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Curls can be a challenge to style. They come by that reputation honestly: A rainy day or the introduction of one new product can throw the whole look off. No two curls, even on the same head, are identical, so selecting the very best curly hair products for your pattern and preferred style will involve trial and error.
“What’s interesting about curls is that there’s an inconsistency a lot of times,” says Larry Sims, celebrity hairstylist and co-founder of Flawless by Gabrielle Union. “They can be so in between — straight here, wavy there, curly here — and going with the natural texture, it looks fuller a lot of times and just healthier. Don’t be afraid to lean into natural hair, because a lot of people, for the longest, tried to fight what they were born with.”
Top Curly Hair Products of 2025
To know what naturally curly hair products you need, you first need to know your curl pattern. Natural hair expert Annagjid “Kee ” Taylor explains that this is categorized by numbers and letters. “The numbers 1 to 4 refer to curl families, and the letters (A to C) indicate how tightly wound the actual curls are. So, type 1 hair has basically no curls or is straight, type 2 has waves, while type 3 includes spiraled curls and 4s have kinks and coils.”
Most curly hair products are carefully designed with each of these curl patterns in mind, so look for products that embrace and enhance your natural texture. When you start working with your natural hair and not against it, you may be surprised that it’ll start working for you, too.
With the help of Sims, Taylor, and Chicago hairstylist Alex Brown — as well as extensive product testing across various curl patterns…