When you think about the curly hair advice you truly trust, it’s likely coming from your best friend, your sister, your work wife — someone you know who has tried a beauty trick or a product themself and can give you that valuable first-hand experience. Beauty editors also fall in that camp. It’s their job to test all of the hair, skincare, and makeup products in the market (perk alert: for free). So, when a beauty editor loves a product, you can trust that it’s one that outshines all the rest. And since these days it’s not as easy for you to hop to your favorite beauty store to spritz and swipe on samples, personal recommendations are key. We chatted with seven beauty editors who have gone through all the curly hair trial and error for you so that you don’t have to. Settle in and find their hair journeys, favorite curly hair picks, and advice below.
Thatiana Diaz, Senior Editor & Beauty Contributor at Refinery29
Hair Type: 3A
Favorite Hair Product: Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother Reparative Styling Creme
Why I Love It: “Whether it’s dryness or lack of definition, sometimes my curls are just going through it. That’s typically when I turn to this leave-in cream after a good wash and condition. I found out about this brand from my curly hair stylist, Mona Baltazar. She recommended Olaplex to me while I was transitioning my curls following a Big Chop. I’ll apply a small amount — concentrating on my mid-length to ends — with no other styling products, and it’s like pressing refresh on my curls. I’m always left with hydrated, smoother, and stronger strands as if I just received a professional treatment at the salon. If there’s one product that I know will rescue my curls at any given time from the comfort of my home, it’s this one.”
My Best Curly Hair Advice: “Distribute your styling products evenly and never apply too much as you don’t want to weigh down your curls. With the right amount of product, your curls will naturally define and volumize. I can’t stress enough the importance of hair treatments — like this Olaplex cream. So many people rely heavily on styling products or techniques, but your curls work wonders when you’re giving them the care they need.”
L’Oreal Thompson Payton, Freelance Writer (People, HelloGiggles, Bustle)
Hair Type: 4C
Favorite Hair Product: Felicia Leatherwood Detangler Brush
Why I Love It: “This February will mark two years since my Big Chop. After an accidental pixie cut in 2017, I started growing my hair out and I’ve been wearing it naturally ever since. Pre-pandemic, I would usually wear my hair in a protective style (braids, twists, etc.) most of the time, but during shelter-in-place, I really learned how to care for my hair and now I typically style it in a twist-out. I’ve tried a lot of products, but the one that’s been a mainstay is this brush. I first learned about it from Kayla Greaves, an Instyle beauty editor, who’d recommended it, and I’ve been hooked ever since. As someone who has very thick, very kinky 4C hair, I can attest that this detangler brush is both a lifesaver and an arm saver! Instead of having to work through tangles and knots one by one, the detangler brush cuts down on the time I spend detangling my hair. The flexible bristles move with my hair, instead of ripping it out like other products (or left to my own devices). While I use my fingers to detangle my hair before deep conditioning, I use the brush to detangle my hair after I’ve applied leave-in conditioner and before using curling cream to twist my hair. I start at the ends and brush up to the roots.”
My Best Curly Hair Advice: “Be patient. Every curl pattern is different and requires different tools. What works for your friend with the same hair pattern may not work for your hair, and that’s okay. Read a ton of reviews and ask around, but at the end of the day, you know what’s best for your hair.”
Maria Del Russo, Style & Beauty Guides Editor, Insider Reviews
Hair Type: 2B
Favorite Hair Product: Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist Deep Conditioner
Why I Love It: “It’s the only thing that cures my hair of static brought on my dryness. Even though my hair is more of a mix of waves and curls, it gets super dry and full of static in the winter. So, a deep conditioning treatment is a must-have. I probably use it every other time I wash, just so it doesn’t weigh my hair down. This stuff is legit: It’s packed with avocado and jojoba oils to moisturize and seal off the hair shaft. Plus, it smells amazing, and since it’s used in the shower, it doesn’t require me to eat up half of my afternoon with a hair mask.
My Best Wavy Hair Advice: “Focus on moisture, especially to the ends. I only apply this mask from ear-length down to avoid getting oily around the roots, and I brush it through with a wide-tooth comb while I’m in the shower. It’s the best way to ensure every inch of your strands is getting hit with moisture without your roots getting greasy.”
Joane Amay, Freelance Beauty Editor/Writer (Sweet July, W, Ebony)
Hair Type: 3C-4C
Favorite Hair Product: Hair Rules Quench Ultra Rich Conditioner
Why I Love It: “My curly/coily hair is quite multi-textured, from a 3C-4C. My curls are looser in the front and are tighter towards the back, and tightest on the side edges. The celebrity hairstylist Anthony Dickey is the king of natural hair. He really taught me how to care for my natural texture. His conditioner literally transformed my hair and makes it unbelievably soft, which is a feat when you consider how dry and porous my hair naturally is. I definitely can’t live without it. I seriously don’t know why it works wonders on my hair but it does. It’s loaded with all of these ultra-moisturizing goodies: honey, shea butter, coconut, avocado, and olive oils. Plus, I don’t even have to leave it on for hours for it to get my strands so ultra-soft. I usually just slather it on in copious amounts after I shampoo my hair, making sure that every single strand is coated. Then, I slap on a clear plastic hair cap and leave it on for 15-30 minutes so that it can work its magic. Afterward, I just rinse it out. It makes the comb-out process so easy. My comb easily glides through my curls and coils instead of getting stuck in a multitude of knots and snarls”.
My Best Curly Hair Advice: “Everybody’s hair is different. Hair type is not the only factor that comes to play: There’s porosity, strand thickness, and your current hair health. So don’t get discouraged if a product that someone raves about doesn’t work for you. Just keep testing products and methods out until you find the best one for you.”
Shannon Peter, Beauty Director at Stylist
Hair Type: 2C
Favorite Hair Product: Larry King Haircare Liquid Hairbrush
Why I Love It: “My curl pattern is forever changing. I didn’t always love my curls and growing up, I’d spend hours every Sunday straightening the life out of it ahead of a week at school. But since I started working in the beauty industry, and was able to tap a raft of great hair experts for their advice, I’ve worn it in its curly state ever since. Pre-pandemic, I was way more meticulous when it came to styling my hair. I’d diffuser dry it using my trust Dyson hairdryer every other day, and use a concoction of products on it.
Now I’m at home, it pretty much remains in a permanent top knot. So much so that embarrassingly, when I take the hairband out, it stays (almost) in place. The one product I can’t live without has to be Larry King Haircare Liquid Hairbrush. I’m very lucky that Larry cuts my hair (and is my curls’ biggest cheerleader), so I found out about the formula just before it launched in stores. It’s quite magical, and really has to be seen to be believed, but you apply it like a regular conditioner, and the knots and tangles (of which I have many!) melt away. Real hair brushes are enemy #1 to curls, as they can stretch curls out of place and mess up the curl pattern, but when you use this, you need little more than a whizz through with a comb at best.”
My Best Curly Hair Advice: “Invest in a diffuser: It speeds up the drying process, limiting curl droppage and really brings out the best in any head of curls.”
Janell M. Hickman Kirby, Freelance Beauty Editor, Copywriter + Communications Strategist (Brides, Cosmopolitan, The Oprah Magazine, ELLE, Allure)
Hair Type: 4C
Favorite Hair Product: BREAD BEAUTY SUPPLY Hair Wash Gentle Milky Hair Cleanser
Why I Love It: “It’s definitely been a nice departure from all of the heavy cleansing conditioners I’ve used in the past. It foams just enough without feeling like it’s stripping your hair because it includes a great mix of argan oil, aloe vera juice, and lemon tree oil. It also leaves my hair smelling faintly of marshmallows, which is oddly satisfying (even in my 30s). I wash my hair every 2 to 3x per week, ideally in the morning. It allows my curls to properly air dry, stay defined, and for my leave-in product to have the chance to really soak in.”
My Best Curly Hair Advice: “A good cut (especially if you have short hair) really makes a difference with definition and your overall style. I’ve been natural on-and-off since 2009, constantly switching up my look, but officially stopped relaxing my hair in 2015. The cost and in-salon time felt overwhelming. Since then, I’ve played around with hair color a lot, but traditionally keep my hair on the shorter side. My husband helped me maintain the shape during the worst of quarantine, and now that things have opened back up I visit Tony Diaz at Made Men Barbershop once per month.”
Deanna Pai, Freelance Beauty Writer (Vanity Fair, Glamour, Better Homes & Gardens)
Hair Type: 2B
Favorite Hair Product: Ouai Wave Spray
Why I Love It: “I used to straighten my hair on a daily basis through high school and college, but started letting it air-dry as an adult. I then lost it when I was undergoing chemo, so now I’m extra nice to it. These days, I just spritz on wave spray and scrunch it before letting it air-dry. This one creates a non-crunchy, uniform definition to my waves and curls — I’m working with various curl patterns — and gives me beachy waves without any work. It also has a gorgeous floral scent that doubles as my fragrance. I apply it to damp hair after letting my hair dry partially in a towel turban. I never comb or brush my hair first, which I find keeps my natural curl patterns intact, and always scrunch it in with my hands.”
My Best Wavy Hair Advice: “Stick to products that offer a definition (over volume or moisture, for instance) in order to create uniform, yet effortless-looking waves. My downfall was thinking that because my hair had a curl to it, it automatically needed moisture — and that just stretched it out.”
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