17 Best Gels for Curly Hair to Boost Volume and Minimize Frizz

Editor Tip: If you're trying to determine your curl pattern, it's best to start with sopping wet hair. Head over here to find more hairstylist-approved tips for figuring out your curl type.

Key Ingredients: oat extract, soy extract, wheat extract, castor oil, glycerin | Who It's For: All curl and wave patterns

Best for Loose Curl Patterns: Mizani Curl Enhancing Lotion

Why It's Worth It: For looser curls, Jaxcee Challenger, colorist and founder of The Coily Collective prefers Mizani's Curl Enhancing Lotion. "It provides a very light hold while being super lightweight, which allows your curls to spring and bounce instead of being weighed down by too much product," she tells Allure. Fortified with a trio of nourishing oils — coconut oil, olive oil, and marula oil — this gel cream acts as a leave-in conditioner and control gel at the same time.

Editor Tip: Since it contains moisture-replenishing oils, this formula is great for drier hair types as well.

Key Ingredients: Coconut oil. olive oil, marula oil | Who It's For: Loose curl patterns (2C-3B), dry hair

Best Clean Hair Gel: Rahua Aloe Vera Hair Gel

Why It's Worth It: Hair care that can save second-, third-, and even fourth-day curls is a winner in our books, which is exactly how Rahua's Hair Gel won a Best of Beauty Award in 2022 in our Clean category. The star ingredient in this formula is aloe vera, which is, "very beneficial for the hair because of its moisturizing and hydration benefits," hairstylist Alexander Armand previously told Allure.

Editor Tip: Allure commerce writer Jennifer Hussein says this gel is her go-to for refreshing her 2a/2b waves. "Its hold is strong enough to keep my thick, frizzy strands defined and in place all day long, but doesn't have any weight to it," she says.

Key Ingredients: Aloe vera | Who It's For: Thick hair, wavy hair, frizzy hair

Best Firm Hold Gel: Innersense Organic Beauty I Create Hold

Why It's Worth It: Innersense Organic Beauty's I Create Hold gel provides a stronger hold and more definition than most flexible-feel formulas without the thick, crunchy feel of weightier picks. As it dries down, it provides a high-shine finish and treats your strands with antioxidant-rich, gloss-boosting rooibos tea.

Editor Tip: The honey in this formula also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, making it ideal for sensitive scalps and skin.

Key Ingredients: Aloe vera extract, honey, eucalyptus, rooibos tea | Who It's For: All curl patterns and thicknesses

Allure Best of Beauty Winner: Bread Beauty Supply Hair-Gel

Why It's Worth It: Allure editors of varying curl types and thicknesses were all blown away by the strand-defining benefits of Bread Beauty Supply's Hair-Gel, so it's no wonder how it won a 2023 Best of Beauty Award. Its bounce-enhancing formula leaves curls shiny, defined, and frizz-free, thanks to its blend of antioxidant-rich yuzu, red algae, and snow mushroom extracts.

Editor Tip: This formula has a shiny, vinyl-like finish that's also great for polishing slick buns and updos.

Key Ingredients: Yuzu extract, red algae extract, snow mushroom extract | Who It's For: All curl patterns and thicknesses

Best for Frizzy Hair: Amika Curl Corps Enhancing Gel

Why It's Worth It: The Amika Curl Corps Enhancing Gel has the feel of a flex-hold gel but the frizz-slicking power of super glue. This ultra-light gel enhances definition, bounce, and shine without weighing the hair shaft down or creating a tacky finish. As a bonus, it also boosts your hair's natural luster with the help of fatty acid-rich sea buckthorn extract, oat-derived peptides, and hydrolyzed wheat protein.

Editor Tip: Apply the Amika Curl Corps Defining Cream before this gel for an added boost of strand-softening moisture and definition.

Key Ingredients: sea buckthorn extract, oat peptides, hydrolyzed wheat protein | Who It's For: All curl patterns and thicknesses

Best for Wash-and-Go Styling: Mielle Organics Honey & Ginger Styling Gel

Why It's Worth It: Allure tester Gabi Thorne loves the lightweight hold and sweet honey-ginger scent of Mielle Organics's Honey & Ginger Styling Gel. "I would use this on a wash-and-go [hairstyle] for defined and soft hair with no flakiness," she says. On top of its fragrance, this formula also treats your strands to a conditioning duo of aloe vera extract and babassu oil as it locks your style in place.

Editor Tip: Thorne gives this pick bonus points for its easy-to-use packaging. "I love that it's a pump because it's so much easier to push out product," she says.

Key Ingredients: Honey, ginger extract, aloe vera extract, babassu oil | Who It's For: All curl types, thick hair

Best Medium-Hold Gel: Ceremonia Pequi Styling Gel

Why It's Worth It: Ceremonia's Pequi Styling Gel is a medium-hold gel that makes a great addition to pretty much any curly hair routine. Rake this delicately floral-scented gel through damp or wet hair before styling for end results that are super shiny and frizz-free.

Editor Tip: Allure deputy director Kara McGrath reaches for this gel when she wants to add definition to her wavy hair, while commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann scrunches this gel into her hair to add hold before air-drying or using a diffuser. Even Hussein wrote a full review dedicating her love to this product. Consider this gel very Allure-approved.

Key Ingredients: Pequi oil, aloe vera extract, açai extract | Who It's For: Wavy hair, loose curl patterns, thick hair

Best Affordable: Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Frizz Control Sculpting Gel

Why It's Worth It: Not You Mother's Curl Talk Frizz Control Sculpting Gel is news editor Nicola Dall'Asen's go-to when she needs an affordable gel to mold her frizz-prone 2B curls. "It has just enough hold that my curls can air-dry uninterrupted, but not so much that it gives me stiffness or crunch," she says. It also has the added shine-boosting benefits of rice extract, keratin, and amino acids.

Editor Tip: This gel has a flexible, medium-strength hold. If you want a long-lasting gel with a stronger hold, we recommend Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Maximum Hold Hair Gel, which also costs less than $10.

Key Ingredients: rice extract, keratin, amino acids| Who It's For: All curl types, thick hair

Best for Dry Hair: Oribe Curl Gelée For Shine & Definition

Why It's Worth It: The nourishing butters (murumu, mango, cocoa), oils (macadamia seed, apricot), and fruit-derived antioxidants infused in Oribe's Curl Gelée formula make it perfect for coily hair and curls that need extra moisture or are recovering from heat styling and color treatments.

Editor Tip: Since this gel has a denser, moisture-rich formula, fine hair types may want a lighter styling product. Enter: Oribe's Curl Gloss, a featherweight gel that instantly dries without any residue left behind.

Key Ingredients: Murumuru butter, mango butter, cocoa butter, macadamia seed oil, apricot oil, antioxidants | Who It's For: Thick hair, curly hair (2C+)

Best Anti-Humidity Formula: Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel Extra Hold

Why It's Worth It: Allure tester Jihan Forbes swears by this curl gel for the way it protects against unpredictable weather. "I add just a bit of Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel over [a curl cream] to make sure the curls stay for days. And they do — even in the humid New York City summers," she says.

Editor Tip: A little goes a long way with this gel, so try a nickel-sized dollop for your whole head and lightly add more as needed.

Key Ingredients: Wheat protein, polymers, silk protein | Who It's For: Curly hair (2B+)

Best Shine Booster: Curls So So Def Vitamin C Curl Defining Jelly

Why It's Worth It: If your hair has suffered damage that has dimmed its natural luster, the Curls So So Def Curl Defining Jelly is here to help. Its antioxidant-rich formula will add an instant glossy shine to your strands while boosting natural radiance and strength. The light and sweet pineapple scent it leaves behind is just a bonus.

Editor Tip: The thick consistency Curls gave this gel makes it perfect for prepping braids and twist-outs.

Key Ingredients: Pineapple fruit extract, coconut oil, aloe leaf juice, chamomile flower extract | Who It's For: Thick hair, curly hair types (2B+)

Best for Twist-Outs: The Mane Choice Ancient Egyptian Anti-Breakage & Repair Antidote 24 Karat Glistening Gold Twisting Gel

Why It's Worth It: Prepare to get the best twist out of your life. This gel from The Mane Choice holds on to the definition and doesn't let go. Loaded with biotin and fatty acids omega 3, 6, and 9, this stuff not only makes your curls pop but also helps strengthen, protect from breakage, and put frizz in its place.

Editor Tip: If frizz is an ever-lasting concern of yours, your cotton pillowcase could be the root of your problem. We recommend switching over to a silk pillowcase, which minimizes friction and, therefore, minimizes frizz-inducing damage.

Key Ingredients: Biotin, fatty acids | Who It's For: Thick hair, curly hair types (2C+)

Best for Thick Hair: Bumble and Bumble Bb.Curl Anti-Humidity Gel-Oil

Why It's Worth It: "[This formula is best for] thick, curly hair types from wavy to tight spiral curls," shares New York City-based hairstylist Patrick Kyle. "Curls need the weight of the product to help define them." Bumble and Bumble added a blend of glycerin along with plant-derived oils and butter to this gel to give thirsty curls hydration and hold.

Editor Tip: To prevent damage and frizz, we recommend ditching your usual towel, which can be abrasive on your strands, and using a softer microfiber-based hair towel instead.

Key Ingredients: Glycerin, shea butter, avocado oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil | Who It's For: All curl patterns, thick hair, dry hair

Best Volumizing Gel: Taliah Waajid Curly Curl Gello

Why It's Worth It: Allure tester Devon Abelman loves this Best of Beauty-winning gel on her loose curls. "I wish my hair could always look like it does when I use the [Taliah Waajid] Curly Curl "Gello" Hair Mousse — it has more volume and less frizz than usual, and my curls stay springy and soft for three straight days," she says.

Editor Tip: Abelman also noted that this product's unique jelly texture doesn't weigh down her fine hair like creams or mousses often do.

Key Ingredients: Shea butter, glycerin, vitamin E, soybean oil | Who It's For: All curl patterns and hair thicknesses

Best for Air Drying: Biolage Styling Curl Defining Elixir

Why It's Worth It: "The Biolage Styling Curl Defining Elixir is perfect for people that want to air-dry their natural curls and waves," says George Papanikolas, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist. "It tames frizz and gives curls definition without stiffness, weight, or crispiness." This definer also has blue agave nectar, which works to repair damage and add strength to your curls.

Editor Tip: For curls that need a firmer hold, Papanikolas, global brand ambassador for Matrix and L'Oréal, recommends Matrix's Controller Gel for added structure without the crunch.

Key Ingredients: Blue agave nectar, | Who It's For: All curl patterns and thicknesses

Best for Tight Curl Patterns: SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Soufflé

Why It's Worth It: Besides the amazing smell, SheaMoisture's Coconut & Hibiscus Gel Soufflé is free of things like silicone that can cause buildup on your hair. Agave nectar helps your curls spring back into formation, while shea butter and coconut oil condition your hair.

Editor Tip: If you have wavy hair or a looser curl pattern, we suggest trying SheaMoisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie, which is lighter in texture and more flexible in hold.

Key Ingredients: Agave nectar, shea butter, coconut oil, flaxseed oil | Who It's For: Thick hair, curl patterns 3B+

How we test and review products

We always enlist a range of testers for our makeup vertical, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind. Many are created in order to address a concern (dandruff, breakage, brittleness) or to work most effectively for a specific hair type (4C curls, wavy hair, gray hair). You wouldn’t want to pick up a purple shampoo that’s only been reviewed by someone with, say, auburn hair, or a diffuser that’s never been tested by anyone with curls — right?

For our review of the best gels for curly hair, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and hair stylists of varying curl patterns looking for defined, frizz-free results. Testers considered performance across four primary categories: efficacy, texture and experience, fragrance, and packaging. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.

Our staff and testers

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors — in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon — is essential to reaching that goal.

After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.

Find more Allure editor-approved picks for curly hair:

• These Creams Are the Way to Pillowy-Soft, Defined Curls
• 17 Best Detangler Sprays for Knot-Free Hair
• 15 Best Air-Dry Creams to Perfect Your Heatless Styles
• Every Allure Editor Has A Boar-Bristle Brush — Here's Why You Need One, Too

Done reading? Now, watch beauty mogul Huda Kattan nail her everyday glam routine.

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