If you’re new to wearing your hair curly, it can feel like an expensive process. It doesn’t help that all the products that come up on social media seem to be £15, £20, or even more. What if they don’t work on your hair??

While I have curly hair products that I like at all price points, I definitely have some faves that are super-cheap. Below is a roundup of my favourite budget curly hair products that you can get in UK shops – all of the curly hair products here are under £10 (at the time of posting), and in some cases even under £5.
Most can be found in UK drugstores and supermarkets, and are often on sale too, so shop around and you might save even more!

I also believe in starting simple, so we are only going to cover shampoos, conditioner and stylers with good hold. For an easy curly hair routine, it’s good to only start with 3 steps – you don’t want to throw in too many products at once and overcomplicate matters.

If you’re still unsure about how to choose your products, check out my post How to choose the right curly hair products, which includes a veeery cool flowchart to help you build your washday.

How to choose the right curly hair products: a flowchart

Budget shampoos for curly hair

Shampoos and cleansers are often overlooked in a curly hair lineup, but in truth they can make or break your routine. Looking after your scalp and cleansing it properly gives your curls a great base to start on.

Noughty To the Rescue Shampoo is ideal if you’re starting out with heat-damaged hair, giving your curls an added dose of moisture before you get to the actual conditioning. Alternatively, their Wave Hello Shampoo is a little more lightweight, ideal for wavy or fine hair.
They are often on sale: Find them on their own website | LookFantastic (use code LFTFCOAST for money off) | Boots | Superdrug | Amazon | Sainsbury’s and other supermarkets.

Aldi does a surprisingly good clarifying shampoo: their Lacura range is basically a L’Oreal Dream Lengths knockoff, and it’s full of protein which can add strength and structure to limp, damaged curls. Although it contains sulphates, I don’t find it to be drying or stripping at all. And best of all, it’s only £1.29!
Find Lacura Volume Shampoo at your local Aldi.

Affordable conditioners for curly hair

Conditioner can be trickier than you think – at the start of your curly journey our curls are often damaged and need as much conditioning as possible, but as your hair gets healthier, you may find your hair getting overconditioned, and fine hair especially benefits from lighter conditioning. Here are a couple that work for my fine hair:

For hair that’s really easily weighed down, I love using a conditioning water, especially the L’Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water. It provides really lightweight conditioning, and you can either use it on its own or follow up with your regular conditioner for a more intense treatment.
Find it on LookFantastic | Boots UK | Amazon | Sainsbury’s and other supermarkets.

Umberto Giannini has a lot of great products for curly hair, but I especially like their Frizz Fix Conditioner. It contains vegan sources of keratin to strengthen curls, gives lovely slip, and definitely gives extra shine to my curls.
Find it on the Umberto Giannini website (use code COAST20 for 20% off) | Boots | Amazon.

Cheap stylers for curly hair

There are lots of cheaper stylers on the market that work great on curls, even ones that are not marketed as being for curly hair! Here are a few that give me good hold:

Wella Shockwaves Volume Mousse really holds its own as a single styler, giving a good mix of volume and definition. Make sure you get the Volume Mousse and not the Curls & Waves Mousse, as the Volume one has a harder hold. It also claims to have UV protection, making it perfect for summer!
It’s usually around the £3 mark: find it in Boots | Superdrug | Amazon | Sainsbury’s and other supermarkets.

VO5 Mega Hold Gel is a relatively new discovery for me, but I’m impressed with the hold that it gives! It’s also not as sticky as you think it’ll be – it’s nice and lightweight. It’s around £5 and you can also get travel sizes for £2!
Find it in Boots | Superdrug | Amazon | as well as Sainsbury’s and other supermarkets.

The Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly is a very popular product in the curly world, but I actually prefer their Curl Whip Curl Activating Mousse! I personally get better hold, more volume and less halo frizz with it compared to the curl jelly.
Find it on the Umberto Giannini website (and get 20% off with COAST20) | Boots | Superdrug | Amazon | LookFantastic (and use code LFTFCOAST for 21% off) | Sainsbury’s and other supermarkets.

To give the illusion of high density, I love the Giovanni LA Hold Styling Gel. It’s a bit tricky to use (it’s so thick, I need to have very wet hair and mix it with water in my hands before applying) but somehow, it makes my curls look really full! Plus, it’s glycerin-free, which means it’s great in humid weather. This gel is often less than £10 and the travel size is only around £2.99.
Find it on LookFantastic (use code LFTFCOAST for 21% off) | Amazon | Naturalistic Products.

Hopefully you can use some of these links to build a cheap and effective curly hair routine! If you’ve got all the gear and you still have no idea, check out my Easy curly hair routine for beginners.

New to curl care? Try this easy curly hair routine for beginners