Search Results: Samantha Cross

By Samantha Cross · Updated December 3, 2024

Writer Samantha Cross is the Co-Founder of CurlScan, a community-built database of Curly Girl Method-approved products.

With so many hair products out there, it can be difficult to determine what’s best for your hair and which products are CG-approved if you’re following the Curly Girl Method.

We often see search trends in our analytics for CurlScan, a database of Curly Girl Method products. I’ve used this information to highlight recommended products from some of the website’s most searched brands. I hope this list helps you find your next holy grail for the best curly hair products in 2024!

Not all products from each brand mentioned are approved if you follow the Curly Girl Method. All of the recommended products are approved as of January 2022. Please double-check your product for any unapproved ingredients, as formulas may change anytime.

1. Not Your Mother’s Naturals

The Not Your Mother’s Naturals line is one of the most popular collections of products in the curly hair community. They offer shampoos, conditioners, and styling products with various ingredients and product weights so you can choose which is best for your hair type. Not Your Mother’s Naturals Tahitian Gardenia Flower & Mango Butter Curl Defining Conditioner for curls that can handle or require heavier moisture.

2. Maui Moisture

This product is easy to find in Canada and the US and is very reasonably priced. Not all products from this brand are Curly Girl Method approved, so be sure to check the ingredients! Maui Moisture Color Protect + Sea Minerals Shampoo is a clarifying shampoo for color-treated hair.

3. SheaMoisture

These products are heavy on moisturizing ingredients (I suppose that’s not a surprise given their name!), so they’re usually best suited for curly, kinky, or coily hair rather than wavy hair. SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner for curls that need protein and moisture in their routine.

4. Giovanni

This brand offers many Curly Girl Method-approved products for all hair types. Whether you need help with volume, frizz control, a dry and itchy scalp, or hydration, Giovanni has a CG-approved product. Giovanni Powder Power Dry Shampoo. It’s one of the few CG-approved dry shampoos to help you get a few extra days out of your curls.

5. Ouidad

Have you ever heard of an Ouidad Cut? Ouidad call themselves “The Curl Experts,” and their special technique for cutting curly hair has helped put Ouidad on the map in the Curly Girl community. Try Ouidad VitalCurl+ Define & Shine Styling Gel-Cream for those who can’t decide if they want a cream or a gel for styling their hair.

6. Alberto VO5

Alberto VO5 conditioners are considered by many in the Curly Girl Method groups to be their holy grail conditioner: they provide consistent results for a very reasonable price. Sometimes, you can even find Alberto VO5 products in your local dollar store! Check out Alberto VO5 Avocado Cream Conditioner for wavies or curlies on a budget.

*Editor’s Note: We previously recommended Alberto VO5 Moisture Milks Strawberries & Cream Conditioner but it is not CG-friendly as of January 2022 for containing alcohol.

7. Aussie

If you like to pick up your hair products while shopping for other things, Aussie is available in many drugstores and supermarkets. They have a handful of CG-approved styling products, but I have yet to find a shampoo or conditioner that this brand approves. Aussie Instant Freeze Gel for curls or waves that need extra hold to make it through the day.

8. Cantu

Cantu’s new-ish TXTR line is almost entirely CG-approved and has two options: Treat and Sleek. The Treat products are all about moisturizing your hair and scalp, which is great if you and your curls deal with harsh winter weather. Sleek products provide definition and hydration. TXTR by Cantu Apple Cider Vinegar and Tea Tree Soothing Shampoo is for curlies dealing with hard water or dry, itchy scalp.

9. Tresemme

Another cost-effective option, Tresemme, is available just about everywhere. Only a handful of Tresemme products are approved, but those tend to be very popular in the curly community because they are easy to find and inexpensive. Tresemme Between Washes Curl Revive Styling Foam is for those who want to refresh their hair without soaking it.

10. CURLSMITH

Relatively new on the scene compared to many of the brands listed above, Curlsmith offers a variety of Curly Girl Mehthod and non-Curly Girl Method-approved products. They’re vegan and cruelty-free too! CURLSMITH Double Cream Deep Quencher for dry, dull curls that need a moisturizing pick-me-up.

Which brand is your favorite? Share with us in the comments!

If you’re still trying to figure out what you texture before you start shopping for any Curl Girl Method Approved products, take our NaturallyCurly quiz below.

WANT TO UNDERSTAND YOUR TEXTURE TYPE?

To understand all there is to know about your curl pattern, porosity, density, reliable curly hair products and the best hairstyles for you, take the NaturallyCurly Texture Typing Quiz right now!

Caring for curls, coils, and waves can seem overwhelming!

You’ve probably tried several techniques and products and been discouraged by the results. That’s because each head of hair has unique characteristics that influence your curls’ behavior: the shape and size of the hair follicle, hair strand thickness and length, and even its relationship to moisture.

Let’s get started!

Do any of these apply to you?

I’ve used heat tools such as a blow dryer or a flat iron in the past 3 months.

I’m currently transitioning to my natural texture.

Neither apply to me

Do you have locs?

Locs are an intentional matting and tangling of the hair to create rope-like structures. Hair is not combed during the locing process which allows hair that would normally shed to remain among your strands wrapping around each other to form a new texture.

Yes

No

Whether your locs are based on curls, coils, or waves, they still need special care and specific maintenance regimens related to your texture type. To build the best loc care and maintenance, consider the state of your curls before you loc’d them when taking this quiz. That way, you’ll be able to get the best results at the end of the quiz, helping you select the best products and ingredients for your texture type.

CURL PATTERN

Learning the specifics of your curl pattern will help you understand what styling techniques and products work best for your unique set of strands. You’ll also love our NaturallyCurly content that specifically addresses your curl needs!

Here at NaturallyCurly, we embrace wavy, curly, and coily patterns by treating each set of curls with equal amounts of care, curl love, and respect.

Which of the following options best describes your hair?

Wavy

Curly

Coily

CURL TYPE

Learning the specifics of your curl pattern will help you understand what styling techniques and products work best for your unique set of strands. You’ll also love our NaturallyCurly content that specifically addresses your curl needs!

Here at NaturallyCurly, we embrace wavy, curly, and coily patterns by treating each set of curls with equal amounts of care, curl love, and respect.

Which of the following options best describes your hair?

S-shaped hair that sticks close to the head; very easy to handle; easily straightened

S-shaped hair that sticks close to the head; a little resistant to styling; it has a tendency to frizz

thicker, more coarse wavy hair that has a few more actual curls, as opposed to just waves; tends to be more resistant to styling and will frizz easily

Which of the following options best describes your hair?

Curls show a definite ringlet pattern; curls are well-defined and springy with the circumference size of sidewalk-chalk

Curls are well-defined and springy with the circumference size of a Sharpie; curls can range from bouncy ringlets to tight corkscrews

Curls are voluminous, tight corkscrews with the circumference size of a pencil; curls can be either kinky or very tightly curled, with lots of strands densely packed

Which of the following options best describes your hair?

Curls are tightly coiled and springy; when stretched or even un-stretched, has the circumference size of a crochet needle or smaller

Similar to 4a and when stretched or even un-stretched, has the circumference size of the spring in an ink pen

Very similar to 4b except that the curls coil tighter at the root/scalp; hair doesn’t spring or move much unless manipulated such as a braid-out or twist-out

POROSITY

Porosity is the ability of your hair to absorb and retain moisture. Knowing your porosity is just as important as knowing your curl type. Porosity ranges from low to high, depending on the condition of the cuticle.

Is your hair color-treated or do you use heat tools more than once a week?

Yes

No

DENSITY

Often confused with hair thickness, hair density measures the amount of hair you have on your head, and the proximity of the follicles to each other.

How long does it take your hair to dry with no product added?

It takes a long time to dry, hours and possibly days

It takes 1-2 hours

It drys quickly, in a matter of minutes

Part your hair down the middle. Now without forcing the two sides apart, how much of your scalp can you see?

I have no problem seeing my scalp.

I can see some of my scalp.

I can see very little of my scalp if I can see it at all.

WIDTH

The width or diameter of your strands affects the amount of volume you have as well as your hair’s overall strength, durability and ability to retain length.

Take a single strand between your fingers, close your eyes and then roll it between your fingers. What best describes your strand?

I don’t feel the strand at all between my fingers.

I can feel the strand between my fingers, and the strand is slender, pliable.

I can feel the strand between my fingers, and the strand is durable and hard to ignore.

LENGTH

Length is not really a texture type category, but from Big Chop to hip length, the length of your hair can affect your curl pattern, shrinkage and styling techniques.

How long is your hair?

Very short (i.e. close crop, fade, TWA)

Chin length

Shoulder length

Past your shoulders

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This article was originally published in 2020, and products and links have been updated.

OUR EDITORS INDEPENDENTLY SELECT ALL PRODUCTS FEATURED ON NATURALLYCURLY. HOWEVER, WE MAY EARN AN AFFILIATE COMMISSION WHEN YOU BUY SOMETHING THROUGH OUR RETAIL LINKS.

By Samantha Cross · Published November 4, 2019

Have you ever been on vacation and gotten completely different results from your usual curly routine? It’s not until this happens that we realize the impact the water we use at home has on our hair. We put all of this effort into finding the right products to keep our curls bouncy and healthy, but our water may be working against us!

If you live in a hard water area, you’ve probably had to deal with limescale on your pipes or calcium build-up in your kettle. These mineral deposits can happen on hair too, resulting in dull, lifeless, brittle strands. It can even stop the moisturizing ingredients in your conditioner or deep treatment from being able to penetrate your hair.

If you’re battling with hard water, dry air, and extreme cold this winter, one thing you can at least attempt to improve is your water’s impact on your hair and skin.

What is hard water?

“Hard” or “soft” water refers to mineral content. Rain is soft when it falls from the sky, but if it passes over rocks like limestone or chalk, the minerals from these rocks dissolve into the water. This means hard water has a high mineral content, often including minerals like iron, calcium, and copper. The hardness level of the water in your area will be dependent on where your water comes from. All well water is considered hard, but local reservoir water could be hard water too. A quick Google search of “water hardness + (your area”>” should let you know what kind of water you’re dealing with.

There are two things you can do to combat your hard water: use products that will help reduce the water’s impact on your hair, or purchase a water softener.

Chelating Shampoos

Chelating shampoos and clarifying shampoos are not the same thing, though the words seem to be used interchangeably. Clarifying shampoos are designed to remove product residue. Chelating shampoos are specially formulated to deal with hard metals and minerals and the type of build-up caused by hard water. Some shampoos have the ingredients to be both clarifying and chelating.

Chelating products contain Disodium EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid”> and are harsher on your hair than a clarifying shampoo. It is important to ensure you are only using a chelating shampoo when you really need it, and that the rest of your routine helps balance the dryness a chelating shampoo may cause. My favourite deep conditioner to help restore moisture to my hair is the As I Am Hydration Elation, which is Curly Girl Method approved.

Chelating shampoos recommended for hard water build up:

1. Ouidad Water Works Clarifying Shampoo
2. Malibu C Hard Water Wellness Shampoo (Curly Girl Method approved”>
Ion Hard Water Shampoo (Curly Girl Method approved”>

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinses

Vinegar has been shown to break down minerals like magnesium and calcium often found in hard water, allowing them to be rinsed off of your hair.

Mix one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into two cups of filtered water to create your own DIY rinse. Pour this solution over your hair after shampooing and massage gently into your scalp. After a few minutes, rinse the apple cider vinegar out of your hair. Repeat up to once per week to keep hair free of mineral build up. If you’re concerned about your hair smelling like vinegar, you can follow it with a bit of leave-in or rinse-out conditioner.

Alternatively, you can purchase products that contain apple cider vinegar, such as:

1. dpHUE Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
2. Crème of Nature Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Rinse (Curly Girl Method approved”>
3. Philip Adam ACV Shampoo (Curly Girl Method approved”>
4. AG Hair Natural Balance Apple Cider Vinegar Sulfate-Free Shampoo (Curly Girl Method approved”>
5. Hask Organic Apple Cider Vinegar Buildup Removing Rinse
6. Txtr by Cantu Apple Cider Vinegar + Tea Tree Soothing Shampoo (Curly Girl Method approved”></li

Several of these products also contain Disodium EDTA – the ingredient used in chelating shampoos to break down mineral build up – as an ingredient.

Water Softeners

Water softeners are a common solution to hard water. There are two types: one that softens all of the water in your house as it enters, usually by adding salt, and smaller ones that attach to or replace your existing shower head or tap.

I recently purchased a Brondell VivaSpring filtered shower head. It claims to remove hard metals and chlorine from water. The filters inside the shower head have to be replaced every six months.

My results from using a shower filter aren’t that easy to see in photos, but I can feel a significant difference. I always thought having coarse, rough hair was just part of being curly. My hair is softer and shinier than it has ever been even after a short amount of time.

Another result from showering with softer water is that my products lather better. I’m able to use less product and it seems easier to distribute too.

One downside I’ve noticed since using this filter is a decrease in hair volume. Much of my volume came from frizz anyway so this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is one of the most obvious changes.

Same products used in both photos: SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Kinky Curly Curling Custard. My hair looks smoother and more moisturized but looks less voluminous.

Final Thoughts

If you’re finding the products you used to love are no longer doing it for you or your hair is feeling dry and lifeless, check your water! For products to work on our hair, we need to provide them with a healthy base to work with. If your water is drying out your hair or leaving mineral build-up on your curls, try a chelating shampoo, apple cider vinegar rinse, or a water softener. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results!