What styling products you actually need for the Curly Method if you’re a beginner

If you’re a beginner buying styling products for curly hair, start by lowering your expectations.

A beautiful curl pattern depends mostly on technique, not products. About 85% comes from how you style your hair, and only 15% from the products you use.

If you’re starting the curly method, you usually need:

• a leave-in conditioner
• styling product (gel, cream, or mousse)

Your choice will depend on your hair type and styling goals. Below, I break down the differences between these products.

Gel: when you need hold and definition.

Custards for moisture.

Cream: when your curls need softness.

Hair mousses and foams for volume.

Gel: when you need hold and definition

Gels based on synthetic polymers have a stronger hold than other styling products. Even though most gels have a thick consistency, they spread easily through wet hair. Gels are the key to textured, frizz-free styles. Below are a few universal and affordable gels that are easy to start with.

Lakme K.Style Hottest Curl Action Gel

Styling gel for curly and curly hair. It smoothes frizz perfectly, adds shine, and gives a feeling of moisturized and soft hair. And it also has an incredible pink color.

Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly Scrunching Jelly

Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly Scrunching Jelly is a moisturizing one. It's great for dry, damaged, bleached hair. Holds down frizz and adds texture to the curls.

Wella Shockwaves Power Hold Styling Gel

It's just a good gel. Perhaps it has the best fixation of the entire collection.

Custards for moisture

Custards are gels based on natural polymers (polysaccharides), they dry longer while retaining more moisture in the hair. As a result, the curls are more bouncy and elastic.

As I AM Curling Jelly

As I AM Curling Jelly is a lightweight hydrating gel (custard) that defines each curl, adds shine, removes fluff, and maintains volume.

"TAK I HODI" Gel

"TAK I HODI" is suitable for styling coarse and thick hair. Thin and soft hair can soften even more. The gel is very liquid, so there will not be any problems with application.

Cream: when your curls need softness

Creams can be divided into styling and conditioning. Styling creams are intended primarily for fixing hair. They have soft hold.

Conditioning creams usually more oily and heavy, they also define curls, but thre's no hold. Usually, they are applied before gels. However, tight curls can be fixed with such products.

SASHAPURE Perfectly Defining Curl Cream

It textures and activates curls, and has a very light fixation. It conditions the hair, helps to untangle it, and smoothes out damage. Also, it is an excellent base for gel or mousse.

Markel Strong Hold Foam Cream

Markell Foam, which is not really a foam, but a modeling cream. I have detailed review about it. It twists hair into beautiful doll-like curls. It does not make hair greasy and has a light hold.

Hair mousses and foams for volume

Mousses are OK for those who like voluminous hair with natural frizz and less defined texture (compared to gels). Mousse is a simple styling product. The results are always predictable. In this video I explained what mousses are and how to use them to get a good result.

WELLA Deluxe Hair Mousse

A good classic mousse, which is easily distributed through the hair, fixes well, and gives a voluminous styling. It has a slight stickiness.

Wella Shockwaves Mousse

Wella shockwaves mousse is the best mousse:

• for any type of hair,
• no stickiness,
• good hold,
• moisturizing finish without dryness.

For the formation of foam, a pump is used that mixes the liquid with air. Foams are more liquid than mousses. They look like foamy water, which makes them very light. That is why they are perfect for beginners in the curly method.

Curl Rock'n'Roll Grape Foam

This is the perfect styling for my thin and soft hair. Curls are defined, bounced, and lightweigh. It's a perfect match to soft hair which needs some frame.

Natura Siberica Sea Buckthorn Mousse

The foam activates the curl, great for tight curls. The hold is very light.

Easy styling for curly hair commits with iHerb.

If you prefer lighter textures and more volume, mousses can be a good option. I’ve tested several foames and compared how they perform on curly hair.

If you are a begginner, choose products that spread easily through the hair. Light- to medium-hold gels, styling creams, foams, and some mousses usually work best for beginners. Start with products that are easy to find and easy to use.