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Having luxurious curly hair comes with maintenance — it’s inevitable. Therefore, finding the right shampoo that caters to your curls while cleansing and protecting your hair can be difficult. The days of resorting to trial and error to find the formula that’s best for your curls are over. We did the research so you don’t have to! Shop these top-rated shampoos for curly hair that will elevate your haircare routine:
Summer is on the way, which means it’s time to break out the Sun Bum! The beloved brand’s Curls & Waves Shampoo is ideal for creating that perfect beach-y look. It gently cleanses and moisturizes hair while infusing with intense moisture so that every bend of your curls looks sleek and healthy. Sun Bum’s formula is a special vegan blend that includes Kukui Nut Oil and Monoi Coconut Oil to protect your hair from damaging UV rays and shield your locks from becoming dull, brittle, frizzy and discolored. It’s a no-brainer, especially because it’s super affordable! $10, amazon.com
Carol’s Daughter Coco Crème Curling Shampoo is super popular amongst the curly-haired and an Amazon’s Choice product. Its creamy formula — which was born in a Brooklyn kitchen in 1993 and made with “a mother’s love and encouragement” — is sulfate-free shampoo that softens while it cleanses, giving extra dry hair an extreme moisture experience. Carol’s Daughter will transform your curls for a more hydrated, moisturized and defined look. $11, amazon.com
3. Living Proof Curl Shampoo
One of our favorites that actually works! The Living Proof Curl Shampoo doesn’t just come in a cute bottle — it helps produce powerful results. Key benefits include: makes curls 3x stronger; starts defining curls right out of the shower; starts transforming your curls to look visibly healthier after one wash; provides superior slip for weightless detangling; leaves curls stronger and more defines; improves the definition of your curls. Its creamy, low-lather formula gently cleanses, without stripping hair. It delivers balanced conditioning on all curl types for stronger, more defined curls, straight from the shower. And, it’s for all curl types! Living Proof’s Curl Shampoo is free of silicones, sulfates, parabens, and phthalates. It’s safe for color and chemically treated hair and is vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free. $32, ulta.com
4. Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Shampoo & Conditioner Set
We had to include Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Shampoo and Conditioner Set for many reasons — one being its price! You get two 12 oz. bottles with convenient pump applicators. The shampoo delicately washes your curls without any sulfates, or silicones for a damage-free cleanse. Curl Talk’s formula includes Rice Curl Complex-a blend of rice, keratin amino acids, and enzymes to hydrate, condition, protect, and enhance curl retention. If you prefer just the shampoo, get it for $9 at Ulta.com. The shampoo + condition set is available for $27, amazon.com.
5. Cantu Sulfate-Free Cleansing Cream Shampoo
This is the ultimate shampoo if you have curly hair. The sulfate-free formula is praised by over 3,800 people on Amazon who gave this shampoo five stars. It has a thick creamy texture thanks to its main ingredient – shea butter – and it works to revitalize, soften, define, and cleanse curls. $5, amazon.com
6. R+Co Cassette Curl Shampoo + Superseed Oil Complex
Feel good about what you put in your hair with this shampoo that’s mineral oil-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, and gluten-free. It adds moisture and shine to your curls while taming frizz, thanks to its ingredients of flaxseed extract, chia seed extract, aloe leaf extract, and rice protein. $29, amazon.com
7. Dove Nutritive Solutions Absolute Curls Shampoo
There’s nothing we love more than Dove shampoo and this formula specifically for curls is amazing. It’s formulated with star ingredient, Buriti Oil, which helps bring moisture and shine to your locks while taming frizz. Not to mention, it smells absolutely delicious. $14, amazon.com
