Oprah Daily: The 20 Best Mousses for Curly Hair, According to Experts

From bouncy waves to tight coils, these formulas will keep your curls controlled and frizz-free.

If you have naturally curly hair, then you’ve likely experienced its many personalities. One day your curls are calm and collected, the next they’re temperamental. As someone who has spent her life dealing with the unpredictability of my own curls, I get it. I have tried everything from layering styling products to using multiple diffusers to figure out how to bring out the best in my coils. It can feel like I'm running in circles.

Turns out, a mousse is the step I didn't know I needed—and if you have fine hair, then it's very likely a must for you too. “Most people think their hair is frizzy. But usually it's just that they haven’t figured out the right styling method for their curl pattern yet,” says Chloe Homan, CEO and Founder of Curlfriend Collective.

While there are many curly hair products to choose from, many hair stylists agree a mousse or foam is a must for a few reasons. “I love a mousse because it's very lightweight, so it won't hold the curls down, and yet it offers control,” says Dusty Monroe Schlabach, owner of curly hair salon I Need Thairapy in Pasadena, California. “And if you don’t like feeling product-y, then you'll like that a mousse doesn't leave as much residue on hair compared to creams or gels,” he adds.

Homan says she recommends mousse because it gives curls, coils, and waves more volume than other styling formulas, and it’s typically easier to distribute evenly through strands, leaving you with a more even result all around. “If you have a fine, not so dense texture, no matter the curl type, then you want water-based, lightweight products like mousse to give curls the hold and control they need,” she says.

To determine the best mousse or foam for you, we consulted curly hair experts. Read on to find the one that suits your strands most.

This cloud-like mousse sculpts as it adds fullness and soft hold while helping to reduce frizz from humidity. The combination of nourishing ingredients such as Haitian moringa, papaya, coconut oil, and quinoa infuse moisture while protecting waves from breakage.

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