I’ve been using the Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-in Conditioner for a while now.
And while I’ve been happy with my Biotera gel, I’ve been curious about he Kinky Curly Custard for quite some time. So I figured it was time I gave it a shot!
So today, I’m bringing you a review of both products!
Here, you’ll find the pros and cons on both the Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-in Conditioner and the Kinky Curly Custard plus my bottom line impression for each.
Keep in mind, I can only speak from my experience with my 3a/3b hair. My hope is that this review will be a good guide for all the curly girls out there, but your results may be very different from mine.
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.
Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner
Pros
Lightweight
This leave-in is so lightweight! It might be my favorite part about this product. It does a great job without weighing my hair down.
I use about a quarter sized amount for my whole head.
Hydrating
This does a great job hydrating my hair! For the first year and half or so on the Curly Girl Method, I used my lightweight co-wash conditioner as my leave in.
But when that started to be too heavy for my hair, I went looking for a designated leave in conditioner. This was the one I landed on.
Even with it’s lightweight formula I found it to give my hair enough moisture and hydration to be my first designated leave-in.
Great for refreshing
This is literally the only product I use to refresh my hair. I smooth a little over my hair each day and typically get 4-5 days out of each wash.
You can read more about my refresh routine here.
Affordable
I typically find this priced at around $13. This makes it one of the more expensive products I use, but it still comes in at under $15, so to me, that makes fits the “affordable” bill.
One 8oz bottle of this lasts me about two months. For the job it does and the multiple ways I use it, I see it as a pretty good deal.
Cons
Difficult to find these days
I don’t know what’s going on, but all of the sudden this product has become incredibly difficult to find.
So much so, that I’m starting to look for other leave-ins which kind of breaks my heart.
I’m hoping this is a short-lived situation, so I’ll definitely be leaving links to where you should be able to find it, assuming it’s not out of stock.
Bottom Line
I love this leave in! It’s my absolute favorites and I truly hope I’ll be able to get my hands on it more regularly in the very near future!
You can find it on Amazon, Sally, or Kinky Curly’s Website.
Kinky Curly Curling Custard
Pros
The scent and texture
I loved the sent of this!
To me, it smelled a bit like a vanilla cupcake, so if that’s not your thing, you may not like it. But I found it nice and light and I didn’t feel like it was in any way overpowering.
I also really liked the texture of the product itself. It’s called a “custard” but I’d ultimately categorize it as a gel, and that’s what I used it in place of.
But it has a unique firm-but-liquid consistency that I think helps it distribute more evenly and moisturize the hair while it holds it together.
Curl definition/texture
I really love the texture and curly definition I got with this product! It gave me a looser but still defined curl that I really enjoyed.
And that level of definition lasted days.
My hair also felt super soft using this gel–even softer than my Biotera.
Lightweight
This gel really didn’t weigh my hair down at all.
I needed a decent amount-probably a little more than half a palmful. I’ve used a comparable amount of other gels and found they can weigh my hair down in that amount.
So it was a pleasant surprise that this gel gave me a looser curl without also making my hair heavier. In fact, it’s fair to say I felt this product less that my Biotera gel.
Lack of build up
This was another pleasant surprise! Usually, by day four or five, I can start to feel the product in my hair–even though the only additional product I add to refresh is my leave in conditioner.
But I really didn’t feel the product in my hair at all when I was using this gel–even at the end of my wash cycle.
Cons
Frizz control/clumping
While this gel gave me a great curl, there was just a touch more frizz than I usually have and there was a fair amount of loose strands around my canopy that just didn’t clump that well.
It wasn’t overly noticeable, but given the price (which we’ll get to in a minute), I really expected this element to be a non-issue.
The cost
The cost of this product is why I’ve been reluctant to try it sooner. I paid $17 for this 8 oz container, making it one of the more expensive products I’ve tried.
I obviously really liked a lot about this gel, but it’s hard for me to overlook the frizz and curl clump issues at this price point–especially when my significantly cheaper Biotera gel (which gives me 32oz for $15) doesn’t give me this problem.
Bottom Line
I liked this gel A LOT! If one of those cons weren’t there I’d probably be inclined to switch to it.
I tried this gel both with my usual styling routine of the Kinky Curly Knot Today and Cantu Moisturizing Curl Activating Cream and I actually think I liked it without the cream better.
I’ll likely keep playing around with it a little more to see if I can find a way to make it work a little more effective for me, but at this point, the cons are big enough dealbreakers to keep me from repurchasing unless I can work something out.
If you want to try this out for yourself, you can get Kinky Curly Curl Custard on Amazon and the Kinky Curly website.
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: Have you tried Kinky Curly Knot Today or Curl Custard? Tell us about your experience! Be sure to tell us a little about your hair type too!
Thank you for another product review! I use the Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave In Conditioner too. It is a great lighter weight product! If you are looking to try a new gel that pairs nicely with it and curl creams, have you considered Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic Curl Stimulator? It is about $16-$17 for a 12 oz bottle. I buy mine from the local Target store. The bottle comes with a pump so it is easy to dispense. Heads up though – The texture is a little slimey. The texture caught me by surprise the first time I used it but I find it helps with really good definition!
I may have to give that a shot! I’ve been experimenting with some new products lately so I’ll add this to the list. Thanks for the recommendation!
Hello! I’m kinda new here, I was just wondering what is your hair porosity and your hair strand thickness, for example, is your hair fine or thin. Thank you so much for taking the time to help out all of the other curlies with the articles you write. You have really help me!😊
Welcome! I’m so glad this site has helped you!
However, this response may not be all that helpful, because honestly, I don’t pay that much attention to my hair porosity. I tried doing the various tests when I started the curly girl method and I always got conflicting results. Ultimately, I struggled more with my hair when I tried to care about my porosity than when I didn’t. It’s possible that I’m just medium porosity, but I can’t say for sure. As for my thickness, I’d say it’s medium, but this is another area I haven’t given a ton of attention to…
while I haven’t tried this custard, I have been using the moptop curly hair custard. I sandwich it between a mousse and a gel and I get amazing results for 4-5 days with barely a refresh needed. I know from previous posts you don’t really use mousse but I think if you layer a harder hold gel over the custard you might see a better result. I am curious, did you notice any white flakes with this custard? My one issue with the moptop is that if I use just a smidge to much I’ll end up with white flakes after I’ve scrunched out the crunch. I actually keep a set of measuring spoons under my sink so I can be precise about how much I use. I’ve seen others complain about it too, so I’m on the hunt for a flake free custard when I’m due to replace, and the kinky curly is on my list as a potenial, as is the inahsi custard since they offer a travel size.
Thanks for the tip! I didn’t notice flakes with this custard, so it might be worth checking out in your case. If you give it a try, you’ll have to come back and let us know how you like it. 🙂