Product Battle: Quick Curls vs. Hair Rules

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The hardest battle you’re ever going to fight is the battle to be just you.” ~ Dr. Leo F. Buscaglia

Throughout the years, epic battles have been fought among great contenders. These battles continue to be waged through generations, in our personal lives, and even on the top of our heads. Today, in the spirit of the Olympics, I’m waging a war between my current go-to products for wash and gos (not counting my recent love of aloe vera gel), so you can compare and place your bets.

In this corner, we have Hair Rules Kinky Curling Cream, a product that I’ve recently rediscovered. Hair Rules was one of many products sitting patiently under my bathroom sink, waiting to move up the ranks. These last few months, the styler has had an impressive showing. It is often toted as a product for 4c natural hair types.

In the opposite corner, we have Miss Jessie’s Quick Curls, a product I have been using for the last year. Initially dismissed as a product for looser textured gals, Quick Curls has proven itself as effective for my Afro texture. For the past year, it has held steady, with reliable results.

Both natural hair products will be reviewed and measured according to My Curly Mane’s criteria. A full point will be given for successful completion of each category. A half point will be given for satisfactory results. The categories are: price, ingredients, scent, application, look, feel, and the wild card—ability to produce second day hair. Scores can range from 0 to 7 (perfect) points.

Let’s get ready to battle!

1. Price

Kinky Curling Cream = $20 for an 8 oz. bottle

Quick Curls = $32 for an 8 oz. bottle

These two stylers are neck and neck when it comes to prices, which may be a little steep for some budgetnistas. Kinky Curling Cream requires you to use the product in the shower for best results, which may cause product waste down the drain (with my clumsiness it does!). Therefore, a 16 oz. bottle of Kinky Curling Cream can be equivalent to an 8 oz. bottle of Quick Curls.

Points: Both contenders are somewhat equally priced and worthy, pound for pound, of a half point.

Kinky Curling Cream
Point = 0.5/ Total = 0.5

Quick Curls
Point = 0.5/Total = 0.5

2. Ingredients

I have to admit. I haven’t always been good with monitoring ingredients. This blog and my revived health consciousness is forcing me to pay attention to what I’m putting on my head. While being more attentive, I recognize that my hair, perhaps like yours, is a very naughty girl. It tends to like many a “bad” things. My advice is to pay attention to how your hair reacts to products containing mineral oil aka paraffinum liquidum.

Both Kinky Curling Cream and Quick Curls contain mineral oil. The battle is still waging on whether mineral oil helps or harms your hair. It can either seal moisture into your hair or dry it out.

When using either natural hair care product, I clarify/shampoo my hair between applications to avoid the buildup of mineral oil, which has to be shampooed to be removed. This puts me in a cycle where I need to put more moisture (conditioner, leave in conditioner, water, oils/butters, etc.) back into my hair. In addition, both products contain hydrolyzed wheat protein (careful if you’re protein sensitive).

On left: My hair with Miss Jessie’s Quick Curls. On right: My hair with Hair Rules Kinky Curly Cream. Both products define my natural hair.

Hair Rules Kinky Curling Cream contains honey and glycerin, humectants that may work with or against your hair, depending on the weather. It also contains: water, mineral oil, C13-16 isoparaffin, butylene glycol, glycerin, C18-21 alkane, carbomer, triethanolamine, hydrolyzed wheat protein, crambe abyssinica seed oil, honey, hedychium coronarium (awapuhi) root extract, cymbopogon schoenanthus (lemongrass) extract, humulus lupulus (hops) extract, olea europaea (olive fruit) oil, coix lacryma-jobi seed extract, PPG-26-buteth-26, dimethicone, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, fragrance, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, DMDM hydantoin, disodium EDTA, idodpropynyl butylcarbamate. This product is free of paraben.

Miss Jessie’s Quick Curls contains silicones, which can reduce frizz but needs to be shampooed to be removed, or it will cause build up.It also contains: Water, parafffinum liquidum, VP/DMAPA acrylates copolymer, polyquaternium-37, cyclopentasiloxane, grape seed extract, nettle extract, alfalfa extract, betula alba leaf extract, lavender extract, borago officinalis extract, fennel fruit extract, ginger root extract, laminum album flower extract, chestnut extract, calendula officinalis flower extract, sunflower seed extract, matricaria flower extract, linseed seed extract, rosa gallica flower extract, silybum marianum extract, viola tricolor extract, punica granatum extract, honeysuckle flower extract, bergamont fruit extract, apricot kernel extract, hydrolyzed wheat protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, PG-propyl silanetriol, fragrance, polyquaternium-11, propylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, cyclohexasiloxane, PPG-5-ceteth-20, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, ceteareth-10, propylene glycol, hydroxyethyl cellulose, disodium EDTA, PPG-1-trideceth-6, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, DMDM hydantoin, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, yellow 10, green 5. This product is free of paraben, glycerin, and sulfate.

Points: Since I don’t have too much trouble with either product’s ingredient, they both land a light punch. I’m going to award both contenders a half point.

Kinky Curling Cream
Point = 0.5/ Total = 1

Quick Curls

Point = 0.5/Total = 1

On left: First day results using Miss Jessie’s Quick Curls (tight, full, and shrunken curls that can be stretched with heat for length). On right: First day results using Hair Rules Kinky Curly Cream (fat, soft, and short curls).

3. Scent

With its grape and honey blend, Kinky Curling Cream smells so good; you’ll want to eat it. It’s not that it smells edible; it’s just that its aroma appeals to my sweet tooth. Kinky Curling Cream tends to fade into a subtle fragrance. There isn’t too much of a lingering scent when blow drying.
Quick Curls has a strong scent, a citrusy mix with a floral punch! When first applying this product, you will surely be able to smell it from a distance. I’ve had family members walk by my room as I’m doing my hair and compliment my “perfume”! If you use a hair dryer, you will up the ante, resulting in a slight chemical aroma. While Quick Curls has a pleasant smell, its strength should be noted, particularly if you prefer the smell of the other products you are layering onto your hair.

Points: I appreciate both products’ knockout scent and will award each a full point. The two are neck and neck.

Kinky Curling Cream
Point = 1/ Total = 2

Quick Curls
Point = 1/Total = 2

4. Application

As I mentioned prior, Kinky Curling Cream must be applied in the shower for best results. This may result in the wasted product. It should be noted that the product has a thick consistency, so it takes a bit of raking and smoothing before it absorbs into the hair. I’m also able to skip a leave-in (yes, I actually skip the addition of a leave-in), and I still get great results.

Quick Curls is used out of the shower and has a lighter consistency, so it can be easily raked and smoothed into the hair. It can also be used with my Silicon Mix Leave-in Conditioner, without products reacting thus far. Perhaps it’s because they both contain mineral oil!

Blame it on the honey or the glycerin, but Kinky Curling Cream takes much longer to dry with a hand held dryer. In fact, at 10-15 minutes, it’s double the drying time when compared to Quick Curls.

Points: Kinky Curling Cream comes up slightly short and gets a half point. Quick Curls lands the hook and gets the edge with a full point.

Kinky Curling Cream
Point = 0.5/ Total = 2.5

Quick Curls
Point = 1/Total = 3

On left: Second day hair results using Quick Curls (full, elongated, tight curls). On right: Second day hair results using Hair Rules (big, fat, and short curls).

5. Look

Kinky Curling Cream

Pros: It delivers fat, fluffy curls. My SO prefers when I use this product for wash and gos. I’m convinced that it’s because it transforms my hair into a softer pillow for him to sleep on! The overall look is quite nice.

Cons: It can look a little frizzy and dull, as if my hair is in need of a sheen spray or glosser. Kinky Curling Cream also creates more shrinkage, even when stretching the hair with heat.

Quick Curls

Pros: Skinny, shiny, thicker, defined, and elongated curls. My hair gets lots of shine.

Cons: My hair can look a little frizzy.

Points: Based on the positive comments I’ve recently received using this product, Kinky Curling Cream comes in as the ultimate showman. It gets a full point. Quick Curls gets a half point.

Kinky Curling Cream
Point = 1/ Total = 3.5

Quick Curls
Point = 0.5/Total = 3.5

6. Moisture & Feel

Kinky Curling Cream: My hair feels soft and light weight.

Quick Curls – You can feel the product on your hair. It can also dry a bit stiff, but nothing that a little oil can’t fix.

Points: Kinky Curling Cream swings, uppercuts, and gets the edge with a full point. Quick Curls gets a half point.

Kinky Curling Cream
Point = 1/ Total = 4.5

Quick Curls
Point = 0.5/Total = 4

7. Wild Card/Tie Breaker: Second day hair

It’s a phenomenon that only few stylers are able to help a curlie achieve second day hair. Let’s see how our contenders stack up.

For Kinky Curling Cream, second day hair is a hit or miss due to the product’s light hold. When it works, my hair looks great. When it doesn’t (due to extreme weather or product’s light hold) my hair looks like an undefined poof ball. It may be the look you’re going for, but I prefer some definition. I’ve been unable to consistently sustain this look, but I’ll keep trying.

Quick Curls’ secret move is its ability to keep on giving. I always get big, elongated, and fluffy 2nd day hair. If I’m sleeping sexy and protecting my hair, I’m even able to get equally good results on the 3rd day!

Points: Kinky Curling Cream gets a half point. Quick Curls lands the jab and gets a full point.

Kinky Curling Cream
Point = 0.5/ Total = 5

Quick Curls
Point = 1/Total = 5

And the winner is: A tie! Both products deliver and receive 5 out of 7 points. It comes down to the look you are seeking–elongated and tight curls vs. short and full curls. We’ll have to conduct a rematch. Better yet, help me to select a winner by submitting your results. Share your experiences and/or battle with either products by commenting below.