Main content
how to take care of 2c wavy hair

Everything You Need to Know About 2C Hair Type

Get the scoop on how to maintain your defined waves.
14 Feb 2025

TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is 2C Hair?
What Does 2C Hair Look Like?
Is 2C Hair Curly?
How to Take Care of 2C Hair
How to Style 2C Hair
2C Hair Products
Common Hair Concerns for 2C Hair


If you have naturally gorgeous, defined waves, chances are you are blessed with the 2C hair type. This blog will teach you all about 2C curly hair, from how to identify it to how to care for and style it.

What Is 2C Hair?

In a hair chart, the 2C hair type falls under the wavy category. Type 2C hair has waves that are the widest in diameter among all wavy hair types. It’s just so, so voluminous! Compared to 2A and 2B hair, 2C hair doesn’t get greasy as quickly but is more frizz-prone.

What Does 2C Hair Look Like?

Although type 2C hair is considered wavy, it is not totally wavy and not quite curly. It’s almost as if you took a curling wand to your hair to create perfect, defined waves from root to tip every day.

Is 2C Hair Curly?

As mentioned above, 2C hair is mainly wavy, with a hint of curliness. Sure, if you have 2C hair, you have a very visible “S”-shaped wave pattern throughout your hair. But because the “S” starts at the root and goes all the way to the ends, it can look like curls at first glance. There’s no question whether or not you have textured hair — the 2C curl pattern is very defined. This curl type, though prominent, doesn’t have the corkscrew shape of type 3 hair, thus making it wavy at the ends.

Even though this wavy hair pattern doesn’t have the same concerns as type 3 and type 4 curls and coils, there are still some challenges to overcome to have your best “S”-shaped waves yet (more below).

curl-wheel

How to Take Care of 2C Hair

So you washed your strands and noticed you have the easily recognizable “S” pattern, but what now? Here are a few tips and tricks on how to take care of 2C hair, including the best curly hair routine and hair products for picture-perfect finger waves every single time.

1. Keep a Balance With Shampooing

No, shampooing isn’t a bad thing, but you don’t need to shampoo your type 2C wavy hair every other day. Overwashing can dry out your hair and cause major frizz by stripping the scalp of its natural oils. Reach for a sulfate-free, gentle cleanser, like Goddess Strength Fortifying Shampoo, that will get rid of product gunk without making your hair squeaky clean.

2. Combat Frizz When You Can

One of the top concerns for the 2C hair type is the appearance of frizz. Let us start by saying that frizz ain’t a bad thing. But if you want to keep it at bay, here’s how: use lightweight products that keep hair moisturized and tame flyaways. Goddess Strength 7 Oil Blend Hair & Scalp Oil is a lightweight blend of nourishing oils, including jojoba oil, coconut oil, and castor oil, that moisturize hair and smooth out frizz.

The other trick to controlling frizz is using a product with hold, such as a lightweight gel that’ll melt into the hair. We recommend the Black Vanilla Moisture and Hold Jelly. It’ll give your waves natural, soft hold without weighing them down or making them crunchy.

3. Add Volume, If You Need It

If your waves are falling limp, there’s a cure for that. A texturizing spray helps add natural-looking body without making strands look greasy or wiry. Spritz it onto your roots, rub it in, and scrunch; you’ll have those perfectly tousled waves in minutes.

4. Schedule Deep Treatments

Hair masks keep your fragile strands in tip-top shape. Doing a weekly deep treatment with a hair mask will give your mane a little TLC and ensure those waves stay soft, hydrated, and glossy with minimal effort. Goddess Strength Cocoon Hydrating Hair Mask locks in and restores moisture while repairing strength. Because the mask works in just 5 minutes, it’s not a hassle to fit this product into your type-2C hair routine.

5. Protect Your Hair While You Snooze

Sleeping with your hair unprotected only adds to the frizz factor and can cause unwanted breakage, too. Do yourself a favor and grab a silk or satin pillowcase to minimize friction while you get your beauty sleep — and make styling the next morning a whole lot easier.

How to Style 2C Hair

Feeling inspired to change up your style? Refer to this roundup of modern and classic looks for how to style 2C curly hair.

Hairstyles for 2C Hair

Wavy Pixie
Your waves will bring volume and, most importantly, movement to this short and chic cut.

Wavy Shag With Bangs
This tapered cut with lots of layers is edgy and fun.

Wavy Bob
The perfect low-maintenance cut that shows off your defined waves.

Butterfly Cut
The butterfly cut, a mix of short and long layers, will frame your face while keeping much of your hair length.

Long Layers
This classic cut is ideal if you’re growing out your hair or prefer to keep your hair long.

2C Hair Products

Our Goddess Strength collection and Black Vanilla collection offer products that work well on 2C hair. Both of them moisturize hair, but Goddess Strength also focuses on repair, whereas Black Vanilla amps up shine. We went ahead and picked our faves from each system, just for you.

Goddess Strength Fortifying Shampoo

Your wash days should start with a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo, like our Goddess Strength Fortifying Shampoo. It cleanses your hair while delivering frizz-taming moisture, and it leaves hair 15X stronger after just one use! Use it with our Goddess Strength Fortifying Conditioner for the best results.



Goddess Strength Curl Restoration Concentrate

The best 2C hair is healthy. If your strands are damaged or prone to damage from styling or chemical treatments, then you need to try our new Goddess Strength Curl Restoration Concentrate. This bonding pre-wash helps prevent future breakage and split ends to strengthen and bring out your natural curl pattern.



Black Vanilla Moisture & Shine Leave-In Conditioner

Apply this lightweight leave-in to your 2C hair to refresh your style, control frizz for up to 72 hours, and make your strands easier to detangle. You’ll have shinier, more manageable hair in a few spritzes!



Take Our Curl Quiz

Find Your Personalized Routine!
Know your curls better than ever before! Our quick and easy 5-step quiz, which uses powerful data to determine your hair type, will help you understand your strands. Set aside a couple of minutes to answer some simple questions, and we’ll take care of the rest. At the end, we’ll identify your curl type and main hair concerns, and provide expert tips, product recommendations, and a personalized routine. The journey to gorgeous hair starts now. Click Here to find your personalized routine.

Common Hair Concerns for 2C Hair

Every hair type is associated with particular concerns. Dryness and frizz are the top concerns for the 2C hair type.

Dryness

Among the wavy hair types, type 2C hair tends to be the driest due to its structure. Its “S” shape starts at the root, making it challenging for naturally occurring scalp sebum to travel down the hair shaft.

Frizz

Type 2C hair is also more prone to frizz than the other wavy hair types. Frizz can be worsened by using the wrong products, such as drying shampoos, drying hair improperly, or excessive heat styling.

Shop for 2C Hair Type

 



2C Hair Type FAQs


On the same topic

Discover the best haircare tips for natural and curly hair from Carol's Daughter's beauty blog. Check out our recipes for a beautiful life.

Orientation
For the best experience, please turn your device