These Editor-Approved Curl Creams Deliver Soft, Bouncy Spirals (2024)

Don't be fooled by the name: This does-it-all Moroccanoil styling cream is GH's resident curly girl's go-to. "It adds flexible hold that's not crunchy at all and keeps curls intact and fuzz-free for days," says Good Housekeeping Institute Deputy Editor Jessica Teich. "I have high-porosity hair that dries really quickly so to keep it from frizzing up my hair on application, I add a bit of water to the product to thin it down before smoothing onto curls. The result is well-defined, hydrated curls with no crunchiness."

• Key Ingredients: Argan Oil, vitamin E
• Size: 10.2 oz.

Work a dollop of this rich leave-in conditioner/styling cream hybrid from Suave, a GH Beauty Award winner (and less than $5!), through damp waves or spirals. It enhances texture while nourishing with shea butter and coconut oil. “My curls felt soft and held their shape,” one of our testers reported. “I used it to touch up dry hair too.”

• Key Ingredients: Coconut oil, shea butter
• Size: 12 oz.

For supple curls that are easily detangled, check out Schwarzkopf Professional OSiS+ Bounty Balm, which Ashley describes as her "absolute favorite curl cream." She says that the product is "the perfect balance of moisture and frizz control." The brand claims that the cream can help protect curls from humidity.

• Key Ingredients: Olive fruit oil, citric acid, glycerin
• Size: 5 oz.

Just a pea-sized amount of this cream worked into loose and wavy curl textures results in soft frizz-free curls."This is perfect for my wavy hair," an Amazon reviewer said. "It controls the minor frizz I get while keeping my hair soft and manageable. The scent is nice and light and the price is fair. This product is a keeper."

• Key ingredients: Avocado oil, glycerin
• Size: 4 oz.

Parched coils will love this rich cream that is packed with moisture and hydration. It is formulated with coconut oil and vitamin E and helps promote long lasting curl definition, according to the brand. "The moment that I put a generous amount of this cream on my dry 4C hair, it was as if it drank some cold iced water," an Amazon reviewer said. "The coils sprung and were defined instantly."

• Key Ingredients: Shea butter, olive oil, coconut oil, vitamin E
• Size: 12 oz.

With a soft hold and frizz fighting ingredients, this curl cream works to bring soft-to-touch definition to each curl. "I love that it keeps my curls moisturized and reduces frizz without making me sacrifice volume," one GH editor said. "Unlike other products I've used, this cream doesn't weigh my 3C hair down or make it oily. And it air dries with defined, yet voluminous curls."

• Key Ingredients: Coconut oil, argan oil, monoi oil, lycii berry extract, black currant extract
• Size: 5.1 oz.

Whether you're looking to provide life and bounce to an otherwise dull wash-n-go or need some hold for a twist out or braid out style, this rich buttercream-consistency styling cream is versatile enough to work on multiple hairstyles. "Highly recommended this styling cream; it’s one of the absolute best," one reviewer said. "Leaves no white cast, it penetrates the hair shaft leaving it shiny, healthy and smooth!"

• Key Ingredients: Castor oil, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil
• Size: 25 0z.

This defining jelly delivered touchable hold and minimal frizz, according to some of the GH Beauty Lab’s professional hairstylist testers. “It really defined the curls and held them in place. It cut down almost all frizz, if you allowed it to air dry,” one hairstylist said. "I would suggest this to anyone with medium and coarse hair with curls. I think this would be way too heavy for someone with soft fine curls.”

• Key Ingredients: Castor oil, tucuma seed butter
• Size: 3 oz.

A Good Housekeeping Beauty Award winner, Marc Anthony Strictly Curls Define & Hold Flex Hair Styling Gel received high marks from our professional hairstylist testers for its ability to shape and define curls with good hold. "The texture of the product was easy to apply," one tester said. "It did keep the curls in place throughout the whole day and did not leave any residue or break apart the curls. The product also washes out easy.”

• Key Ingredients: Shea butter, coconut oil, castor and flax seed oils
• Size: 8 oz.

This lightweight curl cream is praised for its ability to lock in moisture and define luscious curls. Several reviewers love that it keeps frizz under control in humid environments. "My hair curled instantly up with this, and was moisturized the whole week. I live in Florida so the humidity and heat can make your hair feel dirty a couple of days after wash day due to the products," a reviewer said. "Not only did my hair stay light and moisturized, but it felt clean."

• Key Ingredients: Hibiscus, mango butter, marula oil
• Size: 8 0z.

Amika claims that the tapioca starch in this product provides definition and the oat peptide forms a protective barrier, amplifying your hair's shine. "I compared a lot of different curl creams but kept coming back to Amika — and for good reason," an Amazon reviewer raved. "I have naturally wavy/curly hair, but it tends to get flat as the day goes on. With Amika, it stays curly and defined with little to no frizz all day."

• Key Ingredients: Oat peptide, tapioca starch, sea buckthorn
• Size: 6.7 fl oz.

If you have dense curls, look no further than SheaMoisture's custard curl cream. “It minimizes frizz, defines curls and moisturizes, but doesn’t feel sticky or oily,” said one GH editor. “A small amount goes a long way which is a plus for curly product-dependent hair — if I were to use just one product it would be this one." Bonus: “It smells like a tropical smoothie,” she added.

GH Commerce Editor Jacqueline Saguin also attests to the wonders of this curl cream: "It has enhanced my waves and made it easy for me to embrace my natural hair texture!"

• Key Ingredients: Coconut fruit juice, coconut oil, avocado oil
• Size: 12 oz.

No crunchy curls with this cream! It's super lightweight and leaves your hair smelling fruity-fresh. "It keeps my curls defined if I air dry or diffuse," said one GH editor. Plus, we love that this brand is Black woman-owned.

• Key Ingredients: Coconut oil, blueberry seed oil, coconut milk
• Size: 8 oz.

For a curl cream that's a true multitasking star, look no further than Evo. "I try a lot of curl creams and hair products with my job. More than often my friends and family don’t notice any major difference like I do, but when I tested Evo’s line of curl products that all changed," says Bianca Rodriguez, a Commerce Editor and Writer at Hearst Magazines Digital Media. "My curls looked THAT amazing. This product works just as good on dry hair as it does wet, an ideal scenario for someone who’s always on the go like me." However, reviewers gave mixed reviews on the product's scent, with some saying it smells "fresh and clean" and others saying it is "very perfumey."

• Key Ingredients: Theobroma cacao seed butter, shea butter
• Size: 6.7 oz.

Boost bend in wavy hair with this balm-esque Pacifica curl cream, made with soy protein and jojoba seed oil. "Amazing at enhancing waves and actually moisturizing and making my hair softer," an Ulta reviewer reported.

• Key Ingredients: Sea algae, banana, chia
• Size: 4.0 oz.

This sweetly-scented Cake curl cream is highly-rated for fine hair on Ulta. "This is without a doubt the best product I have ever used on my fine natural curls," a reviewer said. "It defines even in high humidity." But, some reviewers reported that they didn't like the fragrance and others raved about its sweet lemon cake scent.

• Key Ingredients: Avocado oil, soybean oil, shea butter
• Size: 6 oz.

A cult classic, this Miss Jessie's curl pudding cream is versatile enough to work on everything from waves to twist and braid-out styles. "The best product for curly hair," an Amazon reviewer said. "My curls are no longer frizzy, have great bounce and are not weighed down."

• Key Ingredients: Soybean oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil
• Size: 8.5 oz.

For tightly-textured or coarse curls, turn to this Dove curl butter cream. "Works well to define curly and kinky hair, moisturizes while also providing hold and smells absolutely divine!" a Walmart reviewer noted. "This works best on super curly to kinky hair so I've used it on my daughter for coils, braids, etc."

• Key Ingredients: Coconut oil, shea butter, jojoba seed oil
• Size: 10.5 oz.

Aveda's curl cream boasts over 2,400 reviews on Nordstrom averaging almost five stars and is a great prep step for creating curls in straight hair. "I have very straight hair, but this product really helps when I want to add a bit of curl," a reviewer noted. "It's the best product I've found that makes my normally flat hair hold curl."

• Key Ingredients: Linseed extract, marshmallow root extract, aloe
• Size: 6.7 oz.

A curl cream and gel combo, this Garnier formula is top-rated at Walmart. "My hair is super thick and curly," a reviewer reported. "Other products left my hair very stiff, but I love how this tames my curls and leaves them feeling soft."

• Key Ingredients: Avocado oil, mango glycerides, shea butter
• Size: 5.1 fl oz.