Curly hair products without alcohol and sulfates

If you're currently on the hunt for the best curly hair products, you've come to just the right place. As beauty editors, we know there are a lot of options out there, so determining each step of your ideal routine can be tricky whether you want to defrizz, define your curls, hit them with some moisture, or give them a little lovin' after a super sleek blowout. 

We combed through all the jams, jellies, puddings, custards, gels, and creams to come up with some of our favorite foolproof products for curls. There's a bottle of something for everything here — loose 'fros, crisp braids, bouncy ringlets, or cropped coils. So, what are you waiting for?

Scroll to find the best hair products for curly hair, including the best shampoos, conditioners, bubbly mousses, and penetrating oils that will help give you the gorgeous curls you deserve — no matter how thick or slim your wallet is.

Shampoo & Conditioner

Pantene Gold Series Root Stimulating Shampoo and Root Rejuvenating Conditioner

$32

dpHue ACV Rinse

$35

Formulated by a team of Black PhDs and hairstylists, Pantene's Gold Series Root Stimulating Shampoo and Root Rejuvenating Conditioner cleanse and condition hair while encouraging and maintaining new length. Apricot oil and green tea extract are the star ingredients in this set, which work their magic by detoxing the scalp and fortifying the hair for sustainable growth with regular use over time.

Leaving your hair's natural oils alone for a bit and letting them do their thing is an essential part of any solid hair-care routine. That said, too much oil can lead to weighed-down curls, scalp irritation, and looking like you just went swimming when you most certainly did not. Enter: dpHue's ACV Rinse, which is one of Los Angeles-based hairstylist Gabriella Mancha's favorites for curly hair. This rinse uses apple cider vinegar to gently cleanse hair without stripping away beneficial oils — while also adding shine and balancing hair pH. She shouted out the bottle's tapered nozzle, which "allows direct access to your roots and doesn't leave a chemical itch like other shampoos [might]."

Shaeri Co-Wash

$34

Kristin Ess Ultra-Hydrating Curl Co-Wash

$14

Packed with nourishing aloe vera, Shaeri's Co-Wash hydrates while gently refreshing and detangling the hair. Don't worry about overwashing fragile curls either — this co-wash is free of any cleansing agents, so use it as often as you like for a damage-free refresh. 

Swap in Kristin Ess's Ultra-Hydrating Curl Co-Wash when you need to cleanse hair without compromising on moisture retention. The 2020 Best of Beauty-winning formula has hydrating glycerin and hydrolyzed linseed, which is rich in omega fatty acids, to keep curls from drying out as it gets rid of grime on your hair and scalp.

Curl Creams

Skimdo Original Cream

$27

Pattern Styling Cream for Curly & Coily Hair

$25

Skimdo's Original Cream is like a helium pump for wavy and curly hair. This styling cream's texture right out of the tube is pretty thick and sticky, but stay with us. Once it's been raked through wet curly hair and diffused or air-dried, you're left with extreme volume, defined curls, and not a trace of the frosting-esque hair product you started with.

We love a product with a long, honest resumé, and Tracee Ellis Ross isn't afraid to list out exactly what her hard-working, curl-conscious Pattern Beauty haircare can do. Pattern's Styling Cream for Curly & Coily Hair is good for twist-outs, braids, bantu knots — deep breath — locs, air-drying, and more. "It's awesome for curly hair to detangle and to allow the styling cream to help define curls adding a nice luster," notes Los Angeles-based hairstylist Alexander Armand. Packed with hydrating shea butter and almond oil to boot, this styler truly does it all.

Mielle Organics Pomegranate and Honey Twisting Souffle

$13

KeraCare Foam Wrap-Setting Lotion

$16

Formulated specifically for type 4 curls, the Mielle Organics Pomegranate and Honey Twisting Souffle is a lightweight styling cream that enhances curls without dragging them down. Honey, pomegranate, and essential oils contribute to effective curl enhancement and nourishment all in one (reasonably priced) jar — a.k.a. the ultimate treat for curly hair.

This next one is technically a mousse, but you won't find a crispy or crunchy coil in sight with KeraCare's Foam Wrap-Setting Lotion — we promise. Mancha, whose clients include Tinashe and Tommy Genesis, recommends "finger combing one to two palmfuls through the lengths of hair to air-dry" and separating as desired once your hair is completely dry. She also suggests using your hands to comb some product through frizzy areas for an instant, wash-free refresh.

AG Hair Recoil Curl Activator

$24

Pantene Curl Affair Curl Reshaping Cream

$7

Bread Beauty Supply Hair-Cream

$28

Curls looking a little flat, but it's not quite wash day yet? Give AG Hair's Recoil Curl Activator a try. "This lightweight product is awesome to reactivate your curls in between washes to get that rejuvenated look with your curls on day three or four," says Armand, whose clients include Quinta Brunson and Serena Williams. 

You can use Pantene's Curl Affair Curl Reshaping Cream in a few different ways. Try the 2020 Allure Best of Beauty winner the classic way on damp curls that you're going to air- or diffuse-dry to help block out humidity and keep hair smooth. Or, apply the argan oil and vitamin B5-infused refresher to help moisturize, smooth, and reshape any curls that may have gotten crunched while you were sleeping.

Want a soft, defining hold to your curls without a crunchy feel? Bread Beauty Supply's Allure Readers' Choice Award-winning Hair-Cream will do just the trick. This silky styling cream is infused with quinoa-derived protein to improve luster and a moisturizing blend of mango butter and capric triglycerides to soften and smooth your curls.

Living Proof Curl Enhancer

$34

Rucker Roots Texture Styling Mousse

$14

When attempting to refresh your curls, the last thing coily hair needs is added weight. Living Proof's Curl Enhancer delivers shape-forming polymers and conditioning ingredients, like jojoba esters, to create definition without weighing hair down. The Best of Beauty-winning formula also works beautifully on wavy hair that craves light conditioning.

Lots of mousses can be drying but this Rucker Roots Texture Hair Styling Mousse has moisturizing vitamin E and biotin to make hair stronger with each use. This 2020 Best of Beauty winner shines while styling your wash-and-gos or setting a flexi-rod or twist-out style.

Moroccanoil Curl Defining Cream

$36

Maui Moisture Curl Quench Coconut Oil Curl Smoothie

$7

There's no doubt that Allure readers love Moroccanoil's Curl Defining Cream. If you need further proof, know that 2022 marks the fourth Readers' Choice Award win for the product. "For me, the real test of a curl cream is if it can keep your hair defined as the days go by, while also fluffing out to its former, voluminous glory," former Allure digital editor, Jihan Forbes, previously shared. "This one did just that."

If you've got the kind of curls that need some extra hold, Maui Moisture's Curl Quench Coconut Oil Curl Smoothie will be right up your alley. The silicone-free, 2018 Best of Beauty Award-winning formula moisturizes dry curls, clumping them together and banishing frizz to give you some serious definition. Rake through your strands, air-dry or blow-dry, and get ready for the softest coils ever.

Hair Gels

Rahua Aloe Vera Hair Gel

$32 at Allure Shop

NaturAll Avocado Curl Custard

$14

Rahua's Aloe Vera Hair Gel is a savior for wavy and curly hair types alike. This flexible hold gel smoothes strands while enhancing your natural texture. The aloe vera-fortified formula strengthens hair while maintaining the style, plus it never looks frozen in place or stuck down.

Work NaturAll's Avocado Curl Custard through damp hair, smoothing each curl with your finger as you go. The moisturizing avocado in this 2021 Best of Beauty-winning styler will impart hydration as the medium-hold gel base keeps curls from frizzing up when humidity creeps in.

Curls So So Def Vitamin C Curl Defining Jelly

$11

Adwoa Beauty Baomint Moisturizing Curl Defining Cream

$32 at Allure Shop

It's easy to mistake the ingredients in Curls' So So Def Vitamin C Curl Defining Jelly for your favorite face cream. Laced with vitamins A, B, and C, this 2020 Allure Best of Beauty winner introduces moisture into thirsty curls and keeps it there so that your coils spring to life and don't dry out.

Formulated with baobab, cactus, sweet almond, and vitamin-E-rich pumpkin seed oils to leave hair feeling pillowy-soft and conditioned, Adwoa Beauty's cream-based Baomint Moisturizing Curl Defining Gel is the real deal when it comes to moisturizing dry curls. It's Allure's associate news editor Gabi Thorne's preferred last step in her wash-and-go routine, as it also adds long-lasting definition and hold to her style.

Oribe Curl Gelée

$44

Taliah Waajid Curly Curl "Gello"

$12

Former digital editor Jihan Forbes said that the Oribe Curl Gelée, despite having a thick texture, dried down to a weightless finish and left her highly-textured hair with a bouncy finish and days-long definition. Formulated with hydrating murumuru, mango, and cocoa seed butters, curl-enhancing neem seed oil, and cuticle-strengthening avocado butter, it'll leave your style in peak condition. We're talking about a high-shine finish, slippage, detangling, curl-smoothing, and definition with any unwanted crunch. It should come as no surprise that it landed a 2020 Best of Beauty Award in the splurges category.

Moisture is crucial to curls, but too much can drag them down. With just enough shea butter, the 2018 Best of Beauty Award-winning Taliah Waajid Curly Curl "Gello," which nabbed the prize for best curl definer for fine and medium hair, produces weightless definition and perfect springiness.

Leave-in Conditioners & Masks

Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask

$38 at Allure Shop

Ouai Leave-In Conditioner

$28

For curls that need a little R&R, look no further than Briogeo's Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask. A layer of this conditioning mask infuses dry and damaged hair with long-lasting hydration using rosehip oil and algae extract. This once-a-week treatment works miracles on all hair types, but the shine and silkiness it imparts on curly hair are pretty unbeatable.

No matter what your hair type is, you'll love the Ouai Leave-In Conditioner's moisturizing formula. This detangling frizz-fighter contains hydrolyzed proteins to protect hair against environmental damage while tamarind seed extract, panthenol, and vitamin E condition hair so you can easily detangle knots and curls. This leave-in also acts as a heat protectant for up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, so feel free to move straight into styling.

Refresher Sprays

Mizani CoCo Dew Curl Pre-Styling and Re-Styling Spray

$24

Sunday II Sunday Revive Me Daily Moisturizing Spray

$31

Mist Mizani CoCo Dew Curl Pre-Styling and Re-Styling Spray onto day two, three, or four curls to give hair a moisture boost and reshape coils that have gone limp. Use the hydrator as a leave-in conditioner before styling, or work the product through dry hair from roots to ends and watch as the moisturizing coconut extract in the Best of Beauty winner gives dry and dull curls new life.

Curls need as much moisture as they can get and the Allure 2020 Best of Beauty winner, Sunday II Sunday Revive Me Daily Moisturizing Spray, delivers just that. Moisturizing argan oil and antioxidant-packed green tea nourish dry hair as you style. It can also be used as a scalp treatment to help soothe any itchiness. Or, if you're wearing a protective style, apply a few spritzes to ease any tightness or tension.

Looking for more curly-hair product recs? Keep reading:

• How to Keep Your Natural Curls Moisturized Between Washes
• Five Editors Reveal Their Favorite Combinations of Curly-Hair Products
• 10 South and Southeast Asian Women With Curls Share Their Hair-Care Routines

Now, watch actor Novi Brown break down her wash-day routine for her gorgeous Bantu knots:

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