How to Style Curls that Fall Flat, Don’t Last, or Are Overly Soft
If your curls fall limp, frizz, struggle to hold a curl, or feel too soft and flat, then you need a to make these teaks
I try so many products, and sometimes they just don’t work out for me. Usually, those products don’t get shared. However, today I’m sharing curly hair products that didn’t work out for me, why, and who might these products work for instead. I thought this may be helpful to hear more about what I look for in products, and if you’re experiencing similar issues, then you’ll have a better understanding of why.
I’m also including similar products that I recommend instead as alternatives.
Even though I love a strong shampoo, sometimes shampoos are too harsh and leave my hair dry even after conditioning. This clarifying shampoo is super effective and only $2, however, my hair was still dry even after conditioning. You can watch me use it in this Drugstore Routine video, and see how my hair was dry. A lot of it was from a lack of moisture in my stylers, but there are alternative clarifiers that don’t cause this feeling.
The Twist shampoo is a good alternative because it’s affordable, still a very strong shampoo, but doesn’t leave my hair super dried out. It definitely feels very clean after, but feels much better after conditioning.
One downside is that it doesn’t remove hard water minerals like the Suave shampoo does, but it will remove regular product and oil buildup.
Super gentle shampoos can be good for dry hair, or a mid-week wash when your scalp isn’t that dirty and you need to re-wash, but I prefer stronger shampoos or at least a mild shampoo that is effective. This shampoo didn’t get my hair scalp even after shampooing twice.
When I do want a very mild shampoo, I like using the Curlsmith Essential Moisture Shampoo because it’s very moisturizing but still gets my hair clean. It’s very conditioning, so you may even be able to skip conditioner. It has a good lather too.
When stylers don’t work for me, it’s usually because they don’t provide enough hold. I prefer strong hold products, however I do use light hold from time to time when it’s not humid.
My issue with this one is its claim to be “all-in-one” but it doesn’t provide any hold to protect from frizz. It’s not a “bad” product by any means, but it will need a gel on top.
An alternative if you need a one-and-done would be a gel that is moisturizing.
The LUS Irish Sea Moss Gel is much better than the All-in-One when it comes to hold, but it still didn’t have enough hold for me. I did have great volume and definition but I just had to do quite a bit of refreshing after wash day. This would be great for those who have low-porosity hair that may not have much frizz.
The Twist Weather Up Gel has a similar texture and provides a bit more hold. I get about a medium hold out of this and it’s buildable. It’s especially great if you live where it’s humid.
I had high hopes for the Curl Wow line because it’s made by Color Wow, best known for its Dream Coat anti-humidity spray. The stylers include a leave-in and a spray styler. They both left my hair sticky and didn’t provide any hold. I had to spray so much in my hand to even get enough to apply. I don’t have an alternative for these specifically because I don’t prefer spray stylers.
I had heard so many good things about the Aussie mousse that I had to try it. However, it didn’t give me any hold and my curls got frizzy by the end of the day and fell limp. I think I ordered the wrong one because I saw they have another version that probably has better hold than this Miracle Curls Mousse.
One of my all-time favorite products is the Not Your Mother’s Mousse. It gives volume, isn’t drying, and provides a strong hold that is long-lasting. It’s also not too drying like most drugstore curly hair mousses.
It pairs well with the Curl Talk Cream.
One of my biggest struggles with gels is when they’re too thick and sticky. However, someone with fine hair may love this type of gel because it can provide texture for volume. The original Curl Talk gel doesn’t provide enough hold for me and it leaves my hair feeling producty and has a residue.
I did really like the hard hold version of the Curl Talk gel because I was able to get more hold so my curls lasted longer. It does provide some texture but I’m able to tolerate it when my curls look great. It’s very thick so I have to mix it with water to more easily apply it.
You may have seen my video where I recreated my old curly hair routine using Aveda, but this gel was a new addition and I was hopeful because I typically love lightweight liquidy gels. I didn’t get enough hold with this gel, so I may have used too much of it. I ended up with a sticky, producty feeling on my hair once it was dry and it was still very frizzy.
If you like thin, liquidy formula gels like me then you’ll definitely want to give my holy grail gel from Ouidad a try. It also contains protein and humidity-blocking ingredients. It provides a strong but flexible hold and you’ll have little to no refreshing which is the best part, in my opinion. I am pretty heavy-handed with it and never get buildup.
This is a very popular drugstore gel that is known for being strong hold, but it was just too drying for me. Typically I can just use a cream under a gel that is low in moisture and it’s fine, but this one actually made my hair dry by day 2. It had a lot of flyaways, was dull, and the curls fell limp which is unusual for me. It also was too thick and sticky for my liking, leading to a producty feeling.
If you’re looking for a strong hold gel from the drugstore, this one from Curls is a better option. It’s thinner and has a bit more slip compared to the Aussie gel. It is a bit more moisturizing but for me, still requires a cream underneath. I like pairing the Curls Creme Brulee Whipped Curl Cream underneath. I get long-lasting hold from that combo.
This next one is actually for an entire brand/line of products and that is Evolvh. This brand is known for having very natural, lightweight products so it’s ideal for those with very fine hair that gets weighed down easily. They are low in moisture, which is not a good option for my hair type which is very dry. I have medium-coarse textured hair and not fine hair, so I need more conditioning in my routine. After using this line, my curls were dry and had a lot of halo frizz and flyaways. I still think the products are very high quality and would be better suited for fine hair types.
This last category is refreshing products. You likely haven’t heard me talk about refreshers much because I prefer to just use my styling products from wash day to refresh so I don’t get buildup from incompatible products.
Foams are popular refreshers because they have a high water content and are lightweight. However, this Curl Talk foam made my hair so sticky and had a buildup feeling. It also did not provide any hold. Most foams don’t give much hold, but this one claims to help with frizz and it definitely didn’t for me.
If you’re looking for a foam, the VERB one is a good option. I like the formula of this and it gives me great results. However, this does not provide my hair with much hold at all. I consider it a light hold so if you plan to use it as a styler, you’ll need a strong hold gel on top.
I do get great volume and curl clumps with it though. I know many of you have said you like to use it as a refresher. Since it has a lot of water in it, you may be able to do a “waterless” refresh and just add some of this foam. You may still need to add gel though so you don’t get frizz.
It’s important to remember that you need to try products multiple times to be able to tell if it’s not right for you. Change up the application technique, combination of stylers, or drying technique to accurately test it. If a styler is too dry, add a cream underneath. If a styler doesn’t give you enough hold, dry using more of it next time, layering in more on damp hair, or use less cream or water underneath.
Watch the How to Pick Products series to learn if you’re using the wrong products or not.
Is there a product or brand that you haven’t seen me mention? Comment below what I should try next!
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