THE TEXTURE AND THE COLOR MIGHT VARY, but the hair issues of naturally curly girls are universal. We all need to detangle from the tip of our hair and go up to the root. We all need more conditioner (and deep conditioning treatments) than our straight haired sisters. We all need to come to terms with our hair in its curly state and celebrate our hair’s unique beauty, despite media messages that straight hair is supposed to be the be all and end all.

Lucky for us, more and more curly girls are running the world. The biggest explosion in hair products has been in the naturally curly segment, and there are some brands that truly get that our needs are different and we need more than just revamped packaging. We need moisture and slip and healthy hair ingredients. If you’ve been using mainstream hair brands that don’t measure up to your needs as a curly haired woman, check these out. You might find the holy grail hair product you’ve been seeking!

Jessicurl – made by a curly haired redhead who’s had her share of hair woes, the brand is about multitextured beauty. Whether you’ve got Caucasian curls, Latin curls or naturally coily afro-textured hair, there’s something for everyone to love.

Karen’s Body Beautiful – KBB built their reputation from a chic boutique store in Brooklyn, and starting this month those elegant black and pink products will be on shelves at Target! Check out the Secret Weapon Restorative Treatment, it’s incredible!

Ouidad – one of the bigger brands in the natural market, Ouidad has become known as a go-to for the multi-textured needs of the Hispanic market. I’m happy to report their products also make my kinky curly hair texture happy.

Shea Moisture – their brightly colored labels can be found everywhere from Target to Walgreens to CVS, and Shea Moisture truly runs the gamut of natural hair needs.

Shea Radiance – this brand is all about the charitable act of giving back to the producers of shea butter in Africa. If you need heavy moisture to get through winter hair struggles, definitely give them a try.

Beautiful Textures – don’t let the shiny orange packaging fool you, Beautiful Textures works well for women used to mainstream brands as well as curly girls who need additional moisture and gentle detangling. You can believe in their leave-in.

Curls Unleashed – formulated by an African-American chemist who knows what naturally curly hair needs from her own experience, Curls Unleashed works supremely well on kinky, coily hair, giving it definition and bounce.

Contributing Editor, Patrice Grell Yursik is the creator of Afrobella.com, one of the first blogs to celebrate the beauty of natural hair and ladies of all skin tones and sizes. Affectionately called the Godmother of Brown Beauty Blogging, Patrice takes her readers inside unique beauty, fashion and cultural experiences.