their holy-grail product that makes styling their curly hair, a breeze.
WHO: Aysha Sow. WHAT: 4A/3C curls . WEAR: Maui Moisture Shine + Awapuhi Conditioner. There are so many different conditioners that claim to be the best for curly hair—but according to Sow, the best is from Maui Moisture. As she told us, “I love it so much to condition my curls with! It provides so much slip and moisture to my curls.”How much should you use this product for optimal results? Sow confessed, “I use it every 3 days to condition my hair in the shower!”WHO: Renia Jaz. WHAT: 3C/3B Curl type. WEAR: Boucleme Curls Redefined Scalp Exfoliating Shampoo. As Jaz told us, “I wash my hair every 2 days and during the week I use a number of products on my hair.” This shampoo is my lifesaver. It removes any dead skin cells and product build-up. Leaving my hair fresh and lighter, and making my curls looking healthy and bouncy. I also noticed that after using it my hair is a lot easier to style!”Her tip for using this shampoo? She suggests, “Use this product once a week, it’s perfect detox for curly hair. I also put a generous amount of moisturizing conditioner on my hair after I use this shampoo just to make sure that my hair is well-nourished.”WHO: Melody Acevedo . WHAT: 3C/3B Curl type. WEAR: NYM Curl Talk Deep Conditioning Curl Masque. “My absolute favorite product is definitely the NYM Curl Talk Deep Conditioning Curl Masque. I can't skip a week where I don't deep condition. This product is super hydrating and moisturizing which is the most important thing when you have curly hair,” Acevedo told us. For getting the most out of this product, Acevedo swears by the hack of, “Apply your hair mask before going to bed. I know sometimes we just don't have the time to take care of our hair but washing your hair, applying a hair mask, and going to sleep is the best lifesaver hack I know.”WHO: Tennille Murphy. WHAT: 3B curl type with high porosity . WEAR: Adwoa Beauty Baomint Deep Conditioning Treatment . Murphy told us, “I am so impressed with the consistent salon-style results I achieve with this product. This deep conditioner is made with clean, curl friendly ingredients that nourish my hair from scalp to tip. Infused with spearmint and peppermint, I find that this formula is so soothing on my scalp. Meanwhile, the creamy rich nourishing ingredients like omega 3, 6, and 9 leave my silver curls soft, defined, and moisturized.”Murphy’s hack for getting the most out of this product? She shared, “I apply the treatment to my hair before my at-home workout. I generously saturate the product into my hair, twist it up then cover with a plastic cap and I’m ready for my workout. The heat from my workout helps the product penetrate into my hair and the results are always AMAZING!” WHO: Mairaly . WHAT: 3C/3B Curl type . WEAR: Suave Professionals Curly Hair Leave-In Cream. “Wow, only one?!” Mairaly, continued, “Ok if my curls had to choose one product I’d say this leave-in cream. I don’t like heavy or crunchy gels on my hair, and this is the light-weight product I use to style and refresh my hair when I need to. I love to run some water on the section of curls I'm styling, then apply some product and directly single out a curl or two, and run the product through it, letting the curl bounce back. When it dries, it dries so defined and looks like it did when it was wet except a little shorter because of shrinkage. Leave it in, and it's like 5 bucks!”Want to make the most of this product? Mairaly suggests, “If you have the extra time and your hair is a little bit on the thinner side or where you don't have the amazing volume on day one, leave your hair in the fiber towel a little longer maybe like a couple of minutes longer, normally for me the roots dry the fastest, so leaving my roots to dry it allows my hair to have volume towards the roots area. When it comes to styling that you find yourself wetting and styling your hair, wet everything else except the roots. When everything finally dries you'll notice you won't have to pick your hair as much or at all to get volume on 1st-day hair.”WHO: Oriane Adjibi. WHAT: 4C Curl type. WEAR: Not Your Mother’s Naturals Royal Honey & Kalahari Desert Melon Repair & Protect Leave-In Conditioner. As Adijibi told us, “My hair really can't handle too many products at the same time, like no more than two at the same time, and I still need to be cautious about the amount of product I use. That being said, I’m obsessed with Not Your Mother's Leave-in conditioner to style my hair. It's my favorite because it’s not only plant-derived but it makes it so more manageable and ready to style. Plus this leaves-in it gives hydration to my hair which is mandatory for natural hair, and it also works on natural or semi-natural hair add ons and wigs which is everything.” What’s Adijibi’s tip for effectively using this product? As she told us, “It's more efficient to use it on damp hair after you washed your hair but I also like to use it to refresh and restyle my hair, a few days after my shampoo when I need to manage my hair for another hairstyle. It just makes the styling process easier and I love that it doesn't make your hair look dirty, which is the case with a lot of leave-in.”WHO: Alanna Doherty . WHAT: 3C Curl type . WEAR: Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen and Restore Leave-In Conditioner. Doherty professed, “I LOVE this product for styling curly hair! I’ve been using Shea Moisture products for over 6 years now and their leave-ins are the only products that consistently moisturize my hair. I started using this one in particular after I dyed my hair blonde and I’m positive that it's done wonders for the health of my fro!”In addition to investing in a leave-in conditioner, the curly hair hack Doherty revealed to us was; “I’ve found that doing an apple cider vinegar rinse in the shower before conditioning helps my hair a ton! I only shampoo once a month because it strips my hair, so the ACV rinse is a perfect substitute that also helps with product build-up and hair growth.” WHO: Yvette Corinne. WHAT: 4C Curl type. WEAR: tgin Butter Cream Daily Moisturizer . Why this styling product? Corinne shared, “I love this product because I have low porosity and it adds a lot of moisture in my dry strands. Also, it pairs well with gel if you're looking for a more defined look.”Her tip for getting the most out of this product? She shared, “ It looks great if you wet your hair first, add the product, and then seal it with some oil. I like to use avocado oil. If you're looking for more of a defined look, add gel after the product and your twist out will be poppin’!”WHO: Eni Popoola . WHAT: 4C Curly type. WEAR: Camille Rose Naturals Curl Maker. Popoola shared, “To get my natural curls more defined, I love to use the Camille Rose Naturals, Curl Maker. I love it because it works wonders for defining my tight 4c curls, but it also works just as well on any clip-ins or ponytails that I wear as well. It defines my curls without weighing them down or giving that unwanted crunchy feel.” When using this product to style your curly hair, to optimize its effects on your curls Popoola shared,” this product works best on wet hair, so it’s perfect after a wash or co-wash.”WHO: Lal . WHAT: 4A/3C Curl type. WEAR: Imbue Curl Empowering Creme Gel . Why this product? As Lal shared, “I truly swear by the Imbue’s creme gel for curls and kinky hair like mine. It is a true one and done product, which means you can use it by itself as it is a cream and a gel combined in one! It gives my hair a good base of moisture with lasting definition and volume. It is the only product I own that style my hair in one. It is also CG friendly, vegan, and cruelty and very affordable which are all really important to me as my mantra is to make curl care and education accessible for all!”Her hack for styling with a gel creme? She told us, “for curly hair, make sure to apply the product on freshly cleansed hair and for drier types like mine, I like to leave a little of the conditioner I’m using in the shower before I style. When using the Imbue Creme Gel, I section my hair in 4 and use a two-finger scoop amount of product per section, rub it between the palm of my hands and finger rake it through wet curls until the hair is as defined as I like. Scrunch upwards to encourage curl clumping and leave to air dry or diffuse until dry!”WHO: Janibell Rosanne. WHAT: 4A/3C Curl type. WEAR: Pantene’s Gold Series Hydrating Butter Cream. Skeptical? So was Rosanne, she told us, “I never looked to Pantene for curly hair products so I was skeptical at first, but this stuff is great! Whenever I use it my curls are super soft and moisturized. I have a lot of hair but it's very fine so I like that this doesn’t weigh my hair down.WHO: Tacha John. WHAT: 3B/3C Curl type. WEAR: Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Heat & UV Protective Primer . John confessed, “I'm obsessed with Bumble and bumble's Curl products but I think my one holy grail is their HIO primer because it's so versatile. It works as a leave-in, heat protectant, and the base for just about every style I do. It's also super lightweight without sacrificing moisture which is important for my fine hair.”Her tip that may make styling your curly hair a breeze? She said, “I find that applying products to wet hair and letting my curls air dry a bit before going in with my diffuser is the best way to get defined but voluminous hair. Try it!”WHO: Ashley Reuben. WHAT: 3A/2C Curl type. WEAR: Aussie Scrunch Mousse + Leave-In . Reuben mused, “It's really hard to pick just one, but I would have to choose the Aussie Scrunch Mousse + Leave-In. This mousse has been my go-to for such a long time and I love it because it is so versatile. I've used it as a one and done styler, a refresh for those days I don't feel like washing my hair, and to give me some texture when I just braid my hair if I'm too lazy to fully style it. In all scenarios, my hair has turned out great! It's perfect for fine-normal hair curlies who struggle to get volume but also provides great definition and hold.”When it comes to using products to style your curls Reuben declared, “It's a really easy product to work with. Don't be afraid of applying too much because this never leaves your hair crunchy, I go in with a lot of this mousse. Make sure to diffuse your hair if you want extra volume as I always do!”WHO: Vic Styles. WHAT: 3C Curl type with low porosity . WEAR: Kreyol Essence Haitian Black Castor Oil . Styles shared, “I’ve been using this for about 4 years now and can’t live without it. It’s helped with breakage, growth, and to lock in moisture. I specifically love this brand because it’s black-owned AND castor oil typically has a strong odor, but they mix their oil with essential oils so it smells AMAZING.”To make the most of this castor oil Styles explained that, “I like to use Kreyol’s oil after my styling products to lock in moisture. I also massage it onto my scalp 3-4 times a week to help with growth.”WHO: Annelise Nicole. WHAT: 3B Curl type. WEAR: Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Moisture & Shine Edge Control . Fellow WWW editor, Nicole has quite a few favorite curly hair products. But when I slid into her slack, she professed her love for two products. The first being, Olaplex’s miracle leave-in cream, and the second being Carol’s Daughter Edge control. Per the slack receipts, she stated, “I wear my hair in a snatched ponytail basically any time I go out—this gel keeps all my flyaways from trying to ruin my look.”WHO: Kristy. WHAT:2C/3A curl type. USE: The Original Wet Brush Detangler . Products aren’t the only thing you need in your curly hair styling arsenal, and frankly, if you get nothing else within the story investing in a good brush can make all the difference for styling your curls. As Kristy contested, “I swear by using a wet brush! Firstly I love using this brush to gently detangle my hair while dry to prevent breakage while detangling. I then use it in the shower to distribute conditioner and form curl clumps. Whether I’m using a mousse/gel/ or any styling product, using this brush to distribute everything evenly throughout my hair is key to having bouncy ringlet curls!” To use this brush properly, Kristy advises, “Section your wet hair while applying your styling product(s). Brush through your sections with the wet brush to evenly distribute your product and apply light tension along the edge of the brush— like as if you’re curling a ribbon! Then I give it a scrunch and I’m left with gorgeous ringlets.”WHO: Jasmine Fox-Suliaman. WHAT: 3C/3B Curl type high posterity . I’ll admit, gathering everyone’s favorite curly hair products made me realize a few things; the first being that finding the best products for styling curly hair is all about learning about your hair texture, and trial-and-error. And the second being that, no matter what, products work for you, there are essential styling products every curly-headed girl should have in her arsenal no matter what brand they are. Here are a few essentials that I not only love but noticed was a common thread within this story. Consider this a great starting point list for shopping the best styling products your curls...Styling curly hair is all about having a good base, and knowing which shampoos are dehydrating your curls versus actually cleaning them. This shampoo isn’t for everyone, but I’ve loved Deva Curl’s Build Up Buster as it’s great for when I want to eliminate scalp build-up without stripping my hair of its nutrients.The things about hair masks are that they’re essential for curly textures (as we’re more prone to dryness) but they also promote hair growth. I’d recommend trying a few different masks to figure out which one works for your hair texture, and doesn’t weigh it down. After going natural, this masque became the savior for my heat-damaged curls.If you’re wondering why your hair isn’t locking in moisture, especially after deep-conditioning, it’s probably because you’re not using hair oil. I’ll admit even I was skeptical about oils, but since starting a quarantine hair routine that includes hair oil, it has been a game-changer for keeping my hair moisturized, and for hair growth. Typically after washing my hair, I’ll rub my scalp with Cantu’s Tea Tree & JOJOBA oil to my ends and then braid my hair to sleep in to lock in the moisture; just try it!No matter what curl type you have, it’s essential to invest in a product you can use for styling daily (I recommend you discern what type of hair posterity you have to inform this decision). Since I have high-posterity, my daily product is a heavier curl styling creme from Shea Moisture (and sometimes I’ll add in The Good Stuff’s Curl Hydration Butter on them extra dry days).On the days I don’t feel bothered to style my curls, I’ll opt for a sleek mid-part bun or pigtails. To make sure it looks it’s best I recommend you invest in a good edge gel and a baby hairbrush. My personal favorite is Design essential’s edge gel because it keeps everything in place, and smells like heaven on earth. At the end of the day, we want our curly hair products to be heavenly, no? And finally, no curly hair styling arsenal is complete without a good comb! After all, the foundational key to a great curl day is ditching the knots, so you can enjoy each ringlet in peace.
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