5 Best Hair Texturizers For Black Hair 2024; Get Your Wave On

Natural hair, texturized hair, relaxed hair – the conversation about black women and their hair will never die down.

While many women have turned towards the natural route with their hair, tons still choose to change their hair texture.

If you prefer to use a texturizer to manipulate your texture into something you want, check out these five amazing hair products to help loosen your hair into beautiful waves.

Alter Ego Linange Shea Butter Texturizer

First on the list, we have the Alter Ego Linange Shea Butter Texturizer.

At a glance, it’s easy to assume that this product is like most other texturizers.

It’s not.

If applied incorrectly, texturizers can easily damage the scalp and your hair.

The unfortunate thing about chemically damaged hair is that you really can only wait until it grows out for you to cut it off.

There really isn’t any coming back from it.

Because of this, you should try to find a product that will help protect your hair through the process.

The Linange texturizer comes with Shea butter, a great ingredient for hair protection.

Not only does it provide moisture, but it can also help protect your hair from dryness and brittleness.

Shea butter is a great ingredient to use afterwards on processed hair, but it can give you added protection during the process as well. 

Plus, Shea butter helps soften hair.

Who wouldn’t want soft, smooth hair after a process that is normally described as drying out the locks?

I know I would.

ORS Olive Oil Girls Soft Curls Texture Softening System Kit

ORS is a popular hair care brand and that’s what landed their Olive Oil Soft Curls Texture Softening System on this list.

Similar to the Soft and Beautiful Botanicals Texturizer, this product is also lye-free which will help protect the hair from excessive damage.

While I mentioned the benefits of Shea butter on hair previously, this ORS product has a ton of ingredients within the texturizer that will help protect the hair.

First, this texturizer also includes Shea butter that will help which works on dry and brittle hair.

This product also contains coconut oil which has a long list of benefits.

Coconut oil has great benefits for the scalp in helping against dandruff.

It is also great for moisturizing the hair.

While it helps internal hydration, it also works wonders on the outside of the hair as well.

Not only does it add luster and shine, but it can soften the hair as well.

Last, but not least, coconut oil helps prevent breakage and split ends which can be exacerbated with a texturizer.

The last main ingredient in this ORS texturizer system is olive oil.

Texturizers can easily irritate the scalp, and luckily for whoever is using this product, olive oil helps reduce scalp irritation.

Plus, olive oil is another great moisturizer for the hair, so this with the Shea butter and coconut oil will leave the hair hydrated and strong.

African Pride Olive Miracle Curls And Coils Texturizer

Another great option for a texturizer is the African Pride Olive Miracle Curls and Coils Texturizer. 

This texturizer has many of the same benefits as the ORS texturizer.

The two main ingredients in this product are olive oil and African Shea butter.

As mentioned before, olive oil is great for protecting the scalp from irritation.

Shea butter is ideal for dry and brittle hair.

This African Pride product also comes with nourishing Herbal Extracts which will help keep the hair moisturized throughout the process.

The other great thing about this product is that while it will help stretch your hair for a looser curl pattern, it will also help soften and define the hair as well.

Soft And Beautiful Botanicals Texturizer

Sometimes doing our own hair can be overwhelming, but if you want to simplify the process, Soft and Beautiful Botanicals Texturizer should be an option. 

Most hair texturizers require that you mix them to get the ultimate product, but not this one.

With this product, the texturizer comes ready for application.

This is the first step of a two step process, the second half being applying the neutralizing shampoo.

Another amazing thing about this texturizer is that it doesn’t have lye.

Lye used to be a very popular ingredient in chemical texturizers and relaxers.

Why?

The main ingredient in lye is sodium hydroxide.

A very strong chemical, this helps break down the hair very quickly.

And while this might seem like it’s a good thing, it could be extremely detrimental to the integrity of the hair.

Lye is so powerful and works so quickly that if it’s not washed out extremely quickly, it could chemically damage the hair.

No lye relaxers like this Linange product is a great way to protect your hair from damage while also being a great option for those with sensitive scalps.

Beautiful Textures Naturally Straight Texturizer Kit

The Beautiful Textures Naturally Straight Texturizer Kit is one product that has to be on this list because it simply defies what most of us know about hair texturizers.

While most hair texturizers are meant to be a permanent process, this product is reversible.

Yes, reversible.

Most hair texturizers will change your hair texture forever, but your hair will be able to bounce back from this.

Think of it as if you were blow drying or straightening your hair.

While it might last you a few hours or if you’re lucky, a few days, this texturizer will last in your hair for around 4-6 weeks.

It’s not permanent.

After using this product, your hair is meant to bounce back to its regular texture after washing it 2 to 3 times. 

Many of us think that the only option we have for transitioning to natural hair is the big chop, but this is a great alternative.

One can use this on their hair while they allow the permanently altered part of their hair to grow out.

Is Texturized Hair Still Natural?

The natural hair movement began years ago, but everyone is still discussing what it means to be natural.

You’ll hear women who get a perm every few months say that they’re “practically natural.”

Newsflash, they’re not.

You might even hear women who mention that they’re natural even though their hair is texturized.

I’m definitely not here to shame anyone and their hair, but whether you have a texturizer or a relaxer, your hair is not natural.

Most might think this is a difficult concept to understand, but it’s really nice. 

It has to do with the chemicals in the product that you’re using and how those chemicals affect your hair.

Anytime your hair structure is permanently changed, your hair is no longer natural.

Think of it this way.

If you have dark brown hair and you dye it black, your hair still has the same structure it did before.

If you had 4c coils, your hair will continue to be 4c.

Alternatively, if your hair is 4c and you texturize your hair, it would no longer be 4c.

The chemical in hair texturizers alters keratin, the main protein in hair.

It causes the bonds in the hair to be broken which causes the texture to loosen.

Sure, your roots would continue to grow in your natural texture.

Even so, all the hair on your head would have to be your natural texture in order for you to consider yourself natural.

That’s why you see so many women do the big chop.

They are essentially cutting off all the parts of their hair that are “not natural.”

As long as the hair is texturized, relaxed, or chemically changed, it is not natural hair.

Are Texturizers Different From Relaxers?

Many people seem to think that texturizers and relaxers are drastically different.

In fact, I’ve come across numerous women who act as if using a texturizer makes them superior to those who relax their hair because they don’t completely lose their curl pattern.

Texturizers really aren’t all that different from relaxers.

While they are marketed differently, a lot of it comes down to the amount of time that the product is spent in the hair.

In fact, one could “texturize” their hair with a relaxer.

You would just have to cut down the amount of time that the product spends in the hair.

Since relaxers are meant to spend a longer period of time in the hair, the product is literally “relaxing” the hair.

It is smoothing the texture so that the hair becomes straight.

A texturizer is a milder form of this.

Instead of smoothing out the hair completely, it should stretch it slightly so that the hair becomes looser while still retaining some of the texture.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Texturizers?

As with any hair product, there can be pros and cons.

Before deciding to texturize your hair, it’s important to look at what benefits and negative effects there could be to texturizing the hair.

Let’s keep the bad news first.

If you have long hair, it becomes harder to use a texturizer.

Since the hair is longer, this makes the application process more difficult.

Because of this, you might find that the hair isn’t all the same texture after application.

This usually happens because the product spent more or less time in some areas than others.

Another con of texturizers is that most of them permanently change your hair texture.

Many women look to texturizers as a transition from relaxed hair to natural hair.

It is often after texturizing that they come to know that texturizers are not the answer if one is looking to make a seamless transition.

There’s no reason to wonder when there are tons of resources that answer if texturizers are a good transition to natural hair.

Another negative about texturizers is that they are still a chemical.

While they might not be as strong as a relaxer or contain lye, they can still damage the hair, especially when the hair is overprocessed.

One might think they can retexturize the hair soon after in order to get the same texture throughout, but hair should never be processed more than once.

Even though there are a few negatives about texturizers, there are still many advantages to using them.

Texturizers can be seen as less damaging than relaxers.

While it doesn’t necessarily have to do with the products in the texturizer, it is due to the fact that texturizers are meant to stay in the hair for a shorter amount of time.

Another great thing about texturizers is that you don’t have to say goodbye to your hair texture.

If you have extremely kinky, curly hair, a texturizer will loosen it up.

Also, if you’re like me, having kinky 4c curls while also being tender-headed can be a hassle.

Using a texturizer can be great when you don’t want to deal with the pain of combing through your hair regularly.

Another great thing about texturizers is that they can help the straightening process.

If you straighten your hair often (which you really shouldn’t), a texturizer can help.

Since the hair texture is already looser, less heat will be necessary to completely straighten it.

How To Maintain Your Texturizer Without Damaging Hair

So once you have a texturizer, the most important thing becomes how to maintain it without damaging your hair.

There are quite a few things you can do to help it last longer and keep your hair healthy.

First, find products that are going to help your hair remain strong and healthy.

Since a texturizer breaks down the protein in your hair, it’s important to use a protein treatment to keep your hair strong.

If you’re on the market for one, here are a few amazing protein treatments to try out.

Another thing to do is get yourself a silk scarf.

You should never go to bed with your hair uncovered.

You should also never use a cotton scarf or bonnet on your head either.

Not only can they cause friction and breakage, but they can make your hair frizzier as well.

A silk scarf will not only protect those edges but keep your hair from breaking.

One tip that most wouldn’t expect is that you can wet your hair daily to help define the curl pattern.

This isn’t the same as washing your hair.

Use a spray bottle and your favorite leave-in conditioner.

Comb the conditioner through your hair while it is damp and let it dry.

This will help your hair look beautiful and defined from day to day.

Last, but not least, get a touch up whenever you feel you need it, but you might want to stay away from doing it yourself.

Since you don’t completely lose your curl pattern, it’ll be harder to notice once your natural roots start growing in.

Texturizers don’t have to be applied as frequently as relaxers, so protect your hair and keep it strong by only using texturizers when necessary.

Best Hair Texturizers For Black Hair Conclusion

Hair texturizers aren’t a new thing on the market, but it’s crazy to think that many women still aren’t 100% sure about how they work.

Lose the confusion!

Texturizers can be great on the hair when used properly.

And any one of the texturizers on this list can help get you the look you’re going for.

Women don’t have to have natural hair.

If you want beautiful waves that can’t be achieved with your natural hair texture, try one of these texturizers and get your wave on!