5 Best Leave In Hair Creams for Curly Hair: Say Yes To Bouncy Curls

By Simran Sukhnani | Updated Jul 30, 2024, 3:27 PM IST
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Curly hair is getting the best of you and it's finally time to let your curls turn the world back up, one bouncy strand at a time! Here are 5 best leave in creams for curly hair girlies that bring your curls back from the dead! Say yes to shiny, soft, plump curls!

5 Best Leave In Hair Creams for Curly Hair Say Yes To Bouncy Curls
One thing that’s been gaining a lot of popularity in the hair care community recently is the extra mile that curly head girlies have to go through in order for their curls to reveal their true personality. Double cleaning, conditioner, leave-in cream, flaxseed gel, sleeping on a satin pillow, using satin scrunchies, airdrying hair after wash, not combing.. Phew! The number of steps that a curly girl has to follow just for her curls to look ‘decent’ is a hectic task to keep up with! While other steps may come and go as they please (obviously, depending on your energy and mood), one thing that can make or break your curl pattern is a leave-in cream. If you are a CG you know the importance of a leave-in cream already and incase you don’t the thick curly head influencers are here to ram it into your life!

By hook or by crook, if you are a curly girl, a leave-in cream is an absolute must have in your life. Now, with the gazillions of options available online, making the right pick becomes troublesome. Especially when Silicones, lightweight, heavy feel, creamy touch, smooth texture and terminology of the kind enter the game play.

Don’t you worry curly heads, we have done the research for you so you wouldn’t have to spiral (just watch your bouncy hair do it!). Here are the absolute best leave-in hair creams out there that’ll completely change your hair care game!

S. noBest Leave In Hair Cream For Curly GirlsBest inSpecial Feature
1Cantu Avocado Hydrating Repair Leave-In Conditioning CreamPremiumMoisturizing
2Fix My Curls Leave In CreamDemandCurl Enhancing
3L'Oreal Paris Filling Night CreamOverallHydrating
4ARATA Advanced Curl Defining Cream All in One Leave-In ConditionerBudgetPlant Based
5Curl Up Curl Defining CreamMedium HoldRefreshing Scent

1. Best in Premium: Cantu Avocado Hydrating Repair Leave-In Conditioning Cream
Cantu Avocado Hydrating Repair Leave-In Conditioning Cream
Item Form: Lotion | Material Feature: Natural | Product Benefits: Hydrating | Net Quantity: 340 ml | Scent: Avocado | Special Feature: Moisturizing, Leave In

A super hydrating leave in cream that conditions your hair too? That’s surely a great win for all curly head girls! This hair cream is super hydrating and softens the most brittle hair as well. It deeply conditions dry hair and minimizes breakage, promoting a healthy, voluminous mane that shines bright from miles apart! It provides intense moisture, leaving your hair with a touch of care while making it super soft and manageable. The thick, gooey texture glides like magic on wet, straight out of the shower hair and blends superbly well covering every strand with the goodness of loving softness!

What do other hair care enthusiasts have to say about Cantu Avocado Leave in Cream?
This cream is God-sent! One of the beauty videos and influencer recommended tthis and the formulation totally catches the eye! It keeps your hair moisturized, nourished and super-duper soft. It smells too good and is very thick and creamy, all while penetrating deep into the shaft.

What makes it a special hair cream pick?
  • Made with natural ingredients like Avocado Oil, Olive Oil, Aloe & Shea Butter
  • Penetrates easily into the hair shafts to promote healthy, strong hair growth
  • Made completely cruelty free without any SLS/SLES, Mineral Oil, or Parabens

Pros
  • Super hydrating and moisturizing
  • Goes into hair shaft to treat deeply
  • Conditions and repairs

Cons
  • Some may not like the smell

2. Best in Demand: Fix My Curls Leave In Cream
Fix My Curls Leave In Cream
₹1032.00₹1200.0014% off
Product Benefits: Curl Enhancing | Hair Type: Curly | Scent: Jojoba Oil | Liquid Volume: 100 ml

Your curl pattern is prone to a lot of damage – the everyday pollution, heat styling tools, combing, towel friction, pillow cover rubbing and what not! Your curly head needs a partner that helps you restore the effortlessly beautiful curl pattern of your hair. That’s where this leave in hair cream comes to the picture by Fix My Curls. It is brimming with protein and is perfect for all types of curls and waves. It suits perfectly strands that suffer from dryness, frizz and breakage. The best part is yet to begin! This hair cream is actively enriched with Jojoba Oil, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Milk Proteins, and Amino Acids to help strengthen your hair with all the power, protect them and provide with the right volume and curly strands. It is formulated with zero Silicones, Sulphates, Mineral Oils, Parabens, Waxes and Drying Alcohols.

What do other hair care enthusiasts have to say about Fix My Curls Leave in Cream?
The fragrance of this one is soooo good! It actually smells heavenly. It works great on curly hair too and nourishes it with all its being! It imparts outstanding moisture and keeps your curls hydrated throughout the week. The cream texture and quality is also superb.

What makes it a special hair cream pick?
  • Add shine and bounce to otherwise dead, frizzy and dull curls
  • Minimizes breakage and strengthens hair roots with the power of nourishing ingredients
  • Easy to apply right after shower on soaking wet hair. Blends easily and offers a smooth touch almost immediately

Pros
  • Frizz control solution
  • Deeply moisturizing with natural ingredients
  • Free from silicones

Cons
  • New users may find it heavy weight till they get used to the application and texture

3. Best Overall: L'Oreal Paris Filling Night Cream
LOreal Paris Filling Night Cream
Material Feature: Natural | Hair Type: Dry | Product Benefits: Hydrating | Recommended Uses For Product: Hair Shine,Hydrating,Moisturizing | Net Quantity: 180 gm | Scent: Fresh

A leave in cream that works overnight? That’s the magic that this hair cream renders to you while you snooz off in your beauty sleep. It works perfectly for dry and dull hair, giving long lasting hydration to do away with the dehydration without weighing your hair down at all! That’s just the beginning folks! This leave-in hair cream is especially formulated with the 72 hour hydration formula that keeps your hair looking shiny, appear bouncy and feel soft throughout the week. It also helps seals damaged cuticles and makes your hair manageable, aka, healthy happy hair, and a healthy happy you! Now, let’s get to the science! This cream is formulated with Hyaluronic Acid that is known to retain 1000 times its weight in water with its outstanding overnight technology and delivers 4x moisture to your hair with one application.

What do other hair care enthusiasts have to say about L'Oreal Paris Filling Night Cream?
L'Oreal has won many hearts with their newest invention! This leave in hair cream is a game-changer for curly hair girls! It fits the budget, offers great quantity, soothes frizz, leaves no smell, delivers marvelous quality and makes the curls looks more defined!

What makes it a special hair cream pick?
  • Offers utmost hydration and moisturization for upto 72 hours while replumping and volumizing your hair
  • Cuts down on frizz, dullness, dryness while bringing back the natural structure of your hair
  • Formulated with Hyaluronic Acid that holds 1000x its weight in water and retains complete moisture in the hair for very long

Pros
  • No residue
  • No need to rinse
  • No weigh down

Cons
  • Some people may find it to be sticky

4. Best Budget: ARATA Advanced Curl Defining Cream All in One Leave-In Conditioner For Curl
ARATA Advanced Curl Defining Cream All in One Leave-In Conditioner For Curl
₹279.00₹499.0044% off
Material Feature: Organic, Natural, Plant Based | Hair Type: Curly | Product Benefits: Curl Enhancing | Recommended Uses For Product: Curl Enhancer, Moisturizing | Net Quantity: 100 ml | Scent: Unscented

An intensely moisturizing formula that works in the goodness of Aloe vera, Abyssinian Seed Extract, and Pelvetia Canaliculata Extract that sinks into your hair and locks in the moisture for long, making your hair feel frizz-free, shiny and bouncy! This leave-in hair cream doubles up as a conditioner too as it is also infused with rich Fatty Acids, Aloe Extracts and potential Natural Oils to condition your hair like no other! It coats all the damaged strands in a protective layer and starts softening them one by one. Deleting the dryness, roughness and frizziness from the equation completely it leaves your hair feeling nourished, healthy and luscious! It is also thoughtfully formulated with plant-powered like Abyssinian Seed Oil and Aloe Vera. This duo helps protect the hair cuticle from any sort of further damage too! All in all, a super hydrating hair cream if your hair strands are in dire need for some heavy moisturization, powered by all-natural formula that keeps your hair totally frizz free.

What do other hair care enthusiasts have to say about ARATA Advanced Curl Defining Cream?
The effect of this curl cream is mind boggling! It makes the hair smooth, soft, shiny and look more defined. The smell is also decent and won't bother even those with sensitive noses.

What makes it a special hair cream pick?
  • Made with pure Aloe Vera that acts as a powerful, hydrating ingredient, all thanks to its water content
  • Keeps your hair moisturized, totally hydrated and frizz-free
  • Works great for those with 2B, 2C hair type also as it smoothens, softens hair while enhancing the natural waves of your hair texture

Pros
  • Protects hair from damage
  • Moisturizes and nourishes
  • All-natural formula

Cons
  • Might not be apt for those with coily curls

5. Best for Medium Hold: Curl Up Curl Defining Cream
Curl Up Curl Defining Cream
₹655.00₹690.005% off
Product Benefits: Curl Enhancing | Material Type Free: Sulfate Free, Paraben Free, Silicone free | Scent: Refreshing Oriental Scent | Liquid Volume: 150 ml

Looking for the most curly girl method leave in hair cream? Curl up has got your back for real! This hair cream is completely free from any parabens, sulphates and silicones, hence, helping your curls be the best version of themselves! This is a homegrown brand offering thoughtfully curated products for Indian frizzy and curly hair type. The best part about this hair cream is that it works as an all-in-one leave in. It moisturizes, enhances your natural curl definition and goes the extra mile to provide a medium hold to dry frizzy, wavy and curly hair, making your strands really pop! It offers a long-lasting hold too! So you can actually wait out your next hair wash day. All you have to do is section your freshly shampooed and conditioned hair and evenly apply curl defining cream. Make sure your hair is drenching wet. Now, you can either scrunch up your curls for some definition, or diffuse with a diffuser. Voila! You are ready to rock your curly curls!

What do other hair care enthusiasts have to say about Curl Up Curl Defining Cream?
The quality of this hair cream is subpar! It provides an amazing shine and definition too! Win-win right? But hey, that's not all.. it actually makes your hair appear outstandingly bouncy! All this while taming frizz like nothing else!

What makes it a special hair cream pick?
  • Made with Argan Oil that transforms dry, unruly hair into soft and shiny curls
  • Infused with Shea Butter that deeply moisturizes, pumps up, conditions hair and promotes growth too
  • Dermatologically tested on wavy and curly hair to suit every hair type

Pros
  • Made with a transparent ingredient list
  • Free from sulphates, parabens and silicones
  • Infused with flaxseed for a defined curl hold

Cons
  • Some curly girls might feel it leaves a greasy after-feel

FAQs

What is a leave in cream?
A leave-in cream is a hair care product applied after washing and conditioning, designed to be left on the hair without rinsing. It provides moisture, detangles, and improves manageability. Typically used to nourish and style hair, leave-in creams offer prolonged benefits for softer, smoother, and more hydrated locks.

Is cream better than leave in conditioner?
Cream and leave-in conditioner serve different purposes. Creams often focus on styling and texture, while leave-in conditioners primarily moisturize and detangle. The choice depends on individual hair needs. Some products may combine both aspects. Experimenting helps find what works best for achieving desired results in terms of hydration, styling, and overall hair health.

Can I use curl cream everyday?
Yes, you can use curl cream every day if it suits your hair type and styling preferences. However, it's essential to avoid product buildup by using a clarifying shampoo occasionally. Adjust the amount based on your hair's needs, and consider incorporating rest days to prevent excessive product accumulation.

How do I stop my hair going frizzy?
To prevent hair from going frizzy, follow these tips: use a sulfate-free shampoo, condition regularly, apply a leave-in conditioner, avoid excessive heat styling, use a wide-tooth comb to detangle, choose a microfiber towel for drying, sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase, and consider anti-frizz products like serums or creams for added control.