What is the best curl defining product for natural hair

We updated this article in June 2022 to add more detailed information about each featured product as well as expert commentary. We've added four new top-rated products to the original picks, selected by Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab experts.

Curl creams are like the love child of a leave-in conditioner and a curl styling product. "They help to define and amplify natural curls, eliminate frizz and add soft hold," says Nunzio Saviano, a hairstylist and founder of the eponymous salon in New York City. "Curls need to be moisturized and protected to stay bouncy, separated, defined and smooth, and curl creams can offer the necessary hydration for a perfect style."

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab, our cosmetic chemists and beauty pros have a decades-long history of testing the best hair products for curly hair, including leave-in conditioners for curls, anti-frizz products, diffusers for curly hair and more. Haircare and styling products for curly hair are evaluated on factors including attributes like texture, scent and ease of application and efficacy in achieving the desired look and feel of hair after use. While we haven't Lab tested every pick here, these best curl creams you can buy for all curl types, from 2A to 4C curls. natural hair and more, according to editors and reviewers, vetted by the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab experts:

Our top picks:

• 1

  

  Best Overall Curl Cream

  Hydrating Styling Cream Moroccanoil

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• 2

  

  Best Value Curl Cream

  Professionals for Natural Hair Curl Defining Cream Suave

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• 3

  

  Best Curl Cream for Frizzy Hair

  Curl Corps Defining Cream Amika

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• 4

  

  Best Curl Cream for Thick Hair

  Coconut Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie SheaMoisture

  Read More

• 5

  

  Best Curl Cream for Air Drying

  Blueberry & Coconut Hair Milk Curls

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1

Best Overall Curl Cream

Moroccanoil

Hydrating Styling Cream

2

Best Value Curl Cream

Suave

Professionals for Natural Hair Curl Defining Cream

3

Best Curl Cream for Frizzy Hair

Amika

Curl Corps Defining Cream

4

Best Curl Cream for Thick Hair

SheaMoisture

Coconut Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie

5

Best Curl Cream for Air Drying

Curls

Blueberry & Coconut Hair Milk

6

Best Multi-Use Curl Cream

EVO

Total Recoil Curl Definer

7

Best Curl Cream for Wavy Hair

Pacifica

Salty Waves Beach Hair Balm

8

Best Curl Cream for Fine Hair

Cake

The Curl Friend Defining Curl Cream

9

Best Curl Cream for Type 2 Hair

Miss Jessie's

Curly Pudding

10

Best Curl Cream for Type 3 Hair

Dove

Dove Amplified Textures Shaping Butter Cream

11

Best Curl Cream for Straight Hair

Aveda

Be Curly Curl Enhancer

12

Best Curl Defining Cream

Garnier

Fructis Style Curl Sculpt Conditioning Cream Gel

13

Best Curl Cream for Natural Hair

Briogeo

Curl Charisma Rice Amino & Avocado Leave-In Defining Creme

14

Best Curl Cream for 4C Hair

Vernon François

Styling Cream

15

Best Curl Cream for Twist-Outs

Camille Rose

Naturals Almond Jai Twisting Butter

16

Best Curl Cream for Dry Hair

Carol's Daughter

Coco Creme Coil Enhancing Moisture Butter

17

Best Curl Cream for All Curl Types

Not Your Mother's

Curl Talk Defining Hair Cream

How we choose the best curl creams

While the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab hasn’t formally tested curl creams, Beauty Lab scientists are constantly testing the newest haircare and styling products, including leave-in conditioners, styling sprays, mousses and more. We used our decades of expertise, along with input from hair professional and editor recommendations and customer reviews to formulate the list.

What to look for when shopping for the best curl cream

Hair is unique, so when it comes to curl creams, there isn't a one size fits all option. There are a few key components to keep in mind when shopping for the best curl cream:

✔️ Hair texture: Before you buy a new curl cream, determine whether your hair is fine, medium or coarse. "Always seek guidance from your salon professional to help determine the hair type," says Gina Rivera, Celebrity Hairstylist and Founder of Phenix Salon Suites. However, to quickly determine your hair's texture, consider proceeding with an at-home strand test. Take an individual strand of hair between your fingers. If you can hardly feel it, you likely have fine hair. If your hair typically holds a style well and you can feel it upon doing the strand test, then it's likely medium or coarse. Coarse hair can typically hold a curl well, but can often be difficult to style due to its density. If it feels thick and strong when doing the strand test, your hair is likely coarse.

According to Rivera, curl boosting sprays are typically a great choice for fine hair. "They can be spritzed evenly over hair and tend to be very lightweight," says Rivera. "This allows fine hair to maintain its curl rather than being weighted down." For medium hair, you can also look for a curl cream that is light in weight, which will help define the curl, while cutting down the frizz. And finally, if you have coarse hair, a denser curl cream can provide additional control and enhance style.

✔️ Curl type: Finding your curl type is essential to finding the right curl cream. To find your curl type, hop in the shower: It's easiest to determine when hair is soaking wet. "Detangle hair with a wet comb or brush and then you can start to look for the pattern of the hair," explains Rivera. Different types of curly hair, from wavy and loose to tight curls and coils, range by number. "For instance, slight to more distinctive waves fall in [Type 2] curls from A to C in distinction," says Rivera, while "loose, more spiral-shaped, curls tend to fall into the Type 3 category, ranging from A to C in subcategories," explains Rivera. Coily or kinky hair (i.e. hair that forms tight curls in a zig-zag pattern from the scalp) is a Type 4, ranging from A to C in subcategories.

✔️ Hair porosity: Your hair's porosity (a.k.a. your hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture) informs how it retains product. High porosity hair tends to absorb water, oils and other products more easily than other hair types, though not for a long period of time. On the other hand, low porosity hair doesn't easily absorb water and treatment, instead, products tend to stay on the surface of the hair. To find whether your hair has high or low porosity, take notice of the way in which your hair absorbs products. Individuals with high porosity hair should reach for a denser curl cream and products with ingredients like shea butter and heavy oils. If your hair has a lower porosity, it's best to use light products that can penetrate easily, since the hair doesn't as easily absorb moisture.

✔️ Curl cream ingredients: Keep an eye out for all hydrating ingredients since for the best spiral-y, bouncy curls, your hair needs moisture. "For hair to look its best, it's important to have a good daily wet line with hydrating properties packed with nutrients and vitamins," explains Rivera. Different types of hair (and different curl types!) require varying levels of moisture. "Curlier hair tends to be drier in nature and appearance, and the dehydration [is] more obvious as the goes awry and more frizzy," says London-based hairstylist, Michael Van Clarke. But all hair needs hydration! When hair is dehydrated, there is a breakdown in the protein structure, resulting in fewer molecules for the water to attach to, which is why curl cream products are so effective — they "pair the water with other elements that are bioavailable to hair," explains Van Clarke.

How do you apply curl cream?

To apply a curl cream, "start with a dime-sized amount for fine, thin hair types and a quarter-sized amount for thicker, coarser hair types," Saviano advises. "Using your fingertips, gently smooth onto hair beginning below the roots so you don’t create a flat, limp top."

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Good Housekeeping Beauty Director April Franzino wrote this article and is an expert in all hair product categories, from shampoos, conditioners, treatments, styling products and tools to hair color, professional services and more. April works closely with the GH Beauty Lab to coordinate hair product testing and translate test results into best-in-class compelling, factually accurate science-backed content for Good Housekeeping. This article was most recently updated by Marielle Marlys, a beauty freelance writer and former beauty intern at Good Housekeeping, who interviewed stylists for the most up-to-date info on curl creams. She has covered a range of topics, including the best hair products, and interviews top experts in the industry and vets products to ensure accurate, trustworthy recommendations.

April Franzino Beauty Director April (she/her) is the beauty director at Good Housekeeping, Prevention and Woman's Day, where she oversees all beauty content.

Marielle Marlys Freelance Writer Marielle Marlys is a freelance writer at Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan who graduated from New York University with a degree in Journalism and Global Liberal Studies, and with a Master of Arts in International Relations and Affairs.

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