Best Shampoo and Conditioner for Curly Hair and Frizzy Hair

Picking the best shampoo and conditioner for curly hair and frizzy hair comes down to one thing: keeping moisture in the hair without weighing the curl down. We've grouped salon-quality pairs for curls, waves and coils that frizz on this page, so you can compare them side by side and pick the pair that suits your hair.

Why curly hair frizzes

Curly hair is drier than straight hair by nature. The oil from your scalp slides easily down a straight strand, but it struggles to get around every bend in a curl, so the mid-lengths and ends miss out. Dry hair pulls moisture from the air, the outer layer of the strand lifts, and you get frizz. That's why curls and frizz usually turn up together, and why the fix starts in the shower, not in the styling drawer.

What to look for in the shampoo

A gentle clean. Strong cleansers strip what little oil curls have. A sulphate-free formula is the usual starting point.
Moisture over volume. Skip volumising shampoos. They're made to lift flat hair, not to settle frizz.
Fewer washes. Most curly heads don't need washing every day. Less shampoo means less stripping, and the conditioner gets to do more of the work.

What to look for in the conditioner

For curls, the conditioner matters more than the shampoo. Look for good slip, so your fingers or a wide-tooth comb glide through while it's in. That's when you should detangle, not once the hair is dry. Leave it on for a few minutes instead of rinsing straight away, and rinse with cool water rather than hot.

Match the weight to your curl

Your curl type decides how rich the pair should be. Fine waves and loose curls go flat under heavy, buttery formulas, so they suit lighter moisture. Thick, tight or coarse curls can take the richest formulas and usually need them. A simple test: if your curls feel limp or greasy the day after washing, go lighter. If they feel rough and dry by the next morning, go richer.

When another page suits you better

If your hair is straight and only frizzes in humid weather, curl formulas can be more than you need. The best shampoo and conditioner for frizzy hair page covers smoothing options made for that. Be careful with smoothing shampoos if you have curls, though. Some are designed to relax texture, which is handy if you blow-dry straight and frustrating if you want your curl pattern back.

If definition is the goal and frizz isn't really a problem, start with our best shampoo and conditioner for curly hair. And if your ends feel rough and straw-like with no real curl to speak of, the best shampoo and conditioner for dry hair is the better fit.

Finishing the routine

A good pair does most of the work, but frizz control carries on after the rinse. A leave-in or curl cream on wet hair locks in what the conditioner put there. Browse curly hair products for creams, gels and leave-ins, or everything for frizzy hair for serums and smoothing finishes.

You don't have to buy both from the same brand. Plenty of stylists pair one brand's shampoo with another's conditioner to suit the hair in front of them. If you want to build your own pair, compare all shampoo and all conditioner separately, or look through all hair care for masks and treatments to use once a week when curls feel extra dry.

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