3 Simple DIY Curl Cream Recipes That Can Give Your Hair New Life

by Dacy Knight
Dacy was an editor at Byrdie for over a year and has been published in WWD, InStyle, and peer-reviewed journal Critical Studies in Fashion & Beauty.
Updated 05/05/19
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As beauty editors, we spend a lot of our lives testing out the latest, greatest, and most talked about products. But every so often, the most effective solutions to our beauty needs don't come in a bottle emblazoned with a brand name. Sometimes the best formula is one that's been whipped up in our very own home. Whether your beauty secret was passed along by your grandmother or your best friend, these homemade remedies become our holy grail treatments. For haircare, the DIY approach can be especially desirable (and rewarding), avoiding chemicals and other havoc-wreaking ingredients that can mess with our tresses.

For our curly-haired girls, we've rounded up three of our favorite DIY curl cream recipes so you can stick to natural ingredients (and save your hard-earned money).

Head below to discover three DIY curl cream recipes with ingredients from your kitchen.

Softening Shea Butter Curl Cream

Shea butter and coconut oil are usual suspects when it comes to DIY curl creams. This particular recipe makes use of both while incorporating aloe vera gel for texture and refreshing essential oils for that added oomph.

Ingredients:

Shea butter
Coconut oil
Apricot kernel oil
Pure aloe vera gel
Rosemary essential oil
Chamomile essential oil

Directions:

Melt and mix together the shea butter and coconut oil, then let the melted mixture cool in the refrigerator until it partially solidifies.

Whip with a hand mixer, add the apricot kernel oil, then continue mixing.

Add the pure aloe vera oil until it is completely mixed (and add essential oils for a rejuvenating scent, as desired).

Transfer to a mason jar and store in a dry, clean place.

Now Foods Natural Shea Butter $7
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Lightweight Curl Perfecting Cream

Easier than starting from scratch, you can add to the conditioner you already have to create an effective lightweight styling cream in seconds.

Beauty YouTuber Curly Penny shares her straightforward recipe

Ingredients:

Conditioner
Blue agave nectar
Sea salt
Coconut oil

Directions:

Combine conditioner and agave until golden, then add crushed sea salt.

For the last step, add a bit of oil and mix. Curly Penny advises applying a quarter size of the goopy mixture to wet hair and scrunching.

Wholesome Organic Blue Agave $11
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Coconut Oil Curl-Refreshing Spray

While not exactly a cream, this spray is a favorite of singer-songwriter Kandace Springs (and many others in the curly hair community) for keeping dry curls moisturized and tame, no matter what the day or weather brings.

Ingredients:

Coconut oil
Warm water

Directions:

Kapuluan 8Oz Cold Pressed Coconut Oil by Kapuluan Coconut at Free People
Kapuluan Coconut Cold Pressed Coconut Oil $34
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Looking for more DIY projects to try this weekend? Check out this DIY coffee mask for beautiful skin.

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