Best Products for Curly Frizzy Hair

By Toia Barry

Let’s be honest. Frizzy hair isn’t the end of the world, but it sure feels like it sometimes, doesn’t it? Especially when you want to look and feel your best, which you deserve to feel daily.

You have plenty of other things to worry about besides frizz, and once you know what to look for in caring for your gorgeous curls, the sky’s the limit—for you and your hair goals!

Learn how to say “Not today” to style death by frizz with this helpful guide to the best products for curly frizzy hair:

What Causes Frizz?

What is the deal with frizz? It plagues curly hair more than straight hair (which isn’t fair) but what is it and what causes it? 

One thing’s for sure, frizz is a unique challenge for curly-haired beauties, and unfortunately, it’s a mix of things you can and cannot control, like most things in life. 

But it’s like they say: keep your enemies closer. To conquer frizz, you have to think like frizz—or at least understand its pesky ways. 

There are a number of things that cause frizz, but the main culprits usually include curl shape, delicate or damaged curls, and your overall hair care habits. To learn more about what causes frizz and how it avoid it, we've gone in depth about each of these factors below. 

Your Curl Shape

Curls—like people—are beautiful and complicated. It’s this unique combination of gorgeousness and complexity that creates the perfect conditions for frizz, fuzziness, and unruliness when curls aren’t pampered the way they need to be.

But why? 

Your unique curl shape is a result of the way the hair strands curve. And the curve is the result of the way your hair follicle is shaped. Curly-haired gals often have oval, asymmetrical hair follicles. This shape creates the perfect protein-bonding conditions for the hair shaft, and the result is your distinct curl pattern.

No curl pattern is exactly the same, but when we talk about naturally curly hair that faces the most challenges with frizz, we’re talking about Type 3 and Type 4 hair.

• Type 3 curls are legit curls, not waves, and range from loose side-walk-chalk-shaped curls to dense, curly-coily curls. 

• Type 4 curls can be characterized as fine, coarse, or dense coils. Whatever the texture, the structure of curls is tight in an S pattern or Z pattern, with the tightest curls having the least definition. These curls are fragile and need extra love.
  

Essentially, your struggles with frizz may begin right down to the follicle. 

Curls are Delicate 

Whether you have Type 3 or 4 curls, each hair type is prone to split ends, breakage, and frizz. That’s simply because the shape of each hair strand is a fragile, precious thing. Those lovely zigs and zags are structurally more vulnerable for a few reasons:

• Natural curls struggle with moisture because the curved structure creates a challenge for natural oils from the scalp to travel down the hair shaft. Lack of moisture means a lack of defense.

• All the other stressors we put on our hair (heat, UV rays, pollution, styling, etc), creates weak points in hair strands that are already delicate.

• Type 3 and 4 curls also happen to be the densest types of curls, which also creates the perfect conditions for frizz, since it can be a challenge to achieve definition and shine. 

Your Habits

Some things that you do have more sway over could influence your curls’ battle against frizz. 

These include:

Protecting Your Curls

Protecting your hair from stressors can help cut down on frizz. If you don’t think about protecting your hair all the time, now’s the time to start! You probably already use a satin pillowcase and wrap your hair at night, but what about protecting your curls from the sun or wind? 

UV rays are harsh and the endless list of invisible pollutants around us can stress your locks and even interact with whatever products you’re using to create unhealthy buildup, too. If you’re not into hats, consider a scarf or wrap if you’ll be outside for prolonged periods or use pollutant-shielding products.

Looking for Quality Ingredients

If you see items like silicones and sulfates on your hair product’s ingredient list, it’s time to rethink whether you need those in your life. Silicones can have a smoothing effect that seems great for frizz, but could actually just weigh down your coils and cause some bad buildup in your scalp. When navigating how to coil natural Black hair, look to the products you are using before anything. 

Why is buildup an important factor in frizz? Product buildup can clog up your hair follicles, preventing natural oils from reaching your strands. 

Sulfates create that lather you love in shampoos, but using a shampoo with this ingredient can create more of an uphill battle trying to keep your hair’s natural oils intact. Sulfates strip the oils off of your hair strands. And without those oils, you’ll be dealing with a whole lot of frizz. 

How to Stop Frizz in Its Tracks

Now that you know what causes frizz, you have the keys to understanding how to stop frizzy hair. It’s not too complicated. You can do it! You can do anything! 

Seriously though, you can definitely do this. Your curls and you deserve it! 

And once these steps become as second-nature to you as they’ll become, you’ll never want to give them up.

Choose Natural Ingredients 

The key for caring for naturally curly hair, whether it’s coily, dense, or fine is to go natural. 

When you choose natural ingredients for your hair and scalp, you’ll be rewarded with the nutrients and moisture your curls need. We’re talking about natural oils, emollients, and antioxidants, such as:

• Avocado oil
• Shea butter
• Coconut oil
• Honey
• Pomegranate
• Ginger
• Babassu
• Olive oil
• Rosemary
• Mint

And none of that bad stuff like:

• Sulfates
• Parabens
• Phthalates
• Formaldehyde

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize

Moisture is key for how to enhance curls, but if you have particularly high-porous hair—which is prone to frizz—moisture is even more of a priority. It’s a moistur-ority!

Unsure about your hair porosity? Drop a strand in a glass of water and wait a few minutes. 

• If it floats, your hair has low porosity.
• If it gradually makes its way toward the bottom of the glass, your hair has normal porosity.
• If it sinks quickly, your hair has a high porosity. 

Once you know your hair’s porosity, you can choose the best moisturizer for curly hair that delivers the precise amount of moisturizing your coils deserve.

Use Protective Products

It’s always nice to give your curls a break from heat styling, but if you can’t help yourself, you can create a layer of defense with a protective spray that also battles frizz and adds shine, such as our Mongongo Oil Thermal & Heat Protectant Spray. Learn more on how to blow dry curly hair to prevent damage and frizz.

Even when you style your hair without heat, choosing a quality hair care product without harsh chemicals or preservatives can help you achieve the look you’re going for without the buildup that can lead to frizz.

The Best Hair Products for Frizzy Hair

The best thing you can do for natural curls to choose hair products for frizzy hair with only natural ingredients. Opting for quality elements means that you can focus on sealing in moisture and addressing issues that matter most to you, such as: 

• Breakage
• Shrinkage
• Definition
• Shine
• Elasticity
• Growth

Consider adding these must-have products to your hair care routine if you haven’t already.

Moisturizing Shampoos or Co-Washes

Choosing the right moisturizing shampoo for your wash day is a key part of your curly frizzy hair routine. Look for gentle formulas chock full of moisturizing agents that promote shine and elasticity.

Our Babassu Conditioning Sulfate-Free Shampoo or Pomegranate & Honey Moisturizing & Detangling Shampoo are frizz-fighting heroes. They feature natural oils and antioxidants that promote strength and shine.

In between wash days, reaching for a co-wash as you see fit or on a schedule that works best for your curls can make a huge difference in sealing in moisture through every layer of your locks. Using a quality co-wash like our Detangling Co-Wash adds moisture to the inner and outer layers and creates a helpful defense against frizz. 

Leave-in Conditioning Treatments

Another effective way to extend moisture to your natural curls is to reach for a leave-in hair conditioner for curl after shampooing—like our Pomegranate & Honey Leave-In Conditioner. 

This hair care product seals in moisture and detangles, which means it’s a holy-grail conditioning product for ladies with Type 4c curls who want moisture and anti-frizz action.

Leave-in conditioners also help with supporting curl definition and priming your hair for a protective style. And lucky for you, we have the best products for 4c hair.

Moisturizing Hair Oils

Incorporating hair oils to your styling regimen can provide the extra sealed-in moisture your natural curls crave. 

It provides a protective seal to the hair cuticle and can reinvigorate your gorgeous curls. Products like our Mint Almond Oil and Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil can help your curls come alive and promote 4c hair growth—all while crushing frizz.

Moisturizing Hair Creams

Hair creams can be another powerful tool to tame curly frizzy hair. These rich, buttery products are formulated for deep absorption by your coils to create a tight moisture seal. The result is more definition and shine without a side of frizz! 

Take our Moisture RX Hawaiian Ginger Moisturizing Hair Butter for example. This quality cream is formulated with the natural oils your coils will love, including coconut oil, avocado oil, and antioxidant-rich ginger oil. It’s a must-try to prep your locks for beautiful braids and twist-outs.

MIELLE Cares About Your Natural Curls

At MIELLE, all of our products are 100% natural and formulated with ingredients high in integrity. The result is cleansing, conditioning, styling, and moisturizing treatments that are good for your scalp and whatever curl shape and natural style you’re rocking. Read more on 4c natural hair styles you can achieve when paired with the right hair care products.

If we can help you build or enhance your natural hair care routine, let us know what you need. We’re here for you and your natural curls.

Sources: 

1. Naturally Curly. LOC Method: The Method EVERY Curly Should Know. https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/kinky-hair-type-4a/loc-method-the-routine-every-curly-should-know
2. Healthline. Hair Porosity: What Is It and What Type Do You Have? https://www.healthline.com/health/hair-porosity
3. Byrdie. 11 Frizz-Busting Hacks for Curly-Haired Girls. https://www.byrdie.com/anti-frizz-curly-hair