The Best Vegan Hair Products for Curly Hair

50 Shades of Curls

When people think about hair types, they probably think binary, like straight or curly. The reality is more complex.

The curly hair family has 9 different types of strand. They go in a large spectrum, from loose waves to small, densely coiled curls. And to make things even more complicated, each individual strand fiber has its own curl pattern and texture.

That’s why you should test several quality cruelty-free and vegan curly hair products designed for your type of hair before finding the right ones.

From Straight to Coily: Hair Types Overview

There are 12 different hair types distributed in 4 main families:

• Straight Hair (Type 1 – Sub-Types: 1a, 1b, 1c)
• Wavy Hair (Type 2 – Sub-Types: 2a, 2b, 2c)
• Curly Hair (Type3 – Sub-Types: 3a, 3b, 3c)
• Kinky / Coily Hair (Type 4 – Sub-Types: 4a, 4b, 4c)

Curly hair form a wide family of strands range from 2a to 4c. Each curly types and sub-types are different. But they share one common unfortunate property.

Because of their “spiral” shape, curly hair can’t retain natural hair oils as effectively as straight ones. That’s why curls tend to be always thirsty, prone to dryness and eventually frizz, breakage, shrinkage and even hair loss.

In response to that, moisture is the key. Your curls want hair products that can supply the amount of moisture they need in order to be healthy and shiny.

Cruelty-Free and Vegan Curly Hair Products

Harsh chemicals like sulfates tend to strip the hair of its natural oils. Certain oils can weigh down and cause damage to your strand. You beautiful curls are special but fragile. Try to avoid chemicals and embrace sulfate-free, lightweight solutions specifically designed for your curls.

If you’re vegan, finding hair products that work for your curly hair can be even more difficult. Luckily, there are several vegan hair solutions that cater to curly hair. Let’s review each curl type, their specificities and the best vegan curly hair products crafted for each one of them.

For Curly Hair

Type 3

Type-3 curly strands have clear and defined curls. The oval follicle shape gives a type of curl ranging from tight corkscrew to larger, bouncy spiral. Type-3 is typically the kind of hair that goes from straight when the hair is wet, and goes back to curly as it dries out.

Curly Hair Sub-Types

Just like other types in the curly hair family, type-3 curls can be divided into 3 sub-types:

• 3a – This hair type has loose and defined curls that could fit around your index and middle fingers together. It usually has a thick texture.
• 3b – These kind of curls usually appear as tighter ringlets that could curl around your index finger alone
• 3c – This type of hair has tight, kinky packed corkscrews, that could barely curl around a drumstick

Vegan Hair Products for Curly Hair

Subject to drying quickly and frizzing, type-3 curly hair needs love on a regular basis:

• Use a light vegan sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner specially designed for type-3 curls (i.e. won’t leave your strand dry)
• They also require special deep love every so often! Deep conditioning each week or 2 works well for improving the moisture balance of your hair and nourishing your scalp.
• Although very curly, type 3 is still pretty easy to manage and style. Use a vegan gel or mousse and apply it from root to tip to enhance your curls’ definition and get rid of frizz. And remember: nothing heavy!

It’s important to note that hair can have different curl patterns throughout the head, so a person with curly hair may have a combination of 3a, 3b, and 3c curls. Therefore, it’s essential to understand your hair’s specific needs to maintain its health and enhance its natural texture.

For Kinky / Coily Hair

Type 4

Also known as “coily” or “kinky”, type-4 curls are the tiniest curliest curls! Its typical tight “zigzag” shape is formed though the flat oval shape of the follicle. Sometimes well-defined, Type 4 curls show a variety of textures, that range from fine to thick.

But not only kinks are the less manageable, but they are also delicate. And when type-4 hair grows long and looses too much moisture, strand contracts and end ups in a compacted coil, eventually leading to hair shrinkage.

Coily / Kinky Hair Sub-Types

And yes, just like other types of curly hair, type-4 curls can be split into 3 sub-types:

• 4a – This type of hair is soft and dense in texture with tight, well-defined S-shaped curls that could fit around a pencil
• 4b – Less defined, and usually fragile, this type has very tight and dense soft coils
• 4c –This type of hair is so densely populated tight z-shaped hairs that they may look like “mousse”. They are more than any other types prone to shrinkage.

Vegan Hair Products for Coily / Kinky Hair

If your hair is coily or kinky, we know it can be “hairy” to find the right cruelty-free and vegan hair product. Look for vegan hair solutions that will provide body and stretch to your kinkies, they need it. Coils and kinks are delicate and can quickly dry out as they don’t retain hair’s natural oils. The key to best taking care of your lovely kinks is by offering them a heavy moisture and maintaining it through the layering of different vegan hair products:

• Use a gentle sulfate-free vegan shampoo specially formulated for curly hair and a moisturizing conditioner
• Deep conditioning once a week is a must, especially if you use a source of heat to dry your curls
• Prefer a gentle towel rather than an aggressive dryer
• Once dry, don’t forget to apply hair oils or a leave-in conditioner to lock in moisture and protect them from external aggressors
• Add a finishing creams to enhance definition to your curls and create your own style
• These types of strand tend to be sensitive and prone to damage because of heat and poor-quality product

Thanks for having taken the time to read this article, that means a lot to us. If you liked it, you’ll probably be interested in our buying guide in which we talk about cruelty-free and vegan shampoos for curly hair.