Best Curly hair products According to r/curlyhair

"Your hair looks madly thirsty. Get yourself a thick, rich, water soluble conditioner like Sally’s GVP conditioning balm. Use a lot more than you think you need. Google squish to condish videos which will help tremendously with hydration. Start there and a haircut to cut off some of the damage. Keep it simple until your hair has recovered"

"Please do not detangle with shampoo. You need conditioner and lots of it for that purpose. Looks like your hair is needing hydration. My fave conditioner is Sally’s GVP Conditioning Balm. Use way more than you think you need until hydration is under control. Google squish to condish videos which will help too. Quit finger coiling to help with shrinkage. Once your hair is hydrated, it will be less poofy. Google flip coat scrunch videos instead. I also use Aunt Jackie’s elongating gel to help with shrinkage."

"Extremely thirsty curls. Get a great conditioner with lots of slip like Sally’s GVP Conditioning Balm. Google squish to condish videos and get your hydration routine on point quickly"

"Try Malibu C hard water shampoo, also consider a shower filter - you can find them on Amazon."

"Okay this is so triply and what a coincidence, I used the malibu C hard water shampoo too AND brushed it through as well, it was TERRIBLE for my hair. Not sure if a normal clarifying shampoo would do this too, but this chelating shampoo made my hair almost static, so maybe you overstripped your hair too? Just shampoo w your regular shampoo and maybe try a deep conditioner?"

"With a water softener system but its quite expensive. Another option and what i use is the Malibu C hard water shampoo and treatments"

"Gel Gel Gel Gel. Apply it after any products like leave in and dry using a diffuser or air dry. The Curl Jelly by Umberto Giannini is by far the best i’ve used. Good hold but not too stiff. The important thing is to let your hair fully dry before doing anything. Curly hair keeps its shape once dried"

"For me, I don't need any kind of cream or deep conditioner now, because it's just overkill for my hair! I sometimes use leave-in as a rinse-out, then go straight to gel. Product-wise, I always stuggled to get lasting hold with the Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly, but other people really rave about it!"

"The scrunching jelly is my HG! Use that at the end on damp hair and scrunch in to form waves/curls!"

"I bet that mousse is way too heavy for you with the coconut and shea! If you want to try another mousse (which I do think would be a great product category for you) try The Doux’s Mousse Def! I would try it without the curl jelly too. Your hair is short and seemingly fine like mine, that should be all you need."

"I find that if I use too many hold products, they can start to cancel each other out. The Doux Mousse Def is meant to be used as a single styler, so using it over a leave in, curl cream, AND gel is ruining the ability for it to form a cast. What happens if you use Curl Maker on its own, or have you tried using Mousse Def on its own? Personally, I find Mousse Def to be very drying. I prefer Mielle Honey Pomegranate Mousse."

"My curl pattern is similar to yours and I really love Mousse Def by The Doux! It's under $15 most places, I believe."

"You might need more protein… I like curlsmith bond curl rehab salve. It’s a delicate balance between protein and moisture and both ends of the extreme can cause frizz."

"Of course, here you go :) Shampoo: Cantu cleansing cream shampoo/CurlSmith wash & scrub detox pro-biotic (the latter I use like once a week) Mask: CurlSmith bond curl rehab salve Curl cream: Cantu moisturizing curl activator cream Gel: CurlSmith shine jelly number 6 (?), right now Giovanni L.A. hold styling gel and it’s also great and much cheaper Mousse: InnerSense “I create lift” or Gyada modeling hair mousse Brush: Bounce Curl define brush The Abbey Yung recommended products I’m testing and liking: Pre-wash bond repair treatment: L’Oréal EverPure bond repair treatment, but I use it after washing my hair so it’s clean and without product buildup Lamellar water: Elseve Hyaluron Plump 8second wonder water, I use it instead of a conditioner Mask: Elizavecca Cer-100 Collagen Ceramide Coating Protein Treatment Hair oil: I tried many, I personally liked Olaplex, Pantene keratin protect oil, now trying the OGX Argan oil of Morocco. I use oils in between washes, but just a little bit, otherwise my hair gets a bit too greasy (it’s pretty fine)"

"I recommend either the Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve, K18 Leave-in Hair Mask, or the Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3! L'Oreal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Bond Repair Pre-Shampoo Treatment and the Garnier Fructis Sulfate-Free Bonding Inner Fiber Hair Filler Repair Pre-Shampoo Treatment are two of the most affordable drugstore options here in the US, with the latter Garnier Bonding Pre-Shampoo Treatment containing silicone-free ingredients that I believe are Curly Girl Method Approved! But again, I'm not sure if either of these two budget-friendly drugstore options here in the US would be available to you in Australia, so you'd have to check in your area! I'm not sure if this would be available to you in Australia, but a lot of people use the Aphogee Two-Step Protein Treatment when they need an intense protein reconstructor for severely damage hair! It's also very affordable here in the US, but I'm not sure about Australia! Aphogee also sells a Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor that is a little less intensive and should be easier to use than their other Two-Step Protein Treatment! If you want something that's more on the gentle side and is specifically made for curls, the Aphogee sells a Curlific Texture Treatment Hair Mask that will strengthen and moisturize all curly hair types! Hope this helps! 😊👍"

"You've got such incredible curls! Have you tried Aunt Jackie's Don't Shrink Elongating Curl Gel? I saw you already use a few Aunt Jackie's products and wasn't sure if you'd tried it before; my hair is more wavy than curly so it doesn't do much elongating for me, but I love the results I get with it anyway. I thought maybe it'd actually do what it claims for a tighter curl pattern like yours."

"Aunt Jackie’s don’t shrink. I clarify here and there but that leaves my hair very dry as well."

"Your curls are so pretty and healthy. definitely trying this when I’m next abroad and can’t get hold of my curly products!! Can’t wait to try the flax seed gel"

"Hair Care Routine: Co-Wash: Once a week with As I Am Co-Wash. Mousse: Style with Lisa Milano Mousse. Drying: Air dry (use a hair dryer with a diffuser if in a hurry). My hair feels a lot lighter now, with less frizz. Using leave-in conditioner was causing bad product build-up on my hair."

" Yep pretty much what everyone else is saying high porosity. Curly hair tends to be dryer since the oils don’t reach the ends because of the curls. For me personally a coin size amount wouldn’t make a dent in my hair. I use AS I AM COCONUT CO WASH. When I tell you it’s been a game changer for me on wash day I’m not kidding. I’m able to wet apply and detangle in about 15-20 minutes. I usually only wash and style every week and a half to two weeks."

"Ugh I’d be so sad too 😩 maybe try As I Am Coconut CoWash, it’s super creamy and a fave for a lot of curlies."

"I would not recommend sleeping with wet hair, it seems like the styling products are only on the ends. After washing your hair, put the product on wet hair, and make sure you brush it well to distribute the hair products evenly from root to tip. I would then use a diffuser to dry your hair. Try using uncle funky's daughter curly magic curl stimulator instead of Shea moisture curl smoothie. Also use a clarifying shampoo from time to time because shea moisture can create too much buildup and dryness."

"Uncle Funky Daughter’s curly magic. For whatever reason it absolutely hates this. Instant straw, refuses to curl. I’ve made my own flax seed gel and had success but this stuff is toxic to my strands."

"I have a similar hair texture. I would suggest a) using *either* a curl cream or a leave-in and b) using a gel to seal it vs a mousse. With fine/thin hair you want to do the most with the least amount of product. My personal routine is Briogeo curl cream with Uncle Funky’s Curl Magic. Both are lightweight but have good hold and are not too much layered together."

"Harry's sculpting gel (has a strong masucline scent though) or the not your mother's curl talk hard hold gel with a purple cap. They have two gels that look really similar in design but the hard hold version is only sold at ulta and has a purple cap while the regular gel has a clear cap."

" I just looked at the list of ingredients in the Harry’s sculpting gel and it lists polyacrylate 2 crosspolymer as an ingredient. Apparently this is a mixture of silicones and microplastics which can accumulate on your hair, affect your hair pattern and texture and also prevent nutrients from being absorbed. I had a problem years ago with my hair pattern and I started using the curly girl method in order to try to eliminate any products known to be an issue for curly hair. I know some curly girls can use silicones but I can’t. It’s possible they are the issue for you as well. If I were you I would check out the curly girl method and approved products, do a “final wash “ and just stick to a few approved products. It took me a long time to figure out my hair (I’m still learning honestly) and I recently figured out how to do a refresh for my hair and it has made all the difference for me. Good luck I hope this helps."

"The hardest hold thin gel without protein that I’ve tried is Jessicurl Spiralicious. It worked pretty well but when I traveled to places with hard water, my hair felt kind of dry. I’ve recently been using Harry’s Sculpting Gel (yes, the one marketed for men) and I think it has even better hold, but it’s really thick and goopy. I do have to add water to emulsify it in my hand and I end up not needing very much gel to get the hold I need."

"EcoSlay Orange Marmalade is still my HG after at least 4 years. It's the only "gel" that doesn't feel like a gel but has the hold of a gel, and the only one with both a texture I like and a fragrance that isn't absolutely cloying."

"I use the banana cream and orange marmalade on my 2B curls, and a strong gel (curlsmith shine) over the top. Orange marmalade just doesn't have a strong enough hold. Try a strong gel, and make sure you refresh each day."

"Oooph yeah that’s how I felt about orange marmalade. Worked so great, cost too much. But I get 80% of the way there with LA Looks gel for a fifth as much money. AND it doesn’t need refrigerating. I hope you find a more affordable sub too, friend."

"I use the camille rose moisture milk, and once my hair is fully dry i use the donnas recipe extra creamy hair snd scalp oil :) . Thank u🩷🥰"

"If the Camille Rose leave in left your hair frizzy and crunchy, you most likely need to avoid products with aloe vera in them. I’d recommend kinky curly knot today leave in. It’s really lightweight so it won’t weigh down low porosity hair and it provides a lot of slip and the ingredients promote curl formation and moisture retention. It’s my favorite leave in. What I think you need most though is a good, medium to strong hold gel. Be sure to check the ingredients to avoid aloe! NYM curl Talk has a good gel that is available in medium or strong hold and it works well with the KC knot today leave in"

"Camille rose moisture milk, shampoo and conditioner or mielle or Rizo curls mine should work better for you. These are okay products but you probably need more heavy stuff"

"Yes!!! Your hair looks amazing! Blue LA Looks gel has never let me down and every time I doubt it and go to a more expensive gel, I always remember why I go back!"

"I agree with the others. You're hair type likely doesn't need super thick heavy "cream" products. La Looks gel might also be too heavy of a styler for your hair. It's a pretty thick product and if you are applying too much with your hair type, especially if it is getting clumped in certain spots and not spread out thoroughly, could cause the unevenness in which areas are keeping definition. What type of styler did your hair dresser use? The results looked perfect for your hair type. Even the extra volume at your roots on pic 8 looks fine and is to be expected with most curly hair as it dries and "poofs" a bit as the day goes on."

"I definitely see waves and a slight frizz, which indicates waves. I’d scrunch in some blue LA Looks gel to wet hair. Turn your head upside down while it’s wet and scrunch that gel in."

"I remember when it was 15$ a bottle! I've had the same bottle of multicultural curls for four years and am just now running out. All of their products are very solid and if you order directly from their website its cheaper than anywhere else ( also they have a good return policy) defo worth the money!"

"Miss Jessie’s multicultural curl has been my staple for years now. Nothing makes my curls look better!"

"I love the multicultural curls because I get more definition for longer. Pillow soft looks good for a day then I have to completely redo because it all softens and blends together. Depends on your curl texture though."

"Still haven’t found a gel as good as Briogeo’s curl charisma gel. It has protein in it and has the best hold and feel in my hair. If anyone loves this too but has a replacement please tell me cuz it discontinued in my country (majority straight hair). Most curly lines discontinue early here unfortunately"

"I tried a mousse and it does the same thing. I'm sticking with Briogeo Curl Charisma gel. I put it on before I get out of the shower to sopping wet, upside down hair, squish it in to my scalp to get good coverage. I used to put it on my damp hair after the shower, so sopping wet hair was a change. Get rid of excess water with a microfiber towel, plop then air dry (I just got a difuser today, so going to try that out). After my hair is completely dry and I have a really good hard cast I put Verb Ghost Oil in my hands and do praying hands roots to tip to break the cast. I keep putting more oil on my hands as needed. Though I'm going to change to a different oil as the Ghost Oil has quite a strong perfume smell. I have seen a HUGE difference in the volume and curl definition I'm getting since putting the gel on sopping wet hair. Like, crazy huge difference. I really don't think I'll use anything other that the Briogeo gel from now on, unless I want a less tight curly look."

"Have you tried a gel? I see your hair is quite fine, so maybe a gelee or a gel mousse seems you are currently using s mousse. I like this product personally. I know it’s a tad pricey, but a little goes a long way. https://us.ag.care/products/mousse-gel-extra-firm-curl-retention Ps. I think your hair looks gorgeous in both photos."

"Hold. These can be bought cheaper, but I don't like Amazon cause I've heard of people getting fakes, xp hair products. [AG Mousse Gel](https://share.google/MW7Mrxavro3Xfrq55) [Biosilk Rock Hard gelee](https://share.google/csu6YDkKwNC0JBAMf)"

"I _love_ this one - AG Curl Mousse Gel - it has tomato extract that apparently pulls my curls a bit tighter as it dries. https://us.ag.care/collections/style-and-texture/products/mousse-gel-extra-firm-curl-retention?variant=40079011545222"

"I actually struggle with my hair getting weighed down so I only use gel, no leave in, and still get a ton of volume. The kinky curly gel did weigh down my hair as well though. It just took finding the right gel and for me personally it’s the curls blueberry bliss curl control jelly. My holy grail product."

"I also have previously color-treated hair, and was seeing a lot of frizz, some products that used to work stopped working for me. I recommend looking into the curly girl method (no sulfates, no silicones). My mistake was using sulfate-free shampoo but still using leave-in products with silicone, so my hair was never really hydrated. I felt a difference almost right away. I really like the Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Control Jelly. I think the mid-expensive gel products really don’t feel like gel."

"I have the same situation! And have found a mask does a nice reset too. I’ve been happy with Briogo Don’t Despair, Repair mask. Not cheap but it lasts a long time. Might be a good replacement for your discontinued one."

"My hair is 3a large round curls, medium stranded, high density, high porosity Favs: Shampoo/conditioner- Briogeo- don’t despair, repair, Bondi Boost Rapid Repair, Coco & Eve Like a Virgin, AG Care Balance shampoo and Boosr conditioner, Redken Acidic Bonding for curls Masks- Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair, Briogeo Superfoods Avocado and Kiwi, Curlsmith Hydro Cream Leave ins- Innersense Sweet Spirit, Briogeo Farewell Frizz Curl Creams- Briogeo Curl charisma, Curlsmith Featherlight Protein Cream, Innersense Quiet Calm Curl Control, AG Care Recoil Gels- Miche Anti Humidity Gel, Briogeo Curl Charisma, Trepadora Bamboo Ginseng, Loma Firm Hold, Ouidad Strong Hold Climate Control, Loma Firm Hold, Innersense I create curl memory Mousse- AG Care Mousse Gel Foams- Innersense I create Lift and I create Definition, The Doux Mousse Def Volume- Innersense I create Volume, Loma Maximum Volume Solution Root lift- AG Care Big Wig Hairspray-Curlsmith Strong Hold Foam-"

"Briogeo don't despair repair mask, expensive, but good. Can get a large sample at Ulta for like $10. Might try African pride pre poo, as like a treatment before shower, it's moisturizing dunno if right moisture for you, it's cheap. Shea moisture heavy conditioner/mask is ok. Might look on the wikihow for this group, people like the VO5 inexpensive conditioner. Matrix makes a mask in green jar, expensive. Briogeo makes a rice protein/deep conditioner combo, it's good, expensive. Aveda products are really good, expensive. Fenty beauty sells a starter set with really moisturizing products for like $30 on sale. Might want to make another post."

"Curlsmith shine gel, curlsmith in shower style fixer, bouncecurl clump and define cream, boucleme gels (regular and hard hold), curlsmith hold me softly, curlsmith plumping leave in, kinky curly knot today, kinky curly custard, and moptop custard are the ones I reach for the most"

"Boucleme unfortunately doesn't work for me. Weak hold, feels horrible in my hair. But thanks for the recommendation."

"From look at this pic, your using too many heavy products. I'd suggest, As I Am shampoo or cowash and then their leave in conditioner. When still wet use Boucleme curl gel (not cream) and then diffuse to 70% dry and let air dry the rest of the way"

"Curlsmith shine gel, curlsmith in shower style fixer, bouncecurl clump and define cream, boucleme gels (regular and hard hold), curlsmith hold me softly, curlsmith plumping leave in, kinky curly knot today, kinky curly custard, and moptop custard are the ones I reach for the most"

"I have used their curling custard but I didn’t like it too much. It’s a little too heavy for me and takes forever to wash out. But i did try it and it works better for twist outs, but not so much for me for wash and gos."

"I started using mop top curl custard and it is giving me so much more volume! Washed with Paul Mitchell tea tree lavender mint, conditioned with my Matrix Food For Soft color Bomb to keep the orange color in, and sprayed with Moroccan Oil leave in. Diffused for 20 minutes and scrunched with Moroccan Oil the next day."

"Ouidad climate control gel is my favorite. You can find the huge containers at Marshall’s and TJ max for 25-30$ and they last me MONTHS"

"The ouidad climate control gel isn’t strong enough imo. I use Miss Jessie’s flax gel and it’s seeems super heavy when applied but it’s the best hold/definition after scrunching the crunch out."

"I’ve been wanting to try the Ouidad products. They get a lot of great reviews for curly hair. Have you tried the Ouidad climate control gel? I’ve been so curious about that but haven’t found Anything better than the l'ange healing curls gel. I’ve spent a fortune on curly hair products but the Ouidad line is the one I’m looking at currently to try out just curious if it lives up to the hype. Anyway. You’ve got the most gorgeous hair and curls. I’m positively impressed and envious of your hair!"

"I have thinner hair but a lot of it. I am prone to frizz as well and I color my hair so it is on the dryer side. I wash my hair twice everyday with Ouidad advanced climate control shampoo. It helps control my frizz, as I have a lot. Then condition with Advanced climate control conditioner. I don’t use a leave in cause I feel like it weighs me down. I get out of shower and comb through my hair with a wide tooth comb. I section my hair into 4 sections. Working one section at a time, I apply Inahsi glaze through the section and then apply a volumizing foam. I then use my Bounce curl brush to create even curls. I do this through all 4 sections. By the last 2 sections I have to spray my hair with water cause it has dried a bit. Then I scrunch up my hair with my hair towel. Then I diffuse upside down for like 3 minutes and then the sides and back another maybe 5 minutes. By then it is about 80% dry. I let it dry the rest of the way before I scrunch out the gel a bit. Things that changed my routine/hair immensely are the hair towel and doing a good scrunch with it, and the brush. I am very anti brush for dry curly hair but doing it wet has given me so much volume. And the Bounce brush makes all my curls uniform. Before that they were kinda all over the place unless I finger curled and that is a pain. And lastly I get my hair cut by a curly hair specialist. She does it dry but I also like cutting it wet. Either way works. But it is so different getting it cut by someone who knows curly hair. Good Luck."

"I have fine hair and severe ADHD. I started using girls with curls dippity do. I apply it by sectioning my hair out. This is the first affordable product I have found that doesn't seriously weigh my hair down. Given she had ADHD, you could be goofy and make various funny sound effects as you do this, and she may be more willing to tolerate it. The trick to wiggly kids is usually to make the task entertaining enough to keep their attention. You can try various things. Play beauty parlor and create a persona. If it makes her laugh, even if she gets wiggly, it should be fine as long as she doesn't run off. Ultimately, at that age, it's up to what she wants done with her hair. You could use product day 1, refresh day 2, and style her hair up/in braids/etc day 3... whatever works for you. Her hair may change with age - hormones can cause that. Just go with the flow if all else fails!"

"I have some recs! Dippity do's sport gel is awesome as it's a strong hold product. It's like $3 I like Dippity do's girls with curls works well too if the sports gel doesn't. For me, both of these work exactly the same, but my mom has seen more success with girls with curls! This guy's around $8. Either way, if you're going to use a moisturizing/hydrating product, it should be a lightweight leave-in conditioner. If it is a spray, it is very likely lightweight! Definitely no more curl creams for hair that gets weighed down easily. Good luck!"

"i also have bleached hair and Amika’s the kure mask has been soooooo helpful for making it feel softer and stronger. it doesn’t undo the damage but it’s something that can help your hair texture at least :)"

"Your hair might need more moisture. What’s the reason you’re using the Amika mask, is your hair bleached? If you’re not using heat and don’t color your hair, I’d ditch it. It acts like a protein treatment but it used to sort of mess with my curl pattern in the long run. Those bonding treatments are not great for low porosity. If you’re not liking the amount of frizz, I would try a gel (instead of or in combination with mousse, gel typically applied before but ymmv). I have lower po fine hair and I like Jessicurl Spiralicious a lot. If you need more protein, then Devacurl gel might work better for you."

"a lot of people have addressed most of the stuff in your post, but re: the hair damage, if you want a product rec, i’ve been using Amika’s the kure mask 1x a week and it has helped soooooo much. but i will say that a buzzcut is great for resetting your hair! i personally don’t love the growing out experience lol but i am also impatient."