Best Shampoos for Curly Natural Hair | Moisturizing Shampoos w/ Slip + Clarifying Shampoos + Scalp
It's official - if there's even been a time to own your effortless tousle and work your corkscrew curls, it's 2021.
If, like us, the thought of straightening your au natural texture one more time is worse than a third lockdown, then we're here to show you how to ditch the irons and take a more organic approach to styling.
Forget the styling tools, and leave the heat damage at home, because enhancing your hair's natural movement need no longer be a daunting prospect.
Read on for how to encourage your curls minus the heated hair tools...
10 Ways To Style Natural Curly Hair
- Twist wet hair with a towel instead of rubbing all over.
- Swap your hairbrush for a wide-toothed comb.
- Ask for a 'feathered' cut at the hairdressers.
- Swap your hair serum for a curl creme.
- Use a diffuser on your hairdryer.
- Avoid anti-frizz products.
- Get a mousse with a modern 'non-crispy' formula.
- Choose light-hold hairspray.
- Get a deep conditioning treatment.
- Try salt spray.
Intrigued? Get the full info on the ten tricks you need to master your natural texture and become a fully fledged curly girl below.
How To Style Natural Curly Hair
1. Adopt the 'twist and press' method when drying
We're all guilty of rough drying our tresses after a shower, but the rigorous motion can crush natural curls and encourage a halo of unsightly frizz. Hairstylist Lee Stafford mentions that the much gentler 'press and twist' method will preserve curls and provide body.
'Simply take your towel and press and twist the hair rather than roughly rubbing it back and forth,' he said. 'Vigorously rubbing the hair to dry it will push the hair cuticles upwards which creates frizz.'
2. Ditch the hairbrush
Curly hair tends to be more dry and brittle than other types, so pulling a hairbrush through it will cause breakage and iron out your curl's natural shape. To untangle, run a wide-toothed comb through your hair while you condition in the shower. Leave it well alone after that.
ELLE Edit: Curl-Friendly Combs
3. Ask your hairstylist to feather the ends of your hair with a razor or scissors
This is one of the best kept secrets in hairdressing. Think of a synthetic ribbon – when you scrape the surface with the the sharp edge of a pair of scissors, the end shoots up into a curl; this is what feathering your hair will achieve.
Hello, all-over volume.
4. Swap your oily serum for a light curl creme
Oils and serums are great for smoothing down fly-aways, but, if definition is what you covet, treat your mid lengths to ends to something lighter. The milky formula of curl creams helps curls reform in next to no time without weighing them down.
19 Of The Best Curly Hair Products For A Major 'Do
A hair brush can be a nemesis to curls but this liquid conditioner manages to melt away any knots and tangles without destroying your natural bouncy curls. No comb needed.
Humidity can cause curls to deflate at a rapid rate so it's best to pre-empt it by spritzing this before you go out in the heat. This creates a force field to protect hair from fizzing whilst keeping your hair protected from UV rays.
If you struggle to define curls, this will be your new best friend. The light-weight cream nourishes ends and provides subtle definition to strands to make curls appear bolder and bouncier.
You might find thick, oily creams weigh down curls to the point where they seem to disintegrate but a gel is a great way to combat this. This revives curls to provide them with a hit of hydration, without leaving hair feeling heavy.
The queen of curly and textured hair, Charlotte Mensah knows a thing or two when it comes to getting your coils on point. Run a few drops of her award winning Manketti oil through your hair before bed for a nourishing overnight treatment, or smooth over dry hair to get rid of annoying flyaways.
Formulated with the techy Alpha Keratin 60ku, Virtue's futuristic take on a classic mousse targets damaged hair to help reconstruct and hydrate worn out curls without weighing them down.
If defining your curls without making them crispy or crunchy is your goal, then Oribe's gloss is the one for you. This super luxe lightweight gel uses passion flower and Cupuaçu nut extract to fight humidity and leave your curls softer than ever.
Formulated with lusciously moisturising almond extract and other detangling, conditioning agents to minimise breakage and brilliantly boost shine, this nourishing mask is your curly hair's best friend.
Don't let the word gel put you off. Pull a 50p-sized amount of Boucleme's hero product through your lengths for ultra-glossy, vivacious curls - absolutely no stickiness and zero crispy bits.
Pro-Keratin adds a film of shine to curly hair, while Elastin gives each and every tousle impressive body. Arguably one of the best mane-tamers around.
Curly hair can often feel dry and rough, but just a few drops of Moroccanoil's superstar treatment lends an intense hit of hydration, leaving strands plump and healthy.
Packed with wheat protein and babassu oil, this clever lotion breathes life into each and every curl. To define, blow-dry using a diffuser.
5. Always use a diffuser when blow-drying
A diffuser is essential for evening out curl patterns. To give your curls some shape, simply turn your hairdryer on to the 'low' setting and drop them into the diffuser.
'Defined curls are going to be big in both volume and popularity for 2020,' says pro hairstylist Charlotte Mensah. 'Invest in a diffuser to ensure you get perfectly defined curls.'
9 Of The Best Hairdryers For All Hair Types
The Bugatti of hairdryers, when Dyson decided to enter into the beauty world, they did so with a bang. Not only did this make us realise how loud hairdryers actually were with its silent power, but it cut our drying time by more than half. Its advanced heat control system also means your hair is less likely to suffer from heat damage whilst also reducing any pesky static. Yes it's an investment but who wants to waste valuable time drying their hair?
Specially designed to mimic the professional salon blowdry at home, the airflow technology is ultra speedy giving you a lot of power (think jet-engine style) but all within a sleek contraption. Hair is left looking sleek and perfectly volumised.
This is about as futuristic as it looks, the touchscreen hairdryer allows you to customise the heat, airflow and ion settings of your blowdry, so you can find the exact specifications for your hair. Ideal for if you want volumised curls one minute and smooth straight hair the next, the possibilities are truly endless with this techie contraption.
If you find your arms ache after only a couple of minutes of drying your hair, this lightweight hair dryer will be right up your street. The negative ion technology leaves hair actually looking moisturised after using, instead of dried out, plus the infrared technology allows you to perfect the poker-straight look.
If ghd know one thing, it's styling tools. Their newest hair dryer launch is perfect for those that struggle with split ends, the high-powered concentrated nozzle smooths the hair cuticle, to give you your sleekest blow dry in half the time. The best part? The diffuser attachment is the best we've seen on the market, providing those blessed with curls the ultimate helping hand.
Smooth is the word that comes to mind when describing this hair dryer. The ceramic heating elements are infused with vitamins to make hair silky soft and help tame any flyaways. Incredibly simple to use, this features three heat settings so you can play around with what best suits your individual hair texture.
If the hairdryers in hotel rooms don't quite do it for your hair, it's important to have a compact one to take with you at all times that doesn't take up most of your suitcase. This incredibly light tool provides the same powerful drying capabilities in a dinkier format so you never have to be apart from your hairdryer ever again.
Probably as bouji as hair dryers can get, this matte black design isn't just adorned with the Balmain fashion house logo, but the high performance tech also provides you with a frizz-free blowout every time. It's designed to help seal the hair cuticle (ideal for those who haven't had time to fit in a cut) and give a moisture boost to dried out ends.
If you don't have time to pop to Hershesons but still want the windswept results, they've got you covered. This easy-to-use dryer gives you the professional results of the real deal in the comfort of your very own home. Unlike some, that leave hair as dry as a cactus, this will leave your ends hydrated and glossy.
Get The Look
Follow Charlotte's step by step to perfect curls using a hair diffuser...
- Spray a bottle filled with a mixture of half water and half Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil Conditioner. Tilt head to one side.
- Place large sections over diffuser cup.
- Dry on low to medium heat.
- Spray with Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil for a beautiful glossy shine.
6. Avoid 'anti-frizz' products
Shampoos, conditioners and serums which claim to rid your lengths of frizzies and flyaways will only give weight to curls and drag them down. Curly hair is often dry, but, Redken's All Soft Shampoo provides parched strands with a shot of nourishment all while defining tousles effortlessly.
SHOP REDKEN ALL SOFT SHAMPOO - £16
7. Change up your mousse game
Mousse can be a game-changer. It's packed with malleable proteins that strengthen every curl without that stiff feeling. If you go a little overboard with product, a puddle of hair oil will cut through any crispiness, softening the curl and making your style last longer.
ELLE Edit: Curl-Friendly Hair Mousse
8. Choose a light hold hairspray to lock in your style
Don't make the mistake of drenching your natural curls in strong hold hairspray to keep them in check. Blanket hair with a little light hold hairspray, instead, so as not to compromise on movement.
13 Of The Best Hairsprays To Keep Your Hair Perfectly In Place
If you've been blessed with a set of curls but often find hairspray just leads to a whole head of knots, this enhancing spray will be a game changer. It gives you the same holding power of hairspray, without the stickiness or dryness, so your curls stay intact for longer.
Not only is this the chicest hairspray you will ever see but the fine mist is almost undetectable on ends and can be brushed out easily the next day so you don't have so spend the morning vigorously trying to wash it out with shampoo.
All the hold without any of the stickiness, this hairspray will keep your styled hair intact throughout the day, even in the most humid of weather conditions.
Ideal for enviable waves, this hairspray provides you with spanx-like hold whilst avoiding any brittleness, so your hair can swish to its heart's content.
Hairspray normally dims your hair's natural shine and adds a matte finish but this one has solved the problem. It provides ends with mirror-like shine whilst still keeping your style intact. Plus, it's got the signature Aussie scent.
This fine mist creates an invisible shield around hair, making it totally weatherproof. Unlike a traditional hairspray that leaves hair as dry as a piece of toast, this adds a hit of hydration, leaving hair touch-ably soft.
This fast drying formula will banish any unwanted frizz and provide superglue-like hold without the stiffness. We'll even go as far as to say it's windproof, which is about as good as a hairspray can get.
The hair equivalent of a dog sticking their head out a car window, this customisable spray will give even the limpest of locks some much needed volume. With two settings to chose from, you can either decide to add a little lift or go from zero to 100. The choice is yours.
This does what it says on the tin and provides gravity-defying lift to hair, without any uncomfortable crunchiness. Formulated with avocado oil and omega 3 fatty acids, it provides instant shine with weightless hold.
If you're looking for a helping hand for your hair's natural texture, this is your hairspray. It helps enhance your hair's natural shape whilst banishing any unwanted frizziness that might pop up throughout the day.
The turbo jet engine of hairsprays, this mist will act as a push up bra to flat hair to provide you with an instant lift. Scrunch into roots for some added oomph.
Normally hairspray will leave you with a vodka-ry taste in your mouth (no matter how much you hold your breath) but this totally non-offensive spritz instantly melts into hair whilst providing a much needed boost.
Ideal for keeping baby hairs in-check, apply a touch of this to a toothbrush and style to your heart's content. It provides all-day hold without leaving any unwanted white residue behind.
9. Treat your hair to a deep condition treatment
Quench thirsty curls and encourage a lively bounce by treating your hair to an intensely hydrating conditioning treatment once, or twice, a month. Slather on to shampooed locks and wait for the antioxidants and fatty acids to work their magic.
22 Of The Best Hair Masks To Banish Frizz And Bring Back The Shine
Thick and buttery, this mask gives intense hydration in just a few minutes. Particularly good on coarse hair, as it's punchy enough to do some serious healing but rinses out well (no sticky residue thanks). Coconut and yuzu extracts means it smells amazing too.
Famous for their shine inducing, colour protecting shampoos, Pureology's mask is just as worthy of recognition. 100% vegan, coconut and avocado oils enrich the hair, whilst protecting any colour too. Just 5 minutes will do the trick.
Their scalp-saving and growth stimulating hair oil is a favourite of beauty editors, but this mask is lesser known. Super rich (just a little goes a long way), it's enriched with a whole host of super foods and oil extracts (coconut, banana, licorice, jojoba, sesame, grape, olive... shall we go on?) giving health back to your hair.
The texture of this mask is like a super thick yoghurt, so you know straight away it's going to be nourishing just by the feel. Intensified with monoi oil and keratin, hair will drink it up and be build back to strength from the inside out.
If you are looking to spend less than a tenner, and have change for lunch, this is a great option. In only two minutes, the hyaluronic acid infused formula helps to smooth frizz and boost shine. Especially good on sun or central heating frazzled locks.
The longer you leave this on the better. Pop it on in the bath and leave for a good 15 minutes to let the argan oil, protiens and amino acids so their work to revive brittle hair. We know hair can't really 'glow' like skin, but this somehow adds just that.
Formulated with Sachajuan's renowned Ocean Silk Technology to promote cell regeneration and encourage growth, this sulphate-free hair mask leaves you hair silky and manageable.
Blended with Prickly Pear Seed Oil, one of the richest natural sources of Vitamin E and antioxidants, this deeply nourishing formula leaves hair shiny and protected without weighing it down.
Filled to bursting with moisturising barley, smoothing jojoba oils and quinoa protein, which works to repair from the inside out. If you hair is given you Straw Man vibes, this is for you.
If you've been mistreating your hair with chemicals and heated styling tools, delve into this. Adored by hairstylists and colour junkies all over the globe, it will banish brittleness, and bring back bounce. What more could you want?
With regular use of this luxurious but lightweight mask, hair is proven to become a huge 20 times more resilient to split ends and damage. Can't argue with the facts.
The original and definitely one of the best. What makes it different from any other mask is that it is a pre-wash treatment, which means you need to apply it to wet hair before shampoo. It sends hydration back into the hair shaft resulting in a lively bounce and vibrant colour if you're partial to hitting the bottle (of hair dye, obviously).
This deep conditioner (aka mask) is particularly great for curly or Afro hair types, with lovely ingredients like quinoa protein and coconut to revive crunchy curls.
If you don't have time/CBA to shower, mask, shower again, then this is one for you: just slather on, top with a cap, and sleep with it on overnight. A rinse in the morning will unveil smoother, shinier hair. The scent lasts for days (if not the entire week) even after washing.
Blonds might have more fun, but their hair doesn't. The constant dyeing and bleaching takes it's toll, and colour can quickly fade without proper attention. This mask hydrates whilst stopping the dreaded brassy tones.
This clever formula, previously only available in your hair dressers, seeks out broken bonds (caused by chemical, heat and mechanical damage) to repair and restore them. Use as a pre-shampoo mask for salon-worthy shine.
If all else fails, up the ante and layer this on. This luxe treatment works deep to repair damaged fibers, from roots to tips. A real treat for your locks.
If you've invested in an expensive in-salon hair colour, it's important to take care of it. Coat this on wet hair and leave for five minutes to keep colour fresh and conditioned.
10. Don't be afraid of salt sprays
Re-applying mousse will only saturate your curls, making them rock hard. Instead, breathe life into a two-day-old 'do with a light veil of salt spray. Scrunching dry texturising spray or salt spray into either damp or dry hair will refresh a flagging mane instantly.
8 Of The Best Sea Salt Sprays For Big Beachy Textured Waves
Formulated with sea salt harvested from Southern California, Playa's nourishing formula protects your hair from damaging UV rays whilst giving your lengths the most realistic Cali girl waves ever.
Essentially like taking a trip to a tropical beach, this contains a blend of coconut, aloe vera and orchid, to give you those naturally perfect island beach waves without any dryness.
This vegan formula gives waves endless amounts of texture without leaving hair feeling weighed down or crunchy. It also adds a sunlit gleam to ends, so hair looks a whole lot healthier.
If you're looking for a salt spray to add a bit of grit to hair to solidify those curls, this is the one for you. It acts like hairspray (without the stickiness) to keep waves intact all day long.
Not sticky or overly salty, Bumble and Bumble's Surf Spray is the closest thing to a dip in the ocean - and it doesn't come with a mouthful of seaweed. For that dishevelled, beachy look, tip your head upside down and go wild.
Jen Atkin is the queen of carefree, windswept waves, so adding this baby to her award-winning OUAI collection was always a given. For flexible, shaggy and windblown waves, veil over damp or dry hair, run your fingers through, et voila. Think Kim Kardashian at the 2014 VMAs.
Slip backstage at Fashion Week and you'll spot a bottle of Redken's Fashion Waves near most hair stations. Harnessing epsom salt, it separates layers to give hair amazing definition while imparting a semi-matte, effortlessly tousled finish. Kate Moss, eat your heart out.
This is basically the Mediterranean sea, bottled. Its ability to make locks look accidentally perfect, voluminous and mermaid-like sans the gritty, brittle feel is pretty much unrivalled - no wonder it has a huge celeb following.
