If you’re looking for awesome Curly Girl approved products, you’ve come to the right place!
One of my favorite things about the Curly Girl Method is the fact that I don’t have to shell out a ton of cash to have fabulous curls.
In fact, that’s largely the reason I started following the method in the first place!
So with that in mind, today’s post is going to feature 10 awesome Curly Girl approved products that I use on a regular basis!
Side note: This page does contain affiliate links, which means if you purchase something using the product links on this page, I may get a small commission. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps keep this site running. Thank you!
Also, I follow the simplified version of the Curly Girl Method most directly derived from the Curly Girl Handbook. This means the only ingredients I look to avoid are sulfates, silicones, and drying alcohols. If you have more ingredients that you look to avoid, it would be a good idea to check the ingredients for yourself before making a purchase.
Cantu TXTR Shampoo
I love everything about this shampoo! In fact, it’s probably one of my favorite Curly Girl Approved products. It’s made with plenty of scalp friendly ingredients that have gone a long way in helping with my dry scalp.
It does a great job of getting my hair clean without stripping my hair of its natural oils. I also love the applicator on this bottle. It makes it really easy to target just the scalp, which is a key element when it comes to washing and the Curly Girl Method.
You can check this product out on Amazon, and you can read my full review here!
Suave Essentials Tropical Coconut Conditioner
This is one of the Curly Girl Approved products I’ve been using since day one. Originally I used it strictly as a co-wash, but now I use it as a co-wash, daily conditioner, and sometimes a leave-in.
It’s lightweight, smells great, and is super inexpensive.
For my daily conditioner, I find I get just the right amount of moisture when I combine it the Tresemme Conditioner (which we’ll talk about in a moment).
Often, I’ll use the Tresemme conditioner as a leave-in, but sometimes that conditioner is a little too heavy. If my hair seems like it has enough moisture and the Tresemme is weighing it down too much, I’ll use this instead.
I’ve tried not using a leave-in, and my hair never makes it through the day without frizzing, so this conditioner is perfect when I need some light moisture.
You can check this product out on Amazon.
Tresemme Botanique Conditioner
This is another conditioner I’ve been using since day one of the Curly Girl Method.
Initially, I used this as my rinse out and my leave-in. However, my hair has gotten a lot healthier after following the Curly Girl Method for a year.
When this happened, I found that this conditioner was a little too heavy. I tried using just the Suave Essentials, but that didn’t seem to be moisturizing enough. That’s when I started combining them, and I’ve been able to consistently get a good balance.
I’ll also use this conditioner as my leave-in when my hair needs a little more moisture than the Suave Essentials can offer (which is usually in the summer and winter.)
You can check this product out on Amazon.
UPDATE: As of spring 2021, it looks like Tresemme has changed the name and formula of this product. It’s still curly girl approved but doesn’t seem to be as well reviewed as the old formula.
The conditioner got too heavy for my hair, so I don’t use it any more. I’m leaving the links in case you can/want to stock up on the old version while you can.
With that said, you might really like the new version! If you want to give that a shot, you can find it here.
Cantu Moisturising Curl Activator
This is one of the newest Curly Girl Approved products that I’ve added to my routine and so far, I’ve been really happy with it!
I’ve you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know the Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Cream used to be my staple curl cream.
It hadn’t been working as well for me lately. I also always had a hard time refreshing my hair, and I came to realize that the cream was part of my problem. So I decided to switch it out.
I’ve tried a few other Curly Girl Approved products and creams, but this Cantu cream has been the clear winner! You can read my full review here.
I use about a nickel-size amount on each half of my hair right after I shower and I use about a dime-size amount over my whole head when I refresh.
This product still feels a little new to me, but if this keeps up, you’ll see a full review of this product soon!
In the meantime, you can check it out on Amazon, or Sally.
Biotera Styling Gel
This gel has been one of my favorite curly girl method products for a very long time. I love that it dries with a gentle cast that’s easy to break up, but still has a killer, all-day hold.
It also does a good job holding in moisture and working with my other products.
I use about half a golf ball size amount for each half of my hair and scrunch into my scalp to encourage the curl.
You can read my full review of this gel here.
You can check out this gel on Amazon or Sally.
Mielle’s Honey and Ginger Gel
I absolutely love this honey ginger scent! It’s just the right balance of sweet and spice. It’s light, but noticeable without being overpowering. This gel did a really good job holding my curl clumps together and keeping frizz at bay
This gel gave me some looser definition than I normally get, and if you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know that’s a big plus for me.
Check out the full product review here!
The Mane Choice Crystal Orchid Biotin Infused Styling Gel
I found that this gel created a very nice cast that broke up pretty easily. My curls looked great for days! I tend not to have a lot of success with harder hold gels. So, I was pretty impressed with how easily the gel cast broke up.
I was also impressed by how flexible, yet long-lasting the hold was. Typically, once my hair dries, my part is locked in. But with this gel, I was actually able to flip my part and have it look decent.
This product boasts that it both moisturizes and defines curls and I found this to be very true. My curls had great definition for days and I found I could use less product and leave-in conditioner with this gel.
Check out the full product review here!
Mielle’s Hawaiian Ginger Gel
I found this had pretty decent hold, especially on wash day and day 2 curls.
It’s a little bit of a harder hold gel, but it didn’t have an impossibly hard-to-break cast like some other hard hold gels I’ve used, which is a big plus for me!
It also had a great citrus ginger scent.
Check out the full product review here!
Aunt Jackie’s Don’t Shrink Curl Elongating Gel
My curls were absolutely more elongated when I used Aunt Jackie’s Don’t Shrink gel compared to other gels I’ve used. I always love when a product does what it says it does!
The hold on this gel is serious, so if you don’t like a hard hold gel, this may not be for you. It’s a thick gel, but spreads easily enough and does a great job holding the curl pattern for days.
It also has a fresh, clean scent!
Check out the full product review here!
Tresemme Mega Sculpting Gel
This gel is lightweight, locks in just enough moisture to give me great curls, but doesn’t weigh my hair down or take forever to dry.
Because this gel doesn’t weigh my hair down, it creates some awesome, bouncy, well-defined curls. This is another area where thicker hard hold gels have fallen short for me in the past.
Of course, the true test of a gel is how it holds up against frizz control. This gel does not disappoint.
It may take some playing around to get the right amount for your hair, but once you do, this gel creates some great frizz-free curls.
Check out the full product review here!
Looking for more guidance on your curly hair journey?
For beginners
If you’re new to curly hair care and looking for some help, you should check out the No-Stress Guide to Curly Hair Care!
After spending two years learning and caring for my curly hair, I wanted to create my own, in-depth guide to help fellow curlies create incredible curls in the easiest way possible.
It took me a while, but I eventually found an approach that helped me create a curly hair routine that fits into my life in the simplest way possible. And now I want to help you do the same!
For more intermediate/advanced guidance
If you’ve been on your curly hair journey for a while but still have some struggles, check out Curly Hair Problems!
After spending hours scouring the internet looking for solutions to my own curly hair problems, I found myself wishing for an easier, more comprehensive guide to the most common problems.
So that’s what I created!
Curly Hair Problems offers you 78 total solutions to the five most common curly hair care problems, including frizz, curl clumps, limp curls, product issues, and scalp issues.
Sound off: What are your daily budget curly girl method products? Tell us about it in the comments! Be sure to tell us a little about your hair type too!