The Best Holy Grail Products for 2C/3A Curly Hair

I know how hard it can be to find a product that works for your curly hair.

Everyone is different and finding your own curly hair routine is a process of trial and error. Someone else’s holy grail product may not work for you. You may have other priorities, like making sure your products are vegan, cruelty-free, hypoallergenic, or paraben-free. Your hair may be similar to someone else’s but in a different phase – damaged or dry versus healthy.

Over the years I threw away so many products that I ended up using only a handful of times. Most of the products I tried were too heavy for my strands, leaving my curls sad and limp.

Finally, after 10 years of following the Curly Girl Method and refining my curly hair routine, I’ve found some amazing products for my 2C-3A curly hair.

I recently had a friend stay over at my place. She used my shampoo and conditioner once on her normally straight hair. She was amazed. “I usually have to use a curling iron to get curls like this!” Sometimes, your hair just needs the right products to unleash its full curly potential.

There’s a ton of curly hair information out there. Try not to get overwhelmed. You don’t need five new hair products all at once. Try one, see how it works, then try another after a while.

As a disclaimer, this post has affiliate links. That means I could get a small commission for products that you purchase through my site. This does not affect the price you pay or the way I write about the products. I only recommend products that I personally use and love!

2023 Update! Check out my updated list of favorite curly hair products here.

My Curly Hair Story

You can read all about my curly hair history in this post.

Last year I noticed that my hair had started to get dry, especially at the ends. So I took a closer look at my products. To my dismay, I found out that my shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in had silicones, which are not curly hair-friendly. So my quest began to find better products for my hair.

Before you get to my recommended products, make sure you’ve got the right tips and techniques for maintaining and styling your hair. This helps you get the most out of the products you’re using. You can also check out my favorite strengthening and moisturizing deep treatment for curly hair.

My Current 2C-3A Curly Hair Products

My current curly hair products include:

• A bond-strengthening deep treatment that I use a few times per month,
• A chelating shampoo that I use about once per month,
• A gentle cleansing shampoo that I use once per week or so,
• A co-wash that I alternate with my conditioner on all other days,
• A conditioner that also works as a conditioning deep treatment,
• And a leave-in conditioner to style on the days that I shampoo.

When putting together a curly hair routine, I like to think of the products I use on a spectrum between cleansing and conditioning.

Lately, I’ve learned more about how to treat my hair based on how it feels. Does my scalp feel oily, my hair limp and heavy? Time to cleanse. Does my hair feel dry and frizzy? Time to condition.

This is how a usual week of hair care looks for me:

Sunday:
1. Clarify with shampoo (chelating shampoo once a month)
2. Olaplex deep strengthening treatment for 1 hour
3. Clarify again with gentle non-chelating shampoo
4. Deep condition for 20 minutes
5. Towel-dry and style with leave-in conditioner, let air dry.

Monday-Saturday:
Co-wash or conditioner, based on feel. Co-wash if my hair is feeling limp with build up, conditioner if it’s frizzy and needs more moisture.

I got my partner hooked on these products, too. They absolutely work for men. If you’re worried about the fragrance, it’s not noticeable once your hair dries.

Best Strengthening Deep Treatment for ALL Types of Hair!

I absolutely love Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3. It’s a holy grail product for all hair types!

I try to use this treatment once a week for one hour. I don’t always have the time, but whenever I do, my hair feels so amazing. I even got my partner to try it and we treated our hair together!

This video is a great tutorial on how to use the Olaplex No. 3 deep treatment. It’s so good for your hair that some people leave it in overnight! So far an hour has been long enough for me.

Best Shampoos for 2C-3A Curly Hair

I currently use two different shampoos for my hair. Because I have low-porosity hair that can get weighed down easily, clarifying is important for me.

My regular clarifying/cleansing shampoo is the Bounce Curl Enzyme Gentle Clarifying Shampoo. I use this about once a week followed by conditioner.

I love this product so much. It’s so gentle and clarifies my hair so well without stripping it dry. It’s color-safe, vegan, silicone-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, and smells delightful. I love that Bounce Curl is committed to high-quality, cruelty-free, non-toxic ingredients.

Always remember to “activate” your shampoo by rubbing the product in your palms to warm it up before putting it on your scalp.

Chelating Shampoo

Once a month, I use Bumble & Bumble’s Sunday Shampoo to strip away all the buildup in my hair. That includes products, oils, and mineral deposits from the local water.

B&B’s Sunday Shampoo is a chelating shampoo that’s loaded with sulfates. I know, I know – that means it’s not curly girl method-approved. (It’s not color-safe, either!)

Chelating shampoos are stripping shampoos. They will strip all build-up out of your hair, including your natural oils and any color treatments. If you use a chelating shampoo too often, it will dry out your scalp and hair. Used sparingly, it can be a great reset for your hair.

I usually shampoo my hair once a week. Every 4 weeks, I switch this out for my regular shampoo. I like to follow this shampoo with the Olaplex strengthening deep treatment and a deep conditioning treatment. This routine makes my hair look and feel amazing.

You might have to use a chelating shampoo more often than I do, especially if you live in an area with hard water that’s high in minerals.

Best Co-Wash for 2C-3A Curly Hair

I recently got into the co-washing game. Right now I am using the As I Am Coconut Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner with excellent results. I have some of my best hair days after co-washing.

When using a co-wash, spread it from your roots all the way to your ends.

As I Am is cruelty-free, sustainable, and ethically sourced. The award-winning Coconut Co-Wash is paraben-free, silicone-free, sulfate-free, and glycerin-free. It glides on my hair and makes my strands feel both cleansed and nourished. This is truly a holy grail product for many.

The only reason I’m not raving about this product is the ingredient methylisothiazolinone. This is a toxic preservative and allergen/irritant that has tested “safe” in small amounts for non-leave-in products. So far I’m willing to overlook it because the product is so good and I haven’t had an adverse reaction. I am open to finding a completely non-toxic alternative.

It’s such a bummer when otherwise great products have one terrible ingredient, huh?

Best Conditioner for 2C-3A Curly Hair

Conditioner is tricky for my hair. My strands need moisture but they get weighed down so easily.

I am currently using the Generic Value Products (GVP) Conditioning Balm, which is the generic (and much cheaper) version of the Matrix Biolage HydraSource Conditioning Balm. You can get a giant tub of the generic product at Sally’s Beauty Supply for less than $10.

This product is truly amazing because of how versatile it is. This conditioner also works as a deep conditioning treatment and a leave-in conditioner.

This conditioner is super moisturizing in a good way, but be careful. It’s easy to use too much – and then it can start to feel heavy. You also have to make sure to rinse out your hair completely. I haven’t tried it yet, but I imagine this would be too heavy for me to use as a leave-in.

I use the GVP Conditioning Balm as a deep-conditioning treatment once a week for 20 minutes. Afterward, my curls are nourished, shiny, and soft. Once I did 40 minutes and my curls were limp and dead for a week until the next time I shampooed. This is where trial and error comes in. Give your hair time to adjust and feel out what works best for you.

One drawback to this product: both the brand and generic versions have one paraben ingredient, propylparaben. I’m on the lookout for a paraben-free alternative that’s just as good.

Check up my updated post for the new curly hair conditioner that I use and love!

Apply Gentle Heat for Even Better Results

Heat and moisture allow your hair follicles to open up. This helps your hair absorb products and treatments much better than when it’s cold or dry.

Whenever I condition in the shower, I always wait to rinse it out until the end. The steam helps me get a mini-deep treatment, even if I only have conditioner on for 2 minutes instead of 20.

When doing a deep treatment, I recommend using a thermal heat cap or shower cap. This helps trap the heat from your head so that your hair benefits even more.

Best Styling Product and Leave-In Conditioner for 2C-3A Curly Hair

I am currently loving the Giovanni Direct Leave-In Weightless Moisture Conditioner. A little bit of this product goes a long way. I have to be careful not to use too much.

This Giovanni line is vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, and phthalate-free.

My favorite technique for applying styling products to curly hair:

1. Lightly dry your hair with a microfiber towel, making sure your hair stays a little wet. Spritz your ends with water if your strands are too dry. Comb and part your hair.
    
2. Take a dime-sized amount of leave-in conditioner and activate it by rubbing your palms together and warming it up for several seconds. Sometimes I dilute the product with a drop of water to make it easier to spread.
    
3. Rake your fingers gently through your hair, starting away from your scalp. Shake out your hair at the bottom and scrunch up your ends. This helps clump your curls as you apply the product.
    
4. After doing the “rake and shake” over your whole head, flip your hair and scrunch from the ends up until all your strands are coated.

I usually let my hair air dry. Just make sure to leave your hair alone while it dries! (Another tip: once it’s fully dry, flip your hair over and shake it out for even more volume.)

You can also use a diffuser to gently dry your hair.

Just a reminder that this is an older post and I have newer products that I use, which you can read about here. Now that you’ve got the products to perfect your curls, click here to read my tip and techniques for living your best curly hair life. Think your hair is ready for a deep treatment? Check out my favorite deep treatment routine here.

Have you used any of these products? How did they work for you? Do you have any other recommendations? Leave a comment below!