I Finally Embraced My Natural Hair, and These 22 Products Made It So Much Easier

Ready to revamp your curlcare routine?

Admittedly, my hair hasn't gotten the love and attention it deserves from me over the years. Throughout my childhood years, I used to wear it tucked up and out of the way in a picture-perfect ballet bun to get me through hours of dance classes. Later on, I began to chemically straighten it using a relaxer in hopes of spending less time washing, detangling, and styling my tight coils and more time on the things I wanted to do during my teenager years. By the time I reached college, I decided that returning my hair to its natural state was the best thing to do after experiencing major breakage. Then came the big chop.

To this day, one of the toughest transitions I've experienced during my 20-something years on Earth has been learning to work with my hair again without the help of any hot tools, chemical straighteners, or extensions. The challenge of styling my coils after years of not having to think much about them forced me out of my comfort zone and inspired me to try every new natural hair product that came my way. Naturally, I fell in love with a few that made even the most awkward stages of transitioning from relaxed hair back to my natural texture a little less scary.

Six years later, I've found comfort in my protective styles (box and knotless braids have become my go-tos), but in the few weeks between wearing them, I return back to my roots and treat my hair to some much-needed TLC. Below, I'm sharing the products I've discovered since going natural that have completely revitalized my haircare routine. There's something for everyone here—from curl creams that support length retention to treatments that can extend the wear time of your favorite curly styles.

Melissa Reanne Johnson shows off her glossy and bouncy natural curls.

(Image credit: @melissareannejohnson)

How can I figure out my hair type?

One of the best ways to ensure the health of your curls and coils is to shop for products that are designed with your specific hair type and texture in mind. The Andre Walker Hair Typing System, popularly known across the beauty industry as the hair-typing chart, created in the '90s by celebrity hairstylist Andre Walker was developed to help his clients (specifically those with natural hair) understand how to care for and style their strands. By understanding what a specific curl type needs for it to thrive, shopping for the best products to deliver the results you want is made that much easier.

Put simply, "curly hair" is an umbrella term that can be used to describe the textures and patterns of an individual hair strand. Under the Andre Walker Hair Typing System, textures are organized into categories of fine, coarse, and medium coarse. From there, each is determined by the circumference of individual strands, and a hair type is assigned to determine how the hair will act, from type 1a all the way to type 4c.

Maria Sotiriou, curl specialist and founder of Silke London, explains, "1a, 1b, and 1c hair is straight hair and will probably be difficult to style and hold a curl, whereas 4c-type hair will be coily, but the texture can be fine and delicate even though you might not think it is." It's also possible for a person to be working with more than one curl type on their head and for their curl pattern to change over time due to anything from heat damage and chemical use to the hormonal supplements in their diet.

What is hair porosity?

Another major thing to pay attention to while determine which products will work the best for your hair goals is hair porosity, as it can determine how your strands will respond to moisture. "Hair porosity will play a big role in how much product you need. Depending on how well your hair retains water, you may have to use a more hydrating leave-in," celebrity hairstylist Sophie Rose Gutterman explains. While it can be hard to determine the porosity of hair while it's dry, there are expert-approved ways to know for sure.

The float test is an easy way to determine your hair porosity and can make a big difference in how you shop for curl-friendly products. To do it, place a product-free strand of hair in a clear glass of room-temperature water and pay attention to how it behaves. If your strand floats, you have low porosity, and if it sinks quickly, your hair is high porosity. If the strand sinks slowly or remains suspended in the middle of the glass, then your hair is medium porosity. Curls and coils can be found across all porosity levels, so it's important to know yours and shop accordingly.

The Best Curly Hair Products, Listed

Amaka Hamelijnck wears a white top and olive shorts with shiny curls.

(Image credit: @amaka.hamelijnck)

Cleansing the Scalp and Strands

Hydration Through Leave-In Conditioners

Danielle Jinadu wearing a butter yellow trench coat and defined 4c curls in London.

(Image credit: @daniellejinadu)

Curl-Reviving Hair Masks

Adding Definition to Curls and Coils

Curl Creams for Length Retention

Amaka Hamelijnck shows off her healthy, bouncy curls while reapplying her lip liner in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

(Image credit: @amaka.hamelijnck)

Extending Style Wear Time

Effective Tools for Detangling and Styling

What to Look For

Depending on which ingredients you incorporate into your haircare lineup, your chosen products can either make or break a curly hair routine. That's why knowing how they impact the health of your strands (and how to get the most out of them) can revamp your approach to haircare. The products that made my list meet and surpass all expectations since they address my biggest problem areas—breakage, dryness, and lack of length retention. As you shop for curly hair products, keep your personal hair goals in mind and use products powered by ingredients that will address them.

How I Chose

As with all of our buying guides atBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing , we compile our edits based on original testing and expert recommendations. To decide on the best curly hair products, I tested each product on my 4c strands while also leaning on my unique expertise in the beauty space as an editor. I'm aware of how important curl-enhancing formulas, all-natural ingredients, and intentional use are while making smart shopping decisions, so I made sure to list out all the helpful details. Of course, customer reviews and expert guidance are also kept in mind. That said, I scoured the internet for sleeper hits and trending products when compiling my list.

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Maya Thomas
Associate Beauty Editor

Maya Thomas isBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing 's Associate Beauty Editor based in New York City. Her strong love for all things beauty and fashion stems from a strong childhood interest in the fine arts. During a gap year spent in Paris studying the history of French fashion, she shifted her focus to English literature and journalism as a student at Loyola Marymount University with the goal of one day pursuing a career in fashion. After graduating in May 2021, Maya began freelancing for Parade.com as a contributing commerce writer while also building a following on her lifestyle blog, Itsmayalala.com. When she's not writing, Maya spends her free time catching up on reading, perusing art galleries, and enjoying a night out at the ballet every now and then.