The best cleansers and shampoos for curly hair

Must-haves and what’s new in curly hair shampoo

So, you’re a curly girl looking to embrace your bounce with the best curly hair shampoo for you. You might need a bit of help to control frizz or define curls. Maybe your hair is coloured too, so you need extra protection. Or you’re ready to join the ‘no-poo’ movement and need to know where to start when it comes to curl shampoo.

To fully embrace your curls, you should avoid shampoos with silicones, drying alcohols, and sulphates, and not just the common Sodium Lauryl Sulphate. Many different sulphates are used in shampoos to remove oil and dirt but can be harsh and strip away natural moisture, leaving curly hair dehydrated and frizzy. So, to really embrace your curls, look for a curly hair shampoo that doesn’t have sulphates, and instead uses gentle, calming ingredients to bring out the best in your curls.

Fortunately, we’ve done the vetting for you and all the shampoos on this list are curly girl friendly. From the new-to-market CPR Curly range to the best-selling Clever Curl brand and everything in between, we we’ve got a curly hair shampoo to suit you.

What’s new: The best curl-defining shampoo

The best newcomer to the options for curly girls is CPR Curly Bounce Back Sulphate Free Shampoo; a cleanser that embraces your curls like you do. True to CPR’s methods, this shampoo contains natural technology to hydrate and define your curls while adding shine.

The hero in this formula is organic Australian macadamia oil, which is rich in palmitic acid to replenish the scalp’s natural oils and protect from humidity. This secret weapon also fights off hair loss and prevents brittle hair. The result is smoother, more manageable curls, waves, or coils.

The must-have ‘no-poo’ cleanser

If you follow the Curly Girl Method, you’ll know all about ‘no-poo’. And the Clever Curl Cleanser is the best when it comes to gently cleaning and hydrating your curly hair without the lather. This cleanser is best used twice in one wash: the first application gently removes dirt, oils and build up, then the second cleanse really cleans your scalp without drying it out.

Clever Curl has been the ‘must-have’ brand of hair care for curly girls for a while now, and we’re not surprised. The Australian-made product contains 82.7% certified organic ingredients, is sulphate- and silicone-free, and cruelty free. It’s also vegan, safe for coloured hair, has a refillable bottle…enough said?

What’s new: The best shampoo for frizzy hair

If your hair is naturally curly, then it’s naturally frizzy too. It needs moisture to help keep it calm and in control. Enter: Vitafive CPR Frizzy Frizz Control Shampoo. This is one of the new products on the shelf designed to reduce frizz and it’s already proving to be a game-changer.

The key is CPR’s intelligent botanical actives – it uses baobab seed and quinoa proteins to rejuvenate, repair and nourish your hair to reduce frizz by binding moisture and repelling humidity. This shampoo is gentle on your hair, thoroughly cleansing while instantly making it softer, smoother, stronger, and more manageable.

The must-have shampoo for full-bodied curls

If you’re after bouncy, long-lasting curls (and let’s be honest, who isn’t?), then your must-have is the milk_shake Curl Passion Shampoo. While this shampoo cleans and conditions all hair types, it really comes into its own when it comes to curly hair.  

Like the others, its what’s in this shampoo that makes it worthy of this list: organic pracaxi (pronounced pra-ca-shee) and babassu oils, milk proteins, and fruit extracts, including apple, peach, and grapefruit. Did we mention this shampoo smells amazing?

The reviews are in for this shampoo – and the whole milk_shake Curl Passion range – and they speak for themselves: it’s a must-have for curly girls.

The best all-round smoothing shampoo for curly hair

For a hydrating botanical cleanser that works to smooth all hair types (including extensions and coloured hair), you can’t go past NAK Aromas Smooth Shampoo with Argan Oil. It’s designed to provide a gentle cleanse and eliminate frizz, while protecting from colour fade. Correcting the moisture balance is this shampoo’s key to unlocking your curls.

And you don’t have to look far to see where the NAK Aromas range gets its name, with ingredients like rosemary, sage, jasmine, almond, lavender, geranium, and sandalwood, to name a few.

The best shampoo for hydration and shine

The eline Rizzi Anti-frizz Shampoo is designed to revitalise and shape your curls, while leaving your curly hair hydrated and shiny. This range is a real hidden gem!

Of course, this shampoo is free from parabens, sulphates, and colourants, but it’s what’s in the shampoo that makes a difference. It’s the quinoa milk that protects your hair, repairing and conditioning to enhance its elasticity and make it shiny, and the wheat germ that hydrates your scalp and hair. And this gem comes in a huge 1litre bottle to save you money and reduce waste.

Curly hair product packs

For maximum curly girl effect, pair your curly hair shampoo with its complimentary conditioner and curl-enhancing products and follow the brand’s method to the tee. We’ve bundled the best into packs to save you serious money.  Check them out here.