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Wavy hair is that girl—effortlessly cool, perfectly undone, and full of personality. But finding the best products for wavy hair can take some serious trial and error. Many of the more popular options on the market cater to straight-up curls or pin-straight hair, giving less love to the in-between. And while it might seem low-maintenance at first glance, waves have their challenges. Without the right formulas, they can lose their bounce, become lackluster, or get tangly and unmanageable. Overly heavy products, and your waves fall flat; too light, and frizz takes over.
To strike the perfect balance, we tested countless products and asked hairstylists for their expertise and recommendations for wave-enhancing products that keep your hair soft, defined, and full of life, whether you air-dry regularly or are in a committed relationship with your hair dryer. Scroll on for favorites from editors and stylists for your most amazing waves yet.
Our Top Wavy Hair Products
Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you’re a wash-and-go minimalist or love the polished finish of a heat tool, we’ve got you covered. Ahead, discover expert-approved products for wavy hair that will define, hydrate, and celebrate your natural look in all its glory.
Best Overall: Ouai Wave Spray
Why we love it: Ouai’s Wave Spray offers effortless, lived-in waves every time—minus the crunch or dryness of your average salt texturizer. It’s a weightless mist that uses a blend of rice protein and coconut water to enhances your natural wave pattern and create a just-out-of-the-ocean vibe. It’s versatile, too: sSpritz it on damp hair for soft waves, refresh dry strands with a light mist, or spray and braid your hair before bed and wake up to tousled perfection.
Tester feedback from contributing commerce editor Deanna Pai
“I’ve been using this for the better part of a decade—it’s just that good. While it doesn’t have great frizz control, it’s unmatched at giving me defined waves and lots of bounce. I consider it a worthwhile tradeoff, especially on days when it’s not humid.” —Deanna Pai, contributing commerce editor
- Key ingredients: rice protein, coconut water
- What you’ll notice: enhancing texture and soft, natural waves
Best for Frizz: Cecred Moisture Sealing Lotion
Why we love it: This creamy-as-heck Cecred Moisture Sealing Lotion comes straight from the mind of Béyonce’s mom, Tina Knowles. It’s part styler, part leave-in, though cosmetic chemist Perry Romanowski calls it “standard conditioner with a different name.” Expect reduced frizz, a surge of moisture, and softly defined waves that carry you from desk to dusk. Apply it to damp hair and air-dry or style with heat. Keep in mind that this isn’t a heat protectant, so pair it with something to keep your strands safe during straightening or blow-drying.
“Two or three quarter-size dollops of this emollient lotion help smooth my frizz and define my waves. I dispense it onto my hands, massage it into my poofy waves (dry or wet), and loosely tie my hair into a loose, low bun. Whenever I release it, it looks way smoother—staying that way for the rest of the day. It smells amazing, too. I get comments like, ‘What fragrance are you wearing?’ on the woody, clean scent whenever I wear my hair down.” —Jesa Marie Calaor, senior editor
- Key ingredients: glycerin, shea butter, olive oil
- What you’ll notice: sleeker, easier to brush hair
Best Hold: Dae Hibiscus Wave Spray
Why we love it: Hibiscus leads the charge in Dae’s Wave Spray, moisturizing, softening, and styling waves like a breeze. The light hold helps your style last way longer than it would sans spray, and the buildable formula means you can go subtle or pile it on for a more textured look. Alongside elasticity-boosting hibiscus, you’ll find conditioning prickly pear oil and restorative moringa seed oil. The scent? Fruity, fresh, and more than welcome.
Tester feedback from managing editor Alessandra Foresto
”My hair has gotten straighter and straighter as the years go by, and while I used to be able to air-dry and get perfect S waves without any product help, that’s no longer the case. To get a more evenly distributed set of waves nowadays, I need a little hold, but I hate feeling like my hair is crunchy or too oily, so I prefer to stay away from mousses and gels. Instead, I like the buildable properties (and delicious tropical smell) of this creamy spray. I use a few spritzes on damp hair and braid my hair into pigtails or space buns after washing it for beachy waves. On day 2, I use a tiny, tiny bit more on dry hair and use a flatiron to give my waves more definition without making them feel sticky (and finish things up with an oil for extra shine and frizz control). If I’m stretching into day 3, I spray again and scrunch my hair up to go back to messy waves.” —Alessandra Foresto, managing editor
- Key ingredients: hibiscus, prickly pear oil, moringa oil
- What you’ll notice: style-extending, softening
Best for Dry Styling: Sachajuan Styling Cream
Why we love it: The Sachajuan Styling Cream is a multitasker that turns ‘meh’ hair days into actually good ones. Packed with the brand’s signature Ocean Silk Technology, it smooths, defines, and adds shine without heaviness or stickiness. Whether you leave your waves to air-dry naturally or straighten them for a sleek finish, this formula keeps hair soft, manageable, and protected from heat damage. With continued use, you can expect boosted strand strength and less breakage. Wins all around.
“I really like Sachajuan’s Styling Cream for its not-too-soft-not-too-strong hold and salon-esque scent. If I’m working with dry hair, I mist it with my spray bottle, scrunch the product into the ends of my hair, and then diffuse it with my Dyson Supersonic. The result is a nice amount of texture and wave.” —Annie Blackman, contributing commerce writer
- Key ingredients: hydrolyzed wheat protein, red algae extract, panthenol
- What you’ll notice: heat-protected styling and silky smooth definition
Best for Air-Drying: Briogeo Style + Treat Yuzu + Plum Oil Soft Power Air Dry Cream
Why we love it: If soft, heat-free hair is your dream, Briogeo Style + Treat Yuzu + Plum Oil Soft Power Air Dry Cream is about to be your go-to. The creamy yet lightweight formula smooths and hydrates, enhancing your natural waves while reducing frizz for lively, touchable strands that feel as good as they look. It’s perfect for those wash-and-wear days when you want effortless, polished hair. Yuzu extract protects against environmental stressors, while plum oil delivers a dose of moisture to leave hair looking soft, healthy, and ready for compliments.
“Briogeo’s air-dry cream is one of the few wave enhancers I’ve tried that doesn’t leave my hair with a crunchy feel. In fact, it leaves my usually -frizzy strands with a soft, smooth texture that I love running my hands through. This cream turns into a weightless oil as I scrunch it in, so I can pack on product without a greasy texture forming.” —Jennifer Hussein, former commerce writer
- Key ingredients: yuzu extract, plum oil, super B-complex
- What you’ll notice: frizz-free air-dried styles with a soft, natural finish
Best for Volume: IGK Beach Club Texture Spray
Why we love it: If you live miles from the ocean but still crave a touch of beachiness to your hair, IGK’s Beach Club Texture Spray is the next best thing. It delivers effortless volume and tousled waves with zero crunch or dryness. This salt-free formula adds buildable texture and gentle grit while locking in moisture, making it perfect for achieving that effortless, tousled look. Think soft, touchable hair with all the body and bounce of a day spent oceanside, minus the saltwater.
“Meet beach hair in a bottle, zero effort required. Spray, scrunch, and boom—this gives you instant beach waves without even leaving the house.” —Angela Trakoshis, former shopping market editor
- Key ingredients: glycerin, hydrolyzed wheat protein
- What you’ll notice: tousled, beachy volume and texture sans dryness
Best Serum: Roz Milk Hair Serum
Why we love it: If you’re craving versatility, turn to Roz Milk Hair Serum. This 3-in-1 leave-in treatment detangles, smooths, and enhances definition—whether air-drying, blow-drying, or just refreshing. “You’re ultimately looking for a product that helps your hair air-dry nicely, with just enough hydration without weighing it down. This formula is an all-around perfect product, and I always recommend it for my clients looking to enhance their natural waves,” says LA-based hairstylist Richard Grant. It’s lightweight, nourishing, and leaves hair soft, frizz-free, and manageable, regardless of how you style it.
“While I love Ouai’s Wave Spray, my hair sometimes needs more moisture—especially when the weather is dry, cold, or both. I reach for this hair serum and scrunch it in with my hands to get a softer, more lived-in look. It does a bang-up job of controlling flyaways and staticky hairs, and I love that my hair always feels touchable and healthy.” —Deanna Pai, contributing commerce editor
- Key ingredients: BotaniComplex, red algae extract, panthenol
- What you’ll notice: frizz-free air dries, smooth blowouts, and effortless refreshes.
More products for wavy hair we love:
- Looking for that effortlessly cool, lived-in vibe? Oribe Matte Waves Texture creates a tousled, piecey effect reminiscent of a salt spray, evoking breezy beach days. This lightweight lotion enhances natural texture while adding grip for styling and a matte finish. “Since it leaves a little grit, I suggest starting with a small amount on damp hair and then using a diffuser to lock it in,” says hairstylist Joseph Chase.
- When wavy hair meets humidity, frizz often follows, but it doesn’t have to. Olaplex No.10 Bond Shaper Curl Defining Gel provides smooth, defined waves with a flexible, crunch-free hold—which might be why it won a 2025 Best of Beauty Award. “For wavy hair, lighter products like gels and lightweight creams are perfect for enhancing your natural texture without weighing strands down,” says L.A.-based hairstylist Cheryl Bergamy.
- Meet the modern-day mousse that’s your newfound secret to touchable, flexible hold. Rahua’s Aloe Vera Hair Mousse locks in flexible, medium hold while delivering volume, body, and shine. The plant-powered formula smooths and hydrates with organic aloe vera, sugarcane provides definition and long-lasting hold, and guayusa protects from damage while promoting healthy growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I enhance my wavy hair?
“Enhancing your waves always starts with the correct products,” says Los Angeles-based hairstylist Sophie Rose. She suggests using a light moisturizer to detangle wet hair, followed by a mousse or light gel. “Scrunch the product into the hair using your fingers as a diffuser, and flip your head over while scrunching for more volume,” she adds.
For refreshing waves, Grant recommends skipping the rewash and trying this little hack instead: “Mix a leave-in conditioner with water and lightly spritz it onto your hair,” he says. “Then, do a quick diffuse to redefine your waves.” This simple method revives your natural texture while keeping your routine fuss-free.
How do I make my wavy hair less frizzy?
Keeping wavy hair frizz-free comes down to hydration and the right styling techniques. “In theory, the more the hair is hydrated, the less frizz you’ll have, so it’s about finding that balance between a leave-in and an oil, depending on the density of your hair,” says Grant. Rose emphasizes the importance of letting your hair dry completely before touching it. “Try not to touch the wave until it’s 100% dry,” she says. “How your hair looks when it’s wet is generally how it will look when it’s dry. Whether you use a diffuser on low heat or let it air-dry, the wave pattern needs to set.” For best results, apply a leave-in conditioner for hydration and follow with a product that offers hold to keep frizz at bay.
Should you oil wavy hair?
Oil on wavy hair can be beneficial, but it’s all about balance and application. “I don’t recommend using too much oil on wavy hair, but you can use a light oil on the ends if you have heat or chemical damage,” says Rose. “Just avoid the roots because they will weigh down the hair.” Grant agrees that oil can play a helpful role in hydration. “I wouldn’t apply oil to the roots but focus more on the mid-shaft to the ends.” When used conservatively, oil can be a great way to address dryness and frizz while maintaining the bounce and lightness of your waves.
Meet the experts
How we test and review products
We always enlist a range of testers for our makeup vertical, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind. Many are created in order to address a concern (dandruff, breakage, brittleness) or to work most effectively for a specific hair type (4C curls, wavy hair, gray hair). You wouldn’t want to pick up a purple shampoo that’s only been reviewed by someone with, say, auburn hair, or a diffuser that’s never been tested by anyone with curls—right?
