If your hair is naturally curly you may be on a lifetime quest to find the “perfect” styling product for your natural curls. While some hair experts believe there is a one size fits all solution to natural curls, this is just not true.

(Image from Goldwell - All Rights Reserved - 2009).

Not only do natural curls grow into different patterns from very loose curls to kinky tight curls, the curls grow differently on different sections of the head.

With all that said, the key to finding great styling products is to follow these general steps:

1. Identify your hair’s curl type (loose curls and some waves to super tight curls), texture (thin/fine, medium, thick, super thick) and tendency towards certain problems (oily at roots, dry at ends, dry all over, frizzy).

2. Evaluate your natural curl growth pattern as it relates to your head. Is one side of your head curlier than the other? Do you have looser or tighter curls near the nape of the neck? Understand your own personal curly hair.

3. Get to know your hair’s behavior pattern. Does your hair react in certain ways to the changing of the Seasons? How does your daily diet impact your hair?

(Image from Goldwell - All Rights Reserved - 2009)

4. Once you have a clear understanding of your natural curls, identify celebrities or other public figures with similar curl patterns and hair types. Try to determine what products those celebs use on their curls and start there with your quest to find great styling products for your curls.

There are a large number of “naturally curly hair experts” publicly recommending styling products for naturally curly hair.

Listen to what the experts have to say but make your own choices based on what you know about your own hair.

While hair and beauty publications may offer great suggestions, if you decide to try a new type of product for your natural curls, try to buy the smallest size available or get samples, if they are available. There’s no sense spending a lot of money trying products for your curls that may not work for the long term.

Types of Styling Products For Short Natural Curls

Some natural curl experts suggest that some of the best styling products for short natural curls are hair waxes, molding hair muds or similar molding paste products.

(Image courtesy of Goldwell - 2009 - All rights reserved).

Why? Hair wax, muds and similar products can offer supreme control of curls via a thick (and sometimes sticky) consistency. These products are recommended for forming and enhancing natural curls. These types of products are applied to indivual ringlet areas to help mold, form and hold the natural shape of the curls.

The potential downside to hair waxes, muds, molding pastes and similar is that they may tend to be drying to delicate curls which needs lots of moisture.

Types of Styling Products For Short Natural Curls

If your tresses are long and curly, some curl experts recommend the use of more moisturizing styling creams, curl enhancing balms, mousses mixed in with a good dose of defrisants and anti-frizz formulations.

The reason these types of products are recommended for longer curls versus gels and muds is because the longer the curls, the more possibility of frizz due to increased amount of hair which can become dry and moisture parched.

The potential downside to defrisants is that they may make curls too soft and interfere with great curl formation and hold.

Natural Curl Styling Product Bottom Line

With some research it should be possible for people with natural curls to avoid buying every imaginable styling product on the market. If you first access your natural curl type, texture, condition and general curl behavior, you can focus on what types of products to experiment with whether it be styling wax, gel, mud, paste or softening products such as defrisants and curl leave-in products.

When in doubt of the best styling products for your natural curls, talk to your professional curl professional for product advice. Ask your hairdresser to test different products for natural curls on your strands when you go in for your regular trims. This gives you a chance to try out different products without making an initial financial committment.

Remember, just because a products is advertised as being designed for natural curls, it may or may not be right for you and your own curl pattern.

Tags: defrisants, hair gel, hair muds, hair styling products, hair wax, natural curls

This entry was posted on Friday, January 23rd, 2009 at 7:46 am and is filed under Hair Product Reviews, Hairstyling Tips, Naturally Curly. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.