Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Style at Large
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Winter Shoe Trends
    • Slick-Backed Buns
    • OleHenriksen
    • Holiday Candles
    • Statement Red Socks
    1. Beauty
    2. Hair

    The 15 Best Curl Creams for Natural Hair

    Bouncy, shiny hair, here we come!

    Tatjana Freund's avatar
    By Tatjana Freund
    Published 1 December 2020 In Buying Guides

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Model
    (Image credit: Getty Images, Brian Ach)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Curly girls know the struggle: When our curls look their best, heads will turn, mouths will drool, confidence will be boosted. The problem is, curls, coils, and kinks can be so sensitive. Factors like humidity, the temperature of shower water, and even our sleeping positions can take a great curl day and leave us with deflated, flat, or frizzy texture. Natural hair by nature is very fragile, which is partly due to the fact that curls are easily dehydrated. Dry hair is easily damaged, which means more frizz, more breakage, and less bouncy hair. The great news is that there are more products on the market than ever that understand curls, and have products for type 3 and 4 curls that actually work. Curl creams are your hair's best friend, adding moisture, shape, and hold to the hair. While in the past, curl creams were guilty of making hair crunchy, wet-looking, or greasy, these formulations want you to have soft, touchable, and bouncy curls with none of the drawbacks. Below, find 15 amazing curl creams that revive dull texture and combat those common curl complaints.

    curl cream

    The Coconut Cream
    1. SheaMoisture - Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie
    $5.98 AT AMAZON.COM

    For the owner of thick curls, this delicious smelling cream conjures up images of tropical vacations, complete with an amazing hair day. Say goodbye to sad, dull curls, and hello to the silky, defined ringlets.

    curl cream

    The Cult Classic
    2. DevaCurl - SUPERCREAM™ Coconut Curl Styler
    $7.50 AT SEPHORA.COM

    This cult-favorite curl cream is formulated without drying or damaging ingredients. Instead, it helps smooth and shape curls, defeating frizz and giving the hair a boost of moisture.

    curl cream

    The Avocado Cream
    3. Briogeo - Curl Charisma™ Rice Amino + Avocado Leave–In Defining Cream
    $20.00 AT SEPHORA.COM

    Because curls and coils need more moisture than straight hair, this product contains hydrating avocado to give each strand the hair equivalent to a glass of water. Goodbye frizz!

    curl cream

    The Coil Shaper
    4. OYIN Handmade - boing! all-in-one coil styler
    $14.99 AT OYINHANDMADE.COM

    For women with beautiful coils, this styler helps them keep their shape, while never leaving the hair feeling crunchy. Instead, welcome the moisturized, defined coils of your dreams.

    curl cream

    The Curl Protector
    5. Bumble and bumble. - Curl Defining Cream
    $16.00 AT SEPHORA.COM

    Naturally textured hair can be so sensitive, reacting to weather, pollutants, and even UV rays. That's why this cream works to protect hair from those curl-damaging elements, without ever weighing it down.

    curl cream

    The Curl BFF
    6. Cake Beauty - The Curl Friend Defining Curl Cream
    $8.99 AT AMAZON.COM

    Formulated with hydrating shea butter, this product is truly the BFF your curls need. It gives hair a beautiful glossy look, keeping frizz and flyaways at bay.

    curl cream

    The Minty Refresh
    7. adwoa beauty - Baomint™ Moisturizing Curl Defining Cream
    $32.00 AT SEPHORA.COM

    With honey, amino acids, and shea butter, this cream helps repair brittle or damaged ends, all while fighting frizz. Applied on wet hair, the result is silky, bouncy curls that will make everyone jealous.

    curl cream

    The Curl Holder
    8. Curls Dynasty - Twisted Definition
    $14.99 AT CURLSDYNASTY.COM

    Curly-haired ladies know the struggle of having our beautiful ringlets unravel after a few days. This cream gently helps them hold their shape, so curls look amazing even days after wash day.

    curl cream

    The Taming Cream
    9. Davines - Love Curl Cream
    $25.00 AT AMAZON.COM

    After washing, apply this curl cream to damp hair and watch it work some magic. When the hair is dry, notice how beautiful and bouncy each curl is. No crunchiness, and no wet look.

    curl cream

    The Hair Plumper
    10. Ouidad - Curl Shaper Take Shape Plumping + Defining Cream
    $26.00 AT AMAZON.COM

    Because hair is a porous material, this product works from the inside out to keep curls looking their best. Simply apply to wet hair and scrunch to see revitalized texture.

    curl cream

    The Texture Enhancer
    11. AVEDA - be curly™ Curl Enhancer
    $28.00 AT NORDSTROM.COM

    After washing, apply this product from roots to tips to give each strand shine and moisture. Dry with a diffuser to see healthy-looking curls that have their bounce back.

    curl cream

    The Potent Styler
    12. Curlsmith - Curlsmith Curl Conditioning Oil-In-Cream
    $26.00 AT ULTA.COM

    This product is so packed with nourishing and natural ingredients that you don't need to use much. The result is shiny, healthy hair that never looks dull.

    curl cream

    The Hair Hydrator
    13. Bask & Bloom - More Moisture Cream
    $19.00 AT BASKANDBLOOMESSENTIALS.COM

    Want some extra hydration, but zero grease? This product is ultra moisturizing but somehow never greasy. Applied to wet hair, it protects the hair and offers it the hydration it needs.

    curl cream

    The 4C Sculptor
    14. Mielle Organics - Mielle Pomegranate & Honey Coil Sculpting Custard
    $12.99 AT TARGET.COM

    For women with type 4 curls, this product is specifically designed for that tighter curl pattern. It offers hydration and shine, while also helping to hold curls in the shape you want, without crunchiness.

    curl cream

    The Coconut Moisturizer
    15. Carol's Daughter - Coco Creme Coil Enhancing Moisture Butter
    $13.79 AT AMAZON.COM

    For extremely dry curls, this tropical-smelling hair butter revives dehydrated hair so each curl can look their best. After using, curls will shiny and healthy, and soft enough to play with.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Tatjana Freund
    Tatjana Freund
    Social Links Navigation

    Tatjana Freund is a Beauty Commerce Writer, covering makeup, skincare, and haircare products and trends. She's a fan of vodka tonics and creepy Wikipedia pages.

    Read more
    a woman with brown wavy hair and sunglasses on a slate green background with two bottles of leave-in conditioner
    Hair My Post-Shower Hair Care Routine Always Starts with This One Product Say goodbye to frizz and split ends.
    By Ariel Wilson
    a selection of hair care products and a curling iron on a white background
    Hair The 49 Best Hair Care Products of 2026, Tested by 101 Beauty Experts Meet the winners of the 2026 Marie Claire Beauty Awards.
    By The Editors
     
     
    three bottles of hair mousse in white, black and blue next to a photo of a white woman with fine brown hair
    Hair My Fine Hair Can Finally Achieve Va-Va-Voom Volume with This Easy-to-Use Mousse Fullness in a flash.
    By Sophia Vilensky
    a collage of three women with mocha balayage hair at the salon with blown our brunette hair
    Hair I Found the Rich Brunette Shade Every It Girl Is Requesting for Winter With intel from top hair colorists in NYC.
    By Katherine Louie
     
     
    Latest in Hair
    a collage of three women with mocha balayage hair at the salon with blown our brunette hair
    Hair I Found the Rich Brunette Shade Every It Girl Is Requesting for Winter
    a collage of french bob hairstyles feature choppy bobs, textured bobs, short bobs, sleek bobs
    Hair Everyone Is Trading In Their Long Layers For a French Bob
     
     
    short choppy curtain bangs and shaggy layers on different hair lengths, dark tousled bob with pieces falling across the face, soft wispy fringe and flipped out ends, effortless messy hair inspo
    Hair These Cool-Girl Bangs Never Go Out of Style
    a collage featuring the Emi Jay x DedCool collaboration for holiday gifting of hair and body mist and sweet fragrance notes
    Hair DedCool and Emi Jay Just Released the $59 Holiday Gift Set I'll Be Giving Everyone
     
     
    Latest in Buying Guides
    adidas
    Winter Fashion Wearing Any of These 7 Pairs of Sneakers Signals You're a Fashion Person
    woman wearing a fur coat and a thick metallic belt
    Winter Fashion I Already Have My Winter Wardrobe On Lock—21 Playful Pieces That Will Complete It
     
     
    collage of shoe trends from the resort 2027 collections
    Fashion The Shoes to Wear With Everything This Winter, According to Designers
    A woman wearing a white trench coat with zebra print cuffed sleeves, and she is positioned above two beauty products
    Beauty I'm Saving Over $400 By Shopping the Sephora Holiday Savings Event
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.