There are SO MANY curl creams and gels and sprays and mousses out there. It is seriously overwhelming. I am going to go over the kinds of curl products, what they are, who they are for, and which items I recommend within that category. Each product I recommend will have links attached to purchase it, if you want to you can click the name of the product. Have a favorite I don't mention? Drop it in the comments below!
Curl Spray
Curl Spray is great for people who have wavy hair that they like to try to bring their curl out in. Why? Because for most of those who fall into this category their curls are activated by moisture. It's a great option for day-two hair to bring out curl, or to control frizz after your freshly washed hair has dried.
BE CAREFUL! Curl Sprays and texture sprays are different! Texture Sprays often have salt or sugar in them and dry out your hair to create texture for those who have none. Where a real curl spray will be hydrating and include a very light leave in conditioner.
Some that I love are the
Kenra Curl Refresher (formerly known as the Kenra Curl Spray), the
Carol's Daughter Hair Milk Nourishing & Conditioning Refresher Spray (pictured on the left), and the
Ouidad Botanical Boost Curl Energizing & Refreshing Spray. All three of these use quality ingredients and are hydrating. If you prefer more natural products then Carol's Daughter would be a great choice for you.
Curl Creating Cream
So the curl creams is where this gets a little tricky, because there are three kinds! Curl Creating Creams, Curl Defining Creams, and Curl Controlling Creams. Usually you do not know which of these you are getting when you purchase your cream an
d sometimes I feel they are improperly labeled. There are no clear guidelines as to what is what and that is likely the problem. So curl creating creams are lightweight. They bring out curl. They are great for people who have wave and when you scrunch this in your hair it brings out your natural texture and curl.
This is my kind of curl cream. This is what I personally use all the time at home. My three die-hard favorites are the
Matrix Wild Boho (you can read a stand alone review of that
here), the
Redken NBD Just Right Cream (you can read that review
here) and the
Living Proof Curl Defining Styling Cream (pictured on the right). I did list those in order form the lightest to the heaviest. All of them will bring out texture and really just can't go wrong with any of these guys.
Curl Defining Cream
Curl Defining Creams are the perfect balance of a creating cream and controlling cream. They are medium in weight, they bring out curl while weighing down frizz. If you feel like all curl creams either make you frizzy or make your hair heavy and greasy, this is your category! If you have light hair that needs a creating cream, then defining cream will be to heavy and leave you feeling greasy, on the flip side if you need a controlling cream this will not control your frizz. People who have larger curls or waves, medium to thick hair and frizz usually find this to be a good fit.
My favorite Defining Creams are the
Matrix Air Dry Twisted Boho, the
Redken Full Swirl Hair Cream Serum. The Redken product (pictured on the left)
is especially good for dry hair, as it has a cream and serum in the product that when you pump out combine.
Curl Controlling Cream
The last on the list is the curl controlling cream. Curl Controlling Creams are the heaviest and are ideal for people with fully formed curls as well as those with tighter or kinky curls. Control creams usually do not aid in bringing out curl and instead support the elastic nature of curl, while delivering serious hydration and heavy weight frizz control. If you feel like the curl cream you are using is weighting your curls down or making your hair feel greasy, it may be a control cream, while you need either a creating or defining cream.
My absolute favorite Curl Control Creams are
DevaCurl's Super Cream Coconut Curl Styler (pictured on the right)
Pureology Curl Complete Taming Butter as well as the
It's a 10 Miracle Defrizzing Curl Cream. All three of these are insanely hydrating and smoothing.
Curling Mousse
I have such a love/hate relationship with mousse. On one hand I feel like the hold and definition you get with mousse is almost unparalleled, but I hate the crunchy and drying nature of mousse. Mousse is really a great option for anyone who doesn't have kinky curls, because it brings out curl but does tame frizz really well. It's even a popular pick for women with perms and those with hair textures from fine to thick and everywhere in between. I just hate the crunchy nature of it. But it doesn't ALWAYS have to be like that! I have two mousse options that I adore. Neither are crunchy or stiff at all, and one is even hydrating!
The
Sebastian Whipped Creme is my #1. It acts like a traditional mousse but it soft and hydrating. It comes out fast and a little goes a long way, so be cautious! But outside of that it's a dynamite product I keep reaching for over and over again. I have yet to find a curly client that doesn't love this product (pictured on the left). The other one I love is the
Joico Curl Defining Contouring Foam-Wax. This isn't your traditional mousse. Once again it comes in the form of a mousse with the foam like aerated texture. But it's not a traditional mousse, because it's a foam wax. So it has hold and creates curl like a mousse, but it has the hold of a wax, which means powerful anti-frizz power and a soft hold that isn't sticky or stiff. It's the perfect marriage.
Curl Gels
The last section is gel. Once again I have a hard time with the stuff nature that gel usually has, but it doesn't always have to be like that. Gels have powerful hold but they rarely bring out curl. Instead the are meant for intense control and anti-frizz power. Where a Control Cream fails a gel will succeed.
Deva Curl gels are in my opinion the standard here. They have three, all three are super light weight and crunch free. Most brands you choose your product based on your curl type but these are really based on your needs, because all three will work for all kinds of curl. The
DevaCurl Ultra Defining Gel has the highest amount of hold and can help your style to be extended overnight by a day or two. This one does have a tendency to get stiff in my opinion, but it never hits plastic-like as long as you don't use way to much product. The there is the
DevaCurl Arc Angel Gel which is best for those with very dry hair. It has a higher hold, but is more lightweight in consistency and it hydrating. The last is the
DevaCurl Light Defining Gel which has the lest hold. Hold doesn't mean anti-frizz power though. For example someone with kinky curls may opt for the light defining gel simply because they want to reduce frizz without the immovable strength of the ultra defining gel.
Did I miss a kind of product you are wanting me to talk about? What are your favorite curly hair products? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Packaging - 5 (excellent)
