If you’ve got curly hair, you’re already veeeery aware of how deeply personal and subjective curly hair products can be. Like, what works for my ultra-fine 3a curls most definitely won’t work for my BFF’s thick, coarse 3a curls, you know? And it gets even trickier when you’ve got a mix of curl types, like a smattering of 2c waves (hi, me), or some tighter 3b curls. Basically, curly hair can be hard to decode—which is where I come in.
As someone who has spent a lifetime (or, like, a lifetime since 6th grade) trying to figure out what my sometimes-super-curly-but-sometimes-super-wavy hair really wants from me, I’ve essentially read, tested, and researched all things surrounding curly hair, including the best products to try first. Keep reading for a crash-course on your 3a curls so you, too, can live your best hair life.
What is a 3a hair type?
If you’ve got 3a hair—check this hair-typing chart if you’re not sure—your curls tend to be easily pulled-out, blown-out, and super reactive to the elements (like, a humid day or a windy day is mess your sh*t up). Basically, they’re the shapeshifters of the curl types: They can usually be diffused and encouraged to spring up extra tight and curly, or they can be loosened into tight waves or soft curls with a bun or a twist (my usual M.O. out of laziness). Though 3a hair can have a mix of tight waves or even tighter curls, its overall curl shape tends to be big and loopy, like the size of a cork.
What products are good for 3a hair?
Tbh, this is a tricky question, because the answer isn’t really about the best product for your curl shape—it’s about the best product for your curl porosity. Your porosity is your hair strand’s ability to absorb and retain moisture, kinda like a sponge.
- If you have naturally low-porosity hair (think: a sponge with no holes), products have a hard time penetrating your hair strand, so they end up building up on the surface and weighing down your curls.
- If you have high-porosity hair (think: a sponge that’s all holes), products absorb really easily…but also evaporate even easier, leaving your hair perpetually dry.
Basically, low-porosity hair needs lightweight products; high-porosity hair needs rich, thick moisturizing products. See why porosity matters more than curl shape? The quickest way to find out your type is with a porosity quiz, and then come back here to find your best product lineup.
Are these 3a hair products Curly Girl Method–approved?
If you live your life according to The Curly Girl Method (CGM)—and, not gonna lie, it’s genuinely the best thing I ever tried for my 3a curls—you already know that the products you use need to be free of sulfates, waxes, alcohol, and silicones. Most of the products on this list are CGM-approved, but just to be safe, always make sure to run the ingredients list through a formula checker before using.
Got all that? Good. Now, for what you really came for: the 10 best products to try for 3a hair.
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