Kiss Frizz Goodbye With These Editor-Approved Curl Creams

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

If you have curly hair, you know how hard it can be to find the right hair products that suit your curl type, texture, and density, let alone just deal with your hair in general. Curls creams, in general, can be extremely difficult to shop for, especially if you’re not sure what your hair needs. You want a curly hair product that provides moisture and shine, but might not know which one suits your locks the best.

Curl creams “go in and hydrate, and lock in the hydration to help the hair add shine,” says Kenna Ehman, a master stylist and owner of the Kenna Kunijo salon in Charlotte, NC. Some curl creams even help lift locks to make them bouncier as well.

Check out a preview of some of the best curl creams:

Meet the experts: Kenna Ehman is a master stylist and owner of the Kenna Kunijo salon in Charlotte, NC. Cassandra Olivia is a hairstylist and colorist based in Delaware.

This type of product also “helps define the curl, but it also helps to set the curl and also moisturize the hair so that way you get a long-lasting hairstyle,” adds Cassandra Olivia, a hairstylist and colorist based in Delaware.

Learn which type of product suits your hair best ahead, with the 15 best curl creams, tested by expert hairstylists, curly-haired WH editors, and rave reviewers.

Strictly Curls Curl Envy Cream

WH news and features editor Currie Engel is super low-maintenance when it comes to skin and haircare, so you better believe her when she says this is a solid product. "I had tried a few curl creams in the past, but all of them left my ringlets crunchy, which I didn't love," she says. "This Marc Anthony curl cream is the first one I've ever used that magnifies the curl shape and minimizes frizz without the crunchy or 'wet' look."

• Key Ingredients: Avocado oil, Vitamin E and shea butter

• Size: 6 fl. oz.

Rave Review: "It is truly amazing. These are the best curls I've ever had in my 46 years of searching for the right product!"

Ghost Air Dry Whip

Verb's Ghost Air Dry Whip is WH assistant social media editor Isabel McMahon's "holy grail heatless product." After washing her hair, she applies a dime-sized amount, and it gives her wavy hair a natural, bouncy, smooth finish. She also loves the grapefruit and oatmeal scent, and recommends it to those who don't want to use heat tools, but still want to get their hair curly or wavy.

• Key Ingredients: Moringa oil, mushroom extract, and a vegan protein blend

• Size: 5 fl. oz.

Rave Review: "I was interested in something that wouldn't feel heavy or greasy. It defines my waves without any crunch or 'producty' feel."

Styling Cream

"Pattern has been my go-to hair care line since it first launched," says WH editorial assistant Sabrina Tablert. "The styling cream has an earthy scent that I love." She uses it on wash days after applying her conditioner to really lock in moisture and define her curls. Even better: Tablert says a small amount is all you need, and the containers last a long time.

• Key Ingredients: Shea butter, sweet almond oil, cocoa seed butter, rosemary leaf extract, and sunflower seed oil

• Size: 15 fl. oz.

Rave Review: "The Pattern styling cream is great. It is lightweight and soft, which leaves my hair feeling soft and moisturized."

LOVE Curl Cream

The Davines LOVE curl cream is also recommended by Ehman. It's "a little bit lighter weight for people with naturally wavy hair," she says. If your hair is fine and a bit wavy, this is the product for you—it won't weigh it down, but will help transform your curls and control frizz. Amazing!

• Key Ingredients: Noto almond extract

• Size: 5.07 fl. oz.

Rave Review: "I love this product. It really works to tighten the curls."

Hold Me Softly Style Balm

When Talbert wants a lighter hold on her curls, this product is her go-to. "It smells fresh and the consistency is nice and thick, so I always make sure to mix it with water when applying," she says. "It's a great option for a day three or four styling when I need to give my curls a refresh."

• Key Ingredients: Coconut oil, rosemary leaf extract, avocado oil, olive fruit oil, basil leaf extract, and sunflower seed oil

• Size: 8 fl. oz.

Rave Review: "I loved it on my hair, it's very soft and a light cream. It makes my hair soft and bouncy."

Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel

"I've been using this on my hair for the last few years, and I haven't gotten tired of it yet," says WH beauty editor Danielle Jackson. "It has a the consistency of a watery gel (minus the stickiness) and it always keeps my type four curls looking well-defined and in shape."

• Key Ingredients: Chamomile, nettle and marshmallow, organic aloe vera juice, agave nectar extract, Vitamin E, and citric acid

• Size: 8 oz.

Rave Review: "It keeps hair styled all day long, has a great fragrance, and it doesn't flake. It is easy to style when wet and it dries fast without leaving hair sticky."

CBD Instant Curl Defining Cream

Olivia loves this curl defining cream, especially since it's alcohol-free, and alcohol is drying for hair. "If you're somebody like me that likes to wear your hair curly a lot, you want to be able to put something in your hair that over time is not going to cause damage," she says. Once you put it in, it holds and defines the hair. and doesn't cause it to get sticky.

• Key Ingredients: CBD and walnut leaf extract

• Size: 6 fl. oz.

Rave Review: "I've finally found something that doesn't weigh down my curls or leave them crunchy! My hair is so beautiful now!"

Quiet Calm Curl Control

"If you're someone who religiously follows the Curly Girl Method, this is for you," says Talbert. "My curls soak this product up, and it always leaves them feeling super hydrated." Since they have several lines, she recommends chatting with a stylist to see which one will suit your hair the best.

• Key Ingredients: Shea butter, lotus flower oil, flower extract, oat seed extract, cranberry seed oil, lemongrass extract, and sunflower seed oil

• Size: 10 fl. oz.

Rave Review: "I love this curl cream. I have a mix of wavy and curly hair and this gives me soft curls all over without feeling crunchy or frizzy."

Killer.Curls Curl Defining Cream

Ehman says Kevin Murphy is a solid haircare brand, so I wanted to include the Killer.Curls Curl Defining Cream. While it's on the pricier side, reviewers totally adore it, with one saying it's "life-changing." It softens curls and makes them smell great.

• Key Ingredients: Bergamot peel oil and watermelon fruit extract

• Size: 6.7 oz.

Rave Review: "If you have wavy hair, this product is life changing— you will have curly hair. I just wash and go with this product. it is so worth the money."

LOVE Curl Controller

Ehman recommends the Davines LOVE Curl Controller for anyone with kinky, coily hair—especially if it's "unmanageable and unruly," she says. "It's a little bit more of the moisture [and] a little bit more concentrated, [it] kind of softens the hair." It'll also give your hair volume and calm down any frizz. While there aren't any rave reviews on the product right now, we still wanted to include it because it's expert-tested and recommended.

• Key Ingredients: proteins, Vitamins B, Vitamin E, and sweet almond seed extract

• Size: 5.07 fl. oz.

Pattern Perfecting Pudding

Another recommendation from Jackson, this curl cream is great for dry hair. "I used this one time when my three-day-old twist out was feeling a little dry, and my hair loved it," she says. "It gave me just the right amount of moisture to hold me over until my next wash day, and it didn't feel heavy or flaky."

• Key Ingredients: Aloe, mint, and Manuka honey

• Size: 10 oz.

Rave Review: "It smells great and adds thickness to my natural hair without the feel of oily hair. It locks in my natural hair pattern with leaving it stiff."

Curl Control Silkening Crème

If you really want to treat yourself to a nice curl cream, Ehman says Oribe is a solid brand. Reviewers say this product is lightweight, gives hair a silky texture, and works great for thick or coarse hair. It also moisturizes the hair, and users say it's totally worth the splurge.

• Key Ingredients: Oribe signature complez of watermelon, lychee, and edelweiss flower, styling polymers. coconut oil, avocado oil, apricot oil, jojoba oil, panthenol, and argan oil

• Size: 5 oz.

Rave Review: "I've tried a lot of brands, and this is worth the splurge. it smells amazing and I love that it defines my curls, but keeps them supple and not crunchy."

Indulge Deep Conditioner For Curly, Kinky Or Wavy Hair

"When I'm looking for a curl cream, I'm looking for something that's lightweight, not super heavy, going to add shine, protect the hair, not damage the hair, but also not be stiff and crunchy," Olivia says. She loves this one because she's seen it used on a ton of many hair textures, and it gives amazing, but different results to everyone based on their hair texture.

• Key Ingredients: Marshmallow root, aloe leaf juice, olive fruit oil, shea butter, and raw organic honey

• Size: 8 fl. oz.

Rave Review: "I love how manageable and soft it makes my hair and the scent is fun. This is the best conditioner I’ve used in a long time."

Ultra Light Curl Defining Cream

Ehman recommends the brand Kristen Ess, so this highly-reviewed and rated curl cream is a solid pick. It's best for fine-to-medium curl types. It'll define your curls while adding shine, and reviewers like that it makes hair soft, gives volume, is easy to use, and smells good.

• Key Ingredients: Avocado oil, mango seed butter, castor seed oil, sunflower seed oil, and flower extract

• Size: 6.7 oz.

Rave Review: "I have curly hair and this does great for my hair type in giving my soft touchable curls. I love the scent of it as it smells clean and it lasts so long."

Define & Stretch Curl Custard

This product is for thick, coily, shrinkage-prone hair. It defines and stretches curls, and reviewers rave about how amazing and bouncy their curls were after usage. One reviewer even raved about how there was no white residue left on their hair after. I love to see it!

• Key Ingredients: Sesame seed oil, shea butter, coconut oil, ginger root oil, carrot seed oil, turnip extract, Vitamin B5, biotin, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C

• Size: 8 fl. oz.

Rave Review: "I did a twist out on my hair using this product and my hair looked great. My curls were popping, there was no white residue, and my hair felt soft and manageable."

How we chose the best curl creams

For the past few months, Women’s Health editors, including our editorial assistant Addison Aloian, have been researching the bestselling, most popular, and top-rated curl creams. Our team consulted hairstylists Kenna Ehman and Cassandra Olivia, plus several curly-haired WH editors, for the story. Additionally, the team evaluated thousands of customer reviews and ratings to narrow down the best curl creams for a wide range of needs and preferences.

What to look for when shopping for the best curl cream

Hair Texture And Density

"The most important thing is to understand the texture type and density of your hair—that's going to determine everything that you do," Ehman says. Consider how much hair is on your head and how thick each strand is. If you have no clue, find a hairstylist you trust and have them determine it and suggest types of products.

If when you put your hair in a ponytail, it's the size of a quarter or bigger, you might need a product with more hold. If it's a smaller size, like a dime. you might need something like a volumizing mousse that can give it more body, she adds.

"Texture can play a role just because, of course, if you have more hair or if it's longer, you do need to add more products," Olivia says. "You want to make sure it penetrates the hairs."

BTW, when it comes to the hair type system, the higher the number (like type 4), the tighter coil or curl, whereas, a type 2 would be looser, says Olivia. The letters (A, B, C) define how thick the strands are. A means you have finer hair, while C means you have thicker hair.

Hair Porosity

If you use bleach on your hair, it "completely destroys the porosity of your hair," which can make your curls brittle, Ehman says. So, if you bleach your hair for color, just make sure you use a keratin-based and moisturizing curl cream.

Hair Goals

Also, consider the biggest "challenge" your hair presents. If it's frizzy, you'll need a product with lightweight moisture. "Everyone has a different desired outcome," she says.

When you find a product with more hold, it'll give you more texture, crunch, and volume. On the flip side, products with less hold will give you softer, more relaxed waves.

And think about your hair goals, and whether you want to enhance your natural wave or relax it. From there, you can determine the right type of product for you.

Ingredients

Ehman recommends looking for a product that's natural and water-soluble. "If you don't use a water-soluble product, what happens is you get all this buildup on your hair over time," she says. That's because when you shampoo, not all of that product will come out in the shower.

If you like a product but you're not sure if it's water-soluble, look it up online, because it probably won't say so on the bottle. But in general, higher-quality products from brands such as Curology, Kevin Murphy, Davines, and Amica—are all water-soluble, she says.

Also, watch out for sulfates or "harsh chemicals that over time are going to break down the structure and the integrity of the hair," Olivia adds. She also likes alcohol-free and paraben-free products.

How do you apply curl cream?

Use a shampoo for curly hair, then condition your hair in the shower, and brush your hair with a detanger brush while you're still in there, and rinse the conditioner thoroughly, Ehman says. After that, don't brush your hair again. When "you comb the products through, you're pulling out that natural beautiful curl, she says.

Then, separate your hair into four quadrants: two from the ear up to the top of the head, and two in the back. Then, put a bit of curl cream in your hand and scrunch it and run it through one section at a time. This step is critical because "if you take all of your hair and just put the product on it, you only get the surface and that's where—in the back of the head—you'll get matting or frizz," Ehman adds. After, keep scrunching your hair with a towel. If you want, you can use a diffuser too during this step, says Olivia.

Shop our other favorite haircare products

Hair Bonnets | Shampoos For Thinning Hair And Hair Loss | Hair Straightening Products | Root Touch-Ups | Supplements For Hair Growth | Hair Straightening Brushes | Best Wavy Hair Products | Best Hair Diffusers For Curly Hair

You Might Also Like

• Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream

• These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals