The best curly hair products you can buy in 2019
CURLS are frustrating, but they can also be fabulous – once you know how to manage them.
It all starts with the right hair products, and there are quite a few to choose from, whether you’re looking for a bargain buy or a designer brand name, a shampoo or a serum.
To help you sift through the many options out there, we’ve selected the best products that curly-haired folk swear by – and that you can easily purchase online.
The general rule if you have curly hair when it comes to shampooing?
Use a gentle, low-foaming, sulphate-free shampoo when possible and wash hair infrequently so you don’t rob it of essential oils.
Conditioning those curls is also crucial, so invest in a super-hydrating conditioner or leave-in conditioner to get every inch of hair nourished and hydrated.
A weekly hair mask is another mainstay to strengthen and repair those fragile strands.
When it comes to styling your curly hair, you’ll want a lightweight cream or gel-oil that combats frizz, that won’t weigh hair down and leaves it looking shiny
Here’s our round-up of the best products for curly hair around.
1. Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Shampoo
- Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Shampoo, £10.99 from Look Fantastic – buy here
Finding the right shampoo is essential to keeping curly hair in its best condition – and you also don’t want to over-wash it.
The pros recommend a sulphate-free, low-foam shampoo like Shea Moisture’s Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Shampoo, with gorgeous, nourishing ingredients like coconut oil and silk protein.
It cleanses the scalp gently and protects against breakage and you won’t need to use it more than once a week.
2. Noughty Wave Hello Curl Defining Bundle
- Wave Hello Curl Defining Bundle, £15.73 from Noughty – buy here
Noughty haircare products tick all the boxes when it comes to gentle, natural, vegan hair care – at great value for money.
This curl-enhancing set contains sea kelp, avocado oil and mango butter to nourish curls and tame frizz, and fans love its smell and shine.
One satisfied customer said: “The curl cream gives my hair the same effect as it does when sitting in the sun and scrunching, (no more hard work – woohoo), all I need do is finger it through and leave to air dry.”
3. African Pride Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner
- African Pride Shea Butter, £5.23 from Amazon – buy here
A heavy-duty moisturising conditioner is essential for curly, wavy, coily hair, and this popular shea butter product from African Pride does a good job hydrating, detangling, smoothing and adding plenty of shine to curls.
For best results, use daily and enjoy as the compliments start flooding in.
4. Cantu Shea Butter Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream
-
Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream, £7.26 from Amazon – buy here
A sulphate-free, shea butter product that you can apply to damp hair and scrunch up to style, Cantu has a cult following among the curly-haired, since it manages to moisturise locks, define curls and leave hair looking shiny.
Fans love that it’s “affordable and effective” and “marvellous for frizzy hair,” with one declaring: “I’m in love with this product! I have naturally curly and dry hair and this product saves my day every time I use it.
“I use it on dump hair (just a tiny amount is sufficient) and then simply dry it. The result is amazing: my hair is hydrated, soft, and maintains the style all day! Highly recommended.”
5. Bumble and bumble Curl Anti-Humidity Gel-Oil
- Bumble and bumble Curl Anti-Humidity Gel-Oil, £24 from Boots – buy here
A lightweight gel-oil hybrid, this Bb product hydrates and holds curls without weighing hair down, while the blend of Brazilian oils keeps hairy shiny and glossy.
Fans love it so much they call it their “holy grail,” “saving grace” and “amazing on so many levels.”
One customer declares: “I have been religiously using this product for a little over a year now. My hair is thick and textured and I like to wear it natural.
“This product lets me do that. Because it is a gel-oil, it has the moisturizing effect of oil but it is lightweight like a gel. It leaves my hair shiny and soft without making it crunchy like most gels.”
6. Moroccanoil Curl Defining Cream
- Moroccanoil Curl Defining Cream, £27 from Amazon – buy here
A curl-defining, frizz-fighting product with argan oil and proteins to hydrate, detangle and strengthen, wavy-haired gals love this product for encouraging their waves to go curly.
People love how it softens hair – and rave about its delicious smell.
7. Project Beauty Hairgurt Curl Perfecting Yogurt Hair Masque
- Project Beauty Hairgurt Curl Perfecting Yogurt Hair Masque Coconut Açaí, £8.57 from Lucky Vitamin – buy here
The DIY yoghurt hair mask is now a sulphate-free, botanical-blend premium product with coconut, açaí and quinoa to improve the condition of your curls.
Great for nourishing, softening and leaving hair smelling like a yummy pudding.
More Sun Selects
You can still get lovely soft curls with shorter hair – à la Alexa Chung – you just need the right tools. Check our round-up of the best of the best curling wands for short hair.
Enjoyed our roundup of the best curly hair products? head over to our Sun Selects Beauty page.
We’re all about helping you find the best products at the best prices, so follow the link if you want to check out more of Sun Selects’ recommendations.
This article and any featured products have been independently chosen by The Sun journalists. All recommendations within the article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click a link and buy a product we may earn revenue: this helps to support The Sun, and in no way affects our recommendations.