It was during the pandemic that I started taking my hair-care routine seriously. As I began to do research, I figured finding the best curly hair products would be a done deal. I thought I could poll all my friends, look at every trending TikTok, and read every article to somehow find the formulas that would transform my hair in a quick use. That defined curls, reduced frizz, and improved hydration were just one wash day away. But one hair styling session turned into another. Weeks, months, even years passed; the hair-care drawer in my bathroom overflowing. I had managed to test all the bestsellers, some good, some great, a few “game-changing.” Yes, my hair started to look better than ever: juicy, defined, strengthened, and moisturized, but rather than feeling satisfied, I was left with the overarching feeling that my quest to the best would never end.
Vogue’s Favorite Curly Hair Products
Why, you ask? Our hair and goals change over time. Sometimes, I craved bond repair and strengthening for my heat damaged, color treated mane. Other times, I needed intense moisture and smoothing when harsh temperatures left my tresses especially dry. Finding the right holy grail products is less about a one-and-done search, but rather understanding your hair type, curl type, the style you’re after, and what’s realistic in your routine. Care for your hair the same way you would your skin—make adjustments where necessary, and when new products and devices come out, give them a try, ask a friend, or what to see what social media has to say. Ahead, everything you need to know about curly hair products—plus, the best formulas to shop according to moi and fellow Vogue editors.
Best Mask: Amika Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Mask with Hyaluronic Acid
- Why We Love It: Amika has been trending on TikTok lately for all sorts of curly girls—from those who sport their natural coils to those who prefer a silk press. No matter the style, Amika’s Hydro Rush mask comes in handy. A favorite of mine and Vogue’s senior fashion editor Naomi Elizée, this quenches thirsty hair in just one 10-minute treatment. Squalane, sea buckthorn, plus hyaluronic and polyglutamic acids are the stars here—whipped into a fluffy cream—ensuring all curl types are left hydrated as ever.
- Key Ingredients: Squalane, hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid, blue/green algae, sea buckthorn
- Best For: Moisture, softness
- Size: 8 oz / 250 mL
Best Shampoo: Innersense Hydrating Cream Hair Bath
- Why We Love It: Everyone knows that a good shampoo sets the stage for any hairstyle. But just because you want your hair to be squeaky clean does not mean it should strip strands of essential moisture. This is where Innersense’s Hydrating Cream Hair Bath shines. My favorite weekly wash by far, this light cream is enriched with shea butter plus monoi, avocado, and tamanu oils to nourish the strands while sloughing away dirt and impurities.
- Key Ingredients: Shea butter, monoi oil, avocado oil, and tamanu oils
- Best For: Cleansing
- Size: 10 fl. oz
Best Butter: Pantene Gold Series Hydrating Butter-Cream
- Why We Love It: Sometimes a typical curl cream doesn’t deliver enough moisture and you need something more emollient; in that case, a rich butter is the ticket. Pantene’s is an excellent drugstore option, ringing in at just $8. Here, argan oil is whipped into a heavy elixir that instantly smooths frizz and boosts moisture to wet and dry hair.
- Key Ingredients: Argan oil
- Best For: Moisture, smooths frizz
- Size: 6.8 oz / 193g
Best Leave-In: Mizani 25 Miracle Milk Heat Protectant Leave-In Conditioner
- Why We Love It: “I swear by this leave-in conditioner,” says Vogue’s digital style director Leah Faye Cooper. “It works wonders in terms of keeping my natural, kinky hair soft and moisturized, and I also use it a few times a week whenever I have box braids.” I couldn’t agree more! Plus, it’s rare to find a heat protectant that manages to hydrate hair without weighing it down. A true multitasker that rings useful with nearly every style possible, I always have a bottle of this at home.
- Key Ingredients: Coconut oil, fennel seed oil
- Best For: Moisture, heat protectant, softness, shine
- Size: 8.5 fl. oz / 100 mL
Best Deep Conditioner: Cécred Moisturizing Deep Conditioner
- Why We Love It: Considering the state of Beyoncé and Solange’s hair, it’s no surprise how quickly the industry took to Cécred. However, the line rises above your average celebrity beauty brand with products that actually work wonders to improve hair’s look, feel, and overall strength. Of the seven-piece collection, this deep conditioner is a personal favorite. Squalane, hyaluronic acid, a bioactive keratine ferment, hyssop extract, African oils, shea and murumuru butter come together to deliver hydration that lasts from one wash day to the next.
- Key Ingredients: Squalane, hyaluronic acid, bioactive keratin ferment, hyssop extract, shea butter, murumuru butter, African oil blend
- Best For: Moisture, softness
- Size: 10 fl. oz
Best for Damaged Hair: Pattern Treatment Mask
- Why We Love It: This Pattern formula is one of those do-it-all masks that I reach for whenever my hair needs some intense TLC. It’s led by rice water, an ingredient board-certified dermatologist Dr. Hadley King previously said “contains amino acids, B vitamins, vitamin E, other antioxidants, minerals, and inositol, which could help to strengthen hair strands” for decreased breakage and improved hair growth. Moringa seed extract offers moisture and slip.
- Key Ingredients: Rice water ferment, moringa seed extract, panthenol, glycerin, sunflower sprout extract
- Best For: Strengthening, moisture, elongating curls
- Size: 15 fl oz / 443.6 mL
Best Curl Cream: SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie
- Why We Love It: Thao’s pick for best curl cream? SheaMoisture’s Curl Enhancing Smoothie, of course. This pairs the best of moisture and definition (as any great curly hair product should) thanks to neem oil, coconut oil, and silk protein that address dryness and frizz after just one use. Though this has been on the market for years, friends and I continue to rely on it. Offering versatile uses and pairing well with other hair products, this will be a mainstay in my vanity for years to come, I’m sure.
- Key Ingredients: Neem oil, coconut oil, and silk protein
- Best For: Smoothing frizz, moisture
- Size: 12 oz / 340 g
Best Oil: Carol’s Daughter Goddess Strength 7 Oil Blend Hair & Scalp Oil
- Why We Love It: I am a big proponent of a good hair oil, and Carol’s Daughter’s Goddess Strength 7 formula has been one of my must-haves for years. I first chose it for the handy nozzle applicator, but kept using it for its regenerative blend that not only seals moisture along the hair shaft but addresses breakage, split ends, and frizz too. Though it is more lightweight than the average hair oil, I find it too heavy for silk press days, so I most often reach for it when slicking hair back into a ponytail or during protective styles.
- Key Ingredients: Castor oil, olive oil, jojoba seed oil, coconut oil, black cumin seed oil, flax seed oil, soybean oil
- Best For: Moisture, reducing frizz, breakage
- Size: 4.2 fl. oz
Best for Long-Lasting Curls: Curlsmith In-Shower Style Fixer
- Why We Love It: Curlsmith’s In-Shower Style Fixer proves that styling curly hair doesn’t have to be an hours-long affair. A take on a hair gel, this utilizes a strong hold complex designed to apply directly in your shower when hair is soaking wet. Upon application, hair will feel crunchy but do not fret—this dissipates as hair dries. Just scrunch hair upward for bouncy waves and coils of dreams.
- Key Ingredients: Avocado oil, apricot kernel oil, rosemary leaf extract, sunflower oil, andiroba, resurrection flower
- Best For: Definition, hold, smooths frizz
- Size: 8 fl. oz
Best Mousse: Rizos Curls Curl Defining Mousse
- Why We Love It: In my experience, mousse is best to set looser waves and curls after washing, conditioning, and detangling. Per Thao, lightly apply mousse from mid-length to ends for sleek definition, then diffuse or air dry. Both of our experts recommend this Rizos Curls formula: “It doesn’t make the hair greasy, but it gives it a shiny and light feeling,” says Thao.
- Key Ingredients: Coconut water, cactus flower extract, maracuja seed oil
- Best For: Definition, shine
- Size: 6.8 oz
Best Detox: TPH By Taraji Never Salty Exfoliating Sugar Scalp Detox Hair Scrub
- Why We Love It: Say you’ve just taken your hair out of braids or some other protective style, you’re going to want a deep scalp detox to rid of any product buildup. To suit, TPH’s scrub is powered by sugar crystals for physical exfoliation plus apple cider vinegar and peppermint to clarify, cleanse, and boost circulation to the scalp. This mixture is dispersed out of a handy nozzle applicator that allows you to put product where you most need it.
- Key Ingredients: Apple cider vinegar, peppermint oil, coconut oil, squalane, glycerin, sweet almond oil
- Best For: Cleansing, clarifying
- Size: 6.7 fl oz
Best Gel: Aveda Be Curly Advanced Coil Definer Gel
- Why We Love It: For long-lasting definition, a hair gel is a must-have. Aveda’s Be Curly formula is a favorite of Thao’s. Best for 3C to 4C curl types, this gel is quite lightweight, meaning its gentle on delicate curls. But when mixed with a cream and raked through hair in sections, it achieves perfectly defined coils and rids of frizz for up to 72 hours. Not to mention, it’s free of alcohol, parabens, sulfates, and silicones known to dry your hair out.
- Key Ingredients: Peptides, amino acids, glycerin, castor oil, apple fruit extract
- Best For: Definition
- Size: 8.8 fl oz / 250 ml
Best Edge Control: Fenty Beauty The Controlling Type Hair-Thickening Edge Control Gel
- Why We Love It: Fenty’s edge control seems to have captured the heart of many a Vogue editor. “As a girly who tries to leave her edges alone and let them grow and thrive while maintaining a silk press, this is a godsend,” says senior commerce writer Cortne Bonilla. “It holds my hair in place without the damage, and still feels soft to the touch after a long day.” Across the pond, British Vogue’s associate beauty and wellness writer Ranyechi Udemezue is impressed how it keeps her edges in tact while nourishing her scalp. I, too, am fond of its conditioning properties—via the brand’s Replenicore-5 amino acids, proteins, and antioxidants for softer baby hairs after each use.
- Key Ingredients: Replenicore-5 complex, larchwood extract, red clover flower extract, panthenol
- Best For: Edges, hold
- Size: 3.4 oz
Best Multitasker: Davines OI All In One Milk
- Why We Love It: British Vogue’s commerce beauty and wellness writer Tracy Achonwa uses this Davines Oi milk in every step of her hair care routine. “Uninstalling your braids? The oil-infused mist makes easy work of untangling kinks and knots. Refreshing lackluster curls? It also hydrates hair, smooths frizz, and imparts a healthy sheen.” “An emulsion made with protective ingredients that shield your hair from damage, it can be called on before intensive heat-styling, too. Best of all, it smells exquisite. I’d even say that its scent supersedes some of the best perfumes in my collection. It has a clean, sparkling aroma distinctive to fragrances that feature aldehyde–think: the fresh profile of Maison Francis Kurkdijan’s 724, but for a fraction of the cost. Expect curls that feel good, look better, and fetch compliments from everyone in your orbit for smelling divine.”
- Key Ingredients: Roucou oil, vitamin B5, glycerin, sunflower seed oil
- Best For: Moisture, smoothing frizz, shine
- Size: 135 mL
Best Hair Perfume: Gisou Honey Infused Hair Perfume
- Why We Love It: “For those seasons when your regular shampoo comes recommended by a trichologist, uninspiring soapy scents are inevitably part of the prescription,” Udemezue says. “Have no fear, hair perfume is here! Infused with Mirsalehi honey and argan oil, Gisou’s hair fragrances are both delicate and energizing. Spritz onto your ends for a blissful pick-me up.”
- Key Ingredients: Mirsahlehi honey, lavendar, ginger and blackberry leaf,
- Best For: Fragrance
- Size: 1.7 fl. oz
Best Finishing Oil: Bread Beauty Supply Hair Oil Everyday Gloss
- Why We Love It: “This hair oil is truly a godsend on my mostly curly, thick hair,” Vogue’s senior fashion news editor Laia Garcia-Furtado previously said, citing this option by Bread Beauty Supply as one of her holy grail hair-care products. She most loves that it delivers softness without weighing down—meaning it helps achieve bouncy, smooth curls every time.
- Key Ingredients: Kakadu plum oil, coconut extract, safflower oil
- Best For: Moisture, softness
- Size: 1.69 oz
What is the ideal curly hair routine?
In Thao’s world, this is the ultimate curly hair routine: with hair cleaned, conditioned, and left super wet, spray leave-in conditioner in sections (or all-over depending on your hair density). “Depending on the curl type, I usually use a curly cream, hair serum, or gel,” he continues. Apply your product of choice in four sections, then rake through with a wide tooth comb or detangler brush. For wavy or type 2 hair, he might also apply a hair mousse. Then, diffuse with the best hair dryers or air dry. Finally, add a bit of shine spray or oil along the ends for added luster.
Is knowing your curl type important?
According to Thao, “It’s good to understand your hair type and curl so that you can train it. You don’t necessarily need to know what hair type because each hair strand is different from the nape of the head to the top of the head.”
What to look for in curly hair products?
“Look for non-alcoholic hair products because alcohol dries out your hair,” Thao says. Semande’s biggest tip is to check every ingredients list. “Products packed with water-based ingredients like aloe vera, honey, and glycerin help retain moisture,” she notes, though formulas packed with boticals oils, extracts, and butters can breathe life into extra-dry curls. Plus, “avoid products with drying ingredients like parabens, silicon, and sulfate.”
How do you limit frizz and breakage when styling curly hair?
When it comes to definition, limiting frizz and breakage is key. Per Semande, “using anti-frizz products and retaining as much moisture as possible will help [here].”
Meet The Experts
- Elizabeth Semande is a celebrity hairstylist who often works with Sabrina Elba, Coco Jones, and Venus Williams.
- Alex Thao is a celebrity hairstylist whose clients include Justine Skye, Ice Spice, and Tori Kelly.