Best Blow Dry Cream for Curly Hair 2023

Curly hair is GORGEOUS!

The bouncy curls not only look good but they are also a statement piece of your overall look.

However, maintaining the bouncier, sexier looks of the curls might be quite a chore, especially if they are wet. One of the most common problems girls with curly tresses face is that their curls fall flat after taking a shower. Even after blow drying them, the ringlets might still be lackluster and not that flattering.

The dilemma doesn’t end here. As curly manes are prone to frizz, burns, and damage, there are high chances that they might suffer from impairments while you try to blow dry them for a flawless look. This might have some long-term effects and ruin your tresses forever.

before and after pic of applying blow dry cream in curly hair

However, you can avert all these issues successfully with just a blow dry cream made for curly hair. Specially formulated with heat protectants, moisturizing agents, and curl-defining ingredients, this magical product not only improves the way your ringlets look after a hair drying session but also protects them from burns and damage actively.

The presence of different lightweight hair oils, hydrolyzed proteins, glycerin, copolymers, and other components ensure that your precious curly strands are well-protected and look as healthy, and flawless as ever, after each blow drying session.

But then again, just as maintaining curly hair is a chore, finding the best curl cream for this hair type is as difficult. You not only have to look for the perfect blend of ingredients but also make sure that the formula is silicone-free for the best results. And, to be honest, this might be quite a difficult job to do.

To help you with it, we have researched the market and used some of the top products. After using them for a couple of weeks, we found the best blow dry cream for your curly hair. Keep on reading to know more.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Briogeo Farewell Blow Dry Perfection & Heat Protectant Crème

We LOVE this blow dry hair cream!

We have tried this blowout cream for curly hair out of curiosity, and we absolutely fell in love with it. Formulated with 94% naturally derived ingredients, this haircare product not only dries your hair safely and quickly but also maintains the shape of your curls for a smoother, more lustrous outlook.

For starters, for frizz-free, beautiful blow-dried hair, this amazing cream contains the mighty glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, and fatty alcohols to add moisture and nourishment to your tresses. Even though these components belong to separate categories, they all are super lightweight and penetrate your curly hair easier to work from within. They hydrate the manes and remove any frizz and static from them without making the strands greasy and limp.

In addition to these incredible hydrating ingredients, the potent composition of this blowout cream also has an extraordinary mix of lightweight oils including rosehip oil, argan oil, coconut oil, soybean oil, and other fruit oils. These oils not only provide extraordinary moisturization to your curls but also protect them from the heat of your blow dryer.

To begin with, argan oil has a smoke point of 420°F, and therefore, it won’t cause any damage to your precious ringlets when you try to dry them quickly. Because it penetrates your hair shaft easily, this hair oil ensures all-around heat protection while also reducing hair drying time greatly.

Moreover, the presence of the mighty coconut oil in this blow dry cream also ensures better heat protection. As this oil has a smoke point of 350°F, it contributes to the faster drying time even further and also protects your tresses from burning down from the heat of the dryer.

Besides heat protection, these magical hair oils along with the other oil present in this product also moisturize your luscious curls and make them as smooth, bouncy, and beautiful as ever. After using this blow dry cream, we could barely keep our hands off of the tresses.

Just like the hair oils, the hydrolyzed proteins in this cream composition also ensure great moisturization while protecting your curls from burning down. Briogeo added hydrolyzed wheat protein to this blow dry product to spread the heat from the dryer tool evenly for a uniform hair drying session. As this ingredient forms a shield over each hair strand, it doesn’t let a splash of heat suddenly enter the shaft and burn it from within. This barrier gently and evenly distributes the heat so that your curls are dried without getting burnt or fried.

This extraordinary protein also adds volume and movement to the ringlets and makes sure they look as bouncy as ever.

This blow dry cream also contains hydrolyzed corn protein and hydrolyzed soy protein in its formulation to increase moisture in your manes and also to make them silky, soft, and smooth as ever.

That’s not all. One main reason we love this hair product is because of its ability to hold the shape of the curls. The copolymer [Polyquaternium] present in this cream helps to define the shape of the ringlets and also provides a subtle hold so that you can flaunt them all day without any worries.

Besides, all these amazing benefits, we also appreciate the fact that this blow dry is super safe for your sensitive tresses too. Its 6-free [sulfates, silicones, phthalates, parabens, DEA, artificial dyes] formula makes it a “clean blow dry product for curly hair” and ensures smoothness like never before. The safe composition also makes sure that you won’t suffer from any allergic reactions after applying it to your curly manes.

Pros

  • Incredibly safe formula
  • Suitable for sensitive hair too
  • Provides high heat protection
  • Eliminates frizz and ensures smooth tresses

Cons

  • Doesn’t come in other sizes

What our tester says

This Briogeo blow dry cream has been my go-to product for years now. It not only makes my blow drying session super quick but also ensures softer, more beautiful hair each time. This cream has done so well to my curly tresses that I might never replace it with another product.

Melissa Liang

Best Editor’s Pick: Bumble and Bumble Bb All-Style Blow Dry Cream

There is no reason not to love this blow drying cream for curly hair. And we didn’t, either. This haircare product won over our hearts because of several reasons, the top being its ability to hold the shape of the curls after you blow dry them.

Bumble and Bumble added the mighty Polyquaternium along with Vp copolymers in this cream to enhance and hold the curls properly. The perfect mix of these copolymers defines your ringlets precisely after each blow dry session and provides a light hold so that they look as bouncier and beautiful as ever. Our curls were never such pretty!

While talking about luscious curls, we must mention that this blow drying product doesn’t have any silicones in its composition for better curl shape in your tresses. As silicones are super hydrating, they create slip in the hair and, as a result, the shape of the curls fell flat. Because of the absence of this ingredient, the ringlets will remain intact and gorgeous after you dry them with your favorite blow dryer.

This cream also is free from sulfate, parabens, phthalates, mineral oils, and formaldehyde to ensure the safety of your delicate tresses.

However, even though it is silicon-free doesn’t mean this blow dry cream with hold isn’t nourishing. The presence of glycerin and fatty alcohols [Myristyl Alcohol and Stearyl Alcohol] provide incredible moisturization in your manes, fight frizz and improve the appearance of your beloved curly tresses greatly.

In addition to all these nourishing ingredients, we appreciate the fact that Bumble and Bumble also included sweet almond oil and argan oil in this product to make it extremely hydrating as well as heat protection. While the vitamin and mineral-rich argan oil nourish your curls from the inside for a flawless look, its high smoke point of 420°F ensures the highest protection against heat.

Similarly, the sweet almond oil also has a smoke point of 430°F and hence, not only protects your hair from burning down but also reduces the drying time by several notches.

This oil is also nourishing and conditions your hair from deep within.

Along with the mix of oils, this blow out cream for curly hair also contains hydrolyzed wheat protein to offer the best protection and care to your curly hair. It not only hydrates your tresses and fights frizz but also creates a protective barrier over the hair strands so that heat cannot reach the shaft and cause any damage.

Pros

  • A small amount goes a long way
  • Doesn’t weigh down the curls
  • Cruelty-free product
  • Can be used on color-treated hair too

Cons

  • Available only in one size

What our tester says

I tried this blow dry cream for this review. However, now I have fallen in love with it. It makes my curls super bouncy and smooth after the hair drying session. Moreover, even though my hair is color-treated, it seems to work on them well. No additional damage or frizz. This blowout cream is worth every penny, at least for me!

Sharon Gallegos

Best Natural: Better Natured Blow Dry Lotion

This Better Natured haircare cream is everything we ever wished for in a blow dry cream for our curly tresses! It is hydrating, heat protecting, and frizz-fighting, and on top of all these, this amazing cream is made with all safe ingredients to take the best care of your delicate curly tresses.

Let’s start with its hydrating and hair smoothing ingredients. We love the fact that Better Natured loaded the composition of this product with a whole lot of nourishing ingredients to moisturize your hair and fight frizz and static actively. It contains glycerin and fatty alcohols to hydrate your unruly manes from deep within.

This hair cream also has an extraordinary blend of coconut milk, Tahitian palm milk, and Orchid Milk to provide incredibly deep hydration and keep your curls smooth and silky for up to 96 hours straight. These naturally-derived “triple plant milk blends” are high-performance conditioning agents and make your hair as soft, smooth, and gorgeous as ever before. After using this cream, we fall in love with our hair again and again.

Another thing that we appreciate about this product is that even though it is a silicone-free cream, it contains isoparaffin [a silicone alternative] to smoothen the curls from within. It acts as a hair conditioner and adds softness to your tresses while also maintaining the shape of the curls. Your precious curls won’t fall apart even after drying them with high heat.

To retain and hold the shape of the curls, Better Natured added Polyquaternium too in its formula so that you have the most gorgeous curls every time you blow dry your tresses. This copolymer helps to define the shape of the curls and ensures that they don’t fall flat in any way after you wash and dry the hair.

Now that we have discussed all the hydrating and curl-defining ingredients, we must talk about its amazing heat protection capabilities. This blow dry cream for curly tresses contains sunflower seed oil with a smoke point of450°F to make precious manes don’t get burnt from the heat of the hairdryer and look unhealthy in any way.

Additionally, it also has the mighty coconut oil in it to make it extremely effective in shielding your manes from heat burns and potential damages. As this hair oil has a smoke point of 350°F, it can tolerate high heat and keep your curls safe from the heat of your blow-dryer.

One thing we found this cream lacks is that it doesn’t have any hydrolyzed proteins in it. However, as Better Natured added other amazing heat protecting and nourishing components to this product, we were able to let go of this minor lacking!

Pros

  • Ensures up to 96 hours of frizz control
  • Refreshing fruity-floral fragrance
  • 93% naturally-derived ingredients
  • Followed ISO Global Standard formulation
  • Sulfate-free formula for utmost safety

Cons

  • Might not work on all types of hair

Best Budget: SoftSheen-Carson Dark and Lovely Blow Dry Hair Cream for Curly Hair

A budget blow dry cream doesn’t mean that it lacks any ingredients or doesn’t provide the desired results. And this Lovely Blow Dry Hair Cream from SoftSheen-Carson is the proof- we vouch for that. This hair care product not only provides an excellent blow drying result in your curly manes but also takes care of your hair so that you have bouncy curly tresses- just as we have always dreamt of.

To begin with, SoftSheen adopted a silicone-free formula for this blow dry cream so that your curls remain intact and bouncy after each hair drying session. Because silicone is extremely moisturizing, it provides a slip in your hair and hence, makes the curls lose their shape during the drying process. However, as this product doesn’t have any silicones in it, our curls remained in place, ALWAYS!

Even though it lacks silicones, we were utterly surprised to find that this haircare product is no less nourishing. For instance, the composition of this cream has lightweight glycerin, shea butter, and fatty alcohols in it. These ingredients reach deep into your curls and nourish them from within so that they are not only frizz-free but also look incredibly gorgeous.

Besides glycerin, shea butter, and fatty alcohols, SoftSheen also included coconut oil and castor seed oil in this blow dry cream to not only provide extraordinary moisture to your strand but also to protect them from a high heat of up to 450°F. While the mighty coconut oil has a smoke point of 350°F, castor seed oil has 392°F of burning resistance, and combined together, these hair oils provide extraordinary heat protection to your curls.

Also, because this cream can tolerate high heat, you can increase the heat of your hairdryers and cut down hair drying time greatly.

Aside from providing heat protection, the potent blend of coconut oil and castor seed oil also nourishes the tresses greatly and restores their shine from within so that they look as gorgeous and bouncy as ever before.

Last but not the least, we appreciate that SoftSheen added Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride [a type of copolymer] in this blowout cream to ensure hold and bounce in the curls. As this incredible component helps to retain the shape of the ringlets and hold them in place, you would never experience flat manes after the hair drying procedure.

One drawback of this blow dry cream for curly hair we have noticed is that it doesn’t have hydrolyzed proteins in its formulation like the others. These proteins act as conditioning agents and offer incredible moisturization and nourishment to your curls. Without them, your tresses might miss having some wonderful components in their manes.

Pros

  • Lightweight and easy to apply
  • Eliminates frizz and flyaways actively
  • Made with natural ingredients for safety
  • Sulfate and paraben-free composition
  • Rejuvenates the curls for a shinier outlook

Cons

  • Some users might not like the fragrance

Things to Consider Before Buying a Best Blow Dry Cream for Curly Hair

There are a whole lot of curl creams available in the market. However, all of them are not meant to protect and enhance your curly tresses. To buy the best curl cream for your curly hair, keep in mind the followings. These factors would help you to find just the right one for you. At least, they did for us!

Silicone or No-silicone

Even though silicone is extremely moisturizing and makes your hair silky and smooth, for curly hair, choose a blow dry cream with no silicones in it. The ultra-nourishing properties of this component don’t retain the shape of the curls, and hence, make them look flat and lackluster.

Moisturizing Agents

As you are opting for a silicone-free formula, don’t forget to look for moisturizing ingredients in the cream formula. Glycerin, fatty alcohols, and hydrolyzed proteins are important nourishing agents because they are lightweight and can work from within the hair shaft to make your curls silky, smooth, and manageable.

Incredible Heat Protectants

Because it is a heat protectant spray, you MUST look for different heat protectant ingredients in its formulation. These components will make sure that your curls are well-shielded when you try to blow dry them and don’t suffer from any burns and breakages.

Curl-defining Components

Because you are using this product on your curly hair, make sure that it has curl defining and enhancing components so that your curls don’t fall flat after the blow drying session.

FAQ

Why Does Your Curly Hair Look Frizzy After You Blow-Dry It?

Curly hair, by nature, tends to be dry and brittle. As the curly pattern of the strands doesn’t let natural oils of the scalp come down the length of the hair, they are nourishment-deprived and brittle. And when you apply heat to such tresses for hair drying purposes, it soaks up the very little nourishment left in them making them even drier and causing frizz in no time. And for this reason, your curly hair looks frizzy and unappealing after a blow dry session. 

Is Blow Drying Good for Curly Hair?

Blow drying can be damaging to your curly hair. The heat from the hairdryer can make this hair type dry and brittle and result in frizz, breakage, and damage as well.

However, if you apply a blow dry cream for curly hair before you start drying your manes, it will not only protect the tresses from damage but also make them well-nourished, soft, and smooth as well.

So, with a blow dry cream, blow drying isn’t bad for your precious curly tresses.

Are there any other products to blow dry curly hair besides a blow dry cream?

A blow dry cream is not the only product that can dry your curly tresses quickly. Let’s talk about a few other products that can help you cut down hair drying time drastically and without damaging your precious tresses.

A Microfiber Hair Towel: A hair towel, like this DevaCurl Microfiber Anti-Frizz Towel, can absorb excess water and moisture from your wet curls easily and quickly and hence, helps to cut down hair drying time greatly. You wouldn’t have to apply so much heat or spend so much time drying damp tresses.

A Hairdryer with Diffuser: An ordinary hairdryer might take eons to dry your curly hair perfectly. However, a blow dryer with a diffuser attachment, like this Bed Head Curls in Check Diffuser Hair Dryer, not only dries your tresses quickly but also enhances the curls for a bouncier, more beautiful look.

Wrapping Up

All the blow dry creams for curly hair that we have discussed above are worth a try. It doesn’t matter if you have longer or shorter curly hair, these creams will surely enhance their look while cutting down drying time greatly.