In celebration of NaturallyCurly’s 26th anniversary, we are offering a list of the best styling products for Type 3 curly hair! Any Type 3 curly can empathize with the experience of roaming the aisles of Target, scanning the hair care aisle for anything that looks promising, and squatting down on one knee to read the descriptions and ingredients of several products before eventually deciding on your holy grail of the past three years and maybe a new conditioner.
Whether your current products have stopped working for you, or you’re like me and are always looking out for the next best thing, this list has the 20 best styling products that will help you achieve bouncier, more voluminous, more defined, and longer-lasting curls (that smell good too)!
1. MoroccanOil Curl Defining Cream
This entire line makes my hair smell so good. I used to be addicted to the Moroccanoil original treatment to refresh my dry curls, but when I found out they had a curl creme, too, my hair has never been happier!
2. Redavid Orchid Oil Dual Therapy
Who doesn’t love a two-in-one product? Redavid Orchid Oil Dual Therapy is half cream and half oil, so you can cocktail a mixture to work specifically for your hair needs. I generally do five pumps of creme and two pumps of oil for the perfect mixture, but I often mix it up depending on the weather and what day my hair is on.
3. AG Re:coil Curl Activator
The whole Re:coil line is GREAT for type 3 curly hair, but since this article is about styling products, I’ll just mention the defining cream. Formulated with amino acids, silk, keratin and oat proteins, castor oil, and fruit extract, this curl creme is a frizz-fighting, ringlet-making machine.
4. Curly Hair Solutions H2O Water Bottle
THE BEST REFRESHER EVER. If you were to ask me a year ago what I thought about buying a $14 water bottle I would have responded “In this economy?” Nevertheless, here I am using it every day to refresh my curls in the morning. This is one of my holy grails, and more than worth the price tag.
5. Olaplex No. 3
If it weren’t for capitalism you wouldn’t even have to pay me to rave about this treatment. It saved my bleached hair and I will never stop using it. I wrote more about olaplex and how it’s helped my bleached hair here.
6. Hairstory Hair Balm
My stylist, April, used this in my hair when I got one of my first curly cuts, and I was instantly impressed. It helped my wash day last all week long and gave me great definition without weighing my curls down.
7. Skimdo Curl Cream
The price tag on this is kinda wild, not going to lie, but this curl creme lasted me so long it was worth it. Skimdo is the only curl creme I have ever used that I went a whole week without washing my hair and it still looked presentable. Longer days between washing your hair means fewer times you have to use the product. So maybe the price tag isn’t that wild!
8. Mielle Pomegranate & Honey Leave-In Conditioner
Leave-in conditioners are personally my ideal choice of styler for my hair, and this one is one of my favorites of them. It smells so good that everyone is always asking perfume I’m wearing when I use it!
9. Balanced Guru Organic Scalp Treatment
I had never heard of this brand until our Editors’ Choice Awards recognized it, and now it’s a staple. It’s a light oil, which is perfect for my fine hair.
10. Kinky-Curly Curling Custard
A Curly Girl Method staple, this curling custard gives you all the definition and hold you would ever need.
11. Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie
I can’t think of one friend with curly hair who didn’t have this product in her bathroom growing up. It’s been a staple for years and I can smell a fellow curly wearing it from miles away!
12. Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding
This is a very thick, creamy product that works well on curls in need of moisture and definition. Just be careful not to use too much!
13. DevaCurl Styling Cream
Everyone who follows the Curly Girl Method knows about DevaCurl products. DevaCurl has won our Editors’ Choice Awards year after year, and this styling cream is no exception to this testament.
14. Ouidad Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel
I live in South Texas, so a good anti-humidity styler is an absolute must in the summer months. Ouidad got it all the way right with this gel. Frizz be gone!
15. Eco Styler Gel
This gel is the best bang for your buck when it comes to hold. I love the fact that it keeps curls defined without weighing them down.
16. Mixed Chicks Leave-In Conditioner
Curlies love this product for an easy wash and go that lasts. This products is packed with moisturizing ingredients that won’t weigh hair down, and my fine 3b/c hair loves this leave-in.
17. Mielle Organics Honey & Ginger Styling Gel
Mielle Organics Honey & Ginger Styling Gel is made with more than 70% certified organic ingredients such as honey, ginger, and babassu. So it smells good and it’s curly girl approved!
18. Curl Junkie Spiral Lotion Hair Styling Creme
This fragrance-free styling creme is a lightweight, volume-enhancing, and crunch-free product that can be used on wet hair or to revive second-day hair—which is how I prefer to use it.
19. Virtue One For All 6-in-1 Styler
Millennial pink packaging isn’t even the best part about this product, and I love pink! It leaves me with the softest curls and it smells amazing, too.
20. Creme of Nature Argan Oil Perfect Edges Extra Hold
This is a curly girl staple for edges. I love that it’s super moisturizing and lays these edges downnn. I also use it when I braid my hair back and I have to keep my little frizzies and baby hairs inside the braids.
Now, bookmark this article or write down the products that stood out to you, so the next time you are in your local beauty supply store you won’t have to spend an hour in the hair product section. You’re welcome!
Let us know in the comments what your favorite stylers for Type 3 hair are.
