Naturally wavy hair (2a), best lightweight curl enhancers?

[BalladOfBarryAndFreda]

My hair has a natural 2a wave to it when left to its own devices, if I brush it it goes frizzy and loses most of the wave. I’m Caucasian with fine-medium textured, coloured hair, like, the pic but not so much of it! I’m looking for a lightweight, non greasy curl enhancer that I can scrunch in and won’t leave me crunchy. I see a lot of ‘puddings’ and creams on the market but tbh, they look like they’re formulated for hair types that can take more gloop than mine, ingredients like Shea butter give me fear of the greasies. Any recommendations gratefully received.

The hair in the pic is crunchy and greasy looking to my eyes though, it was for reference of curl pattern, colour and style. I’d like a product that gives a softer, cleaner look, I don’t like the ‘piecey’ thing.

Mine is 3A. I use Kantu shampoo, conditioner and curing cream. I wrap it in a micro cloth after washing, never rubbing but waiting until it feels dryer.
Then scrunch and style with my fingers running a very little Argon oil through.

Kinky curly knot today is good. Or Boucleme curl cream.

I have similar hair OP but a wee bit curlier. My hairdresser said go for gel rather than creams because they will hold the curl better (vs. a cream or oil formulation which will weigh them down too much). She recommended the John Frieda mousse in particular. But I think the trick is to use very little of it, for fine hair, or else it looks and feels crunchy. Lush sea salt spray (apply upside down) works for me if I only want a wavy look, or at Dandy's Hair Candy if I want more curls, and it's not crunchy unless I use too much in one area!

I'd also recommend taking a look at Manes with Mel on YouTube if you find one where she does a makeover for someone with similar hair to yours. Good luck.

^ *Mr. Dandy's Hair Candy (from Lush)

Gel or Mousse might work better as it's lighter. Agrer with the John Frieda Curls Mousse Pantene also have a good one. Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly also works well. Like others have said only use a tiny bit of product.

Placemarking!

My hair is 2a and I use a serum first Toni & Guy

TONI&GUY Casual Radiating Tropical Elixir 50 ml www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00M439RF0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Z1TMZHQ49QB1C4AFY1YB?psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

And then Cantu curl activator cream

Cantu Shea Butter Curl Activator... www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009AZ3WH4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

You only need to use a really small amount of the curl cream, a little goes a really long way.

I scrunch it in loosely and then leave my hair completely alone. I’m amazed since using the curl cream how the frizz has just completely disappeared and I now have lovely beachy shiny waves.

Thank you for these answers . I’ll read up on the suggestions.

I like sea salt spray too @moimichme but can’t use it too often as it seems to wreak havoc with my hair condition. I’ll have a look at Manes with Mel.

I’ve got similar hair to yours. I’ve recently watched a Manes by Mel video and followed advice using Noughty leave in conditioner and curl defining creme. I’m pleased with the results. I use any sulphate free shampoo I have to hand.

I like Aveda be curly.

Another vote for Aveda Be Curly, I've got really fine hair and don't find it greasy at all. Sometimes I mix it with a bit of leave-in conditioner.
(Disclaimer: I don't follow the curly girl method.)

Cantu curl activator cream! I’m 2A aswell and it’s brilliant

Noughty curl cream followed by gel. I use shockwaves tuff stuff.

I don't religiously follow CG but the mousse followed by gel is the only thing that stops my hair frizzing
All curl creams give me frizz. I am currently using tresemme botanics mousse- just a small squirt
Then organic curl systems gel. I brush with a denman after the mousse then not again. I scrunch with the gel and leave. Finish off with a diffuser and, when dry, the £1 serum from b&m (xhc or something, its in a blue bottle)
It hold but is soft not scrunchy. This gives me curls for 3 days.

I've got very fine 2c hair that is easily weighed down. I use Jessicurl Confident Coils and love the result. The website recommends using it with Gelebration spray, but I prefer to use it on its own. Gelebration definitely makes my hair crunchy (and wet-look, too). Since I started using Confident Coils on wet hair, and nothing else, I keep being complimented and asked what I've changed because my hair looks so good. I feel a bit Farah Fawcett

I use gel and it doesn't look greasy or crunchy
Mostly treluxe serum and gel but I like jessicurl too
I scrunch the gel cast out when my hair is dry

Placemarking for curl hold tips!

Mine is like yours OP.
I use a sulphate free shampoo, tonnes of conditioner and then either Umberto Gianni gel, or eco gel (olive oil) thats a bit more gloopy, or frizz ease dream curls creme. I don’t stick to CG either really, I brush through my hair when wet then scrunch with a microfibre towel then put the product through and its quite smooth then? If i just scrunched it through very wet hair it would be curlier but more tangly and piecey like you say?

Placemarking I have similar hair too….when posters have said use ‘a little’ product, how much is this? 10p size or more?

The idea when I style IS to get it to end up crunchy - from my recent understanding of taming my waves (after 20 years of GHDs) this is the ‘cast’. It’s the thing that holds the hairs in a pattern & stops the (in my case crazy) frizz whilst it dries - I guess like having it stuck to a roller! Then once it is bone dry I scrunch out the crunch (literally scrunch gently until the crunchiness is gone (AKA break the ‘cast’) and you’ll have soft shiny defined waves. I use a leave in conditioner, strong hold gel (50p size blob) & mousse (between golf & tennis ball size blob) on soaking wet hair. Take out the moisture with a T-shirt, And diffuse or air dry.

I use Cantu wave whip mousse and Umberto Giannini curl gel (a very small amount). Turn my head upside down and give it a really good scrunch with the mousse followed by the gel. Then sort of drop my head/hair downwards into a t shirt and tie it up on my head for 10 mins.
You can’t tell at all that I have any product on my hair. If it feels a tiny bit crunchy you can just scrunch it out.
I’ve tried the aveda and cantu curl creams and they leave my hair feeling heavy / greasy.

@northdownsouth7

I use a couple of 5p sized blobs of the Cantu cream. My hair is below my shoulders.

@Mrsfenchurch beautiful curls!
I never get a cast doesn’t matter what I do! I guess it just depends on the hair type I spose!

@Mrsfenchurch your curls are beautiful! Can you please share what products you use? How do you get the hair at the top to curl and not go flat?