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Leave-in or Cream, its easy if you do it smart

Leave-in conditioner vs. hair cream Leave-in conditioner benefits Hair cream benefits Difference between leave-in conditioner and hair cream How do you use leave-in cream? Can I use leave-in cream everyday? Which is the best leave-in treatment? Can a leave-in be used as a moisturizer? Best leave-in conditioner or hair cream for coarse hair

After trying countless products since 2017 here’s what I know about the differences between a leave-in conditioner and curl cream for your textured hair.

Differences between leave-in conditioner and curl cream

Not sure when to use these curly hair products? Check out this table. Did I miss anything? Please leave a comment to let me know.

Leave in conditionerCurl cream
A conditioner that doesn’t rinse outA holding agent; a styling product.
Provides moisture and hydrationMay not offer moisture on very dry hair.
Easier to absorb in low porosity hairCan build up, if not clarified frequently
Can be used daily to refreshUse up to 2x a week
Contains Water based ingredientsOils & Butters
As a primer, makes styling easier This is a styling product.
Doesn’t hold when used on its ownHolds desired style up to 1-2 days, or more.
Helps in detangling wet hair Enhances curls without frizz
LightweightThicker, denser in texture.
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Should you use conditioner and leave-in conditioner?

Think about how you want to style your hair.  For example, when your hair is feeling extremely dry, first use a hair mask. Using a hair mask will offer that immediate boost your hair has been craving for. After rinsing out the mask, apply a conditioner for sealing in the cuticles. If you have fine hair or wavy hair, skip the conditioner and apply a leave-in conditioner instead. This will ensure that the moisture from water is trapped, hydrating your dry hair.

Can I use curl cream instead of leave in conditioner?

Depends on how hydrated and detangled your hair already is. Fine or wavy hair can skip a cream completely! For thicker coarser textures make sure you’ve at least used a conditioner in order to skip leave-in conditioner.

What to use instead of a hair gel?

Don’t like using hair gels?  Sometimes, using the wrong hair gel can leave your hair drier than before. Some people don’t like the crispy crunchy hair after using hair gels. For soft defined and voluminous curls, use a curl cream instead of hair gel.

Using leave in conditioner and curl cream together

Do you go many days without washing your hair?  If you wash your hair weekly without any refreshes in between, you’ll find that your hair is feeling extremely dry. If you have no time to mask that or to treat that, combine a leave-in conditioner and curl cream in your styling routine. Doing this can offers the much needed moisture and the hold your curls needed. Just be careful about the quantities. Fine hair, wavy hair use less quantities of curl cream to avoid buildup. Thicker, coarse textures apply styling products in smaller sections. 

How to use leave-in conditioner

If you’re only going to tie your hair up, use a leave-in conditioner instead of curl cream. Dry hair breaks easily under any kind of tension. So using a leave-in conditioner offers moisture when your hair is tied up. Make sure to apply leave-in conditioner on your wet hair first. Then braid your damp hair for a nice sleek, glossy finish! A curl cream is used to hold your styling, use it when you want to let your hair down!

My top 3 Leave-in Conditioner recommendations

  1. Sugar Boo Curls Leavein ★ Get 25% off with code HONESTLIZ here.
  2. @discovertreluxe* Untie The Knot ★15% off with code HONESTLIZ15 
  3. Manetain Curl Cream ★ Get 10% off with Manetain code HONESTLIZ.

Want more choices? Check out this epic list of Best Leave-in Conditioner

Curl cream vs Mousse

Both curl cream and mousse are styling agents. Use either or both for the desired style after washing hair. For my coarse texture, I find that using a curl cream under a mousse gives me better results. Using a mousse by itself dries out my coarse hair. On the other hand, fine hair or wavy hair can use mousse directly. Tap to learn more about mousse here.  

My top 3 Curl Cream recommendations

  1. Sugar Boo Curls ★ Get 25% off with code HONESTLIZ
  2. Boucleme Curl Cream ★ Get 15% off with Bouclem promo code HONESTLIZ15
  3. Miribel Naturals ★ Get 10% off with code HONESTLIZHERE here

Pro tip for curl cream 

All these products are concentrated. Use a “dime-size” of products like this and emulsify them real nice before applying. See if doing this helps you achieve lighter, happier curls!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is curl gel and curl cream different

While both are styling products and offer “hold”. However, a hair gel may not moisturize your hair the same way like curl creams do. They are the same but different 🙂

After workout, which one should I use?

Ideally, if you sweat a lot then just wash and restyle as normal. If you want to refresh your hair and need “hold”? Use a curl cream after a workout. Use a leave-in before workout before you tying your hair up, so your hair stays moisturized and doesn’t break from the tension.

How to refresh with them?

Check out my 123 Refresh technique. Use a curl cream or gel or both to refresh. Both products are stylers for hold. Use a leave-in under your stylers when hair feels especially dry. 

Which one should you use in the humidity?

If you wash your hair more often and have fine or wavy hair, use a leave-in on its own! Or use gel over leaveins for more hold. If you have coarse hair then see more recos here.

Is it ok to skip leavein and directly go to stylers?

Only if your hair is properly conditioned. Or if you’ve done a quick ACV rinse, Or you’ve been diligently using hair masks or hair feels moisturized after wash, then yes! 

For high porosity hair can you use leave in, then cream, then gel?

Yes! That’s a great technique especially for thicker hair types. If you have fine or wavy hair then layering may weigh your hair down. Focus on tackling the porosity instead. Try bonding treatments or acv rinse to fix this. Then you can style with minimal products and get results! 

Suggestions for fine hair because my curl cream makes hair droopy

I don’t recommend using curl creams for fine hair nor any hair products with silicones. Ingredients like amodimethicone and dimethicone are commonly used in commercial hair products. These are thicker types of silicone in products that can weigh down hair.  Read the ingredients on your creams to spot these culprits!

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How do you use leave-in cream? Can I use leave-in cream everyday? Which is the best leave-in treatment? Can a leave-in be used as a moisturizer?
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10 thoughts on “Leave-in or Cream, its easy if you do it smart”

  1. This is an incredibly helpful blog, especially for people like me who have curly hair and want to know how to get rid of the frizz without using products that just make our hair even more frizzy or heavy!
    I usually put my Curly hair in bun and have been using fix my curls products for a while now and they are doing worders for me. So, if anyone would like to try it then I will tag the page here. Also, they have sales all the time, so prices are always affordable.

  2. Hey Liz, love this blog post! I’ve been following you in Insta for some time now and I diligently read your blogs. They are very helpful.

    I have fine wavy hair that is low porosity so I usually struggle with styling my waves. I like using leave-in conditioners. Curl creams weigh my hair down and after reading this I realise why. Do you think layering a leave-in conditioner with a gel or mousse is a good idea for my hair? Should I use a gel or a mousse?

    Thank you! 🙂

  3. Thank you for another informative blog. Where else could I get that kind of info written in such an ideal way? I’ve a project that I am just now working on, and I’ve been on the look out for such information.

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