Curl Activator.

What a curl activator does

A curl activator is a moisturising styler that softens the hair, encourages the curl pattern to clump, and keeps it pliable as it dries. Most are water based and heavy on glycerin, which is what separates them from a gel. They draw moisture in rather than sealing a shape.

The category came out of the jheri curl era, and some of the original names are still here. SCurl, Blue Magic and Worlds of Curls all trace back to it. Others, such as the Cantu Avocado and Acai Berry activators, are modern natural-hair products using the same idea.

Lotion, cream, gel or spray

Lotions are the thinnest. Sof n Free Curl Activator Lotion comes in 350ml, 750ml and a 1 litre bottle, which is the most economical way to buy it if a household uses it daily.

Creams have more body and hold moisture longer. Cantu Moisturising Curl Activator Cream at 355ml, Fantasia IC Curly and Coily Curl Activator Cream at 370ml and the Yari Naturals Coconut Oil and Jamaican Black Castor Oil activator at 375ml all sit here.

Gels add hold on top of the moisture. SCurl Curl and Wave Jel Activator comes in 6oz and 10.5oz, with a Lite version in both sizes for anyone who finds the standard too heavy, and Sof n Free Gel Activator at 500ml is the larger option. Sprays are for waves and refreshing, where Bounce Better Wave Activator Leave-In Spray suits looser patterns a cream would flatten.

How to apply it

Activators work best on wet or very damp hair. Section, apply, and either rake through with your fingers or smooth over with your palms, depending on whether you want separation or clumping. On short hair, brush it in with a soft brush to encourage the wave.

You can layer. Activator first for moisture, then a gel on top for hold. The other way round wastes both. Reapply daily or every other day on jheri-style curls, and every two to three days on natural wash-and-gos. These products are designed to be topped up rather than washed out and started again from scratch.

Grease, transfer and pillows

The old reputation for activator marking furniture came from the heavier, oil-loaded formulas of the eighties. Modern versions transfer far less, though a wet-look style will always leave something on a collar or a headrest.

Two fixes: use less, and cover at night with a satin bonnet or scarf. If transfer is a deal-breaker for you, choose a cream over a lotion and a Lite gel over the standard.

British weather and curl type

Activators lean on glycerin, and glycerin follows the moisture in the air. Through summer at 75 to 90 percent humidity they perform well and hair stays soft, though frizz can lift on looser patterns. In winter, when indoor heating drops humidity to around 30 percent, glycerin can pull moisture out of the hair instead, so layer a cream or a sealing oil over the top in those months.

Coily 4a to 4c textures and short tapered cuts gain the most from this category. Fine 2a to 2b waves usually need the spray rather than the cream.