Key Ingredients: Blue agave nectar, | Who It’s For: All curl patterns and thicknesses
Best for Tight Curl Patterns: SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Soufflé
Why It’s Worth It: Besides the amazing smell, SheaMoisture’s Coconut & Hibiscus Gel Soufflé is free of things like silicone that can cause buildup on your hair. Agave nectar helps your curls spring back into formation, while shea butter and coconut oil condition your hair.
Editor Tip: If you have wavy hair or a looser curl pattern, we suggest trying SheaMoisture’s Curl Enhancing Smoothie, which is lighter in texture and more flexible in hold.
Key Ingredients: Agave nectar, shea butter, coconut oil, flaxseed oil | Who It’s For: Thick hair, curl patterns 3B+
How we test and review products
We always enlist a range of testers for our makeup vertical, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind. Many are created in order to address a concern (dandruff, breakage, brittleness) or to work most effectively for a specific hair type (4C curls, wavy hair, gray hair). You wouldn’t want to pick up a purple shampoo that’s only been reviewed by someone with, say, auburn hair, or a diffuser that’s never been tested by anyone with curls — right?
For our review of the best gels for curly hair, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and hair stylists of varying curl patterns looking for defined, frizz-free results. Testers considered performance across four primary categories: efficacy, texture and experience, fragrance, and packaging. For more on what’s involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors — in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon — is essential to reaching that goal.