Going curly means going green. The detergents (sulfates) in shampoo pollute the water, so living a sulfate-free life helps keep the water supply clean. Not using blow-dryers and flat irons means you’re saving electricity.
-Lorraine Massey, Curly Girl: The Handbook
It’s so easy when you’re a curly girl–all you really need is conditioner and gel! Instead of spending hours in the conditioner aisle reading labels, make your list right here. Whether your curls are worth their weight in gold or you want the cheapest curl-safe conditioner, read on to find out about other curly girl’s favorite products!
Quick Reference Curl-Safe Ingredient List
- Curly Cleansers
should be sulfate-free
cetyl alcohol is okay in cleanser–but not in gel - Curly Conditioners
should be botanical conditioners:
no silicone or “-ones”–they repel water and weigh down your curls
lots of plant-based ingredients (mint, lemongrass, and rosemary), emollients (shea butter, vegetable oils, olive oil, walnut oil, jojoba oil, cetyl esters, wheat germ), humectants (panthenol, vegetable glycerin, sorbitol), moisturizers (amino acids, aloe vera, olive oil, propylene glycol), and proteins. - Curly Gels
should be gel-y, not sticky:
no alcohol, no silicone, no parabens, no phthalates, no color, and little fragrance
We want to hear about your favorite conditioners and gels! Please submit your review using the comment box at the bottom of the page. All reviews will be moderated, and may be edited for clarity, length, or grammar.
#1 on every Curly Girl’s Shopping List is
Curly Girl: The Handbook
by Lorraine Massey
Disclaimer: Curly Girl is a secular book written by a secular author. As such, it should be read with discretion and previewed before handing to young children. Most potentially offensive elements can be avoided by skipping the introduction, appendixes, and “curl confessions”, as well as chapter 16 in the expanded second edition.
Recently I tested a product, a Curl Cloth made by the company Curls Like Us, and my curls did indeed like the cloth. Simply put, a Curl Cloth is strip of heavy jersey fabric, sewn into a tube with a decorative edge. Curly or wavy girls can use the cloth to scrunch their hair after showering to wick away excess water, encourage “curl clustering,” and keep frizz from forming.
It works much like a microfiber towel, paper towels, or a thick, tightly-woven T-shirt with a few exceptions. First, the cloth dries quickly, which is important for everyday use. Second, it has a smooth surface that really does help eliminate frizz from friction. Third, with its chocolate brown material and ruffled edges, it pleases the eye much more than a cast-off T-shirt, especially as it decorates the bathroom while hanging to dry. And, finally, it costs quite a bit more than a similar alternative would. But many curl lovers will find $24 for a set of two cloths (two are necessary for long or thick hair) worth the investment and ideal as a gift for a curly-headed friend.
Curls Like Us recommends that users apply a generous amount of gel or a similar product to dripping wet hair, rake it through their hair, and then use the cloth for scrunching out the excess water and setting the curls.
Although I do not like to use gel that will end up wasted in the cloth and hesitate to manually separate my natural curl clusters, I have found the cloth to work well with my normal routine: letting my curls drip out excess water, using the cloth to wick out moisture, adding a small amount of gel to my hair, and then using the towel briefly once more to help absorb any remaining drips.
Even following my own hair care routine, I still benefit from using the Curl Cloth, and I love how my hair has less—if any—friction frizz and my curls dry with less “crunchiness” than before.
Following the Curls Like Us philosophy of “every curl deserves to be happy,” the Curl Cloth product helps bring that “happiness” about.
Visit the Curls Like Us website at http://www.curlslikeus.com for further information about and pictures of this product, along with a short video on how to use the cloths.
I’ll admit it. Rarely am I willing to pay “the price for beauty.” Unless I’ve found a deal on a natural conditioner at the grocery outlet, it’s TressEmme or Aussie conditioner that coats my curls. Leaving a good bit of build-up, of course. But it’s the price I pay for being cheap.
I’ve tried a lot of different gels, but always gravitate back towards TressEmme’s curl gel. Oh, and when I visit my sister, I borrow her Burt’s Bees conditioner–it’s amazing what the combination of a that and un-softened water does for my curls!
I had never thought much about how the typical bath towel might be too harsh for curly hair. Once I could see and feel the Curl Cloth’s (http://www.curlslikeus.com/) softness and flexibility, it made me wince to think how I might have been too hard on my hair trying to dry it with a regular towel. I found the Curl Cloth was very absorbent and is definitely much gentler on my hair. Even for my waist-length hair it is long and wide enough to wrap around all of my hair to dry it. Plus, as a friend said, it just looks cute hanging up by your towel!
You say to use lots of conditioner but actually this can weigh down the curls and give a horrid effect.
Also using a shampoo/conditioner concentrated on curly hair would be a good idea.
Remember light serums as a finishing product would work well to seal down the frizz.
http://www.turbietwistllc.com/
My grandma gave me one of these for my birthday, and it works so well! It lets my curls stay scrunched as they dry so they’re still springy when I take them down to style!
A must on my shopping list has for many years been TressEmme’s mousse designed just for curls. It is cheaper but I don’t feel like it is too heavy for my corkscrew curls. The light, non-sticky formula is a staple for my curly hair-care routine.
Rachelle-AGREED! I LOVE Tresemme’s mousse for curls! Cheap, and I know it’s mousse so it may have some not great chemicals, but it works! Tigi also has a Catwalk Curl Rocks Amplifier that I have loved for years! Rock Hard Gelee by Biosilk is also great for gels!
I’ve found that Aussie’s moose is also great for curly hair…still lots of learning to do…
Garnier Fructis Curl Sculpting Cream Gel is my current favourite…I use it as a leave-in conditioner.
I have found that Tressemme’s conditioners are fabulous but my hair becomes immune to them so I change conditioners often. My favorite right now is Pantene’s curly conditioner. La Bella Curly care I think is still the best gel. And I found that if I want my hair to be lighter but still a little controlled Suave’s Healthy Curls works best for me.
I was afraid to go completely style product less until a couple of months ago. I tried it and I love the way my hair feels so light and healthy, I try to do that on days where I don’t have to go anywhere later, because it isn’t so defined.
I am thankful for this website helping me to learn how to care for the hair God gave me. I now don’t have to be ashamed of my frizzy head, but help other girls find the joy of being who God made them.
So far I’m really liking Garnier Nutrisse Triple Nutrition conditioner. Only the Triple Nutrition is -cone free; the rest of their line has -cones. If I really load up with this conditioner on dry days it does wonders. Now it’s summer and humid I’m going a little easier on it.
These are the gels that I use, mixed together.
Herbal Essences (Totally Twisted): http://www.herbalessences.com/us/collections/totally_twisted/gel.jsp
Aussie Sydney Smooth: http://www.aussie.com/en_US/sydney-smooth
My favorite shampoo and conditioner right now are TresSemme’s Naturals line with less sulfates and silicones. I love Nexxus Gorgeous Curls foam for after a shower or if I decide to go crunchy.
The best way to use gel is just a squirt mixed with water in a spray bottle- perfect for mornings I don’t shower (I like my showers in the afternoon) to perk up my hair! My favorite right now is Herbel Essences’ Totally Twisted.
I like Aussie’s Sun Touched Shine gel! It’s nice when the humidity is lower, and isn’t too heavy on my wavy hair.
Currently, I have been using Tresemme naturals.
I love the silkiness of the conditioner. The only thing I wish I could find is a non crunchy gel!
I’ve really like TRESemme products! http://www.tresemme.com/curl/index.aspx
I use the “Flawless Curls” conditioner and shampoo!
I use a combination of brands, and I’m always changing, looking for something that works better but is still in the price range of a cheap-skate college student and readily available at my local CVS or Vons. Lately I have been using Dove moisturizing shampoo, recommended by a curly-haired friend of mine. I use it every other day or less on my wavy/curly hair. I recently tried TreSemme “Silky Smooth” conditioner, which seems to be working decently on my hair. I also love TreSemme’s gel for curls, which has worked well for me for the last year or so. When I feel I need it, I also use Garnier Fructis anti-humidity smoothing milk, although I recently discovered that if I scrunch and gel my hair while it is still very wet, I don’t need the smoothing milk, and less product is always better for my hair.
Hi! I’m an aussie curly girl. I like to use natural products, but struggled for ages to find a natural conditioner that was moisturizing enough. I visited the US in June, 2010 and ran into THE MOST MAGICAL CONDITIONER – Shea Moisture Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner. I didn’t use it as a leave-in, just as an ordinary cowashing conditioner, and I immediately noticed how soft, shiny and curly my hair became! It’s not that exy, either – about $9 for 8oz.
The Shea Moisture conditioner is hard to find, though. And when I was in CAL, I was thrilled to find a similar product – “Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner”. It was even cheaper – $10.95 for 12 oz and the stuff is awesome! Both conditioners feature shea butter high on their ingredients list. Yummy!
I love Burt’s Bees conditioners, Kiss My Face sulfate – free shampoos, and Kiss My Face Gel. These are all curly girl products for cheap prices!
Do any of you curly girls make your own conditioners?
~Hannah
soo I have a somewhat odd question..how well does the CG method work for those who wash thier hair at night ?? also does it take much more time than “normal” ?
I want my hair to be healthy but I dont want to obsess over it…( I know healthy hair takes time ) I’ve come a long way form being the girl who picked the cheapest shampoo possible – looking back I might as well have washed my hair with battery acid aaaugh !
I know a lot of curly girls who wash their hair at night. I think that, if anything, laying down while your hair dries will make it even more bouncy and curly in the morning, as it doesn’t have its own weight weighing it down while it dries. Be prepared that your pillow case may show the effects of lots of conditioner, though.
And no, the CG method is actually faster than any other hair care routine I know of!
Side note to Gretchen’s comment. I often wash my hair in the evening, and it works fine! I will say that if I wash and go to bed immediately, I will often wake up with rather unruly curls the next day. They have tons of bounce, but dry in awkward positions.
I found that if I wash with enough time to let it ‘set’ for 30 minutes to an hour before laying down that it helps keep this from happening and my curls stay nicer. 
Thank you both !
oooh I am So excited !
!
My hair has always been stick straight with a few inconvieniently stubborn kinks in it ..but it seems more so since moving to WA . last night when I tried the cowash for the first time I ended up with a head full of almost curls – Wow ! Alas when I woke it was straight…rats. I cant WAIT tro see what happens in the next few weeks
I was blow drying and fighting with my natural curls all my live and decide that this is now the end. So how and where do I start to let my curls fee and enjoy my natural curls? I have frizzy hair that is cut into layers how do I get rid of all the build-up for starters? And are there natural products that I can use? Thank for this info!
Christa, I’d say the first step is to stop the blow drying, find a really good conditioner and gel, and start decreasing the times you wash your hair with shampoo. If you can find a copy of the book, it will help a lot to give you the foundations for the struggles and joys of embracing your inner curls.
If you can’t get the book, just browsing through all these pages, reading and taking notes is a good start!
Good luck to you, and remember not to give up even if the starting is hard.
Thank you Chantel I did order the book but can’t wait to start and I love to use natural products out of the kitchen so I will start testing several products like baking soda water mix to strip build up and avow for conditioner I am totally into natural healing products. Living in South Africa makes it easy to use only natural products and herbs out of the garden.
Wonderful! I think you’ll love being a Curly Girl and using natural things. I use the Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda Rinses every couple weeks, and a shampoo bar made with rainwater and all natural ingredients (it is more gentle than most conditioners–but I still use some conditioner too) and my hair is much happier…even if my curls don’t always look as pretty and put together as most of the girls here.
Good morning Chantel,Can you please give me advice on how to maintain my hair for the rest of the week in other words the days that I do not wash my hair I wake up this morning looking a mess, and have no idea what to do with my hair. Do I wet it again and with what. This is a very new experience for me but don’t want to give up. Thanks for your time and advice!!
So I have a few questions, I am in a pool 6 days out of the week, i am on a swim team and teach lessons, I have crazzy poofy curly hair, and i need to shampoo is so the no shampoo thing wont work for me becuse of the clorine. Is there any brand without the sulfats and-cons that I could get so i could try the CG way!
This is for Emily…I know that swim season is over for the most part! But, my curly girl daughter is on a swim team, and as you know, once your hair goes in the water…it doesn’t matter how long you stay there! I hope you tried the CG routine this summer. My daughter does great with it…we carry a conditioner that is watered down in a spray bottle with us, and it is important to spray down your hair before you ever get in the water, and when you are done for the day. If I can get her to stop long enough, or she is out of the pool long enough for the hair to start to dry, we reapply the spray conditioner. The rough formula for watered down conditioner is 3 to 4 parts water for 1 part conditioner. You will find that as you follow the CG routine, + take the time for the conditioning at the pool, your curls will stay in great shape with very little extra work. By the way, we didn’t have to use the “Chlorine removal” shampoo at all this year! So I hope you can adopt the CG way with no worries! I think the biggest hurdle for us – and where the book is so helpful – is totally changing the way we think about how to care for hair!