Author: Jamie SchneiderNovember 1, 2023Beauty & Health EditorBy Jamie SchneiderBeauty & Health EditorJamie Schneider is the Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare.Do you have wavy hair? Testing rubricBest wavy hair productsFAQThe takeawayImage by Lucas Ottone x mbg creativeNovember 1, 2023My waves and I have been through quite the journey. I was a gymnast growing up and have core memories of my mom yanking a comb through my tangles to style my hair for competitions. All I wanted in those moments was silky-straight hair—strands so smooth the brush would glide through it with ease. That desire led to years of frying my strands straight, believing it was the “easier” route to take.
Now (after ample time nursing my strands back to health), I adore my natural texture. I love the wild twists and bends that give my mane its character. I’m grateful I can manipulate the waves to my liking—twirl the strands until they’re smooth and defined or fluff them up and really lean into the frizz.
But it took some effort to get to this place—namely, figuring out the best wavy hair products to enhance my natural strand pattern. Luckily I’m always in the mood for sharing, so I’ve listed them all below, plus some favorites from my fellow wavy-haired beauty editors.
A quick look at the best wavy hair products
- Best shampoo:Act+Acre Cold Processed Curl Cleanse
- Best conditioner:Davines LOVE Conditioner
- Best leave-in: adwoa beauty Melonberry Hair Milk Leave-In Conditioner
- Best curl cream:Rahua Enchanted Island Vegan Curl Butter
- Best gel:Crown Affair The Finishing Gel
- Best mousse:AG Care Cloud Air Light Volumizing Mousse
Do you have wavy hair?
Before diving into products, it helps to know if you do, in fact, have wavy hair. Hair can be categorized into types from 1 to 4, each with three smaller subsets noted as A, B, or C. Type 2 represents the wavy end of the spectrum, with the major differences depending on how loose the S-pattern is.
- Type 2a is the loosest of the patterns and is usually only a handful of slight bends in the hair.
- Type 2b has a touch more bend to the S-shape, particularly from the midshaft to the end, but the root still lies pretty flat against the scalp.
- Type 2c has a very defined S to the strands. This is the closest to curly hair—people with 2c hair might even have a few proper curls residing in sections.
Not sure which type closely resembles your tresses? Take our hair type quiz to officially I.D. your wave pattern.
How we tested the best wavy hair products
The mindbodygreen beauty team rigorously tested the wavy hair products on this list, and judged them on the following criteria:
- Texture: Waves need a rich formula that can infuse the strands with moisture yet won’t weigh down the curl pattern. We searched far and wide for the products that tick both boxes
