Brand comparison
Curlsmith vs Innersense: Which Premium Curl Brand Is Better?
Two premium brands with light stylers for fine curls. Innersense is better liked; Curlsmith has the bigger range and a treatment for damaged curls.
| Compared | Curlsmith | Innersense |
|---|---|---|
| What reviewers think | Divides opinion: Standout products. Divisive brand. | Mostly positive: Loved and long-lasting. Pricey. |
| Curl Score | 3.7 Good | 4.1 Great |
| People with an opinion | 183 | 106 |
| Best-liked product | Weightless Air Dry Cream | I Create Volume |
| More promising for | Waves and curls that want light, humidity-resistant hold, starting with the Flexi Jelly in a travel size. | Fine to medium curls that want light, lasting definition, and anyone who values clean ingredients and refills. |
| Think twice if | Your scalp reacts easily, you dislike strong scents, your fine hair turns greasy with creams, or you are paying full price. | Your scalp is easily irritated, you're on a tight budget, or you want a hold you can't overdo. |
Curlsmith and Innersense compete directly. Both are premium brands, both are strongest on light stylers for fine to medium curls, and both have reviewers who have moved from one to the other. One reviewer spent over $100 on Curlsmith without success and now calls Innersense their holy grail.
Innersense has the higher Curl Score. Curlsmith has more reviews, more products and more complaints about the brand as a whole.
The main difference
Light gel: both brands make one of the best-liked light gels we track. Innersense's I Create Volume is thin, defines without crunch and lasts for days, and almost everyone who reviewed it liked it. Curlsmith's Hydro Style Flexi Jelly is light and humidity resistant, but some find the hold too soft.
Foam: Innersense wins clearly. Its I Create Definition Foam gives gel-like hold from a foam. Curlsmith's Bouncy Strength Volume Foam has more critics than fans.
Strong hold: both brands have one, and reviewers are divided on both. Innersense's I Create Hold is stiff and turns sticky if hair isn't wet enough. Curlsmith's In-Shower Style Fixer lasts for days for fans, and is tacky for critics.
Scalp: both brands get some complaints about scalp irritation. Curlsmith gets more, and offers a Fragrance Free line.
Which to choose
Choose Innersense if your curls are fine to medium and you want light, touchable definition that lasts. Its products are concentrated enough that a bottle can last close to a year.
Choose Curlsmith if your curls are damaged (the Bond Curl Rehab Salve is the standout), you want a fragrance-free option, or you want to start cheaply with travel sizes.
Skip both if you're on a tight budget. Price is the most common complaint about both.
The verdict
For fine curls, Innersense is the more reliably loved brand. Start with I Create Volume. Curlsmith is worth it for its Bond Curl Rehab Salve, and for its Flexi Jelly if you live somewhere humid.
Head to head
Each brand's strongest product of each type, by what reviewers say.
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Curl cream
Curlsmith
23 positive·1 mixed·8 negativeThe most-reviewed Curlsmith product: a leave-in most reviewers like for soft, defined curls, though too heavy on some fine hair.
Best for Waves and curls that want softness and definition; fine hair if used sparingly or diluted
Innersense
4 positive·1 mixedA light all-in-one styler with soft clumps that simplifies routines, though one reviewer dislikes its waxy texture.
Best for A simple one-product routine on fine hair
Mousse
Curlsmith
2 positive·3 mixed·3 negativeLukewarm reviews: as many critics as fans, with complaints of a tacky or hard finish.
Best for Root volume on fine hair, used sparingly
Innersense
11 positive·2 negativeA surprisingly firm foam that gives defined, frizz-free spirals for days, with a cast that can be hard to break.
Best for Fine curls that want gel-like hold from a foam
Gel
Curlsmith
20 positive·1 mixed·7 negativeThe best liked Curlsmith product: a light, humidity-resistant gel that fine-haired reviewers love, though some found the hold too soft.
Best for Fine to medium waves and curls that want light, flexible hold
Innersense
13 positive·1 mixedThe best-liked styler: a thin, lightweight gel that defines without crunch and lasts for days.
Best for Light, touchable definition on fine to medium curls
Which suits your hair
What reviewers with each kind of hair report.
Fine or wavy hair
Curlsmith
Start with the Hydro Style Flexi Jelly: several reviewers with fine waves and curls call it their favourite, and say it is light. Fine-haired reviewers were also the ones most likely to find the brand greasy, stringy or flat, and the Air Dry Cream and Curl Soufflé were too heavy for some.
Innersense
This is where the range gets its warmest reviews. Reviewers with fine 2C and 3A hair say I Create Volume defines without stickiness or stiffness, and the Lift and Definition foams give lift and multi-day hold with a pump or two.
Try I Create Volume
Thick, dense or coily hair
Curlsmith
Reviewers don't single out Curlsmith for this.
Innersense
There are fewer reviewers here. A reviewer with thick, coarse 3c/4a hair loves I Create Hold but found Curl Memory didn't hold enough, and a reviewer with Black hair liked the hair bath and I Create Hold's week-long look but wasn't impressed by the conditioner.
Try I Create Hold
Dry hair
Curlsmith
The Oil-in-Cream has only a few reviews, but all of them are positive: reviewers say it leaves hair moisturised and works well under a gel. The Air Dry Cream is the lighter choice, and fans say it softens and defines.
Innersense
Reviewers don't single out Innersense for this.
Strong hold
Curlsmith
The In-Shower Style Fixer and the Curl Soufflé are the firmer options, and fans describe a strong hold that, for the Style Fixer, lasts several days. Neither is a sure thing: the Style Fixer left several reviewers’ hair tacky, and one who needs high hold says the brand’s strongest gel hadn’t lasted by the time their hair was dry.
Innersense
I Create Hold and Curl Memory are the stronger stylers, and reviewers say their hair lasts four to seven days. Both are heavy-duty, and reviewers found them sticky if their hair wasn't wet enough, or so crunchy the cast wouldn't scrunch out.
Try I Create Hold
Sensitive scalp or scent-sensitive
Curlsmith
Scalp trouble is the most common complaint that isn’t about styling: itching, burning, redness, and pain from the protein line. Reviewers name the In-Shower Style Fixer and Effortless Waves Spray, and one guesses the fragrance.
Innersense
Some reviewers with sensitive skin call it great, but a handful had the opposite. I Create Hold made one reviewer's scalp itchy, flaky and red, and others report scalp irritation or hair shedding after starting the range.
Damaged hair
Curlsmith
The Bond Rehab Salve is one of the best-liked Curlsmith products. A reviewer with fine hair who was considering a pixie cut says it brought their curls back to life within about 20 minutes and made them tangle less, others call it a must-have, and one says it's the only product their hair likes.
Innersense
Reviewers don't single out Innersense for this.
Starting out or on a budget
Curlsmith
Several reviewers say to start with travel or sample sizes, and the brand’s free curl quiz recommends a routine. Many buy Curlsmith at TJ Maxx or Marshalls for about half price, and some say it isn’t worth paying more.
Innersense
Reviewers don't single out Innersense for this.
Based on what commenters with similar hair reported. Hair varies.
What reviewers like and dislike
Curlsmith
- Praised: The Air Dry Cream and Flexi Jelly, its most-loved stylers
- Praised: A Bond Rehab Salve that revives damaged curls
- Praised: Gels that hold up in humidity, according to fans
- Praised: Travel and sample sizes for trying products
- Praised: The free online curl quiz
- Praised: A Fragrance Free line
- Complaint: The price, for results that cheaper products can match
- Complaint: Greasy, heavy or stringy results, often on fine hair
- Complaint: The scent
- Complaint: Itchy or burning scalps and reactions
- Complaint: Hold that fades after the first day
- Complaint: Stylers that leave hair tacky
Innersense
- Praised: Concentrated: a bottle can last close to a year
- Praised: Light, touchable definition on fine hair
- Praised: Multi-day hold from the stronger stylers
- Praised: The Sweet Spirit leave-in
- Praised: Refill pouches and travel sizes
- Complaint: Expensive
- Complaint: Crunchy, sticky or matted if overdone
- Complaint: Conditioners with little slip, for some
- Complaint: Scalp irritation or shedding, for a few
- Complaint: Herbal or patchouli scents a few dislike