For when you want to ditch your flat iron and go natural.
Here at KCM, each of us has an area of expertise or two (or three, or four). To provide the best possible shopping advice, we’ve mined our community to bring you recommendations from staffers who moonlight as product experts. In the latest installment of our series, From Someone Who Would Know, editorial assistant Diana Valenzuela talks about her favorite curly hair products. From nourishing oils to lush satin pillowcases, these products will help you feel excited and proud to style natural curls.
I’m obsessed with my thick, wild, very curly hair. I know that makes me sound incredibly vain, but I don’t mind. I was endlessly bullied for having curly, frizzy hair my entire childhood and adolescence because stick-straight hair was all the rage. Curl-nourishing products weren’t easy to find at the drugstore back then and brands had yet to release the sulfate-, silicone-, and paraben-free formulas curls require. And forget researching and ordering rare, clean options online — we forget that the Internet is a relatively new resource that now gives us access to all the beauty information we lacked as teenagers.
All those factors converged and I regularly flat ironed my hair to a crisp. For a decade. Eventually, I stumbled upon curly hair gurus on Youtube and finally began my curly hair journey. The road to recovery included tutorials for conditioning, reviews on every curly hair product, tips on diffusing, and even advice on giving yourself a trim (not something I’m personally brave enough to try). Thanks to the virtual encouragement of the gurus — and a helpful curly hair quiz — I began to understand my personal curl pattern and level of porosity. I discovered that my hair is high porosity, which means it’s inclined to be very dry. So, I sought out deeply moisturizing hair masks to supplement my favorite lightweight milks and sprays. In other words, make sure you tailor your hair routine accordingly — not all textures are created equal.
Another key tip: If your current salon experience never leaves you loving your natural hair, it’s time to team up with a stylist who understands your texture. If you’re struggling to find the right stylist, I like this little research guide: It explains how to interview a potential stylist to better understand their methods and philosophy.
Once I knew my hair type and started getting haircuts that didn’t leave me looking like a poodle, I began feeling more confident and excited to build my curly product arsenal, which I’m happy to share with you (please learn from my mistakes). From staples that have earned my longtime loyalty to Amazon finds worth the experiment, here are some of my tried and true favorites.
11 Best Curly Hair Products
Pattern Intensive Conditioner for Tight Textures
Pattern
A nourishing conditioner is the foundation of bouncy, frizz-free hair. I love Pattern (it’s in Katie’s shop for a reason) because their conditioners are packed with ultra-nourishing ingredients like avocado oil and shea butter. I also love Pattern’s commitment to addressing diverse curl types: If you’ve got a looser curl pattern than mine, they carry a lightweight conditioner and a nice, middle-of-the-road medium option. If you have very coily hair, they also have a heavier formula available.
SheaMoisture High Porosity Moisture Replenish Masque
Amazon
If you think that specialty hair products have to be expensive, SheaMoisture is here to prove you wrong. Guaranteed to be stocked at any major drugstore, this brand is loved by any curly girl on a budget. I use this deep conditioning hair mask every time I wash my hair (about once a week) before I apply regular conditioner. It adds enough moisture to keep my hair frizz-free for the first two-ish days after washing.
Moroccanoil Treatment
Nordstrom
After I get out of the shower, I typically swipe some oil through my hair, focusing on my ends. This Moroccanoil is my all-time favorite treatment because it’s thick yet lightweight and smooth (not sticky). I rub a nickel-sized pool of oil between my palm and rake that through wet hair. I also use a few dabs of this oil on dry hair whenever I notice a halo of frizz puffing up.
Davine’s OI All In One Milk
Davines
Yet another pick from Katie’s Shop (hey, we’ve got good taste)! This leave-in milk is everything a spray should be: Softening and hydrating, yet lightweight enough that your hair isn’t weighed down. This spray noticeably promotes shine, too — something notoriously hard to achieve with curly hair. I usually mist this into my hair after applying an oil treatment.
DevaCurl Frizz-Fighting Volumizing Foam
Amazon
When you have to rake so many heavy conditioning products into your hair, achieving any sort of volume can be a challenge. To gain back a little pizzazz, I apply this DevaCurl mousse at the end of my post-wash routine (right before a dose of gel). I flip my hair upside down and specifically apply this foam to my roots. It adds some body and never leaves my hair stiff or crunchy.
Pattern Curl Gel
Pattern
Speaking of crunchy hair, I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to fear gel. If you had a bad experience 20 years ago, you’d be surprised that gels have officially emerged from the dark ages. I suppose we have science to thank — these days, gels will define your hair without stiffening your locks into a helmet. This Pattern pick perfectly defines my curls. The formula includes aloe vera, coconut oil, and cacay oil so this gel adds moisture, too. I rake a small dollop through my hair to finish off my hair routine.
Microfiber Hair Towel
Amazon
If you have frizz-prone hair, you know that any friction is dangerous. I like to dry off my hair with a soft microfiber hair towel instead of messing up my smooth curls with rough terry cloth. It may seem a little over the top, but these little details add up.
Denman Brush
Walmart
While you should never dry brush curly hair, wet brushing can encourage your curls to clump together. The Denman brush has gained a cult following because it has a pin pattern specifically spaced to encourage curl definition. After I apply products to my wet hair, I like to run my Denman brush through my hair, coiling my strands around the brush as I go. My curls come out chunkier, which boosts body and shine.
DevaCurl DevaFuser
Amazon
I don’t usually blow dry, but I keep this diffuser around for special occasions. Because of its unique shape (it’s supposed to look like a hand) you’ll slide the diffuser under your hair to dry the roots, then work outwards. Drying from the inside out ensures that your ends will grow frizzy by the time your roots dry.
Briogeo Super Moisture Shampoo
Ulta
I shampoo very, very rarely (about once a month). That said, I still choose my shampoo carefully since I want it to count. For years, I’ve been relying on this hydrating Briogeo pick. It’s a creamy formula that manages to nourish hair while also cleaning and detangling. It gets rid of dirt and buildup, but never strips my hair of its natural oils.
Satin Pillowcases
Amazon
A satin pillowcase may seem excessive, but trust me on this one. We rest our heads on a pillow for about eight hours a day, so rubbing your precious hair against scratchy, rough fabric can encourage breakage, tangling, and frizz. Nabbing at least one satin pillowcase is an easy way to smooth things out so that you won’t ruin all of your hard work overnight.
