One of the biggest perks of the Curly Girl Method is it’s very possible to have fabulous, healthy curls without breaking the bank!
This post is a round up of twenty-five curly girl approved products you can find at your drugstore!
Here you’ll find curly gurl approved shampoos, conditioners, deep conditioners, styling creams/leave-ins, and gels!
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.
Sulfate-Free Shampoos
- Cantu Cleansing Cream Shampoo
- Say Yes to Cucumbers Color Protect Shampoo
- Shea Moisture Curl and Shine Shampoo
- Suave Professionals for Natural Hair Sulfate-Free Cleansing Shampoo
- Pantene Pro-V Rosewater Shampoo
Conditioners
- Suave Essentials Tropical Coconut
- Tresemme Botanique, Nourish and Replenish
- Shea Moisture Curl and Shine, Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Raw Shea Butter, etc.
- Not Your Mothers Naturals Tahitian Gardenia Flower and Mango Butter Curl Defining Conditioner
- Vo5 Herbal Escape conditioners
Deep Conditioners
- Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen and Restore
- Garnier Fructis Smoothing Treat One Minute Hair Mask
- Mielle Organics Deep Conditioner Babassu and Mint
- Burt’s Bees Shea and Grapefruit Deep Conditioner
- JessiCurl Deep Conditioning Treatment
Creams and Leave-ins
- Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie
- Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Curl Defining Cream
- Cantu Curl Activator Cream
- Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-in Detangler
- Jane Carter Revitalizing Leave-in
Gels
- Eco Style Olive Oil, Argan Oil, etc
- Aussie Instant Freeze Sculpting Gel
- Tresemme Mega Sculpting Gel
- Garnier Fructis Curl Treat Jelly
- LA Looks Sport Gel
For more products, check out these posts: 25 Curly Girl Approved Conditioners, 25 Curly Girl Approved Gels, Curly Girl Beginner Products.
To check for yourself if a product is curly girl approved, you use isitcg.com.
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 favorite Curly Girl Approved Drugstore products? Tell us about them below!
Hi Meghan,
It looks like your hair and curls are exactly like mine!! Would you mind sharing the exact products you use and the method you use to get your curls looking so awesome?? Thank you in advance and thanks for posting 😊
Hey Norma! Thanks so much for reading! Here’s a post all about my hair routine: https://createyourownreality.co/my-curly-girl-method-hair-routine/ At the end of each step, I mention the products I use! I hope they work for you as well as the work for me! 🙂
I love Renpure Cleansing Conditioners to clean my hair. I love, love Garnier Fructise Curling Milk spray for days you don’t have time to cleanse but you need to redefine your curls. I also use John Freida’s Daily Nourishment Leave-in Conditioner spray when my hair is still damp after cleansing.
Hello,
I think the Not your mothers curl talk defining cream isn’t allowed for curly hair method because it contains c13-14 isoparaffin which is mineral oil.
Yes, I did mention that in my review of the product (which I forgot to link here, so thanks so much for this comment!). Ultimately, I tend to stick to (and write about) the more simplified Curly Girl Handbook version of the Curly Girl Method which only seems to advocate being strict about avoiding sulfates, silicones, and drying alcohols. From what I could find in the handbook, you only have to avoid other ingredients if they build up on your hair to the point that you would need a sulfate shampoo to wash it out. I used the Not Your Mother’s cream for months, and while I did find that I had to wash with a sulfate-free shampoo more regularly, I never needed a sulfate shampoo to get my hair clean.
Yes, I was going to mention that. Left me wondering about the other products listed here 🤔
Yep, I like I mentioned in my response to that original comment, I follow and write about the more simplified curly girl method that comes from the Curly Girl Handbook, which says the ingredients all curly girls should avoid are sulfates, silicones, and drying alcohols. Beyond that, you want to watch out for anything that builds up on your hair to the point that you need a sulfate shampoo to wash it out, and that’s going to vary from person to person. (I used the product in question for months and never once needed a sulfate to get my hair clean. I only stopped using it because my hair got healthier and didn’t need as much moisture.)
All the products on this list are free of sulfates, silicones, and drying alcohols (at least, they were at the time of publication) since that’s what I follow and because that’s the part of the curly girl method that’s universal to everyone. If you have more unique needs, you’ll likely want to investigate the ingredients of any products you use a little more closely.
I have a question.. I am getting ready to start the curly method but I have a question. Once I do the final wash and style as usual do I just start my next wash using a sulfate free shampoo or co-wash? I read and reread the section on that in your book but didn’t really get it.
Yes, you start the next wash! Just make sure after your final wash you’re conditioning and styling with your new products (as in, products that don’t have silicones in them) and you should be good. I hope that clarifies things! 🙂