Brand comparison
Only Curls vs Ouidad: Which Curl Specialist Is Better?
Two curl-specialist brands with different strengths. Ouidad is the one for humidity; Only Curls is the one for thick, dry hair that needs slip.
| Compared | Only Curls | Ouidad |
|---|---|---|
| What reviewers think | Mixed opinions: Good on thick, dry curls. Heavy on fine hair. | Mostly positive: A cult gel. Not for everyone. |
| Curl Score | 3.2 Mixed | 3.9 Good |
| People with an opinion | 41 | 107 |
| Best-liked product | All Curl Conditioner | Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel |
| More promising for | Thick, dry or coarse curls that need moisture, slip and definition. | Curls that frizz in heat and humidity, and anyone who wants soft, touchable hold that lasts for days. |
| Think twice if | Your strands are fine and easily weighed down, you are sensitive to fragrance, or you are on a tight budget. | You want a hard cast or very strong hold, your hair is fine and builds up easily, or you're sensitive to strong scents. |
Only Curls and Ouidad both make products only for curls, and both cost more than the drugstore. Ouidad has been around for decades. Some reviewers have used its Climate Control gel for 30 years. Only Curls is a newer British brand with a smaller following.
Reviewers rate Ouidad more highly. Nearly all of that comes down to one product, so the choice depends on whether you need what that gel does.
The main difference
Gel: Ouidad's Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel is one of the most reviewed products we track. It's a long-time holy grail for frizz in humid weather, though a sizeable minority get no cast or a sticky finish. Only Curls' Enhancing Curl Gel holds softly. Its Mega Hold Curl Gel is firmer, with a very sweet scent.
Beyond the gel: Ouidad's shampoos and leave-ins are liked but rarely called life-changing. Only Curls' best-liked product is its All Curl Conditioner, praised for slip.
Scent: both brands get complaints. Ouidad's leave-ins are described as strong. Only Curls' standard fragrance is described as sickly sweet, but it sells fragrance-free versions of its core products.
Which to choose
Choose Ouidad if heat and humidity ruin your curls and you want soft, touchable hold that lasts for days. Reviewers often find it half price at TJ Maxx and Marshalls.
Choose Only Curls if your curls are thick and dry and you want a conditioner with lots of slip, or you need fragrance-free products.
Skip both if your hair is fine and builds up easily. Both brands get that complaint.
The verdict
If humidity is your problem, buy Ouidad's Climate Control gel. Only Curls is a better fit for thick, dry curls that need moisture and slip.
Head to head
Each brand's strongest product of each type, by what reviewers say.
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Conditioner and leave-in
Only Curls
6 positive·2 mixed·2 negativeThe best liked of the wash-day products, praised for slip and frizz control. The doubt is whether it is worth the premium.
Best for Thick, dry or coily hair that needs slip
Ouidad
Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner
3 positive·1 mixed·1 negativeA long-time go-to for some, especially paired with the gel, but its strong scent puts others off.
Best for A leave-in under the Climate Control gel
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
Ouidad
Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel
46 positive·10 mixed·18 negativeA long-time holy grail for frizz in humid weather, though a sizeable minority get no cast, no hold or a sticky finish.
Best for Curls that frizz in heat and humidity and want soft, lasting hold
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”.
Ouidad
Opinion splits. Reviewers with fine 2C, 3A and 3B curls call the gel amazing and say a little goes a long way on soaking wet hair.
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.
Ouidad
Reviewers don't single out Ouidad for this.
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.
Ouidad
The original gel gives soft, touchable hold with no hard cast, and several reviewers wanting a crunchy cast found it too weak. The Advanced Climate Control (red label) is stronger, and its fans say it gives a cast other gels haven't, but others still found it weak or sticky once the cast was broken.
Humid weather
Only Curls
Reviewers don't single out Only Curls for this.
Ouidad
This is what the Climate Control gel is for, and reviewers in Texas, Florida and Savannah say it keeps their curls defined through humid weeks. It isn't universal: reviewers in Miami, humid Georgia and very humid sea-level climates got no cast and frizz within hours.
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.
Ouidad
The leave-ins draw the most complaints: reviewers describe the Moisture Lock leave-in as strong, lemony and chemical, or a stale perfume they threw away. Others say the range smells low and neutral, and one uses the shampoo and conditioner as a fragrance-free option, so experiences vary by product.
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
Ouidad
Reviewers don't single out Ouidad 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
Ouidad
- Praised: Frizz control in heat and humidity
- Praised: Soft, touchable curls that last for days
- Praised: Decades of loyal use from some reviewers
- Praised: Often cheap at TJ Maxx and Marshalls
- Praised: A big bottle that lasts
- Complaint: No cast or hold for some reviewers
- Complaint: A sticky or heavy finish on some hair
- Complaint: Expensive at full price
- Complaint: Strong scents, especially the leave-ins
- Complaint: Buildup on fine hair