15 Best Curly Hair Products for Texture and Grit

Hair products that add texture and grit are my secret weapons because they give my thin hair the volume and hold it needs for long-lasting style. If you have soft, silky curls that lie flat on your head or don’t hold their style for long, this guide is for you!

I’m always seeking out ways to give my thin, curly hair more body and volume. Adding texture or grit is a great way to achieve a fuller look and a longer-lasting style, and I’ve tried a wide range of texturizing products to help my hair look its best.

In this guide, I’ll share my pick of the best hair care products to add grit and texture to curly hair, from the best texturizing sprays to strong hold gels and dry shampoos. 

What does adding grit in curly hair mean?

Adding grit to curly hair means adding texture to the strands to give your style more volume, hold, and longevity. It also changes how your hair feels to touch, and you might not like that.

Usually, I recommend giving your hair extra moisture by using a daily leave-in conditioner and regular hair mask treatments. That’s because curly hair types tend to be dry and usually benefit from additional moisture. But hair that feels too soft and silky generally doesn’t have as much volume and won’t hold a style for long. 

Adding grit will make the texture of your hair feel rougher and drier, but also gives the extra hold and volume that helps your style last a long time.

Not everyone likes how their hair feels after using these products. If you don’t like your hair to feel dry and rough, volumizing foams and mousses are the best way to add texture, as they won’t add as much grit as a texturizing powder or dry shampoo. 

Volumizing Foams and Lotions

Volumizing foams, creams, and lotions are the first level of texturizing products, but choosing the right products is essential.

Thickening hair serums and creams will make each hair strand plump but won’t add much volume or lift at your scalp. You need to look for products that lift your hair off your scalp, which adds volume to your mane.

These volumizing hair products are ideal if you have very dry hair or hate the dry, rough feeling you get from the other products in this guide. They’re also great to layer under other styling products – more about that later!

I’ve used many different volumizing foams and mousses, which all work in similar ways. My favorite is Miribel Naturals Va-Va Volumizing Foam, which gives both volumizing and thickening effects. I can’t think of another product that works this well, and it doesn’t dry out your hair much at all. 

Two other good options are EVOLVh InstaVolume Foam and EVOLVh TotalControl Styling Crème, which both have a fantastic volumizing effect. The EVOLVh TotalControl Styling Crème is more like a medium-hold gel than a moisturizing curl cream, and the more you apply, the stronger the hold. 

My final recommendation in this section is Innersense I Create Lift Volumizing Foam, but be sure to get the volumizing foam if you want the texturizing effect. 

Texturizing Products

If you’re happy to have a slightly drier, grittier feel to your hair, it’s worth trying texturizing products like a texture spray, texturizing powder, or texturizing pomade. This category also includes sea salt sprays, which I really like using on my thin hair. Most of these products are used on dry hair, but you can also apply a salt spray on wet hair. 

These products seriously roughen up your hair’s natural texture, so stay clear of texturizing products if you hate that gritty, dry feeling. 

Most volumizing and texturizing hair products won’t define your curls and you’ll need to use them with something that boosts curl definition if you want to avoid poofy, frizzy hair. 

Texturizing pomades are the exception to this, as they do give you some curl definition. Aveda’s Brilliant Anti-Humectant Pomade is a particularly good product for coarse hair and coily hair, which benefit from its frizz control and curl-defining properties. Pomades also work well on short hair, making a pixie cut look even cuter.

My favorite texturizing product is Kerotin Root Spray, which gives amazing root volume. Take care not to get any on the lengths of your hair because it gives your strands a very dry, rough feeling that can make them hard to brush and manage. For ease of use, I spray a small amount of the product onto my fingertips and massage it into small sections of my roots area. 

I’ve heard amazing things about Oribe Texturizing Spray but haven’t tried it yet. It gets rave reviews everywhere, but at nearly $60 for a bottle, the price puts me off. I might try one of the mini bottles, but even they are $26 for a little travel spray.

Sea salt spray is another popular texturizing product for curly girls, and it gives a gorgeous tousled look. There’s a wide variety of products on the market, including Bumble Surf Spray and Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray. 

Personally, I prefer to make my own sea salt spray, which is really easy and lets you avoid any preservatives or other chemicals in commercial sprays. I use a mix of warm water and sea salt with a moisturizing ingredient like aloe vera extract or glycerine. You can add some Epsom salt if you want a little extra hold.

Strong Hold Gels

Strong hold gel is my personal favorite product for adding texture and grit to curly hair. As I mentioned earlier, adding texture to our hair increases hold, so most strong hold gels will also add some texture and leave a bit of a gritty feel on your hair.

If you’re currently using a light hold gel, it’s worth swapping to a firm hold gel to see if that will add the texture you’re looking for. 

My favorite strong hold gel is Curlsmith In Shower Style Fixer, which gives extreme hold, tames frizz and flyaways, and adds texture. I have to be careful to keep this gel away from my scalp because it makes me itch, so take care if you have a dry scalp.

Other favorites include Jessicurl Spiralicious Gel, which gives firm hold without stickiness and helps make your curls last longer. Giovanni LA Hold Gel is another great firm hold gel packed with natural ingredients like aloe vera extract, sunflower seed oil, and lavender and thyme essential oils. 

Finally, Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Flash Freeze Gel is a maximum hold gel with no silicones, sulfates, or drying alcohols. It’s suitable for color-treated hair and all curly, coily, and wavy hair types.

Hairsprays

There’s a massive range of hairsprays to choose from, and pretty much any hair spray will add texture and grit to your hair. 

Not all sprays can be used on wet hair, so if you’re using a new product, always check the directions first or try it out for the first time on a day when you’re not in a rush. 

My personal favorite is Suave Max Hold Spray, which comes in a pump-action bottle instead of an aerosol. This spray can be used on wet or dry hair, and it gives good hold as well as that gritty texture I want. The scented version smells gorgeous, and it’s infused with Vitamin B5 and Vitamin E to nourish your curls.

Another great option is Bounce Curl Spray, which is silicone-free and works well in humid weather. It has a very fine spray that allows you to build the amount of hold your hair needs from light hold to strong hold. 

Curlsmith Strong Hold Spray also gets rave reviews in the curly world, but I haven’t tried that on my hair yet. 

Dry Shampoos

Dry shampoos are one of the easiest ways to revive your hair between wash days. They won’t leave your mane ‘shower fresh’ but will freshen up oily hair and give your curls a bit of a lift. They also add some texture to your curls, which makes them a useful addition to your hair care routine. 

You can’t use dry shampoo on wet hair, so only apply it when your hair is totally dry. You can add lift by applying some to your root area, and spraying a little down the lengths of your hair will add more texture throughout your mane. 

I like Not Your Mother’s Plump for Joy Dry Shampoo, which is silicone-free and formulated with natural ingredients like barley and rice starch. It’s suitable for natural hair and color-treated hair.

Bear in mind that most dry shampoos are white, and you can’t really rub the spray into curly hair like you can on straight hair. This could affect how your hair looks, so you might want to check out a brand like Batiste Dry Shampoo, which comes in different colors to suit brunette or red hair.

Layering Products for Optimal Results

Any of the products above will add grit to your hair, but you can get the best results by layering different products. 

Finding the right combination for your hair can take some trial and error. Some of the products work well on wet hair, but not all do, and you might find that some products don’t blend well together. So, take some time to find the best mix of products for your curls. 

If you want to try combining texturizing products, start by washing your hair with a curl-friendly volumizing shampoo like Biolage Volume Bloom Shampoo and follow up with a light conditioner. Remember, you don’t want to add too much moisture, which could leave your hair flat.

Next, I would add a volumizing product and either focus on the roots or apply it through the lengths of your hair. That’s a personal choice, depending on how you want your hair to look and feel. 

After that, I would apply your main styling product to give your curls hold and definition. For me, that’s usually a strong hold gel, and I get excellent results by combining Suave Max Hold Spray with a strong hold gel. 

I don’t generally combine a texturizing product with an aerosol hair spray because it doesn’t leave my hair feeling good. Feel free to experiment and find out what works well on your locks.  

If you want more tips on giving your hair extra fullness and a longer-lasting style, check out my article on how to make fine curly hair look thicker and less see-through. 

FAQs

Still confused about adding texture to curly hair? Check out our answers to these frequently asked questions:

Why won’t my hair hold texture?

You might find your hair lacks grit and texture on wash day. Slightly oily hair will hold texture better, so your natural curls may look better on second-day hair. 

You can use dry shampoo on your roots to freshen up your hair between wash days. This will have an added benefit of adding a little extra texture to your hair. 

Why is my hair so flat on top?

Flat hair can be caused by a buildup of hair care products and your scalp’s natural oils on your strands, which weighs them down. Regular use of clarifying shampoo will remove excess oil and product buildup. 

Your hair can also appear flat if you don’t wash your hair often enough or use heavy oils and creams that weigh down your hair. 

What product adds texture to hair?

A wide range of hair care products can add grit to your natural hair texture. Your choice ranges from lightweight formula hair foams and mousses, through texturizing sprays and creams to gels, finishing sprays, and even dry shampoos. 

How do I get more texture in fine hair?

As well as using texturizing hair products, you can add texture to fine hair by choosing a textured hair style like a cute pixie cut or short bob.

The Bottom Line

As you can see, you can choose from a vast range of products to give your curly hair more texture, from texturizing powders and sprays to firm hold gels and even dry shampoos.

Finding the perfect products for your hair might take a little time and effort. In this guide, I’ve shared my pick of the best products to give you a longer-lasting style with added volume and hold. You can use these products individually or experiment with layering products for even more texture.

With these tips and product recommendations, your hair will soon have the volume and texture you’re longing for!