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Curls, Coils, and Waves: The Best Products For A Good Hair Day, Everyday
Time to show your texture some TLC
There was once a time when the best products for curly, coily, and wavy hair were hard to find, but since the natural hair movement took over social media in the 2010s – there's been an abundance of science-backed and editor-approved brands that specifically cater to textured hair.
So where do you start? According to Nia Pettitt, owner of The Curl Bar London, sought-after curl definition is best achieved with a curl defining gel (for type 3-4 hair) or mousse (for type 2-3 hair). 'Coily textures need delicacy, patience and a lot of hydration so double cleanse with a clarifying shampoo to remove build up and use a deep conditioner to repair the curl,' explains Pettitt.
When using a clarifying shampoo, it's imperative to follow with a hydrating shampoo and nourishing conditioner to replenish the moisture balance of your hair and scalp. Then for curl definition, those with hair types that clump (type 3) should use a curl cream on wet hair, followed by a curl defining gel – using the praying hands or shingling method – to coat individual ringlets.
For coily hair types (type 4) that don't clump, try doing a twist-out with a rich butter and strong-hold gel to lock-in moisture and create definition – just make sure your hair is completely dry before untwisting your look, or else it might fall flat.
As for waves (type 2), mousses are ideal because they don't weight down looser curl patterns and the air bubbles encourage volume. 'Don't forget to scrunch out the crunch,' advises Lizzie Carter, founder and director of Only Curls. 'If your gel or mousse leaves a cast around the curls or feels slightly crunchy, gently scrunch this out using your hands to release soft bouncy curls.'
Shop The Best Brands For Curls, Coils, and Waves
Flora & Curl
After years of experiencing extremely dry and brittle hair, founder and CEO Rose Ovensehi created Flora & Curl to simplify her own haircare routine and nourish her strands with natural ingredients.
Launched in 2017, the British brand offers four straightforward ranges which align with its ethos. Style Me, for definition and volume; Hydrate Me, for moisture and hydration; Soothe Me, for a balanced and calm scalp; and Protect Me, for radiance and heat protection. We love that the aluminium packaging is infinitely recyclable and the pumps have a lock feature that's ideal for travel.
Hair type: 2 to 4
Hero product: Sweet Hibiscus Curl Activating Lotion, £17; Curl Defining Gel, £16 for creating curl definition.
Price range: £15 to £18
Bread Beauty Supply
Boasting impressive shelf appeal, Australian brand Bread Beauty Supply debuted in the thick of 2020. The founder, Maeva Heim, was inspired by a childhood spent in her mum's salon – the first African braiding salon in Perth. Following marketing internships at L'Oréal and Procter & Gamble, Heim decided to create a product for women who look like her and wear their hair in its natural state.
Hair type: 3 to 4
Hero product: Hair Oil: Everyday Gloss, £13 for boosting shine and taming flyaways.
Price range: £12 to £26
Bouclème
Founded in 2014 by Michele Scott-Lynch, UK-based Bouclème is made specifically for nourishing curly, coily, and wavy hair. Formulated with essential oils including mongogo, coconut, argan, and castor; and active plant extracts from sea buckthorn, aloe vera, shea butter, and linseed, the products contain no drying sulphates or heavy silicones.
Hair type: 2 to 4
Hero product: Intense Moisture Treatment, £29 for deeply moisturising dry, brittle hair.
Price range: £11 to £31
Briogeo
Briogeo's founder Nancy Twine left a career in finance to launch her clean haircare company in 2013. The NYC brand went viral for its reparative, deep conditioning protein mask – Don't Despair, Repair! – that's rich in rosehip oil (for hydration and frizz-control), algae extract (strengthen hair and protect scalp from free-radicals), almond oil (frizz-reducing), and biotin (strengthens hair).
Hair type: 2 to 3
Hero product: Scalp Revival Rosemary Pre-Wash Oil, £30 for balancing a dry/itchy scalp and removing product buildup.
Price range: £15 (59m) to £106 (946m)
Curlsmith
Before the brand, British founders Kate Berski and her husband Michal were inspired by their curly-haired nieces to start Curlsmith as an Instagram account – and it quickly grew into a community of advice, recipes, and tips.
First debuting in the US in 2018, Curlsmith officially launched in the UK in 2024. The B-corp brand was acquired by Helen of Troy in 2022 – a parent company that owns Revlon, DryBar, Braun, and BedHead – so, it's in good company.
Hair type: 2 to 4
Hero product: Curlsmith Weightless Air Dry Cream, £23 for lightweight hold and hydration.
Price range: £9 to £48 (947m)
Kérastase | Curl Manifesto
A leading name in luxury haircare for over 60 years, Kérastase continues to innovate with science-backed hair and scalp products that deliver exceptional results.
In 2021, the Parisian brand launched its Curl Manifesto range which was influenced by a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Formulated specifically for curly and coily hair, Kérastase wanted to provide luxury haircare for all textures, which "had previously not [been] addressed adequately".
Approaching Curl Manifesto with the same expertise as fellow award-winning products, the moisture-rich range is infused with manuka honey and ceramides.
Hair type: 3 to 4
Hero product: Refresh Absolu, £31 for reviving second-day curls.
Price range: £27 to £47
Davines | LOVE/curl
Starting as an Italian research laboratory that produced luxury haircare products for leading cosmetic companies, the Bollati family launched their own brand – Davines – in the '90s, hence the understated and timeless packaging (which is also B-corp certified).
Ideal for those with wavy and curly hair, the LOVE Curl range gently cleanses while adding moisture, shine, and definition. Committed to sustainability, the products are infused with Noto almond extract that's traceable to the farm of Mr. Carlo Assenza in Syracuse, Italy.
Hair type: 2 to 3
Hero product: LOVE Curl Cleansing Cream, £34.50 for co-washing wavy and curly hair.
Price range: £10.50 to £34.50
Only Curls
Lizzie Carter founded Only Curls London in 2016 with an aim to encourage fellow curly-haired people to embrace their natural texture. Starting with microfibre towels and small batch products packed from her kitchen, Only Curls has quickly become one of the most recognisable British haircare brands.
The formulation is ideal for wavy hair and looser curls with hydrating ingredients like shea butter, marula oil, rice water, and pea protein that reduce frizz without leaving hair feeling heavy.
Hair type: 2 to 3
Hero product: Volumising Curl Mousse, £17 for defining and hydrating wavy and curly hair.
Price range: £5 to £22
Bumble and Bumble | Bb. Curl
A coveted brand by professional salons and session stylists at Fashion Week, Bumble and Bumble's Bb. Curl range is designed for all types of curls, coils, waves, and kinks.
Meant to boost moisture, provide definition and reduce frizz, the products are formulated with a rich blend of oils – jojoba, avocado, coconut – plus, cocoa and shea butter.
Hair type: 2 to 4
Hero product: Anti-Humidity Gel Oil, £28 for defining curls without a crunchy cast and smoothing frizz for a slick finish.
Price range: £14 (60ml) to £102 (1L)
Charlotte Mensah Maknetti Oil
An institution in the heart of Notting Hill, Charlotte Mensah – and her celebrity-loved salon the Hair Lounge – is London's authority on curly, coily, and Afro-textured hair.
Crafted from organic, ethical and sustainably-sourced ingredients from Ghana, Mensah's decadent Manketti Oil range is infused with nut oils from the mongongo tree (also called manketti). The sumptuous, richly perfumed oil repairs the hair cuticle and strengthens dry and brittle hair.
Hair type: 3 to 4
Hero product: Manketti Hair Oil, £52 for a nourishing overnight treatment and smoothing flyaways.
Price range: £26 to £55
Fenty Hair
What can’t Rihanna do? Since disrupting the makeup industry in 2017 with Fenty Beauty’s truly inclusive, 40 shade foundation range (today, the brand boasts 50 shades), the music icon turned business mogul has launched Fenty Hair.
Launched in 2024, the core collection features nine hair care and styling products – one shampoo, two conditioners, one treatment, four stylers, and one tool. Each is infused with Fenty Hair's Replenicore-5, a clinically tested proprietary complex that’s designed to repair, strengthen, hydrate, smooth, and protect the hair and scalp.
Hair type: 2 to 4
Hero product: The Homecurl Curl-Defining Cream, £29 for curl definition; The Protective Type 5-In-1 Heat Protectant Styler, £29 for heat protection.
Price range: £15 to £34
Read the full review for Fenty Hair here.
Cécred
Launched in 2024, Beyoncé's editor-approved Cécred is a truly inclusive haircare line. Inspired by the star's upbringing in her mother's salon, its a response to the industry not prioritising the needs of textured hair.
By starting with products that support relaxed, colour-treated, and Afro-textured hair, Cécred consulted trichologists and cosmetic chemists to cater to the most vulnerable hair types – therefore benefiting all hair types.
The products work to replace lost protein in the hair, which ends up strengthening the hair and reducing shedding overtime.
Hair type: 2 to 4
Hero product: Fermented Rice & Rose Protein Ritual, £50 for strengthening damaged, dry, and highly-manipulated hair.
Price range: £29 to £50
Read the full review for Cécred here.
Kara is the Ecommerce Editor, Women’s Lifestyle at Hearst UK. Leading Cosmopolitan’s digital shopping strategy, she shares style advice for life’s big moments, reports on the latest fashion collaborations, and creates beauty reviews across skincare, makeup, and haircare.
Kara’s most popular guides include ‘Affordable Jewellery Brands to Shop’, ‘Ski Wear to Shop, According to an Editor’, and ‘The Best High Street Wedding Dress Brands’, while covering deals events such as Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. When she’s not behind a laptop screen, she’s hosting shopping videos and livestreams for Cosmo’s TikTok Shop. Kara also creates shopping content for Red and Prima, and was previously contributing Fashion and Beauty Ecommerce Editor at ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar.
Since starting her career as a journalist in 2018, she has held the role of Fashion Content Editor at NET-A-PORTER’s Porter Magazine, Associate Editor at PopSugar, and written for Refinery29 and LOVE Magazine, where she covered fashion and beauty news, trends, and features. An experienced interviewer, Kara has spoken to Zendaya, Alicia Keys, Simone Biles, and Tyla about life, work, and style. Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Kara lived in Toronto, Canada before moving to London.
Follow Kara on Instagram @kara.kia
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