18 best curl creams for every hair type in 2023, per experts
Table Of Content
The cream lightly coats hair, providing frizz-fighting and curl-taming benefits without weighing down strands or clumping hair together. While the Cantu Shea Butter Curl Activator Cream has a thinner, more hydrating formula, it is also available in a thicker coconut curling cream, if you prefer a heavier consistency. If you’re looking for a super lightweight curl cream, we suggest Aveda Be Curly Curl Enhancer instead. Unfortunately, this cream can leave a sticky feeling at the roots of your hair once it dries. This can be counteracted by not using as much product near the top of your curls and washing the product out regularly. It is also a more expensive premium product, and might not be the best if you are shopping on a budget – our budget pick is a better fit in this case.
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It is protein-rich, and the perfect step to achieving fluffier, bouncier and more defined curls. It's also formulated with keratin amino acids to help strengthen damaged and brittle hair without causing an overload of protein build-up. Type 4 hair, or coily hair, is often very fragile, meaning using moisturizing products is an absolute must. Shea butter provides the moisture type 4 hair craves, while also helping to strengthen hair.
amika Curl Corps Curl Defining Cream, $28
All of the products consistently pull in rave reviews, but if you’re going to try just one, make it this leave-in, a true hero SKU that gets tons of five-star reviews. It hydrates, seals in moisture, and detangles while also helping to enhance curl definition. "It softens and defines curls in just one step—pretty revolutionary for someone who typically uses a slew of other curl-defining products as well," says senior social media editor Star Donaldson.
Adwoa Baomint Moisturizing Curl Defining Cream
This favorite of Taylor’s is a great option for those in search of a long-lasting hold. The shea butter formula does an incredible job of moisturizing hair while also adding definition and shine. You can expect curls that stay bouncy all day without any flakes or buildup. To apply a curl cream, "start with a dime-sized amount for fine, thin hair types and a quarter-sized amount for thicker, coarser hair types," Saviano advises.
Users say this curl cream adds definition to curls without ever making hair look greasy. A cream in a lightweight formula, the Verb Curl Cream is beloved by folks with kinky and curly hair. Its hero ingredient is sunflower seed extract, which works to nourish dry strands and provides detangling benefits, too.
Runner-Up, Best Gel
While both products aim to provide curl definition, curl creams are more hydrating and frizz-fighting. Gels work to create more hold on curls but form a less soft and moveable style. It adds major definition to curls while keeping them feeling super-soft and looking shiny without ever weighing hair down. That’s thanks to the combo of meadowfoam seed, olive, and soybean oils and humectants in the formula. Plus, as de León points out, “It works really well in humid climates as well.” Users rave about how moisturized their curls feel when they apply this cream—and how their curls last for days and days. Of course, hair health starts at the roots, and you'll first want to make sure you're using a soothing shampoo for scalp health that cleanses without over-drying.
It can be applied to wet hair for air-dried styling or to dry hair as a refresher. Dealing with curls is one thing, but dealing with curls and a sensitive scalp brings on a whole new slew of issues. For one thing, coconut oil, a major hydrator that works wonders on thicker curls and coils, can clog pores and cause breakouts on sensitive scalps. With moisture as the focus (an essential for curl maintenance), we enlisted the help of several curly hair experts to help us round up the best curl creams, butters, and custards for all curl types. These options will allow your coils, kinks, curls, and waves to shine and be their best selves.
Aveda Develops Game-Changing Care for Curls and Coils, Made for Real Life - StreetInsider.com
Aveda Develops Game-Changing Care for Curls and Coils, Made for Real Life.
Posted: Wed, 24 Apr 2024 12:00:42 GMT [source]
Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Defining Cream
"It has a the consistency of a watery gel (minus the stickiness) and it always keeps my type four curls looking well-defined and in shape." Curl creams “go in and hydrate, and lock in the hydration to help the hair add shine,” says Kenna Ehman, a master stylist and owner of the Kenna Kunijo salon in Charlotte, NC. Argan oil, which not only breathes life back into your curls via shine and moisture, but also keeps them defined and soft all day. Go ahead, whip your hair back and forth—your curls aren't going anywhere. Often times, popular hair care products will feature ingredients that are a no-go for curls. These ingredients include sulfates, silicones, drying alcohols, parabens, and waxes.
Castillo Batalle, Matrix Brand Ambassador, shares, “When looking for products, I always check to make sure there aren’t too many heavy ingredients. “I strive to use products that are heavy with water, aloe, milks, or extracts because they’re lightweight and give you that natural bounce we all want to achieve,” Batalle says. Ehman recommends the brand Kristen Ess, so this highly-reviewed and rated curl cream is a solid pick. It'll define your curls while adding shine, and reviewers like that it makes hair soft, gives volume, is easy to use, and smells good. Perfect for curly hair that's on the finer side, this shea butter-based formula will deeply moisturize and enhance your curls without leaving any heavy residue.
With its lightweight formula, this curl cream is ideal for anyone with type 2 wavy hair. Formulated with argan oil and hydrolyzed vegetable protein, it smooths waves while helping mend split ends. If you're looking for a greener, cleaner curl cream this super creamy formula from Emerge may quickly become your clean ingredient and budget-friendly go-to. Phthalate-, paraben-, sulfate-, and dye-free, it offers moisture, flexible hold, and curl definition without sacrificing ingredient integrity. Curly hair can be very porous and dry, explains Devin Toth, a stylist at Salon SCK in New York City.
Anyone with curly hair knows that the right styling products can mean the difference between dry curls and soft, bouncy ringlets. For tightly-textured or coarse curls, turn to this Dove curl butter cream. "Works well to define curly and kinky hair, moisturizes while also providing hold, and smells absolutely divine!" a Walmart reviewer noted. "This works best on super curly to kinky hair so I've used it on my daughter for coils, braids, etc."
With so many hair products on the market — from heat protectants to styling gels — it can be challenging to see a noticeable difference once your hair is properly fixed. When mixed together it helps reduce frizz and static, resulting in smoother more hydrated strands. And, it can sure be painful to pick and choose the perfect curl-defining cream for your hair type. If your hair leans on the wavy side, you don’t want too heavy of a formula to bog it down.
The formula is paraben and sulfate-free and will last a long time, making it a great option for someone who wants to purchase the most economical curl cream they can. Our team also incorporated their own personal experiences testing products in their own lives. We then used these insights from our research and testing to assign a star rating from one to five (five being the best; one being the worst) to certain products on the list. Slip basically refers to how slick your hair feels after applying product. The more slip a product has, the easier it is to spread and distribute over your strands. You'll want to choose a product that gives slip so detangling and styling is easier.
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