Trust Me—These Are the Best Curl Creams For All Curl Patterns
There's a time and place for all types of curly styling products, in my opinion. Curl gels are great for giving the hair unrivalled hold, whether you’re scrunching it in or doing a twist- or braid-out. Butters give thick Afro-textured hair the sealing power required to lock in moisture. Then there’s curl creams.
When I went natural, I completely missed the point of curl creams. I was applying it super liberally (to pretty much dry hair) and expecting it to hold my coils in whatever style I had coiffed it into. This is wrong for all curl types, not just my thick and highly porous strands. Curl creams can transform in purpose depending on your hair thickest (and how weighed down it can feel) and curl tightness. Thicker tighter curls can benefit from using a curl cream to elongate coils if you so wish. Dry curls can benefit from the high water content to replenish hydration before sealing in with an oil while loose, fine curls can rake curl cream through wet hair to aid with definition.
Honestly, the more I write about and use curl products, the more I realise that despite me relying heavily on gels and oils, curl creams are the real mainstay of most curly har routines the universally loved hair wash day product. Here is the best of the best across curl patterns…
Best Curl Creams
Kerastase Curl Manifesto Gelée Curl Contour Gel-Cream
Imbue Curl Empowering Crème Gel
Twist by Ouidad Weather Up Lotion Super Light Styling Lotion
Kristin Ess Hydrating Curl Defining Crème
Umberto Giannini Crème De Curl Control Cream
Cantu Avocado Hydrating Curling Cream
L'Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths Curls Leave in Cream, for Wavy to Curly Hair
Ouai Curl Crème
Bumble and Bumble Curl Defining Cream
Off somewhere sunny? Firstly, lucky you, secondly, your curls will love this. The Bb. Curl Cream gives UV protection, key for colour-treated hair especially, and the formula is enriched with humectants along with butters and oils to draw in moisture and then seal in the shine.
Virtue Curl Leave-In Butter
Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil Hair Pomade
Ok, not a typical curl cream but this is one of my favourite ever sealants for Afro hair and if you’re main curl concern is moisture loss this this doesn’t give it a chance of escaping.
Next up, the best shorter styles for fine hair.
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