When you have curly hair, as I do, it can be tricky to find your ideal routine. It takes a lot of trial and error to cocktail your perfect product lineup, but arguably, the most important one in the mix is shampoo. It needs to clean hair without affecting the curl pattern, or leaving it looking dry, heavy or limp.
For people with straight, unproblematic hair, I imagine finding the best shampoo is a positively delightful experience. This one smells nice. This one’s on offer. I like this packaging. Imagine! For me, as someone with frizz-prone, naturally quite thirsty curls, finding the perfect shampoo has been a bit of a journey.
Luckily, I’m a senior beauty editor, so finding the best shampoo for curly hair is literally my job. So, after years of searching and suds, I think I’ve discovered the best formula on the market.
Why this £22 shampoo is the best curly formula I’ve ever tried
Davines LOVE Curl Shampoo may just be the best curly shampoo I've ever used. It's the formula that's left my frizz-prone hair looking its best - whenever I use it my curls look bouncy, soft and defined. My hair also feels moisturised immediately after washing, whereas with other formulas it can feel dry, tangled and crying out for conditioner.
RRP: £21.75
This is the best formula I’ve tried for my 3A curls. It lathers up beautifully, leaving it feeling clean but never dry, and it helps create better curl definition. It also smells gorgeous - it's fresh, zingy and floral.
Davines also earns brownie points for its sustainable beauty credentials - the company is a B-Corp, and this formula is made using sustainably harvested almond extracts, created using renewable energy and comes in recyclable packaging. Bonus marks for the fact that it's available in a refillable pouch, too.
While the eco element is nice to have, the real win for me is just how good the formula is. It has a lovely silky texture - it's not too runny or too thick that it's an effort to squeeze out of the bottle. It lathers really well and washes out easily - there's no film or residue left on the stands. Because the formula is moisturising, it also improves the 'slip' of my hair, adding a much-needed extra layer of hydration before even picking up my conditioner bottle.
At £21.75, it feels very fairly priced - especially when you consider the eco elements. Plus - for those wondering how often you should wash your hair when it's curly, this hair type can be washed less regularly, so the bottle lasts a long while. It's also available as a 75ml for £11 if you want to try before committing to the full size - or £39.15 for 500ml if you fall in love and want to stock up.
And stocked up I have. I'm currently on my second bottle with another one ready on standby, and the refill pouch ready to roll when that's done. This is comfortably a year's worth of hair washes - there's something very calming about having that stash. A year of bouncy, healthy curls - truly, what could be better?
