Best Shampoo For Curly Hair: Curly hair, just like any other hair type, is extremely beautiful. It’s spontaneous, looks carefree, and there’s something that pulls you towards its unpredictability. However, as carefree and effortless as they may look, a lot of care and patience is required for a good hair day when it comes to curls.
And it is pretty logical that for every haircare routine a good shampoo is a must-have.
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All my curly humans out there truly understand the hassle of trying to find a shampoo that suits their hair and can surely confirm the pain it brings them.
Even though it’s knockout gorgeous, managing curly hair can a lot of times be a pain in the neck and seem like a difficult job to handle.
Curly heads out there know that there’s always one or the other issue that arises with owning those super ringlets.
Sometimes your hair is frizzy like there’s no tomorrow and sometimes they get as dry as a pile of hay.
If not this, then there is some other diresome issue every now and then that grows your frustration and makes you despise your hair.
Nevertheless, whether it be the issue of your curls being unable to hold their shape or them hopelessly coiling up into painful knots, a good shampoo is the key to healthy hair.
We understand that it can be extremely frazzling to choose the right products for your locks and for the exact purpose, today we are here with a bunch of A+ curly shampoos.
We went through long lists of curly girl approved shampoos to construct this list.
Yes, all of them are different, and it must be noted that every hair type is also different and reacts differently to every shampoo.
It’s basically about extreme trial and error when it comes to curly products.
You might have to try multiple kinds of products to find the one for you.
Along with that, a huge daily dose of determination and consistency in routine is essential for good hair.
You cannot start using a product for the first time and expect magical results the second day.
The transitional period of unattractive curls to scrumptious, bouncy curls is time-taking and demands deep-rooted patience.
However, we have still managed to talk about a general collection of the shampoos that we think would be good for curls, so let’s get started!
Before diving into deep Check Our Top 7 Picks For The Best Hair Growth Helmets.
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Best overall: Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Defrizzing Shampoo:
Humidity is something that can absolutely ruin your curls. And I’m talking about wreaking havoc in your head.
It makes your hair cuticles swell up and expand, which in turn incites extreme frizz and lack of definition in your hair strands.
Since curls are naturally dry, they will soak up all the moisture that they can from the air which in turn creates frizz. Hence, an extremely moisturizing shampoo should be chosen to fulfil all your hydration needs. This will prevent your hair from soaking up moisture from the air.
This shampoo is the best out of all our choices today for multiple reasons.
Firstly, it brags a unique anti-frizz technology that keeps your hair tamed and defined through the help of a special silk protein.
It locks moisture in your hair strands and prevents it from needing to suck moisture from the humid air.
Moreover, its special UV filter goes one step ahead in giving your hair the ultimate protection against sun damage that also causes your hair to get dry, dull, and frizzy.
You’re basically gonna say bye to those bad humid summer hair days which make your frizzy and the scorching sun dulls your hair.
It has an impressive list of moisturizing ingredients like shea butter, various ceramides, murumuru butter, etc to keep your hair extra soft.
This is basically the star product for you if you have curly hair that’s suppressed by heat damage, color treatments, or is just generally unhealthy to look and feel.
Best for a boost of hydration: Amika Nice Cream Cleansing Conditioner
Don’t let this product’s description fool you.
Yes, we know it says it’s a conditioner.
And yes, we know you must be thinking why are you seeing a conditioner in a text that’s supposed to be about shampoos.
This is actually a one-step cleanser that cleans and conditions your hair all at the same time! Less money invested, less confusion for your hair with two different types of shampoo and conditioner.
If you are not satisfied already, this product boasts a list of qualities that will make you fall head over heels for it!
Especially suitable for thick, heavy curls, this product is in the form of a thick cream that will solve all your hair problems.
Whether you have frizzy strands or dry ends, the Amika Nice Cream Cleanser will surely have your back when it comes to cleansing and hydrating in a single step.
A lot of you may have some reservations, but let me tell you, this will never leave your hair feeling greasy and lanky even after a shower.
Amika Nice Cream is a creamy concoction of grapeseed oil, soya bean protein, and oat peptide, scented with a delicious sea buckthorn berry scent that makes your hair smell fresh.
This product comes with a UV filter as well so no need to worry about your locks frying under the sun!
It fulfills the criteria of a curly shampoo being sulfate, paraben, and artificial coloring free which means that it is basically a natural creamy cocktail to make your hair healthy, shiny, smooth, and frizz-free!
Best for curl enhancement: Moroccanoil Curl Enhancing Shampoo:
This bad boy is for all my curlies out there who always come out of the shower with curls that have been reduced to a point where they can’t even be seen.
This shampoo has a formula packed with richly nourishing argan oil which helps to bring back the elasticity in your curls and give them a brilliant bounce along with an irresistible shine, and increased manageability!
You will get curls that are smooth to touch, are frizz-free, and of course are beautifully defined! Total win-win!
While the argan oil deeply nourishes your hair, the vegetable protein in this shampoo strengthens your hair from within so it doesn’t break every time you touch your luscious curls!
Apart from these, the added bonus of Abyssinian Oil in the shampoo makes your curls shiny like glass and helps to ease out all those stubborn knots and tangles within seconds!
Rejuvenate the natural bounce of your curls while making them healthy and shiny like no other with the Moroccanoil Curl Enhancing Shampoo!
Best for budget-conscious curlies: Garnier Fructis Curl Nourish Shampoo
Biology says that hair is almost entirely made up of protein.
Protein strengthens every single strand of your hair and helps to recover dry, dull, and damaged locks.
Proteins in your hair are known to give your hair its structure and also promote growth.
Since protein has so many positive effects on our hair, I have good news for you.
The Garnier Fructis Curl Nourish Shampoo is largely composed of proteins extracted from citrus fruits, beneficial vitamin B3, and B6, as well as extracts from various fruits and plants which aid in strengthening your curly locks.
It is paraben-free and sulfate-free and is designed in a special way to make your hair healthy, strong, luscious, and absolutely beautiful!
With this product, you’ll get your dreamy, frizz-resistant, well-defined curls for up to 24 hours with the delicious tropical smell of coconut!
And I still have the best news to reveal.
We curlies know it very well that it can sometimes be extremely difficult to buy products for your curls without spending tons of money. Curly hair is high maintenance, but the Garnier Fructis Curl Nourish Shampoo has got you covered!
Best for eco-conscious curlies: Carol’s Daughter Coco Creme Curl Quenching Shampoo:
This one’s for the organic curlyheads out there who want healthy curls but at the same time don’t want to cause any harm to mother nature.
Like a lot of organic products, the story of the brand Carol’s Daughter started in the kitchen with natural ingredients.
Their Carol’s Daughter Coco Creme Curl Quenching Shampoo is 100% free of harmful sulfates, parabens, and any artificial colors.
Hence, you don’t have to think twice about this shampoo stripping your curls from their natural oils, or harsh chemicals damaging them, nor the risk of diseases that originate from using ingredients like paraben.
(Hint: parabens can cause hormonal imbalance and lead to diseases like cancer in the long run).
A shampoo that is as healthy for you as it is for your mother nature.
And it does a job as good as it claims to do. Your hair will be left feeling as soft as silk and tainted with the heavenly tropic aroma of mangoes and coconut.
It smoothly detangles your hair and leaves them velvety to touch and easy to run your fingers through.
Your curls will be well-defined and be given a dramatic boost of strength and health through consistent usage.
Honestly, if you have curly hair or haven’t tried this, you are seriously missing out.
Best for thick curls: SheaMoisture Wash N’ Go Shampoo
SheaMoisture is the name of the game when it comes to products for curly hair.
This one, the Coconut Custard Make it Last Wash N’ Go, is typically great for wavy hair, as well as 3b-4c type hair.
SheaMoisture is a sulfate and paraben-free brand that doesn’t cease to amaze.
This one particularly, is infused with plant peptides, creamy coconut milk, richly moisturizing coconut oil, and Kokum Butter, which account for its custard-like consistency.
And it surely is a sweet treat for those curls!
This moisture-rich blend helps to gently cleanse your hair while boosting softness and shine, and effortlessly detangling it.
All the listed ingredients work together superbly to deeply nourish your hair and ease the movement and bounce of your curls.
It’s a brilliant product from a brilliant brand that you should surely get your hands on especially if you are a curly!
Best for color-treated curls: Amika Vault Color-Lock Shampoo:
Last but not least are my curlies with hair so beautifully colored that they needed a category exclusive to themselves!
There are ample good shampoos for color-treated hair available in the market, however, when it comes to color-treated curls, you need to be a little more cautious with your choices.
Like said, curly hair is naturally really dry and color-treatments dry it out even further, hence you need a shampoo that nourishes and hydrates deeply and is also free of harsh chemicals so no further damage is done to your precious curls.
Amika Vault Color-Lock Shampoo is packed with antioxidants and natural oils like that of soybean and features a special UV filter that protects your hair from sun damage as well.
The soybean oil not only moisturizes but is the main ingredient that helps prevent the color from fading out and instead makes it look fresher with every wash.
A special amino acid blend smooths, strengthens, and promotes elasticity and the overall health of your hair.
On top of that, this shampoo is absolutely free from sulfates, mineral oil, gluten, petrochemicals, sodium chloride, phthalates, and artificial colors.
Honestly, if such an impressive list of ingredients and healthy features of this product don’t convince you in buying this shampoo for your color-treated hair, I don’t know what will!
Go get it!
Your guide to buying the best shampoo for your curls:
That was our collection of the best shampoos for curly hair for different needs.
However, as said at the beginning, with curly hair, no product can be a one size fits all.
You might like a product and find it to be advantageous for your hair.
Or you might have to go through several options until you find the product that’s for you.
However, the ingredients’ list should be your main focus when you go hair products shopping and trust me, you will find the right one that way!
Regardless of the difficulty, we have compiled some general tips that will help you walk through the tiring process of finding the perfect shampoo and emerging with a head of fresh, hydrated, bouncy curls.
- Say NO to sulfates
If you have ever happened to look at the back of a regular shampoo bottle, you will always find three haunting words of the curl world, ‘Sodium Lauryl Sulfate’ or ‘Sodium Laureth Sulfate.’
Beware of this component as it plays a major role in ruining your hair. This goes for all kinds of hair whether curly, wavy, or straight.
Shampoos with sulfates form a lather which we think of as a sign that our shampoo is ‘working.’
This is entirely false because in fact, these kinds of lather-producing shampoos actually strip our hair off of their natural oils which causes them to frizz up in the worst way.
You don’t need any lather to make sure your hair is getting clean.
I’m sure you understand what I’m trying to say.
Basically, just stay away from a shampoo that has sulfates and opt for sulfate-free choices to keep your hair healthy, shiny, and beautiful just like you!
- Try to find a shampoo that doesn’t contain alcohols
Since drinking alcohol isn’t good for your health, it shouldn’t be very difficult to understand that hair product with alcohol are very damaging to hair as well.
Let me tell you about the deal with alcohol.
Tare soluble in water and strip all the oils off of our hair, leaving the curls frizzy and as dry as dust.
Not all types of alcohol are bad for your hair, some can be conditioning and moisturizing as well, however, there are only a few of these kinds.
It is typically believed that Cetearyl Alcohol is not as damaging as other alcohols like ethanol.
It is one of the most common long-chain fatty alcohols and has moisturizing and soothing properties.
It almost acts as the best cocktail but for your hair, making it easy to detangle, extremely soft and hydrating.
- Choose shampoos that hydrate
If I’ve not made it clear before let me repeat it.
Curly hair type is naturally dry.
This is because natural oils find it difficult to evenly moisturize the ringlets in our heads.
Curly hair is also very sensitive to humidity and dryness.
When exposed to humid conditions, they absorb water from the surroundings and frizz. Their porous structure has a great role in this.
When under dry conditions, they rapidly lose moisture and the chance of breakage dramatically increases.
Due to all these reasons, we need to pack as much moisture in our curls as possible, which is the exact explanation for why we need to look for hydrating shampoos if we have curly hair.
- Try to choose shampoos with as many natural ingredients as possible
Everyone who has hair obviously wants it to be healthy and look good.
And trust me, those two things don’t happen if you keep using products with harsh ingredients that suck out natural oils and the beauty out of your hair.
To avoid this, it is better to start changing your direction when it comes to shampoos and try to find products with natural ingredients that gently cleanse your hair meanwhile also maintaining the goodness of it.
Try finding products with no harmful ingredients like sulfates, parabens, silicones, fragrances, etc so you can start treading the journey towards healthy hair.
- Lookout for products with greater ‘slip’
The ‘slip’ of a hair product whether shampoo, daily conditioner, deep conditioner means how lubricated the product makes your hair feel during usage.
Curlyheads know that detangling your hair in the shower can be one of the most challenging processes, resulting in immense hair breakage.
And if you have curls, tangles and knots will definitely form in your hair no matter what.
This is why looking for a shampoo, you should search for greater slip so your hair easily detangles in the shower, the amount of conditioner used decreases, and your bathroom isn’t full of broken hair by the time you are done.
Conclusion:
Whether you have curls that are dried beyond repair, or coils that just don’t retain their shape, or hair that has been extensively heat and/or color treated, these curl friendly shampoos are going to be your ride or die.
Even if you find any of the listed products to be unsuitable for your hair, you can make use of our easy to interpret guide at the end to help you get the curls of your dreams.
