Curl Care Sales Jump as Consumers Transition to Natural Hairstyles

As hairstyles have evolved to embrace the curly look, the demand for curl care products has been on the rise in salons. According to Kline PRO, curl care was the only segment in the United States to experience double-digit growth during the Q1–Q3 2022 reporting period. 

 

Historically, styling products have been the focus. However, as consumers transition to more natural, curly styles, their attention has shifted toward the products that provide care for their coiled tresses. As a result, the 19% jump in salon retail revenue comes from the care categories, namely shampoos and treatments. 

 

Growth in the segment is largely attributed to recent product launches that span from long-established brands to new entries, which are captured through Kline PRO’s extensive point-of-sale tracking. 

Matrix A Curl Can Dream was introduced midway through 2021, and sales have continued to grow. The line consists of a shampoo, a co-wash, a gel, and three treatments and is formulated to preserve curl patterns in curl types 3 and 4. The best-selling item is the shampoo followed by A Curl Can Dream Rich Shampoo.  

 

Another key player introduced in 2021 with increased sales in 2022 is Curl Manifesto from Kérastase for all curly and coily hair types. It too offers a shampoo and a conditioner, along with three treatment and two styling options. Its conditioner, Fondant Hydratation Essentielle, is the top performer.

 

Wella’s Eimi Nutricurls line of products picked up steam in the Q1–Q3 2022 period, doubling in sales over the same period YAG. It also offers a full array of products across categories, with Curlixer Balm leading its care items.

 

One of the bigger launches in the segment during 2022 was observed in Q3 from L’Oréal Professionnel. The Curl Expression range consists of 10 items with the goal to “supercharge curls and coils with professional hydration.” Within the care categories, early sales results show Curls Reviver, a leave-in treatment spray, as the leader.  

 

Aluram, a brand with the tagline “Clean Beauty, Clear Conscience,” debuted the curl line consisting of four products enriched with prickly pear extract: a shampoo, a conditioner, a cream, and a foam. All four items are selling at an even pace indicating that consumers are using the products as a system. 

The New Products Tracker of Kline’s Professional Hair Care Intelligence Center picked up a considerable number of new curl care items that are hitting the market.

Launches during Q4 2022 and into January of 2023 include Curl Wow from Federici Brands, the makers of Color Wow. It features a “Naked Technology” with a proprietary Profaxil-18 Complex to optimize moisture and minimize breakage. Leaf + Flower, a brand that claims to be a CBD-charged innovative hair care brand, introduced the Instant Curl Line consisting of a shampoo, conditioner, and a curl-defining cream. Additionally, line extensions are in place from Rene Furterer (Sublime Curl Defining Nutri Cream), and Keratin Complex added KCTexture, a leave-in conditioner to its Curl Enhancing Keratin System.  

 

These new launches lean more toward the care and treatment of curls, which may further impact the influence that the hairstyling category has on the curl care segment.