Best Curl Activators

Review & Comparison, Last Update January 7, 2024
If nature blessed you with tight curls but you struggle to tame them at times and make your hair look neat, give a curl activator ...Read more
PROS

Thanks to the unique C3 complex, the product delicately curls your hair and creates neat locks that will last for the whole day. Silk and keratin proteins and natural herbal extracts will nourish your hair and make it stronger. 

CONS

Applied in bigger amounts, it will make hair feel heavy. 

OUR VERDICT

The AG Re:coil is a professional curl activator that will become your best helping hand in hair styling. It is suitable for all hair types and works to eliminate frizz even under high humidity. It contains NaPCA, which deeply nourishes and moisturizes your locks.

detailed parameters
Type

Cream

Formula and Active Ingredients

Curl Creating Complex (C3), Magnesium sulfate, Bio-fermented tomato fruit extract, Rice amino acids, Silk and keratin proteins, NaPCA, Natural herbal extracts

Safety

Silicone-free, Humidity-resistance

Volume

6 fl. oz.,

12 fl. oz. available

PROS

The activator will not only make your curls look neat and well-defined for longer but also make them easy to brush through. At the same time, it won't give your locks a greasy or oily look and feel.

CONS

It runs out quickly due to the watery texture.

OUR VERDICT

The SoftSheen-Carson Care Free Curl is an easy-to-use product that will help you create voluminous luscious waves. It contains no harmful components and is completely safe even for people with a sensitive scalp. It will revive your hair improving its natural silkiness and shine. 

detailed parameters
Type

Spray

Formula and Active Ingredients

Glycerine and protein

Safety

99.9% oil free

Volume

16 fl. oz.

PROS

The product formula is infused with vitamin B5 that boosts hair strength and prevents damages and split ends. Besides, it works to avert excess hair loss. 

CONS

The spray nozzle does not spray well at times.

OUR VERDICT

This curl activator from Luster's will keep your hair nicely curly even if you have thin fragile locks.  Made of safe ingredients, it reduces frizz and can be used on a daily basis if needed. Meanwhile, thanks to the no-drip formula, it won't stain your clothes. 

detailed parameters
Type

Spray

Formula and Active Ingredients

Anti-frizz formula, No-drip formula, Vitamin B5, Glycerine

Safety

Paraben-free, Mineral oil-free

Volume

16 fl. oz.

PROS

The combination of honey, coconut oil, and shea butter is rich in many essential elements that will nourish your locks, protect them from harmful UV light, smoothen and restore the structure of damaged hair. 

CONS

It is a tad greasy. 

OUR VERDICT

With the Creme of Nature curl activator, you will be able to create voluminous bouncy locks by yourself that will last for hours. Hydrating the hair and enhancing its natural shine, it is an especially great choice for dry, dull, and lifeless curls.

detailed parameters
Type

Cream

Formula and Active Ingredients

Pure honey, Coconut oil, Shea butter

Safety

No sulfates, No mineral oils, No silicones

Volume

10.5 fl. oz.

PROS

The cream will make every curl springy and shiny. Distinguished by an optimal consistency, it is easy to spread on the hair and doesn't leave a sticky layer on it.  As such, it is also consumption-wise.  

CONS

The smell is rather overwhelming.

OUR VERDICT

The Cantu curl activator cream will enrich your hair with essential nutrients and make locks voluminous and springy. It can be easily washed off with an average shampoo. You can also mix some cream with water to refresh your look the next day.

detailed parameters
Type

Cream

Formula and Active Ingredients

Shea butter, Soybean oil, Olive oil, Canola oil, Aloe vera leaf juice 

Safety

No mineral oils, sulfates, parabens, silicone, phthalates, gluten, paraffin or propylene

Volume

12 fl. oz.

For Professional Results

If you seek to create a salon-quality hairstyle, you don’t necessarily need to spend a lot of money and time visiting professional hair studios. Using the AG Hair Curl Re:coil curl activator, you'll be able to achieve pro-looking results in the comfort of your own home.

The product boasts a patented Curl Creating Complex, or simply C3, and can delicately curl your hair into individually defined waves for a neat look. Furthermore, it produces a long-lasting effect ensuring your hair will look impeccable for a whole day or even longer, depending on the weather conditions.

The other beneficial property of this conditioner is that it contains a number of essential elements in its composition. The combination of silk, keratin, and various herbal extracts helps boost shine, eliminate frizz, nourish your hair, and make it stronger. On top of that, the activator has a great moisturizing effect, thanks to the NaPCA humectant.

This professional hair product comes in the form of cream and is available in 6 and 12 fl. oz. tubes, so you can choose the most suitable option depending on your hair length and volume, frequency of use, or budget. The good thing is, even if you have a head of hair, you won't need to use a lot of the cream. Applying a small amount will be enough to achieve the desired effect.

Overall, the AG Hair Curl Re:coil curl activator is a great product that will let you achieve professional-looking curls and waves without a hassle.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $22.00
Stock In stock
ASIN B002YJ5CHQ

Contains No Harsh Chemicals

Those users who have oily curls may get a lot of use from SoftSheen-Carson Care Free curl hair spray. This product is 99.9% oil-free, which means it won't make your hair greasy.  Besides that, it provides a lasting effect and will stay on your locks under all conditions, including high-humidity environments.

Although the product is free of oils, it doesn’t lack moisturizing properties. Infused with glycerin and protein complex, it penetrates deeply into the hair structure, hydrates and nourishes it while also adding shine and strength. In the meantime, the formula of this hair product is free from harsh chemicals and is completely safe to use even on sensitive scalp.

What we also like about this curl activator is that it is very easy to apply. It has a watery texture and comes in a bottle with a sprayer that helps you evenly distribute the product along the whole hair length. As for the capacity of the bottle, 16 fl.oz. will suffice for a pretty long time, unless you have long hair or intend to use it daily. In the latter case, it may run out much faster.

In the end, the SoftSheen-Carson Care Free curl hair spray is a decent option for people with a sensitive scalp and exhausted hair. It will help you get perfect heatless curls and make your locks healthier.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $11.90
Stock May be out of stock
ASIN B0009R15AI

Nourishes and Strengthens

If you're looking for a hair product that will be suitable for damaged and fragile locks, the Luster's S no-drip curl activator can be the best choice. It will not only make your curls tight and neat but also strengthen them from the inside.

To start off, the product formula is enriched with vitamin B5 which proves to work wonders on damaged, color-treated, or heat-treated hair. It nourishes each hair from within, making it stronger and more resistant to harmful environmental factors, and prevents excessive hair loss and split ends.

The other active component in the composition is glycerin, which boasts amazing hydrating properties. Thus, in addition to strengthening the hair, this spray will also moisturize your locks, making them look fuller and shinier and taking away the dullness and dryness, something that's crucial to do if you want to avert hair damage and restore the natural resilience and flexibility of your curls.

To continue, the activator has a non-drip formula, which makes it easy to apply and spread. Yet, it is not too runny, so it shouldn’t stain your clothes. Besides, the formula has an anti-frizz feature that helps eliminate static electricity and make your curls sleeker and easy to style.

In conclusion, if you have thin and fragile locks and seek a safe way to style them into lovely curls, we suggest buying the Luster's S no-drip activator that will make your hair healthier and more manageable.

Last updated price $13.94
Stock In stock
ASIN B000142J5Y

Best Option for Dry Hair

If your hair lacks moisture, gets dull and lifeless due to heat-related styling, you can make it look gorgeous again and bring your barely noticeable waves back to bouncy curls with the help of the Creme of Nature Pure Honey curl activator. The advanced composition of this product will help you quickly restore your hair and show the first signs of improvement almost immediately.

The activator contains honey, coconut oil, and shea butter that deeply hydrate the hair from the inside, make it softer, enhance its structure, and help it get back to its natural curly form again. On top of that, this product provides efficient UV protection, which helps keep your curls not only nicely-looking but also healthy and not exposed to harmful sun impact.

As for safety, this activator is free from sulfates, so you can apply it on colored and chemically treated hair. Containing no mineral oils and silicones, it improves the appearance of your hair in a natural way.

The product has a creamy texture and comes in a 10.5 fl. oz. pack. Some users point out that it might cause greasiness, so we suggest using a small amount of cream to avoid oily shine.

In all, those who seek an effective way to restore their dry curls and make them shiny and tight will find the Creme of Nature one of the best curl activators for that purpose. Enriched with natural components, it is completely safe and highly potent.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $11.18
Stock In stock
ASIN B07SCKDSKD

Natural Composition

Do you have unruly natural hair and want to tame your curls? If so, consider trying the Cantu Shea Butter curl activator cream. Designed specifically for curly and wavy hair, this product will make styling your hair a piece of cake.

First of all, the cream boasts an organic composition, which is completely safe for your hair. It includes such components as soybean oil, olive oil, canola oil, aloe vera leaf juice, and shea butter. Thanks to that, it produces an amazing moisturizing and nourishing effect. Adding shine and making your curls tighter and more spring-like, it also helps enhance volume, which will be a great benefit for those who have flat relaxed hair.

As for the formula, this curl activator has a cream consistency. Yet, despite the butter and oils in the composition, it doesn’t feel too thick and greasy. It has just an optimal texture and can be easily spread both on wet and on dry hair. Thus, if you don’t tend to wash your hair on a daily basis, you can simply apply some product mixed with water onto dry curls to refresh them.

The other nice thing is that the cream doesn’t leave a sticky residue and is easy to wash off with any average shampoo.

To wrap the whole thing up, the Cantu activator will add a healthy shine and volume to your hair as well as nourish it and improve the look of your curls. If you want to make hairstyling easier, consider getting this product.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $5.66
Stock In stock
ASIN B01LTIAU7Y

What Is a Curl Activator?

Nowadays, there is a wide variety of hair care products for every hair type, from shampoos and conditioners to masks, heatless straighteners, and curlers. If you have wavy and curly hair, you can't but agree that sometimes, it might get a little bit wild and hard to style into a nice hairdo. Yet, to make your stubborn lock more manageable, you don’t have to burn them with a straightener to achieve completely smooth and straight strands and ruin the hair structure. Instead, you can try a curl activator.

Specifically designed for wavy and frizzy hair, this product will help define your curls, separate them from each other, and make them look neater. At the same time, activators are generally beneficial for your hair since they provide extra treatment, moisturize curls, and make your locks much shinier. Like other hair products, curl activators are available in different forms, with gel, cream, and liquid spray being the most popular ones. Depending on the length of your hair and frequency of use, you can purchase them in different volumes, too.

So, no matter if you have tight spring curls or loose waves, you could get a lot of use from curl activators. And those who want to make their hair more bright and funky without dying it permanently might get interested in hair chalks.

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