Curling creams for wavy and curly hair:7 Best products

If you have curly hair, you know that choosing the correct curl cream (or any product for curly hair, for that matter) is like negotiating a highly intricate curly hair obstacle course…blindfolded. Working with delicate curls? Avoid elements that will weigh down your hair.

Do you have dry or damaged hair? Look for wetness, moisture, and even more moisture. Finally, you’re hoping for a curl cream that will leave you moisturized, defined, and happy curls—but that’s not a guarantee.

Let’s dive into this to make your quest for the perfect curl cream easier.

Best Products for Curling creams for wavy and curly hair

TGIN Twist & Define cream for Natural hair

Curl cream that works best for thick, dry hair

This curl cream, infused with coconut oil and vitamin E, is like a glass of water for your hair, hydrating your curls while smoothing out any flyaway. Plus, it’s ideal for anyone with thick hair because the formula seeps into your curls, providing a firm hold and lasting definition that doesn’t weigh you down.

Fragrance- free OUAI cream

It’s unusual to discover a curly hair product that matches practically every curl type, but this is one of them. “It’s not just free of fragrance, silicones, and waxes, but it’s also oddly adaptable based on your curl type,” explains Cosmopolitan deputy beauty director Chloe Metzger. “Despite the fact that it contains coconut oil, which often makes my fine hair greasy, a dime-size dollop squeezed through my sopping-wet hair leaves my 3a curls defined, silky, and bouncy.”

Not your Mother’s curl talk defining cream 

Whether your high-porosity curls result from color damage, protein treatments, or just plain genetics, we recommend a curl cream containing proteins and heavy moisturizers. This curl cream contains both, as well as shea butter and moisture to assist your hair in retaining moisture and reducing breakage, which you’ve surely observed it’s prone to.

Verb curl cream

If you swear by the Curly Girl Method (or are just getting started), this curl cream is packed with CGM-friendly moisturizers. Enter hydrating alcohols, olive oil, and film-forming humectants to keep your moisture in place. If you have finer hair, avoid this one because the silicones in the mix may weigh down your curls and produce buildup.

Boamint mosturizing curl defining cream by Adwoa beauty 

This protein and moisture-packed curl cream is an excellent alternative if you have high porosity curls (meaning your hair’s cuticles are more open, collecting moisture easily but losing it easily). It’s a moisturizer with shea butter, proteins, and almond oil that your curls will drink up, as well as proteins that will help strengthen them.

Curl Quencher moisturizing styling gel by unidad 

Want to run your fingers through your hair without feeling crunchiness? This lightweight gel-cream hybrid with meadowfoam seed oil and arnica flower can smooth and nourish even the driest curls without leaving them rigid.

Shea butter moisture smoothie with coconut and hibiscus

This sulfate-free soufflé is a cult favorite because it contains coconut oil and hibiscus flower extract, which help prevent breakage and stimulate hair development. It also contains silk protein and neem seed oil, which help to create voluminous, frizz-free twist-outs and wash-and-go styles.

Curly curl cream by Taliah Waajid

Add this curl cream to your 4c hair product shelf as soon as possible. This non-greasy solution is ideal for natural hair that is finer in texture and deeply nourishes and improves your curls without leaving a heavy residue.

Coconut shea curl defining cream by Eden Bodyworks 

This cream helps keep your hair in check while still providing it with the hydration it requires, thanks to high concentrations of coconut oil and shea butter in its recipe. The results? Curls that are lengthy and silky to the touch. You won’t be able to quit fiddling with your hair…but please, for the sake of your curls, try.

True textures curl enhancing lotion by Mizani  

This curl cream refreshes and softens your hair from root to tip without weighing it down with an oil blend that includes coconut, marula, and olive oils. It’s ideal for thin, curly hair since it provides a light grip without crushing your curls.

Rahua curl control cream styler 

“Low-porosity hair can be protein sensitive,” it explains. “As a result, I choose creams that are more moisturising and richer in emollients, such as jojoba oil.” it recommends this curl product for low porosity hair, which contains jojoba oil (to seal in moisture) and molasses extract (for shine).

Curl defining pudding cream Pantene PRO-V Gold series 

With our curl pudding, you don’t have to choose between hydration and great definition. Made with argan oil (noticing a pattern here? Argan oil is the best mid-weight hair oil, so it’s in everything), this pudding provides a curl definition that lasts for days without leaving hair dry.

Curl Corps defining cream by Amika

It’s difficult to find the appropriate curl cream for thick hair—you want something heavy enough to perform its job but not so heavy that it leaves your hair greasy. This curl cream achieves the ideal balance. Tapioca starch adds definition without making your curls feel heavy, and oat peptide and sea buckthorn berries keep your hair hydrated.

Coconut curling cream by Cantu 

Crunchy, stiff, flaky curls are a total nightmare, so I’m assuming you’ll want to avoid them at all costs. This ultra-hydrating curl cream is the answer. It contains shea butter, aloe vera, coconut oil, and jojoba oil, which all help to nourish fragile hair for beautiful curls.

Twist defining cream Red AS I AM

Nothing is worse than a curl cream that leaves your hair flat and greasy. Fortunately, this lightweight creamy styler accomplishes the opposite. It also keeps its promise of hydrating your hair (thanks to sunflower oil) while reducing frizz and flyaways that appear after undoing your twists.

Gel cream for Afro sheen

There’s nothing worse than finding flakes in your curls just a few days after washing your hair. With this curl cream, you don’t have to worry about repeating your wash day. It contains moisturizing components like flaxseed oil, coconut oil, and shea butter that define your curls without leaving them flaky or crunchy.

Rockin ringletsstyling potion, Jessicusl

If the mere sight of a product containing heavy ingredients such as shea butter and coconut oil makes your hair feel greasy, try this super-lightweight curl cream. It’s formulated with lightweight moisturizers like jojoba oil and aloe vera and has a mild hold to add definition to your curls without weighing them down.

OGX Moroccan argan oil curling perfection Curl-Defining cream 

This cream’s star ingredient? Argan oil adds shine and nourishment to your curls and keeps them defined and soft all day. Whip your hair back and forth—your curls aren’t going away.

Curl defining cream by Morocannoil 

This product is marketed as a curl-defining lotion, but it does more than that. It also softens your hair (thanks, argan oil), makes the smoothest flyaway, adds luster, and leaves you with a velvety sensation that lasts long after you take your twists out.

Curl talk defining cream isn’t your mother’s 

Whether your high-porosity curls result from color damage, protein treatments, or just plain genetics, it recommends a curl cream containing proteins and heavy moisturizers. This curl cream contains both, as well as shea butter and moisture to assist your hair in retaining moisture and reducing breakage, which you’ve surely observed it’s prone to.

How to choose the best curling cream:

Determine the porosity of your hair

If you’ve been selecting curl creams entirely based on your curl type (think: 3a curls, 4b hair, etc.) and you’re still experiencing weighed down, worn out, or thin hair, it could be due to your hair porosity.

If you have high porosity hair, it likely absorbs moisture well but does not retain it well, and you could benefit from a heavier curl cream, including components such as shea butter and heavy oils.

Cuticles in low-porosity hair are extremely close together, making it difficult for moisture and chemicals to penetrate the hair, resulting in product accumulation and dryness. Two people with the same curl pattern may have very different porosities, requiring them to use various curl creams.

FAQ

• Is curling cream effective on wavy hair?

Curl cream is used to improve the natural wave pattern.

“It helps holds your waves together for a more cohesive look,” Money advises. An excellent wavy hair curl cream will coat your strands with a thin layer that smooths cuticles and keeps hair from tangling.

• How do you style naturally wavy curly hair?

Do you want to experiment with your waves? Apply a nourishing or curl-enhancing styling cream on damp hair evenly. For example, our Miracle Styling Cream defines curls and waves with bouncy shine and a smooth, silky feel. While your hair is still moist, twisting or scrunching your waves can help.

• What wavy hair cream should I use?

Moroccanoil Curl Defining Cream is the best overall. Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair is the best for frizz control. Keracolor Text lt Up Texturizing Cream for Curly Hair is ideal for creating waves. Rucker Roots GTC Curly Cream is the best for thick hair.

Conclusion

Understand your curl type and hair texture. Then choose your favorite product.

This should be no surprise, but your curls determine the best curl cream. You must choose your curl type, but the first — and most crucial — thing Kayani wants you to know? “A curl cream should not be chosen based just on your curl pattern—it should be chosen based on your texture, whether fine, medium, or coarse.”