Curly hair is drier than straight hair for a structural reason: sebum travels down a straight strand easily and a coiled one poorly. The ends are therefore the furthest from their oil supply.
Almost every rule below follows from that.
What to look for
- Gentle, low-foam or sulphate-free cleansing. Curls tolerate stripping badly
- Moisture-focused formulas
- A rich conditioner — this matters more than the shampoo for curly hair
- Silicone-free, if you are using gentle shampoos that may not remove silicone build-up
What causes frizz
Frizz is dry hair reaching for moisture in the air, plus mechanical disturbance. So:
- Do not rub with a towel. Squeeze with a cotton t-shirt or microfibre. Terry towelling roughens every curl it touches
- Do not brush dry curls. Detangle wet, with conditioner in, using fingers or a wide-toothed comb
- Do not touch it while it dries. Handling during drying is the single largest cause of frizz
Washing
- Wet thoroughly — curls need more water than you think
- Lather at the scalp only, gently
- Rinse, then conditioner generously on the lengths and ends
- Detangle with the conditioner in, never dry
- Rinse cool
- Squeeze, do not wring
- Apply leave-in or cream to soaking-wet hair, then leave it alone
How often
Less than straight hair. Two or three times a week suits most curls; some do better with once. Between washes, rinsing with water and re-applying conditioner refreshes curls without stripping.
What to keep occasional
Clarifying shampoo once a month or so. Gentle cleansing means build-up accumulates, and build-up flattens curl pattern — but weekly clarifying dries curls out.
Realistic expectations
Products define and hydrate the curl pattern you have. They do not change it, and hair that has been chemically straightened or heavily bleached may not return to its original pattern at all.
If your curls have loosened, that is usually damage rather than a product deficiency, and the answer is trimming and heat reduction.
For the range, see the shampoo guide.