I've Been an Editor for Years—This Curly Hair Brand Is the Best I've Tried
I've come to accept the fact that I have extremely picky hair. If you've read any of my other writing, you'll know that I talk often about how it wasn't easy to find the right products for my dry and thick curly hair. Silicones? She said, "No, thank you." Coconut oil? Not a chance!
Last year, I also decided to stop heat-styling every week and embraced my natural texture. To say it has been an adventure trying to find the right products for my curls after this is an understatement. Like I mentioned above, there were certain ingredients that just didn't agree with my strands. Sometimes, they would make my curls feel hydrated for an hour or two, but they would then get drier over time, which is definitely not the goal. Luckily, I found a brand I can count on to deliver softness, shine, and hydration without the ingredients my hair doesn't like. Bounce Curl provides all the things curls crave without the things that can dry them out or damage them. It utilizes hero ingredients inspired by the ancestral traditions of founder Merian Odesho.
Like me, Odesho became frustrated with the number of products she was trying with unsuccessful results and decided to create her own. Featuring organic oils and other natural ingredients, Bounce Curl is perfect for any other curlies out there struggling. I recently tried a handful of products from the brand and love them so much that I had to share—no gatekeeping here! For all my favorites from the brand, keep on scrolling. I'm sharing my thoughts on them below.
This creamy, hydrating shampoo doesn't lather, so it takes a little bit of getting used to, but honestly, I can't find enough good things to say about it. It's great for anyone transitioning to their natural texture because it's infused with super hydrators like safflower oil, organic black seed oil, provitamin B5, and olive oil. It brings much-needed life back to dry or damaged hair. Since I've been using it, I've noticed a major increase in shine and hydration. Because my hair is already naturally dry and coarse, I try to keep my washdays to once or twice a week, but if I do need to cleanse a bit more, I feel confident using this. It doesn't strip my hair or leave it feeling brittle, so I can use it three times a week if I have to without compromising my hair.
This cleansing conditioner is more like a co-wash. I decided to give it a try since my hair is so dry and, boy, was that a good decision. I was surprised at how well this one cleanses. Honestly, I don't love a lot of co-washes, because they don't cleanse my thick hair very well, but this one really does the trick. This product is so hydrating that you can even use it to cleanse your curls daily. If you're like me and have dry hair but work out a lot, this is perfect for you. Premium herbal ingredients like organic aloe, panthenol, jojoba esters, black seed oil, and marshmallow root extract nourish and revive damaged or brittle hair.
This was my favorite product of the bunch. Because my hair gets dry so easily, I use a deep conditioner as my regular conditioner every week to really add a hefty dose of hydration. This one is great for coarse, curly hair because it's formulated with star Ayurvedic ingredients like amla, brinjal, and shikakai. I love that it adds so much softness, hydration, and shine to the hair without weighing down my curls or making them feel greasy. While I loved this aspect of the formula, I do wish that the brand's hydrating products provided a tad more definition. I love when my curls are super tight and defined without having to go in with another product.
This styler is made for super-thick hair and kinky or coily curl textures (type 4a to 4c). While I loved that it provided some extra slip and hydration to my hair, I think it could give a little more in the definition department. It adds what I would call subtle definition rather than creating super-defined ringlets. I like my stylers to add a bit more definition so that the style lasts longer. It does infuse the hair with some serious moisture though thanks to ingredients like murumuru butter, baobab oil, and mango butter.
This defining cream with avocado oil, argan oil, Abyssinian oil, Moroccan rose, and black seed oil also makes my hair really soft but still just provides a bit of soft definition. Since my hair is coarse and often resistant to styling, I need a little extra definition to get my hair looking the way I want it to. I'll definitely try combining this with one of the brand's styling gels next.
This brush is specifically designed to enhance waves, curls, and coils. It smooths out any frizz, and you can even use the tail end of it as a comb to part your hair. I'm a big fan of this brush. I have super-thick hair, so it does take quite a few passes to detangle and smooth my curls, but once I do, it looks great.
More Products I Love for Curly Hair
I recently tried this new conditioner from one of my favorite haircare brands Maria Nila, and it's so soothing on the scalp. I have a sensitive scalp that gets a bit red sometimes, and this really soothes and hydrates it along with the Head and Hair Heal Shampoo ($36).
In addition to the above conditioner, this is my favorite treatment mask from the brand. It's so nourishing and hydrating for all curl types. My curls always feel so soft and look extra defined after I leave this on for about an hour (sometimes longer for some real deep conditioning).
This is another one of my favorite deep-conditioning masks. It's great for dryness and damage with ingredients like sweet almond, avocado, and sandalwood oil.
This hair oil is perfect for thick, coarse, curly hair. It hydrates hair without the use of silicones or other drying ingredients and helps keep styles looking fresh.
Shawna Hudson is a beauty, wellness, lifestyle, and travel writer with over 10 years of experience. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a degree in journalism and has written for other publications such as Bustle, The Zoe Report, Byrdie, Elite Daily, and more. She is currently a beauty writer at Who What Wear and hopes to continue feeding her (completely out-of-control) beauty obsession as long as she can. Stay up to date on her latest finds on Instagram @shawnasimonee.
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