Ouidad vs Curlsmith: Which Salon Curl Brand Is Worth It?

When people with curls are ready to spend more than drugstore prices, Ouidad and Curlsmith are two of the brands they compare most. Both are sold as curl specialists, both cost about the same, and both turn up half price at TJ Maxx and Marshalls often enough that reviewers rarely pay full price.

We read every comment about both brands in our review sheets, which are collected from curly-hair forums. The short answer: Ouidad is the safer choice if humidity is your problem, and its Climate Control gel is the reason to buy it. Curlsmith has more good products and suits fine waves better, but it gets far more complaints about price, scent and scalp reactions.

Ouidad

Almost everything reviewers say about Ouidad comes back to one product.

Fans of the Climate Control gel have used it for 10, 15, even 30 years, and some call it the one curl product they would keep. They praise its frizz control in heat and humidity, its shiny clumps, and curls that last four or five days. Reviewers in Texas, Florida and Savannah say it keeps their curls defined through humid weeks. There are two versions. The original, blue-label gel gives a soft, touchable hold with no hard cast. The stronger, red-label Advanced gel gives a cast other gels haven't, according to its fans.

It is not universal. Reviewers in Miami and very humid sea-level climates got no cast and frizz within hours, and others found it sticky or heavy. Beyond the gel, Ouidad's shampoos and leave-ins are liked but rarely called life-changing. Its leave-ins draw the most complaints about scent, which reviewers describe as strong and lemony, or like stale perfume.

See what reviewers say about every Ouidad product.

Curlsmith

Curlsmith works the other way round. Reviewers are often negative about the brand as a whole and much warmer about its individual products.

The Flexi Jelly is the product reviewers like most. People with fine and medium waves and curls call it their all-time favorite. It is light, holds up in humidity and gives consistent results from one wash to the next. One fan's advice: if you only try one Curlsmith product, make it this one. Its main limitation is hold. For some people it is too soft, or fades by day two. The Weightless Air Dry Cream also has more than twice as many fans as critics. The Bond Rehab Salve is one of the brand's best liked, with reviewers saying it brought damaged curls back to life.

The brand-level complaints are consistent: the price, for results cheaper products can match; strong scents; and scalps that itch, burn or turn red. Fine-haired reviewers were also the most likely to find some products greasy, stringy or flat. The Fragrance Free line is how several reviewers with sensitive scalps get around the problem.

See what reviewers say about every Curlsmith product.

Ouidad is one great gel. Curlsmith is a handful of good products in a range that suits fewer people.

Which brand to choose

Choose Ouidad if humidity is what ruins your curls, you want soft hold that lasts for days, and you want a single product with a long track record. Start with the Climate Control gel. Buy the red-label Advanced version if you want a cast you can feel.

Choose Curlsmith if your waves or curls are fine and you want a light, flexible gel, or your curls are damaged and you want to try the Bond Rehab Salve. Start with a travel size of the Flexi Jelly rather than a full routine.

Think twice about Curlsmith if your scalp reacts easily or you dislike strong scents. Try the Fragrance Free line, or patch-test first.

Think twice about Ouidad if you want a hard cast from the original gel, or your fine hair builds up easily.

Skip both if you would be paying full price for a whole routine. Reviewers of both brands say the standout products are worth it and the rest can be matched by drugstore products. For alternatives, see The Best Gels for Curly Hair.

Getting the best from either

Both brands' gels work best on soaking wet hair. It is the single biggest factor in whether reviewers love them or find them sticky. Apply in sections, scrunch, and don't touch your hair until it is completely dry, then scrunch out the cast. In very humid weather, use a leave-in without much glycerin underneath. If your curls frizz however you style them, start with Why Is My Curly Hair Frizzy?

The verdict

For humid climates and soft, lasting hold, Ouidad is the better brand, as long as you buy only the Climate Control gel. For fine waves and curls, Curlsmith's Flexi Jelly is the better single product, but the brand as a whole is a bigger gamble on your scalp and your budget. Either way, buy one product rather than the range, and look for it at a discount store first.