As a fine-haired, flyaway-prone shopping editor, these 14 wavy hair products enhance my natural waves without weighing them down

Recently, I've been gravitating more and more towards relaxed hairstyles, and for me, this means embracing the natural waves in my hair. I simply couldn’t do this without the best wavy hair products—especially now it's autumn, so the natural heat and humidity aren't doing their thing to help my natural curls come through.

Like most wavy hair types, my hair is by no means simple and straightforward to style. Along with being naturally wavy, my hair is quite fine, but I have a lot of it—meaning it tangles easily. Add to this the fact that it’s flyaway-prone and can get greasy quite quickly, there are very few hair care products that tick all the boxes that my tricky hair type requires.

As a shopping editor with a particular affinity for beauty, I’ve tested a fair few hair products in my time. After years of experimenting (sometimes with disastrous consequences), I believe I’ve finally found the Holy Grail of wavy hair products. I also asked Jadie Troy-Pryde, MC UK's News Editor - who has slightly curlier hair than I do - for her top picks, to ensure we've covered all possible wavy-haired bases. From the best wavy hair shampoo and conditioner to treatment oils and other sleek hair products that will hydrate without weighing down your waves, these are hands down the best products we’ve tried.

Best wavy hair products at a glance:

Function of Beauty Wavy Hair Shampoo | £12 at Boots

Function of Beauty Wavy Hair Conditioner | £12 at Boots

Good Wash Day Hair Towel | £30 at Amazon

Moroccanoil Treatment Light | £36.45 at Lookfantastic

VIRTUE Healing Oil | £35.70 at Sephora

Christophe Robin Volumising Mist | £23.03 at Sephora

Remington PROluxe You Hair Dryer | £64.13 at Amazon

How can I tell if I have wavy or curly hair?

Most people have some sort of natural curl to their hair. While your genes, the humidity levels of the air and a host of other factors will affect your hair’s natural curl pattern.

Kris Barnes, PROVOKE Ambassador and Celebrity Colourist and Stylist, tells me, "The easiest way to tell if your hair is curly or wavy is when it’s wet. Take a small section of your hair and wrap it around your finger. If it forms a spiral or coil, you likely have curly hair and if not, then it is wavy."

Knowing what hair type you have is very important because wavy hair products are very different from the best products for curly hair. Most curl-defining products (like the best shampoo for curly hair) focus on hydrating and defining curls that already form without much encouragement. But what about those of us who want to enhance curl, bounce and movement in hair types which could easily go one way or the other depending on how our hair is styled and the products used?

I’ve found that products for curly hair types are too nourishing for my fine hair, often weighing down rather than defining any curls that might exist. So what’s the best way to enhance natural waves?

How can I enhance my wavy hair?

It's all about using the right products. I personally gravitate towards lightweight formulas that help my hair have enough grit and hold to create volume bounce and encourage a natural curl. Barnes also points out the importance of using a smoothing product like the Provoke Hair Gloss Wonder Spray to prevent flyaways. "It also adds shine, which will really add life to your waves," says Barnes.

For my hair, I see the best results from products that help to bring out any existing curls, rather than overly hydrate and weigh them down. When it comes to drying your hair, I find air drying to be best, but if you prefer the efficiency of a hair dryer, Barnes recommends using a diffuser to dry your hair without disrupting any recently-formed waves.

How did we test the best products for wavy hair?

We always thoroughly test our beauty products before recommending them, and these are products that I’ve been using and loving for months or—in some cases—years. Read up on how we test our products right here.

This article isn’t for those who already have beautiful curls and want to nourish, direct and define them, but for those whose hair has the potential to create natural curls and waves, but just needs a little encouragement. As somebody with this exact hair type, and after testing the best hair products for years, the products below have never steered me wrong.

The best wavy hair products

1. Function of Beauty Custom Wavy Hair Shampoo

I can’t stress enough how important it is to use the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair type and curl pattern, and Function of Beauty's wavy hair shampoo has never failed me. I often find that shampoos are either too volumising (causing flyaways and dryness) or too nourishing for my hair, weighing down any potential curls or bounce and meaning it gets greasy faster than it should. This shampoo is the perfect balance of hydrating and volumising, allowing my hair to curl more easily after air drying.

2. Kurl Kitchen Deep Cleansing Black Soap Shampoo

If I want to style my hair wavy (e.g. with tongs, a waving wand or my favourite heated hair rollers) as opposed to letting it dry naturally, I need to make sure my hair is as clean and free of product buildup as possible. Enter: the Kurl Kitchen Deep Cleansing Black Soap Shampoo. It pretty much does what it says on the tin, giving my hair a super deep clean and leaving it soft, shiny and volumised.

3. Function of Beauty Custom Wavy Hair Conditioner

Similar to the matching shampoo, this conditioner for wavy hair is the only formula that doesn’t weigh my hair down but still thoroughly detangles and hydrates. You can tailor the haircare set further with Function of Beauty’s innovative hair boosters, which you can choose based on your hair’s specific needs - I use the shine, volumise and strengthen options. Also, both the conditioner and shampoo smell incredible which definitely helps to boost them further in my good books.

4. Bouclème Curl Conditioner

"I’ve been endlessly testing curly conditioners since embracing my natural texture a year ago, and Boucleme’s Curls Redefined is undoubtedly one of my favourites. It smells delicious - think a punchy blend of grapefruit and patchouli - and does an excellent job at hydrating and smoothing my curls. The consistency is creamy without being heavy, so it doesn’t drag my curls and they retain their bounce." - Jadie Troy-Pryde, News Editor

5. Good Wash Day Hair Towel

If you’re still using a rough textured towel to dry your hair, I weep for your lengths and ends. When I want to encourage my natural waves to form, I don’t tend to use a hairdryer, as the hot air can straighten my lengths (making any curl definition impossible), so a really good towel dry is essential.

This towel is made from organic jersey cotton with flat fibres which soak up excess moisture and allows me to thoroughly towel-dry my hair without being too rough. Crucially here, I ensure to scrunch, rather than rub my hair dry. Causing less friction means less flyaways immediately after drying, and far less damage in the long run. Also, the lightweight, thin design makes this towel ideal for travelling—it barely adds any weight to your suitcase or backpack!

6. Moroccanoil Treatment Light

Most oils can be too heavy for my fine hair, but since it’s also flyaway-prone, some sort of treatment oil is essential to smoothen and enhance shine. I don’t like making my hair too sleek with heavy oils, as that makes encouraging any type of curl pattern near-enough impossible. I’d actually previously written off Moroccanoil products as being too heavy for my hair—that was, until I tried the Light version of the brand’s iconic treatment oil.

This oil provides shine and definition without weighing down my fine hair. I apply it after towel-drying and before blow drying, and I’ve noticed a considerable improvement in the shine and hydration levels of my hair.

7. Virtue Healing Oil

Fine, densely-populated hair that’s prone to flyaways is basically a recipe for damage—not a good look when you’re aiming for beautifully soft natural waves. My hair is so damage prone that I’d almost given up hope, leaving my straggly ends to fend for themselves, but this lightweight healing oil is pure magic.

I mix 3-4 drops in with my Moroccanoil treatment oil to add lightweight hydration, shine, softness and help protect against heat damage. I’ve noticed a huge improvement in my split ends since using the Virtue healing oil, and it’s even extended the longevity of my trims as a result. It might be pricey for a small-ish bottle, but you’ll only need a tiny amount at a time, so it will last you ages.

8. Christophe Robin Instant Volumising Leave-In Mist

As my hair is pretty fine, a volumising product is essential to lift the roots and give my lengths the curl and bounce I crave. The only problem? Most volumising products are tailored for silky fine hair, which requires much more grit and hold than my flyaway-prone hair does. It’s for this reason that I’ve never gotten along with gritty, texturising and mattifying products (salt sprays, I’m looking at you).

I was on the hunt for the product that would provide volume and sleekness, and I found it in this volumising mist. It provides me with lift at the roots, volume and definition through the lengths and—most importantly—without turning my hair into a tangled mess. Plus it smells like fresh roses. I’m a fan.

9. Remington PROluxe You Adaptive Hair Dryer

As I mentioned above, I usually avoid blow drying my hair when I want to create natural waves, as the hot hair can straighten any curl, but when I do choose to dry my waves, I make sure to use the diffuser attachment on my favourite hair dryer: the Remington PROluxe You Adaptive.

Similar to the Function of Beauty shampoo and conditioner that are tailored for your specific hair type, this clever hair dryer actually adjusts itself to suit your hair’s specific needs. Since I’ve started using this hair dryer (and the hair oils above) I’ve noticed significantly less breakage to my hair. At £159.99, affordable it is not, but it’s genuinely the best hair dryer I’ve used. Oh, and it’s currently on sale for 50% less, so if you’re keen to try it for yourself then now is a great time to snap it up.

10. Bouclème Curl Defining Gel

When it comes to creating waves in my freshly-washed hair, nothing beats a good curl defining gel, and Bouclème’s option is among the best I’ve tried. I use this as the last step before air-drying my hair - after I’ve applied my oils and volumising sprays - scrunching a generous amount into my hair from root to tip to encourage curls to form. This gives me the long-lasting hold and definition that I simply wouldn’t achieve with curling creams alone. Oh, and it helps to tame flyaways too as a bonus.

11.  Dr Paw Paw 7 in 1 Does it all Hair Treatment 

While not specifically formulated for wavy or curly hair, I think that’s where this product's strengths lie. It’s suitable for all hair types and has so many different purposes - from heat protection to taming flyaways. I find that when I use this before styling my hair and as a moisture boost between washes, my waves have a lot more definition and bounce, without any greasiness. It also smells absolutely incredible.

12. Only Curls Starter Bundle  

This brand has received rave reviews on its curl-enhancing products. I can’t really pick a favourite, so I’ll go back to the start of my wave-defining journey, which was helped along massively by this starter bundle. It includes a shampoo, conditioner, curl cream and defining gel, which you use together as the instructions dictate.

This set gave me the best natural waves of my life. The bundle also contains a microfibre towel that dries my hair quickly, defining waves and curls without causing flyaways - needless to say, it’s perfect for plopping.

13. Umberto Giannini Coco Beach Waves Shampoo

I know what you’re thinking - I already have a couple of favourite wavy hair shampoos, right? Well, when on holiday I’m a fan of letting my hair dry in the sun after drenching it in salt water. Brilliant for enhancing beachy waves, not so great for my lengths and split ends. That’s where this shampoo comes in: it deeply moisturises dry and dun damaged hair - you guessed it - without weighing down my hair. I like to wash my hair with this after a beach day and let it air dry completely for naturally defined and flyaway-free waves. Oh, and it smells like warm vanilla and coconut - a summer holiday dream.

14. Noughty Scalp Massager

After seeing shampoo hair brushes all over curltok, I decided to try one for myself - and now it’s a washday staple. Not only does it give an amazing scalp massage, but it helps to remove product build-up and has noticeably improved long-standing patches of dryness (dandruff, begone).