The Best Products Like DevaCurl That Protect Your Locks

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If you’ve been disappointed in the recent PR that DevaCurl has gotten and you’re looking for safer products like DevaCurl to use on your hair, try out these alternatives for bouncy, healthy hair.

We know how it feels like to sit on the ground while your friend used the flat iron to straighten your hair. Most ladies with curly hair grew up yearning for bone-straight hair but with age, they’ve grown to love their bouncy curls.

Life is simply too short to not embrace the beautiful curly hair that we were blessed with. To ensure that your curls quickly spring upwards when tugged, there have been countless products created for people with curly (and sometimes frizzy) hair.

DevaCurl was a very popular hair product that promised its users defined curls with a flexible hold. However, DevaCurl’s popularity came to a screeching halt in 2020 as customers filed a class-action lawsuit against the hair product company.

Thousands of customers reported that the product caused them severe scalp irritation, damaged hair, and even hair loss. Since the lawsuit was initiated, DevaCurl has been working tirelessly on relaunching and repairing its reputation.

But instead of using a product that could potentially damage your gorgeous curls, we found 11 other products like DevaCurl (minus the horrible side effects). These products will keep your scalp healthy and curls bouncy as ever.

The Best Products Like DevaCurl On The Market:

1. Bumble and bumble Curl Reactivator

When it comes to hair products, Bumble and bumble knows what it’s doing. The reactivator moisturizing mist helps curls regain volume and shininess with just a few sprays. The Curl Reactivator, enhanced with a rich blend of oils and butters, is suitable for fine, medium, and thick hair, and should be sprayed onto wet hair after showering.

After a few sprays, massage the moisturizing formula from your ends to your roots with your fingers. The Curl Reactivator also protects your hair from the dryness caused by UV rays.

All Bumble and bumble products are vegan and cruelty-free, as well as free of parabens and other harmful chemicals.

2. Kérastase Curl Manifesto Sulfate-Free Shampoo for Curly Hair

Instead of using DevaCurl’s no-poo cleansers and conditioners, try the Kérastase Curl Manifesto Shampoo for Curly Hair. This shampoo is best suited for ladies with dry and frizzy curls in need of some serious moisture and shine.

Those with wavy, curly, and coiled hair will surely be impressed with the shampoo’s ability to cleanse the scalp and hair without stripping them of any essential oils. The shampoo’s secret ingredients are manuka honey for intense hydration and ceramides to protect against any breakage.

Use the shampoo with its matching conditioner and nourishing mask for the best results.

3. Bumble and bumble Curl Defining Cream

This curl cream is rich, UV-protective, and creates soft and flexible curls without the annoying crunch that curly-haired women are unfortunately familiar with. The Bumble and bumble Curl Defining Cream will hydrate your hair while adding shine and reducing pesky frizz.

To use, squeeze one or two quarter-sized dollops into the palm of your hand and rub your two hands together. From there, run your hands through your damp hair after a shower and wind your curls around your finger for extra definition.

After you’ve done this, you can let your hair air dry or use a diffuser.

4. Marc Anthony Strictly Curls Defining & Enhancing Cream

We love a high-quality and affordable drugstore DevaCurl alternative, and the Marc Anthony Strictly Curls Cream is exactly that. You can find this product at drugstores like Ulta and Walmart for $8 – what a steal!

The cream uses shea butter and avocado oil to soothe frizzy hair and create defined curls without making them feel crunchy. Apply a small quarter-sized amount rubbed between both hands into damp hair.

After running your hands through your hair, wind your curls around your finger to create an extra springy look, or bend over and scrunch your hair with both hands.

5. Briogeo Curl Charisma Rice Amino + Avocado Hydrating & Defining Hair Mask for Curly Hair

Hair masks are important for everyone to use, especially people with curls as their hair tends to be on the drier side. The Briogeo Curl Charisma Hair Mask can be purchased at Ulta Beauty and will deeply moisturize your curls without weighing them down.

The hair mask uses rice amino acids and tomato fruit ferment to seal each individual hair cuticle. After shampooing, wring your hair of all excess water, apply the mask evenly from root to tip, and allow it to sit in your hair for at least ten minutes.

After your time is up, rinse your hair thoroughly and proceed with conditioner if your curls are in need of further hydration. The mask should be used once or twice per week.

6. Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Defrizzing Conditioner

A trustworthy conditioner is something that every curly girl needs in their shower. The Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Defrizzing Conditioner is great for those who live in areas with high humidity or extra hot summers as it combats unwanted volume and frizz.

The conditioner uses a blend of shea butter, murumuru butter, and ceramides to repair the hair from its root while sealing in moisture and locking out humidity. The Ouidad conditioner also has a UV filter that will protect your beautiful locks against sun damage and free radicals.

The mask just as you would the above Briogeo Hair Mask. However, the Ouidad mask only needs to be left on for three minutes for you to see results.

7. Redken Curvaceous Ringlet

First off, if you have perfect ringlet curls, we are extremely jealous. Secondly, the leave-in Redken Curvaceous Ringlet cream is a must-have product as it will create well-behaved spirals free of frizz or crunch.

The cream will leave you with controlled and bouncy ringlets with an ever-so shiny finish. The product should be applied to towel-dried hair but remember that less is more so start off with a modest amount.

You can always add more! After you’ve massaged the cream through your roots and tips, let your hair air dry or use a diffuser.

8. OGX Quenching + Coconut Curls Shampoo

This shampoo will give you the most bang for your buck as it retails for around $6, making it a great option for those on a beauty budget. The OGX Quenching + Coconut Curls Shampoo uses coconut oil to enhance and detangle your curls without weighing them down.

Not to mention, the shampoo smells incredible thanks to its ingredients, including coconut milk, vanilla, and tangerine. The shampoo is also sulfate- and paraben-free so you can rest easy knowing that you won’t have to start a class action lawsuit.

For curls that are bouncy and perfectly moisturized, use the shampoo with its matching conditioner.

9. Not Your Mother’s Naturals Tahitian Gardenia Flower & Mango Butter Curl Defining Combing Cream

Unlike DevaCurl, this hair cream preserves your precious hair and its natural curl. The Not Your Mother’s Curl Defining Combing Cream detangles, ensures softness, removes frizz, and creates defined ringlet curls while the mango butter used in the cream restores your hair’s elasticity.

The cream is safe for everyday use and contains only natural, plant-derived ingredients for an environmentally friendly formula. Like Bumble and bumble, Not Your Mother’s is another brand committed to creating cruelty-free products that aren’t tested on animals.

To use, work a small dollop of the cream through your roots and tips after towel-drying your hair after a shower. Let your hair dry naturally or use a diffuser.

10. Cake Beauty The Curl Friend Defining Curl Cream

This is another affordable DeevaCurl alternative that you can snag online or at your local drugstore. Cake Beauty’s The Curl Friend Defining Curl Cream will hydrate your curls and fight frizz while creating the most perfect little curls you’ve ever seen.

All of Cake Beauty’s products are cruelty-free and vegan and don’t contain harmful parabens, phthalates, talc, or sulfates. Instead, the cream uses natural oils and butters to smooth each curl on your head.

To use, rub a quarter-sized dollop between the palms of your hands and massage it through your hair. Once you’ve finished this, you can let your hair air dry or use a diffuser.

11. OUAI Wave Spray

Before leaving the house, finish off your look with the OUAI Wave Spray. The spray is suitable for all hair types, especially wavy and curly and can be misted onto dry or damp hair.

The Wave Spray creates beachy curls and waves while enhancing texture and providing glistening shine. The OUAI mist is infused with rice protein, which keeps your curls in place while you go about your day.

Let us know how these products like DevaCurl have performed for you. If we missed any key products, make sure to notify us in the comments!