Brand comparison
Only Curls vs Innersense: Which Premium Curl Brand Should You Buy?
Two premium brands that suit opposite hair. Innersense is the one for fine curls; Only Curls is the one for thick, dry curls.
| Compared | Only Curls | Innersense |
|---|---|---|
| What reviewers think | Mixed opinions: Good on thick, dry curls. Heavy on fine hair. | Mostly positive: Loved and long-lasting. Pricey. |
| Curl Score | 3.2 Mixed | 4.1 Great |
| People with an opinion | 41 | 106 |
| Best-liked product | All Curl Conditioner | I Create Volume |
| More promising for | Thick, dry or coarse curls that need moisture, slip and definition. | Fine to medium curls that want light, lasting definition, and anyone who values clean ingredients and refills. |
| Think twice if | Your strands are fine and easily weighed down, you are sensitive to fragrance, or you are on a tight budget. | Your scalp is easily irritated, you're on a tight budget, or you want a hold you can't overdo. |
Only Curls and Innersense cost about the same, and both are sold as considered, premium curl care. Innersense sells itself on clean ingredients and refill pouches, and Only Curls on fragrance-free versions and starter packs. Reviewers see them differently, though. Innersense has one of the highest Curl Scores we track, and Only Curls is mixed.
The key difference is hair type. Innersense's best products are light and suit fine curls. Only Curls' are rich and suit thick, dry ones.
The main difference
For fine hair: Innersense's I Create Volume is a thin, lightweight gel that defines without crunch and lasts for days. Nearly everyone who reviewed it liked it. Its foams are praised on fine hair too. Only Curls' richer products are often too heavy for fine strands. Its Volumising Curl Mousse is the exception reviewers point to.
For thick, dry hair: Only Curls' All Curl Conditioner is praised for slip, and its Hydrating Curl Creme is loved on thick, dry curls. Some Innersense reviewers find its conditioners have little slip.
Value: both are expensive. Innersense reviewers say its products are concentrated enough that a bottle can last close to a year, which softens the price.
Which to choose
Choose Innersense if your curls are fine to medium and you want light, touchable definition that lasts, or you want strong multi-day hold from I Create Hold.
Choose Only Curls if your curls are thick, dry or coarse, and you want a conditioner with slip and a moisturizing cream.
Think twice about Innersense if your scalp is easily irritated, because a few reviewers had irritation or shedding. Think twice about Only Curls if you dislike sweet fragrances and don't plan to use its fragrance-free versions.
The verdict
For fine and medium curls, Innersense is the better brand by a clear margin. Only Curls is the better choice for thick, dry curls that drink up conditioner.
Head to head
Each brand's strongest product of each type, by what reviewers say.
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Curl cream
Only Curls
5 positive·6 negativeThe most divisive product in the range: loved on thick, dry hair, too heavy and greasy on fine hair.
Best for Thick, dry, coarse curls and coils
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
Gel
Only Curls
6 positive·3 mixed·4 negativePleasant to apply with a good finish, but the hold is soft. Anyone after a firm cast found it too weak.
Best for Soft definition, or as a finishing layer
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
Only Curls
Start with the mousse, the one product fine-haired reviewers keep using. The curl creme was the most common source of “heavy” and “greasy by day two”.
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
Only Curls
This is where the range does best. Reviewers with thick, dry curls and coils rate the conditioner and curl creme, and one with thick, dry 2C waves calls the cleanser and conditioner the only pair that has ever worked.
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
Strong hold
Only Curls
The Enhancing gel is soft, and that is its most common complaint. The Mega Hold gel is the firmer option, though there are only two opinions on it so far and its scent is strong.
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
Only Curls
Buy the fragrance-free cleanser and conditioner, which are sold online only. The Mega Hold gel has no fragrance-free version, and a few reviewers suspect the coconut in the formulas.
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.
Starting out or on a budget
Only Curls
Try the Starter Pack before full sizes; results vary so much that even critics recommend it. Several reviewers also found technique made more difference than any one range.
Try Starter Pack
Innersense
Reviewers don't single out Innersense for this.
Based on what commenters with similar hair reported. Hair varies.
What reviewers like and dislike
Only Curls
- Praised: Frizz control and definition, when it suits your hair
- Praised: Plenty of slip in the conditioner
- Praised: A little shampoo goes a long way
- Praised: Fragrance-free versions of the core products
- Praised: Sample and starter kits for trying the range
- Complaint: Too heavy for fine hair and loose waves
- Complaint: A cloying, sickly sweet standard fragrance
- Complaint: The price, especially next to drugstore curl ranges
- Complaint: A soft hold from the Enhancing gel
- Complaint: Coconut in the formulas, for those it doesn't agree with
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