L'Oréal Professionnel Serié Expert Curl Expression Shampoo for Intense Moisture & Detangling Curls 300 ml/10.14 oz

A cleansing cream rather than a conventional shampoo, which is the format most curls do better with. It goes on thick, turns to a rich foam once it meets water, and rinses out without the tight, squeaky finish that flattens a curl pattern.

Curl Expression came out of L'Oréal Professionnel's work with international curl and coil specialists, and the actives are stated plainly: glycerin, Urea H and hibiscus seed extract, all working on hydration. The slip is the other half of the point. Detangling in the shower, while the cream is still on, is far kinder to curls than fighting them dry.

• Intense moisture for curls that dry out between washes
• Serious slip, so detangling costs you fewer strands
• Glycerin, Urea H and hibiscus seed extract
• 300 ml/10.14 oz

Suits everything from loose curls to tight coils. The range runs deep, so the matching mask is worth adding if your hair is dry as well as curly.

One habit to break: cleansing creams need more contact time at the scalp than a foaming shampoo, because there is less lather to carry them around. Work it in properly for a minute, rinse for longer than feels necessary, and the finish is clean rather than coated.