The testing is over, the votes are in, and the winners of Editors’ Choice are finally here.
At the NaturallyCurly offices, we talk to industry experts about haircare products and regimens all the time. Stylists and hair specialists tell us the right cuts for different hairtypes and face shapes. Brands share the right products for our specific needs. We spend hours discussing the newest trends and whether we should buy into them or not. But that’s only part of it. Throughout the year, we are also trying out thousands of products from all over the world on our own hair and testing them on a range of curl patterns (our job is so hard, right?”>.
That’s why every spring, we share our favorite hair (and for the first time ever, skincare”> products as part of our annual Editors’ Choice Awards, where our team of editors vote it out over our favorite products, new and old.
After several months of product testing, clarifying hair strands and scalps, deep conditioning, and trying out what seemed like 100 types of clay facial masks, the NaturallyCurly editors divide into four groups, based on curl pattern: Type 2s, Type 3s, Type 3cs, and Type 4s. Then we have (sometimes heated”> debates over which products best addressed our individual hair and skin concerns. From 2-in-1 skin and hair butters to curl cremes that keep definition for an entire week, we have deemed our favorites as Holy Grail worthy.
Process of Elimination: How We Choose The Winners
Brands all over the world sent us their newest and best products over the last few months, and we tried all of them! It was not easy, but the process allowed us to try brands and products we use all the time, and also some we hadn’t come across before. Only the brands that we loved made our coveted Editors’ Choice 2018 list!
For the NaturallyCurly Editors’ Choice Awards selection process, we considered the following criteria when making our selections:
Product efficacy: Does the product work for my hair/skin type?
Miracle claims: Does the product packaging deliver false hope or stay true to its claims?
Added bonus: Does the product exceed my hair/skin goal expectations by providing unlisted benefits?
Innovation: Does the product contain ingredients that I have not used before? Is the product new to the curly community?
Industry expertise: Are ingredients suggested for use by hair/skin care experts?
The Main Categories in our list consisted of:
Shampoo
Conditioner
Hair Treatments
Styling
Finishers and Refreshers
Facial Care
Body Care
Each category has a winner for each curl type, and we will be publishing articles throughought the next 30 days that show how our editors use these products in our own hair and beauty routines. Make sure you follow us on Instagram and Twitter to stay updated!
The process of choosing which products make it onto our annual list is thorough because we want to ensure that we choose the best of the best for every curl and skin type. When you decide to try or buy one of our award winners, you are getting what our NaturallyCurly editors keep in our curl cabinets, our Holy Grails, and the collections of our most coveted brands.
Without further ado, it is our pleasure to share the winners of the 2018 NaturallyCurly Editor’s Choice Awards with you, dearest curlfriend!