Looking for non-toxic curly hair products? I’ve got some awesome options for you! Thanks to Lorraine Massey and her Curly Girl Method, I was aware of what was in my hair products long before I made the conscious switch to clean beauty overall. And though my curl care methods have evolved, my commitment to sulfate-free, paraben-free curly hair products has only grown.
I’ve tried an embarrassing amount of hair care products over the years. With curly hair in particular I think it just comes with the territory — we’re always looking for that miracle product that gives us our idea of beautiful curls. Luckily non-toxic curly hair products have come a long way in the past 20+ years, and we now have way more options than we did back in 2001 when Massey’s book dropped.
If you’re a curly gal, one of the things you’ve consistently gotten asked about or had commented on is your hair. The usual question being along the lines of “How do you make it look like that?” My response for the last 25 years has been: genes, a LOT more product than you’d think (thank you to the stylist that did my hair for my wedding day!) and proper diffusing technique. Oh, and a silk pillowcase. And pineappling at night. And not washing too often. And — you get the idea. But mostly it’s the genes and good combo of products.
All that to say, it’s been pointed out to me that it’s ridiculous that I haven’t posted about my favorite curly hair products, and I agree. So I’m here to rectify!
What I’m working with: 3A curls, and fine hair with low porosity that’s easily weighed down and doesn’t love protein all that much. I used to have a TON of hair (thus my all-time-favorite stylist’s nickname for my hair: ‘the Beast’), and while midlife has done me dirty in that regard and it’s thinned out a bit, I still LOOK like I have a lot of it. One blessing of having curls!
So given that, here is a list of my favorite non-toxic curly hair products that work for my curls. These are all currently in my arsenal (or will be repurchased shortly!). As always I’m providing my favorite places to shop for each…gotta have options so we can find the current best deal. Please comment below with any questions, or any product recommendations you think I should try!
Jump to: SHAMPOO | CONDITIONER | GEL | FOAM/MOUSSE | HAIRSPRAY | OTHER STYLERS | REFRESHERS | DEEP CONDITIONER | OTHER TREATMENTS | TOOLS
SHAMPOO
INNERSENSE | Color Awakening Hairbath
This is by far my favorite color-supporting clean shampoo. Gently but thoroughly cleanses, leaving hair feeling soft but not weighed down (having fine hair, many conditioning shampoos make my curls droopy). Smells wonderful, hair is shiny and healthy, and the tone of my highlights stay truer longer. I also believe this has helped my scalp to be healthier and happier (I struggle with dryness)!
SHEAMOISTURE | Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen and Restore Shampoo
This has been my go to clarifying shampoo for years now. It was initially difficult to find a sulfate-free clarifying shampoo that really worked! But this one removes buildup and leaves hair feeling squeaky clean without drying or stripping it, all while smelling great. Castor oil being deeply moisturizing, it strengthens your strands to help reduce split ends, tames frizz and leaves you shiny. With the peppermint and apple cider vinegar (and castor oil), my scalp gets lots of love too! Works great on my daughter’s 3C curls as well (and she uses WAY more product on her hair, including oils). Target runs a Sheamoisture sale quite often, and I tend to stock up there.
GIOVANNI | Eco Chic Smooth as Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo
I’d used Giovanni’s Tea Tree ‘poo and ‘dish for years for times when my scalp was acting up (so cooling, love it!!), but somehow never explored their other shampoo offerings. When I was grabbing their conditioner (coming up!) at Whole Foods, a lovely gal recommended it to me. It quickly became part of my regular rotation! Moisturizes without weighing down my fine hair, I use it after highlighting and any time I can tell I’m starting to get dry. Love it!
CONDITIONER
CURLS | Blueberry Bliss Reparative Leave In Conditioner (but I rinse it out!)
Yes, this is a leave-in conditioner, and if you check the description it also says for 4A curls. But here’s the thing…I don’t leave in conditioner, it’s far to weighty for fine hair. But I’ve never found a rinse-out conditioner that kicked ass at detangling…they just don’t provide enough slip. So I finally began playing with leave ins that were touted as being great detanglers, and just rinse them out! This one right here is a GREAT detangler. Rinses out beautifully, provides just the right amount of conditioning and moisturizing before doing so, and while it smells great it doesn’t linger (even on the rare occasion when I scrunch a pea-size into my hair before stylers when I’m particularly dry). I typically purchase this at Target, though for some reason it’s not showing on their site right now….
GIOVANNI | Direct Leave-In Weightless Moisture Conditioner
Same as above, I rinse this out. This conditioner is a wonderful detangler and is hydrating and moisturizing without weighing down fine hair. And you simply can’t beat the price! Along with the websites below, you can find this and other products in the Giovanni line at your local Whole Foods.
GEL
TRÉLUXE | Hi! Definition Gel FRAGRANCE-FREE
This is an aloe-based strong hold gel that I love to use a bit of when it’s particularly humid (basically all summer around here). I scrunch in a small amount after I’ve applied my lighter hold gel, and it helps to create a nice strong cast. It makes a HUGE difference in any frizz that might try to battle its way through…a lifesaver in the summer! I almost hate to love this as the fragrance-free version is only available on their website (the original is available a few other places, including Amazon, but the fragrance is STRONG and not ‘clean’). But it’s definitely a great gel, and the price is also great — even more so since a little bit goes a long way for me.
BOUCLÈME | Super Hold Styler
This is another one I hate to love, because this England-based brand has not hit mainstream over here so it’s harder to come by. It’s also a bit spendy (so I wait to get it on sale)…. But gosh is it a wonderful medium-strong hold gel with great ingredients and no nasties! I can use this all on its own, but I also used it as a finisher like the TréLuxe. Great cast, great definition, bouncy curls and no stickiness when scrunching it out. I was a fan of their original gel, the Curl Defining Gel, and while I still dig it it doesn’t give me the strong cast I’ve grown to like…but I still recommend it as it’s also a terrific option, especially for those not wanting a strong hold/cast.
GIOVANNI | L.A. Hold Styling Gel
Yep, another product from Giovanni! A strong hold gel that leans medium-strong like the Bouclème. For non-toxic curly hair products under $10, you can’t beat it! Aloe-based, makes a great cast, good definition, scrunches out beautifully. My daughter loves this one too on her 4A curls! As with the other gels listed here, no flaking either. And again in addition to the sites below, you may be able to grab this at Whole Foods.
INNERSENSE | I Create Volume
If you have fine curls that are easily weighed down (though it also works great on my daughters’ super tight curls), this is a must try. I’ll be forever grateful that my hairstylist @ajstain introduced me to this! I’d already tried much of the Innersense line at the time, but ICV never hit my radar because it’s labeled as a ‘volumizing lotion’ — and history shows that cream and lotion stylers do NOT work on my beast. But here’s the thing…I Create Volume (IMHO) is no lotion. It’s a lightweight, liquid GEL. And when applied to WET hair (praying hands or rope-style), scrunched first with your hands to help distribute, and then with a t-shirt or microfiber towel to get out excess water, you get gorgeous, defined, bouncy curls. No flaking, hardly much SOTC needed. It’s the goodies ladies and gents, get you some. I’ve been in love with it since we met in 2021 and I named it a best of!
FOAM/MOUSSE
INNERSENSE | I Create Lift Volumizing Foam
I don’t know about y’all, but I walked away from mousse back in the 90’s, and have only recently begun revisiting in the past couple of years. The foams of today are totally different animals though, and I’m so glad I’ve re-embraced them! This one is definitely a lightweight styler, but don’t let the ‘lightweight’ fool you. The magic of I Create Lift is truly in the volumizing factor. I love to scrunch this in at my roots before I apply my gel, and it makes a HUGE difference in volume at the top of my head. Then after I’ve diffused my hair about halfway dry, I’ll gently scrunch in a couple of pumps of this all over, then continue diffusing — it gives me tons of volume (and scrunches out the crunch a bit), which I would NEVER have on day 1 hair. If you’re looking to add volume to your routine, this is the magic.
BOUCLÈME | Super Volumizing Foam
If you’re ordering direct from Bouclème, go ahead and throw a bottle of this in too! Sadly for now it’s only available direct, but it is a fabulous foam. A little goes a very long way with it, so you get bang for your buck here. And while I don’t get quite the root volume that I do with the Innersense, I can use this as my primary/base styler with just a bit of a lightweight gel over it, and I get great volume ALL OVER. Lovely bouncy curls. Especially good on wash days when I need my hair to look/perform like day 2 or 3 hair, know what I mean? Also great as a refresher…just a wee bit glazed over slightly dampened hair then gently scrunched.
HAIRSPRAY
INNERSENSE | I Create Finish
I really want to create a new category for this. When I think hairspray, I’m thinking hold -the-‘do-in-place spray — back in the day that was Aquanet, more recently it was Kenra’s Super Hold — and this is not that. However it’s a styler I can’t be without! This is a ‘wet’ spray…in other words if you use too much, it will make your curls, etc. loosen, so spray sparingly depending on what you’re using it for. Here’s how I use it: 1, before diffusing and right after I’ve applied my products and scrunched out the extra moisture on days I need my hair to dry quickly and with texture/volume on day one hair; 2, when my hair is about 50% dry during diffusing as part of the “Smasters” technique; 3, as a quick refresher; or 4, sprayed over updo’s to keep flyaways locked down and any loose curls controlled but still moveable. This spray provides great control in all of these situations and I love it dearly. You just have to know that it is true to it’s description…it’s a finishing spray, and a great one at that!
PACIFICA | Big Waves Soft Hold & Volume Hair Spray
Look…this had me at “Coconut + Sea Salt + Vanilla”. It was coming home with me regardless of how well it worked! But beyond the wonderful smell, this spray has a happy home in my cabinet. Again I feel like it needs to be in a separate category — it’s more of a texturizing spray, but it also provides a ton of volume while taming the frizz (especially helpful in humidity). Like the I Create Finish, I’ve used this as my Smasters product, and I especially love it for day one hair — mine is so soft, no volume on wash day, and this provides some VOLUME. Like any other texture spray it can build up quickly, but you only need a wee bit for it to do its magic!
OTHER STYLERS
I currently love and use Curlsmith’s Shine Oil (Fragrance Free) to SOTC, however they’ve discontinued it. I’m super bummed and would love recommendations for a replacement…hard to find a clean, weightless option!
INNERSENSE | Quite Calm Curl Control
Quiet Calm is a recent addition to my arsenal, and it was a huge surprise to me as I don’t usually love a cream styler. And while I could never use this on its own (I really need gel to get good definition), it has been an integral part of my product routine this summer. Using a wee bit of this on dripping wet hair before scrunching in my I Create Volume has really helped my curls stay frizz-free a LOT longer in the humidity. It also adds the moisture I need without weighing my hair down like a leave-in conditioner would. A little bit goes a loooong way. I bought the travel size just to try it out, and I’ve still got plenty left after using all summer!
INNERSENSE | Inner Peace Whipped Creme Texturizer
Again thankful for my stylist (and yes she uses the entire Innersense line, I’m so lucky!). I’d bought this before I started going to her (6 years ago?!), but just couldn’t get it to work in my routine. She showed me that it works beautifully for SOTC (scrunch out the crunch)! Plus it gives texture and some volume on day one hair. Just a weeee bit is needed, so the tub lasts forever! Unless your daughter with 3c/4a curls ‘borrows’ it, in which case it will go quickly — she can use a lot more of it without it weighing her curls down (though she likes that it does pull them down a bit to provide more lenght, while providing hold). Also great for flyaways and refreshing. This will always be in my stash.
REFRESHERS
MIXED CHICKS | Morning After Redefining Foam
This has been my go-to refresher for YEARS. It should have a cult following, because it’s absolutely the easiest one-and-done refresher I’ve ever used. Works great on wee sections that just need a little refreshing, or whole-head refreshing. I smooth onto my hair with a flat hand, the gently scrunch it in. Lightweight, smells good, and simply does its job. So easy!
DEEP CONDITIONER
HOLY CURLS | Curl Mask
I’ll admit it, I’m terrible about deep conditioning. Part of the issue is it’s hard to find one that doesn’t OVER condition my fine hair. But this one has been my go-ever since it hit my radar when I was making a Detox Market order for some other goodies. Smells just lovely, and it’s a terrific light-midweight moisture treatment that never weighs my fine curls down.
OTHER TREATMENTS
EPRES| Bond Repair Treatment
I’ll be totally honest here…the one product I could not say goodbye to over the years was Olaplex No. 3. Between highlighting, diffusing, and all of the other ways we abuse our hair, their bond repair system was hair-saving, and there just wasn’t a comparable non toxic option. Enter: Epres! THIS is the product I’ve been waiting for!!! It repairs broken bonds and restores hair structure, making your hair feel healthy, soft and smooth. Spray it on 10 minutes before washing and you’re good to go. Though I love to spray it on the night before a wash day and let it sit all night too! Thank you Epres!!!
TOOLS
SHARK | HyperAir Blow Dryer with Curl-Defining Diffuser
I just can’t justify spending the duckets on the Dyson. And in all honesty, the Dyson just runs too hot for my scalp. When the Shark HyperAir launched I was cautiously optimistic, and it has turned out to be one of my favorite all-time diffusers. It looks like they’re phasing it out for the new FlexStyle line (which I haven’t tried), but I’d definitely recommend grabbing the HyperAir while you can — grab it someplace like Bed Bath & Beyond (that’s where I was able to get mine a few years ago, with the coupon of course!) and get the diffuser attachment (it’s an awesome diffuser bowl btw) from Shark for a great deal!
DENMAN | D3 Original 7 Row Styler
There’s a reason this iconic brush is so beloved. Not only is it made EXTREMELY well (I can’t even tell you how many years I’ve had mine), it’s just the perfect brush for curly and wavy hair. For me it’s the best detangler I’ve found. But it’s also great for styling…there’s a ton of YouTube videos on how to get the best use of it (and alter it…I’ve got one that I’ve removed the 3 rows of to make bigger curl clumps). So well made, definitely worth the investment. If I could have only one brush, comb or pick, this would be it.
CURL KEEPER | Flexy Brush
The Flexy Brush is much lighter than the Denman, so if you find that too heavy for you, go for this one. The bristles aren’t firm enough for serious detangling, but it does a wonderful job of distributing product and creating big juicy curl clumps. If I’m going for volume, this is what I’ll use to brush sections of hair up and away from the scalp (while hair is still really wet and full of product, before scrunching out the moisture).
MACHETE | Mini Claw Clip
I’ve never met a Machete clip that I didn’t love, but I reach for this size the most (pull hair back at the nape of the neck, half up, top up, etc.). I don’t know what planet the springs on these were made at, but I’ve never found a clip that is as strong as these are. Absolutely no worries about these going anywhere…what’s they’re on they’re ON. And so many beautiful patterns and colors available, not to mention different styles and sizes. An investment for a clip, but boy do they last for ages (I have several that are many years old and still going strong!).
UNDER CONSTRUCTION! Keep checking back…this list will be updated. And subscribe below so you don’t miss any new scoop!
Disclaimer: This page includes some affiliate links (including Amazon – as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases), and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Please note that I’ve linked to these products purely because I recommend them and they are from companies and brands I trust and have tried myself. There is no additional cost to you.
Tracey is the founder and writer of Life in the Happy Medium. She’s also a freelance graphic designer, Mom to 2 college kids, Wife, and Friend to a tribe she holds dear, who’s prone to some fairly serious car singing and dancing much to her family’s chagrin (old school R&B is where it’s at!).
From cleaner beauty to healthy-ish eating, she’s blogging here to share favorite finds that keep her happy in the middle.
