7 Best Curly Girl Friendly Shampoo To Buy: Without Breaking The Bank
I analyzed 17 shampoos, and these are the best and top-rated curly girl-friendly shampoos that you can buy without breaking the bank.
Getting curly girl-approved shampoo is a pain these days, with the majority of shampoos on the market containing one or more ingredients that go against the fundamental philosophy of naturalness that the curly girl method requires.
This article includes affiliate links. This implies that I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through these links. You can find detailed disclosure information at the bottom of the page.
So here’s what I did to find the best and most curly girl method-friendly shampoos:
Firstly, I joined 13+ Facebook groups and subreddits for curly hair lovers. Then, I contacted each user with a remarkable curl transformation that has shampoo included in their routine and asked them to share reviews on how these shampoos worked on their hair.
Lastly, I analyzed each shampoo ingredient manually and with a tool. This article is a summary of the most recurrent shampoos that are also compatible with the curly girl method.
If you’re after a quick summary, here are our top 3 picks for the best Curly Girl Method shampoo.
- Wow Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo – Check Price
- Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Curly Shampoo – Check Price
- Not Your Mother’s Curl Defining Shampoo – Check Price
Why You Need a Curly Hair Friendly Shampoo
Naturally, curly hair tends to dry out more easily than most other hair types, which is why you need a special moisturizing shampoo designed to constantly keep your hair moisturized. However, that’s still not the only reason why a curly girl method-friendly shampoo is necessary.
Shampoos generally contain ingredients and cleansing agents that can potentially damage your hair, like paraben and sulfates. The recommendations on this list, however, are designed to replicate the efficacy of regular shampoos without using those destructive ingredients.
With that out of the way, let’s quickly get back to reviewing the eight best curly girl-friendly shampoos for your hair:
1. Wow Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo
Wow Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo, recommended by professional curly girl method practitioners is a must-have clarifying shampoo that works perfectly on both curly and non-curly hair.
It is made with apple cider vinegar, a substance rich in magnesium, calcium, iron, and vitamins that provide nourishment to your hair and neutralize free radicals that damage many of your hair’s vital components.
It is one of the best shampoos on the market.
In addition to cleaning buildup, this shampoo also treats and moisturizes thin, dull, and limping hair. It also does extremely well at softening your hair and giving it a shiny look.
Somehow, it manages to do all this while managing to remain friendly with the curly girl method; it’s undoubtedly one of the best shampoos on the market if you’re invested in the CGM philosophy.
For specifics, the shampoo is pH balanced, silicone-free, cruelty-free, and paraben-free; which is basically all you want in a curly girl method-friendly shampoo.
2. Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Curling Shampoo
Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Curling Shampoo comes with certified organic ingredients that will gently wash away impurities, almost instantly giving you healthy and frizz-free hair.
In addition to restoring your natural hair’s shine and softness, this shampoo is very good at moisturizing. It is designed for all types of hair but tends to work exceptionally well for ladies with curly hair.
Like Wow Apple Cider shampoo, it’s also sulfate-free, silicone-free, and paraben-free. For curly hair lovers, it also serves as a curl-enhancing agent and works as well on color-treated hair as it does on natural hair.
3. Not Your Mother’s Naturals Tahitian Gardenia Flower & Mango Butter Curl Defining Shampoo
Another top-rated curly hair shampoo on the market is made by an influential and well-known brand, “Not Your Mother’s.“ Specially designed for curly hair. This quality shampoo comes with a pump-like cover mechanism to make it more convenient to dispense.
This shampoo enhances, defines, and helps restore bounciness to curly hair, and it does all that without weighing it down. And from the manufacturer’s table, 98% of the ingredients are organic.
Lastly, Not Your Mother’s doesn’t only make this shampoo; the brand has a popular curl-defining hair care set comprising of a conditioner, a shampoo, and a hair cream.
You can always buy only the shampoo if that’s all you want, but what’s the point of getting just one, when you can get a complete package for the nicest curls?
4. Briogeo – Don’t Despair, Repair! Super Moisture Shampoo
Briogeo – Don’t Despair, Repair! Super Moisture Shampoo is a must-have shampoo for ladies with dry and damaged curly hair. It’s made of powerful natural ingredients like shea butter, rosehip oil, and algae extract—all working on perfecting your dry or damaged curly hair.
“Algae extract can stabilize minerals used in skin moisturization,” says Randy Schueller. In simpler words, you shouldn’t worry about the shampoo causing ‘any’ damage to your scalp, even if you happen to have a relatively sensitive scalp.
In addition to repairing damaged or dry hair, this shampoo moisturizes and hydrates your hair, while minimizing frizz.
Like most other shampoos on this list, Briogeo shampoo is free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, DEA, or artificial dyes. It is also cruelty-free, gluten-free, and vegan; so it’s the perfect shampoo for pretty much everyone.
Briogeo’s shampoo isn’t the cheapest out there, but if you’re after a corrective shampoo to restore your hair’s glory, it’s a strong choice.
5. Kinky Curly Come Clean Natural Moisturizing Shampoo Sulfate Free
The Kinky Curly Come Clean Natural Moisturizing Shampoo is one of the best curly girl-friendly shampoos, and is a favorite among professional hairstylists.
As its name implies, it wipes out every buildup that has developed in your hair and scalp, leaving your hair healthy, soft, and moisturized without weighing it down one bit.
The shampoo has a pleasant scent, which is one of the biggest reasons it made this list. When it comes to the best clarifying shampoo for all types of hair, you simply can’t go wrong with Kinky Curly Come Clean.
While it’s sulfate-free and generally safe, I wouldn’t recommend using this, or any other shampoo, daily. The promotional material might indicate it’s ‘safe’, it’s not what you want to do as someone practicing the curly girl method.
6. DevaCurl Low Poo Mild Lather Cleanser
Like other shampoos mentioned above, DevaCurl Low Poo Mild Lather Cleanser is designed for all types of curly hair.
DevaCurl Low poo is made with gentle hops and soothing chamomile to cleanse and hydrate the scalp and hair without washing away the essential oils on your scalp.
The mild lather in its name also means it’s a low-foam shampoo, making it perfect for ladies with frizzy, dry, curly, or color-treated hair. Feel free to use it even if you don’t fall into those categories, but enjoy low-foam shampoos.
7. Maui Moisture Color Protection + Sea Minerals Sham
With a 4.5-star rating from over 1,700 satisfied customers, Maui’s color protection shampoo is one of the best picks for ladies practicing the curly girl method.
Like every other recommendation on this list, it’s free of sulfate, synthetic dyes, parabens, or mineral oils that may cause damage to your delicate curls.
It comes in a small 13 Fl Oz, bottle that costs around $10 to $15. For a CGM-friendly shampoo made of organic ingredients that’s perfect for curly and non-curly hair, it’s hardly expensive.
Buy Maui Moisture Color Protection + Sea Minerals Shampoo
Please Note: This list is reviewed and marked green by a CGM expert with six years of experience. And she owns one of the biggest Facebook groups about curly girl and boy methods.
It’s also essential to note that it’s best to minimize your shampoo usage when practicing the curly girl method. Generally, it’s safe to use it for co-wash or infrequently, but excessive usage of even safe ones may impact your natural curls.
In any case, ensure to come up with and follow a proven curly hair care routine.
Take Away Helpful Tips
The tips below will always serve as a reminder any time you want to wash your curls with shampoo.
- Before you wash your hair with shampoo, ensure you apply some oil (argan oil is a perfect one, but you can still use coconut or olive oil). Just be sure that the oil isn’t heavy.
- Divide your hair into sections and run underwater, then detangle with your fingers or a Denman brush.
- Distribute the shampoo evenly, then proceed with the regiment. This helps clean the hair and scalp without stripping off all of the natural oils.
Now! I would like to hear from you.
Which curly girl-friendly shampoo from today’s post are you going to buy and start using?
Or maybe I didn’t mention your favorite CG-friendly shampoo.
Either way, do let me know by leaving a comment below right now and don’t forget to share with friends.
You may also want to check out some of our other posts about the curly girl method below:
- All Your Questions on Curly Girl Method ANSWERED
- 7 Key Reasons Ladies Quit The Curly Girl Method
- Curly Girl Method Before and After That’ll Shock You
Pin for Later.
First of all, I can’t believe I happened across this article not long after it was written, what luck! I just started researching the CGM and I *sincerely* appreciate all the work that went into curating a list of CGM approved shampoos. I myself haven’t used shampoo in years (I noticed they made my hair greasy) but instead have been using ACV. I’m on the hunt for a shampoo I can use monthly to get rid of any build up, and so I was pleasantly surprised the first one on your list had ACV! I really appreciate someone who puts as much thought and intention into all this as you have. Cheers!
Hi,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
I am glad you found the Curly girl friendly shampoos list helpful.
Wow Shampoo is a super when it comes to clarify.
It bet this will work wonders.
Hope to see you soon again. Cheers.
Hi. Just wondering what you’d recommend for grey curly hair. I’m waiting to begin the CHM but am afraid of yellowing they grey if using any of the CGM recommended shampoos. Thanks!
Hi Diane, it’s good to have you here. I understand you’re concerned about using products that could possibly turn your gray yellow.
Well, I did research and found out that the most common cause of yellow gray hair is heat and genetics.
I have been reading some articles from Katie of Katiegoesplatinum.com This is great to understand almost everything about gray hair transition, care and routines.
In one of her articles, she do use and recommend this shampoo and conditioner to women with gray hair.: BTWCo. Daily Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner
Hope that helps.