Affordable Curly Girl Approved Products | The Curly Girl Method

It’s been a while since I’ve done a post about my Curly Girl Approved products, so I thought it was about time for an update!

Because it’s me, all of these products are very affordable!

But it’s worth noting that at the time of writing this post, a lot of the prices on Amazon are higher than average across the board and most are more than what I paid.

I’m still leaving the links because prices do fluctuate and by the time you read this, they may be lower. I don’t pay more than $15 for a product, and even then it’s either a product that comes in a large quantity or lasts a long time.

I’m working on getting more links in here for you guys so you can shop around, but for now, know that if a product comes up at more than $15, you should probably check back later to see if the price reduces or try to find it elsewhere.

Now, here are my current curly girl approved products!

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 Scalp Soothing Shampoo

The Cantu TXTR Scalp Soothing shampoo continues to be my absolute favorite. If you’ve been following the blog for a while now, you know I struggled with some dry scalp issues a while back. (You can read all about that here.)

I started using this shampoo to soothe my dry scalp and it very quickly became a staple. It significantly reduced my scalp issues and has a pretty awesome applicator that makes it very easy to target your scalp.

You can read my review here.

Find this shampoo on Amazon

Suave Essentials Conditioner

I’ve always used the Suave Essentials conditioner as my lightweight conditioner. In the past I’ve used the Tropical Coconut, but I’ve recently wanted to mix things up so I switched to the Sunripened Strawberry.

The Strawberry has been just as effective as the coconut and the scent is lovely.

I like to detangle my hair with the lighter conditioner before conditioning for real with my rinse out.

Get it on Amazon.

Perfectly Pure Moroccan Argon Oil Conditioner

In the interest of full disclosure, I did not buy this Perfectly Pure Moroccan Argon Oil Conditioner, I was gifted it. But I really love it!

I find it does an exceptional job hydrating my hair. Before I started using this conditioner, I would use a little bit of deep conditioner every wash day for some added moisture. But I’ve found with this product, I don’t have to.

The only part I’m a little unsure about is the smell. I’m honestly not sure what it smells like. I can’t say I like it, but I don’t necessarily dislike it either. Typically, my other products drown it out, though, so by the time my hair is styled, I really don’t notice it.

At the time of writing this post, the cost of this is $14, which does seem to be the typical price for this product.

This is more on the high end for me for curly girl approved products, but I do think it’s a great conditioner and now that I only use it once every 4-5 days, I honestly wouldn’t mind paying that price for this conditioner since it’ll last me months and I really like the results.

However, at this point, I can only find it with a shipping cost that’s nearly the cost of the product, so if that’s the case, I won’t be repurchasing.

Get it on Amazon.

More inexpensive alternative: Not Your Mother’s Naturals Coconut Milk and African Marula Tree Oil High Moisture Conditioner.

I haven’t tried this one yet, but it’s what I have on hand for when my current conditioner runs out. I’ve used other Not Your Mother’s Naturals conditioners in the past and I’ve liked them a lot!

Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave in Conditioner

Up until very recently, I always used my rinse out or lightweight conditioner as my leave in. But that was starting to feel a little too heavy on my hair, so I switched to a designated leave in.

I tried a few of them, but the Kinky Curly Knot Today turned out to be my favorite. It’s very lightweight, yet incredibly moisturizing.

I use it as a post-wash leave in and to refresh. (Here, you can find my wash day routine and my refresh routine.)

Get it on Amazon, Sally.

Cantu Moisturizing Curl Activator

The Cantu Moisturizing Curl Activator has been my favorite cream for a while. It’s lightweight, hydrating, and makes refreshing a possibility for me.

You want to be careful not to use too much, but I found this to be an awesome product once I got the amount right (about a fingertip amount for my whole head, post-wash).

You can read my full review of this product here.

Get it on Amazon, Sally.

Biotera Gel

This Biotera Gel is one of my favorite curly girl approved products. It’s been a part of my routine for a while. That hasn’t changed.

This gel locks in moisture, has a cast that breaks up easily, and leaves my hair feeling ridiculously soft with a great hold.

You can read my full review of this gel here.

Get it on Amazon, Sally.

JessiCurl Deep Conditioner

I like this JessiCurl Deep Conditioner a lot. But I don’t have a strong preference for deep conditioners, and I often buy a new one each time I run out.

I definitely find this to be a great hydrating conditioner. I think I paid $11 for this, and at that price, I’d likely buy it again in the future.

Get it on Amazon.

Mielle Babassu Oil and Mint Protein Deep Conditioner

While I don’t currently have strong feelings about a general deep conditioner, the same can’t be said about my protein deep conditioner.

This Babassu Oil and Mint Protein Deep Conditioner does amazing things to my hair when it needs a protein treatment. I feel like this conditioner melts into my hair.

The mint scent is also delightful, and I get some fabulous results. This is one product I’ve repurchased multiple times.

Get it on Amazon.

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 some of your current Curly Girl Approved products? Tell us about it in the comments!