LUS Brands Review for Fine Yet Curly Hair
Many of you have been asking for me to share a review of LUS Brands haircare products for curly hairĀ and how it has worked for my fine yet curly hair. I have been using LUS (Luv Ur Self) since the summer of 2020 when the brand reached out and offered me a free bottle of their shampoo, conditioner, and styling product. After several years of using LUS (Luv Ur Self) and even taking breaks to try other popular curly hair products, I feel I can provide a detailed and accurate review of LUS Brands haircare.
While LUS provided me with free product in the past, I am not under contract with the brand, there were no deliverables expected in exchange for the product, and I used my own money to buy more of this brand. LUS Brands was not aware of this post being written, it is all my words, and if you have any questions you can ask them in the comments and I will answer completely honestly.
This post was originally published in 2020, but after using LUS Brands | Luv Ur Self for my fine curly hair for this long and comparing it to other products I've since tried, I've updated it
LUS Brands Review
I have written about my curly hair journey before, but to summarize for those who donāt want to go through the archivesā¦ I was born with curly hair. As I got older, my hair got longer and the curl was brushed and weighed out. I just thought I had kinky hair that was a bit frizzy but manageable, and with a slight wave. Once I hit middle school I began coloring my hair and using a lot of products and hot tools on it.
I tried to go curly in high school, but thanks to bleaching and dying and the wrong products, it took a lot of gel and heat to get crunchy limp waves. That was the last time I tried to be curly.
Fast-forward to spring 2019 when I was complaining to my hairstylist about my over-40 thinning hair and how to hide my scalp and create the effect of more volume. He suggested I try embracing my natural texture; he gave me a cut to encourage curls and suggested I leave a bit of conditioner in my hair and let it air dry to help the curls emerge. I was shocked to find ringlets, but they were fine and tiny ringlets close to my head that still made my hair look thin.
Encouraged by the curly texture, I began researching curly hair products and techniques. I loved how having curly hair I didnāt have to work so hard to have it look good and that it still looked good if I got sweaty or was active. I loved the idea of low-maintenance hair, especially as I was getting older.
I tried several brands over the past year, and several products and methods. I bought multiple diffusers, microfiber towels, and wide-tooth combs. I got an in-shower scalp massager, a bonnet hairdryer, a tiny-barrel curling iron, a new silk pillowcase, and a silk scrunchie. I had leave-in conditioners, deep conditioners, protein conditioners, clarifying shampoos, gels, lotions, reviving sprays, dry oils, shine serums, dry shampoos… I easily spent several hundred dollars on stuff in an attempt to get fabulous curls.
I was happiest with Ouidad anti-frizz products, but as I've mentioned in my curly hair archives, I'd often have to switch things up because my hair would get too used to products and get limp and greasy. I went curly to simplify my hair but here I was, having my hair be like a part-time job and costing enough to require a side gig.
And then at the beginning of June 2020 when I was knee-deep into pandemic hair with roots, split ends, and my bangs parting in weird places, LUS Brands slipped into my Instagram DMs and offered to send me their 3-step system to try out, no strings attached.
I had been curious about LUS and liked how their concept was to simplify the curly hair routine. I was beyond ready for simplicity. I also liked that LUSis a woman of color-owned business, based in and made in Canada. LUS creates products for three different curl types – wavy, curly, and kinky-coily. I shared with their social media contact how my hair is not wavy but truly curly but it is also fine and can easily be weighed down; they suggested the Wavy version of their Three-Step System.
How I Wear My Fine Yet Curly Hair
My hair is fine, but for most of my life, I had a lot of it. Then I turned 40 and it started thinning where you could see major patches of scalp. I've played with diet, had my hormones checked, tried the supplements and products for thinning hair and nothing worked so I decided to embrace my natural texture to hide the fact that my hair is thinning.
I like a bit of a messy/natural curl. Think beachy instead of perfectly defined ringlets. I often rub ringlets between my fingers to break them up to get the look I desire. I don't like having a defined part, and have bangs, and like it to look a bit rumpled.
Everyone's curly hair goals are different so I wanted to make that clear before I share a bunch of photos of my hair.
LUS Brands (Luv Ur Self) Review for Fine Curly Hair
The Three-Step System from LUS is the same as Step 1 (shampoo) and Step 2 (conditioner) for all hair types. The difference is in Step 3, their All-In-One styling lotion.Ā They have three formulas: Wavy, Curly, and Kinky-Coily. I use the Wavy formula for my hair and for this review. I have tried the Curly but it is too heavy for my fine curly hair and prefer the Wavy.
The LUS product steps are super simple. Shampoo as youāve always known how to do, then put in the conditioner and let it sit in your hair for a few minutes as you wash and do the rest of your shower. LUS Brands suggests just before rinsing out the conditioner add some water to it and either lather up or use a wide-tooth comb to comb through the conditioner. Then rinse out. The final step, while hair is still sopping wet, add a few pumps of the styling product to the hair.
Since I wanted simple, when I got the kit, I decided to do it as simply as possible. No additional tools or combs, no fancy methods, or adding any other products.
- I shampooed with a tiny amount (weāre talking maybe a dime-sized blob) focusing on the roots. The shampoo is clear, lightly-scented, and lightweight. It did a good job of cleaning my hair, removing all the products from it being Day 3 of my curls.
- I then used a good-sized blob of conditioner (cherry tomato-sized). The conditioner is milky, normal consistency of a lightweight conditioner. When applied to wet hair it sort of lathers up which is unexpected but I liked how it made it easier to disperse through my hair. I left it in as I washed and shaved and all that stuff. Then I rinsed it out under the same temp of water.
- Right out of the shower while my hair was still dripping wet, I added four pumps of the styling lotion. The lotion is also milky, and thin enough that it comes out of a pump easily and is easy to spread through hair. I did a bit of raking, and some scrunching, and then threw it up in a microfiber towel while I got ready and let it air dry while I worked on my computer. When it was fully dry I did a bit more scrunching and fluffing.
Dang, doing the bare minimum left me with hair that was almost as good as my high-maintenance previous routine! I couldnāt believe it. There was no cast at all; some places where I didn't properly distribute the styling lotion felt a bit “product-y” but in general my hair felt nice, had defined curls, and all without a gel “cast.”
The true test was Day 2. My hair isnāt long enough to āpineappleā up with a scrunchie while I sleep and while I love the benefits of a silk pillowcase I can find it too hot in the summer. I took my curls to the test by leaving them as-is and sleeping on a standard cotton pillowcase.
The next morningā¦ while not ready to get up and go my hair was in far better condition than previous curl products. As Iāve mentioned before, my hair can look greasy and limp on the second day. My hair did not look greasy and it wasnāt limp; it felt a bit coarse and was full of volume and just looked like curly bedhead. I used a spray bottle to wet down my hair, added two more pumps of LUS Brand Wavy styling lotion, and let it air dry and it looked just as good as the day prior.
I continued to use LUS and only LUS for the next few weeks. Iād wash and condition my hair every 2-4 days, the days in between would sometimes be pandemic IDGAF of a messy ponytail with a few clips or a headband, and other days Iād rewet my hair in the shower or with a spray bottle and add a couple of pumps of styling product to revive my hair. But I wanted to see if I could make the results even better.
Using a Denman Brush and Shampoo Comb for my Curly Hair
I kept reading in curly hair Facebook groups and on message boards about the supposed miracle benefits of using a Denman brush on curly hair. It seemed that using the brush on wet curly hair would help form clumps (AKA bigger curls instead of the little Kenny G-esque ringlets my hair is prone to forming).
I decided to splurge on a Denman brush. In the past, Amazon was famous for selling Denman counterfeits. Well, now Denman has an authorized store on Amazon so you can be assured you're getting the real deal.
Once I had the brush, I used it after applying the LUS (Luv Ur Self) styling lotion. I applied the lotion, raked it through with my fingers, and then brushed it with the Denman brush. Even with my hair sopping wet I could see how the brush helped the wet strands clump together and I ended up with smoother and bigger curls with just as much hold.
No need for a fancy method, just slow brushing from scalp to tips will help the curls clump up. If I want curls to go in a certain direction, I will take that section and slowly brush it with the Denman brush but towards that direction and it will help that clump curl that way.
You may also like: LUS Brands Gel Review
LUS Brands | Luv Ur Self All-in-One Styler
While I know LUS says their all-in-one Love Ur Curls styling lotion works best on sopping wet hair, I only had one bottle, and my shower is in a different bathroom from the one where I wet and revive my hair on Day 2-4.
I tried putting my hair up in a microfiber towel or t-shirt turban, drying off, and then heading to the other bathroom to apply the styling lotionā¦ and I found out that was too late. LUS (Luv Ur Self) works great on sopping wet hairā¦ on wet to damp hair, it can make hair feel heavy, gummy, and product-y.
I learned to keep the bottle of styling lotion in the shower so I could apply it before I even got out, making sure my hair was sopping wet.
That being said, the styling lotion works way better than any other product I've used with leaving it up in a t-shirt or “plopping.” With my last gel, I'd “plop” and after a half-hour end up with this weird wet yet dry, crimped looking oddness I'd have to reshape.
I was better off letting my curls drip down my neck and shoulders so there was good airflow so the curls could do their thing. However, with LUS | Luv Ur Self I can add product, pile up my hair in a t-shirt and leave it like that for up to an hour with no problem.
I found LUS | Luv Ur Self to be less finicky when it came to diffusing. With gels, I found if I moved my diffuser too often, if it was too hot or not hot enough if I wasn't angled just this right way, I'd end up with some wackadoodle asymmetrical curly mess.
It made me dread when I didn't have time to airdry before an event (hence buying the bonnet hairdryer which was used once and I positively despised and found it incredibly ineffective and possibly causing me to go deaf and ended up being Freecycled).
How Much LUS Brands Styling Lotion to Use for Fine Curly Hair?
When I started using LUS all-in-one, I used four pumps and it seemed about right. But after two washes, I decided to use more thinking it may offer more hold or volume or more of the goodness I was experiencing. Seven pumps was a bad idea; my hair was gummy and looked dull. I kept playing around with how much product Iād use for my hair that when curly is just above my shoulders.
I found four is good for most days, five if I know itās going to be a super humid day and Iāll be outside, any more is way too much. This will vary on the type of hair you have and how long it is. But if your hair feels heavy or gummy, you may want to try less and be sure your hair is super duper wet.
Can you Use LUS All-In-One Styler Without the brand's Shampoo and Conditioner?
Over the two years of using LUS (Luv Ur Self), I have played a lot with the products to see how they work with other brands. I've also changed my hair length and color and have switched up products to accommodate those changes.
At one point I had red hair which fades so quickly. I decided to switch out my Luv Ur Self shampoo and conditioner for Oribe for colored hair… and the All-in-One Styler did NOT work. My hair was so slippery from Oribe, the styler just made my hair look piecey and sad.
On vacation, I ran out of Luv Ur Self shampoo and used my daughter's Mixed Chicks shampoo with my Luv Ur Self conditioner and styler and it worked just fine. I have since them occasionally used her Mixed Chicks shampoo and conditioner with the all-in-one styler and it works, but I find over time, my hair doesn't curl up as well as it does when I use LUS Brands shampoo and conditioner. Essentially, once in a while will work but for consistently good curls I recommend going with all three products from LUS.
Is LUS Brands Safe for Color-Treated Hair?
I color treat my hair, and have been pretty much all my adult life. I go to a salon to have my hair professionally colored; my stylist is pretty obsessive with protecting hair from damage and maintaining color. Even he is impressed at how LUS Brands doesn't seem to make my color fade or change any faster than salon brands created specifically for color-treated hair.
Since switching to LUS I haven't noticed my haircolor fading any faster, my appointments for touch-ups are the same distance apart, and my hair feels and looks great.
After Two Years of using Just LUS Brands for my Fine Curly Hair…
Since falling in love with LUS (Luv Ur Self) for my curly hair I, of COURSE, had to mess with it. I went back to Ouidad, I used Hair Biologyās moisturizing collection, I used a protein deep conditioner, I used Hair Biologyās hydration mask, I used Ouidadās leave-in conditioner. I also tried out and reviewed living Proof's Curl Collection line of products.
The thing I noticed was that unlike with other products where if I strayed it was like I had to start at Square One and repair the damage I did, my hair went back to before with LUS (Luv Ur Self) without issue.
I also find I can mix and match products, and not be so obsessed with CGM-approved ingredients. I use LUS Brands with styling products from Ouidad, Oribe, R+Co, and Redken with no problem.
How LUS Brands is Different From Other Curly Hair Products
I think the biggest difference I found using LUS for my curly hair is there is no ācast.ā For curly hair folk, you know the cast is when the gel and products dry to create a crust or cast around each ringlet. Once hair is dry you scrunch the curls to break the cast and get soft curls. There is no cast with LUS (Luv Ur Self), your hair is soft from the get-go.
Also, I havenāt experienced the need to clarify or detox or add protein or chelate or any of the other things that curly hair enthusiasts have to perform every so often to keep their curls happy.
When I was using Ouidad, every few weeks my hair would feel not clean and Iād clarify by using some sulfate-laden travel-sized shampoo I snagged from a hotel room on my last trip. I have not needed to do that with LUS Brands.
My hair is less finicky. Rain, humidity, heat, cold, PMS, too long since a proper haircutā¦ my hair still acts the same. It may not lay as perfectly if I slept on it weird and it may look a bit fuzzy on the ends when Iām way past due for a trim, but in general, the curls form the same no matter what else is going on in the world.
Going from Curly to Straight and Back with LUS Brands
With the Curly Girl Method, I believed that I would never be able to do my hair in any style except curly ever again. One day with a round brush or a flat iron and I'd have to go back to the very beginning. I haven't experienced that with LUS (Luv Ur Self).
Sometimes I like going back to non-curly styles. I'll use my Revlon One Step, I may want to try a flat iron to see how long my hair has gotten, sometimes I just feel like a smoother style. I find that if I wash my hair with LUS (Luv Ur Self) and use the All-in-One styler and air dry, it will reset my hair easily back to curls.
That first day back to curly may not be my best, but it's not like starting over from scratch. And the second day of styling I'll be back to my original curls. I appreciate this versatility with LUS Brands!
Am I an LUS Brands Convert?
Once I was in my 40's, I analyzed the time and money I put into my appearance. I started questioning the benefit of keeping my hair curly, considering it required so much time and so many expensive products and tools. But I have found LUS curly hair products to be reasonably priced AND worth the money for the results and the time saved to try to achieve quality curls.
I keep thinking there is something better out there – I've tried Ouidad, Living Proof, Not Your Mother's, Hairstory, Davines, and more. And I likely will continue to try… but I also continue to return to LUS. I find it to be the easiest method to achieve great looking curls with my fine hair, the simplest process, the best value. All these years and I am still a major LUS Brands fangirl!
About LUS Brands
LUS is an acronym for “Love Ur Self.” Lus | Luv Ur Self products are vegan, cruelty-free, and free of sulfates, silicones, parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, DEA, mineral oil, paraffin, gluten, and synthetic dyes.
Luv Ur Self's products are dermatologist tested and approved, and the products are formulated and manufactured in a GMP-compliant and FDA-registered laboratory in Canada. Each product is also registered with Health Canada.Ā LUS | Luv Ur Self is extremely transparent with its ingredients and process, like shea butter and Irish sea moss.
Sahar Saidi was born in Iran and her family moved to Toronto in the late 1980s where she started 2nd grade. She went to the University of St.Gallen and got her MBA at the University of Toronto. Saidi launched LUS Brands because as a woman with curly hair, she struggled to find the right products and knew she was not alone. She wanted a method that simplified curly hair for herself and others. She was not a scientist or inventor, but still with an idea and drive created a multi-million dollar business.
LUS Brands | Luv Ur Self began selling their three-step method in 2017; in the first month, they sold only 126 units of the 25,000 units produced. Nine months in, LUS (Luv Ur Self) sold out of its initial inventory and was no longer in the red and the rest is history!
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My little sister has curly hair but no one else in the family has hair like it. She is really insecure of it and likes the curls but I know we donāt truly take care of it properly. She has sensitive skins, and thin curly hair. I do not want to mess her hair up at all before she even has a chance to enjoy it, but I want to get her something she really want for Christmas, so if I got her just the 3-step would it be worth it? Would it irritate her skin (aka is it sensitive skin friendly)? And are the tricks to making the product last? I know these are all questions I could google, but I want to make sure that the company isnāt influencing any answers I receive.
There is a scented and unscented version, I’d go with unscented for extra sensitivity but I haven’t had any issues and I have eyes that have often told me I can’t use certain shampoos if they get even close to my eyes. I personally think the 3-step is good but you want to do a test to see which formula of the all-in-one is best. The shampoo and conditioner is the same for every type of hair. I’d get the three-step and start with one pump of styler for length to bottom of ears and more as the hair is longer. No need to wash every day, she may find her hair is better if she waits 2-4 days between washes, just wetting hair and adding a bit of styler to reset curls. Also getting a silk (cooler but more expensive) or satin (warmer but more budget friendly) bonnet or pillowcase will help her curls not be tangled and messy when she wakes, making wash days spread out farther and less product needed. Finally, you can every so often use different shampoo and conditioner to eek out the LUS brands version. However, you want to steer clear of sulfates as they will dry out curls and make frizz. Don’t use a regular towel to dry hair; a cheap option is an old t-shirt and it’s my preference over a hair towel. There are videos for “plopping” long hair into a t-shirt turban to dry; since my hair is shorter I am able to put my hair inside the t-shirt and twist like a regular turban. Only use a comb or brush when hair is sopping wet; beyond that it will just create frizz. I hope this helps!
Hi, I am just starting my curly hair journey with Curlsmith which Iām not sure about yet. Some products weigh my hair down and not sure if they are right for more hair. May try LUS but donāt like their return policy. I am just wondering if you ever tried Curlsmith and what you thought of them? It is not easy to find the right products with thousands of products.
Thank you,
Rita
I haven’t yet tried Curlsmith; hope someone else will pipe up with their experience!
Based on your terrific review, I ordered the LUS 3 piece set and the very first time I used it my hair looked better than it has in years. Really, YEARS! I’m 76, have short, wavy red/auburn hair that I don’t color. I decided to quit blowdrying my hair a few years ago and have struggled to find a product that worked with my natural wave. LUS is absolutely fabulous, right off the bat. I shampoo every 3-4 days and dampen my hair with water on the second and third days, scrunch and go.
From reading the comments, I now know LUS carries a fragrance-free line, so I’ll be ordering that when I run out. Thank you so much, Alison. I feel like a new woman! Love LUS!
Iām a longtime reader but I rarely comment. But this deserves some feedback! I too have fine, curly hair that frizzes at the slightest provocation. After reading this, I made my first LUS purchase and I love it! The best part is that it dries with no castāwith other products, when I try to crunch up the cast, my hair immediately starts to frizz in places. But this seems to hold up well, even during a humid midwestern summer. Thanks for your detailed review and helpful hints.
Hi!
I’m still so glad you posted that initial review years ago!
My teenage son’s hair turned wavy at puberty so after your review, I bought him the LUS system to try since his hair was also fine and not dense. It turns out he has tight curls.
I didn’t want to use it on my own hair then because the frangrance bothered me but I recently reordered for him and saw the new unscented line so ordered some for myself and I’m a convert too. My hair is changing with perimenopause and it works well with my mix of textures.
Thanks Alison!
I started using LUS products in 2020 after Alisonās review. Iām 71 with color treated wavy hair, thinning a bit in the front. I love the products especially the conditioner and styling stuff. Like Allie, I sometimes straighten my hair or even use hot rollers on dry hair to change up the ādo. For 2nd and 3rd day hair, I add a bit of the styling product to a spray bottle and scrunch it in. I also love the LUS gel and add a bit to the styling product now. LUS for the win!
I began using LUS around the same time as you. I have long, thick, curly hair so I use a different formula. I have been rocking my curls forever because itās just easier. But after 45+ years of trying a zillion products, this was the easiest way ever. I do use the gel after the cream because Florida humidity is no joke. But it works. And it works really well. Even in my fully natural gray, color treated with purple hair.
I purchased this set based on your review and the fact it comes in a fragrance free version which is so hard to find. Thanks for the very detailed review which was so helpful in making my decision.
I ordered the 3 product set because of your review. My strands are thin and get weighed down easily. My hair is long, so I went with 4 pumps of the styler after using the shampoo and conditioner. I plopped it while I got ready. I let my hair air dry. I was not happy with how it looked. It was frizzy (I live in an arid climate) and looked like it needed to be brushed, which you can’t do with curls. So, not a fan of LUS. So far the only thing I’ve found that makes my hair nice is a small amount of Curlsmith Hold Me Softly cream. I pat it on my hair and then finger comb it through and then scrunch.
You CAN use other shampoos &
The reason you need the Shampoo with it, or how to modify.
I have fine, low density, low porosity wavy-curly hair.
I’ve been playing with LUS & I diffuse, so I need a little hold with gel or Innersense Foam.
I religiously use Virtue Labs Curl line S&C. It gives you 24% thicker hair immediately & does other stuff over a few weeks & after several months some density started to come back.
It uses ethically sourced human hair keratin and Regenerative based medicine.
You will have to pry those products from me.
Virtue is a gentle Shampoo, but it is not… a low poo. It does clean but is CG.
LUS styler uses Polyquaternium for various functions. Polyquats are cationic and cling to negatively charged hair.
This is not bad, but it can build up.
My hair has a higher negative charge so conditioner & lus clings more (i use less LUS styler) & low porosity gets build up more easily.
Anyway, the LUS shampoo uses c-14-16-olefin sulphanate as the cleanser, which is what is used in curly girl safe clarifying shampoo
SO, even before LUS, I would clarify weekly with Kinky Curly Come Clean, which uses this.
Now, I use my Virtue regularly, but I have been adding a pea of Pureology Volume Shampoo that has Sodium Polystyrene sulphanate (not a sulfate) in it. It basically adds foaming & some gentle cleansing but removes 25% more cationic product than other cleansers, (like conditioner or polyquats).
The 3-1 would likely build up if you didn’t use their shampoo, or clarify, or do what I am doing.
I Might get better results with LUS S&C, but I didn’t try them because of how amazing Virtue had been.
Also, there is nothing wrong with using olefin sulfonate regularly, if it is in a shampoo made for regular use.
http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2016/07/shampoos-which-remove-product-build-up.html?m=1
I have fine, slightly wavy, short hair and super sensitive skin. I cannot believe LUS offers a fragrance-free set of products! Wow! I’m excited to try this brand and sincerely thank you, Allison, for bringing it to our attention.
I have fine, thinning hair that is wavy when itās all sweaty. Since Iām having a hard time finding the products that worked for me in the past, I thought why not try LUS?
I ordered their 3 piece set. I immediately liked the shampoo & conditioner. While they arenāt giving me waves, Iām getting great volume. I used the all-in-one curl stuff once. Pass. Iām not into spending that much time on my hair.
iām also in a very different climate this year, & when winter hit I got horrible dry scalp. lUSās healthy scalp serum came out & I tried it. Success! The dry flakes cleared up & I was no longer scratching my scalp non-stop. After using it daily the first couple weeks I now use it as needed.
Iām also using their deep conditioner since my hair is so flyaway from the dry air. It doesnāt weigh my fine hair down or leave it greasy, which so many products do.
I may not be using LUS for its intended purposes, but itās working for me. Iām glad I found out about it.
I purchased the 3 piece LUS set based on your original review and I have never looked back! I had curly hair as a baby and like, you, it straightened as I grew so I thought of myself as straight/slightly wavy with some frizz from humidity. Enter menopause and gray hair, and suddenly I lived in the Land of Frizz. I decided to try the Curly Girl method, and learned that I now have wavy to curly hair, but boy, CG is work. I tried LUS based on your review, using the wavy styling lotion. Itās great! I just bought a set to gift to my curly haired granddaughter. I will also say that the big pump bottle of styler is the bombāit lasts for years, and my hair is long so I use a good amount. BTW, it seems stupid to purchase a spray bottle, but the LUS bottle is so far superior to other spray bottles that I highly recommend it.
Do you ever blow your hair straight for a changeup or a special occasion? I’m wondering how well hair responds with this product and an occasional blowout.
You had me at “wackadoodle” rofl. I’ve been sitting on the fence, I’m going to give this a go too – thanks for sharing your experience!!
Thank you for your wonderful informed review! How do I obtain your Code to order? I somehow missed that. I believe the 3 steps online are $64 & you mentioned $50.
My code is WARDROBE10 and thank you for letting me know the price changed. I originally wrote this in 2020 and have updated it with my experiences but didn’t update the pricing! Thanks again!
I have tried so many products and wasted so much money. I still have a ton of things to try – by EcoSlay, Scrunch It One and Done, & New Wash. My concern with trying LUS is that I see that “glycerin” is listed among the first 5-6 ingredients and I have heard that glycerin is a big NO-NO if you have frizzy hair and live in a humid climate. So, my question to the author of this article and other writers here is this: Did anyone see a lot of frizz after using this product? Does LUS offer free samples to try? I hate spending more money and finding yet another product that does not work. I also read that they have a money-back guarantee, but it appears that is the case – ONLY IF THE PRODUCTS HAVE NOT BEEN OPENED. WHAT IS THE POINT? Thank you for any help/suggestions.
I never heard it was money back only if unopened, I don’t see that anywhere on their site. And I don’t experience frizz and I live in a humid area (DC) but I have given up on following Curly Hair Method because I’ve found it doesn’t work for my hair.
I too use LUS, with my fine, thinning hair I have found that mixing a pump or two of the styling product with the water in my spray bottle allows me to refresh my curls easily without weighing them down or having to worry about over-applying product between washes. I currently wash my hair every 7-10 days in winter and 4-6 days in the summer. I LOVE LUS!
That’s a brilliant hack, thank you for sharing, Deneise!
Thank you so much for your detailed review! I also have fine curly hair and Iām hoping to revive it after years of heat styling. Just ordered the shampoo, conditioner and curl product (with your code – thank you!) and canāt wait to try it š
Your hair looks more like mine than any other photos that I found in my search for info on LUS. I appreciate your very detailed and extensive review and am about ready to dive in but one thing is holding me back. I don’t want to have sopping wet hair dripping on me until it’s air-dried. What if I mop up some of the moisture with a t-shirt or special towel and use a diffuser; maybe yes, maybe no, right? Also, I prefer to wait longer between wet hair days because it takes too long to dry. Can the curls be reconstituted with product without being wet?
Thanks for a really helpful presentation and discussion. Love the way your hair looks and the fact that mine seems so similar in texture, volume and curl.
I need to update this because I have a new cut that is far more friendly for leaving it in a t-shirt turban for about 30-45 minutes and even using a diffuser a bit. My cut is now a square shag with bangs and it isn’t as finicky but still the same texture. I hope that helps!
Yes it does help and the cut you describe sounds easy to care for. Thanks for the update, would love to see a photo!
Is there a better way to refresh with LUS? Also, have you used the styler with other brands of shampoo and conditioner?
I have never been able to easily refresh unlike many friends with curly hair that is thicker/more coily than mine. However, with LUS I have had days where I wake and all I need to do is use a pick to clean things up and I’m good for the day! And I have used other shampoos and conditioners and it works, but not as well.
I tried lus based on this review and love how my curly thick hair turned out! A winner for me.
Yay I am so glad!
WOW! LUS is fantastic! Thanks for the write up.
I’m 70 and have thinning, curly, silver hair. It looks very similar to your hair. I get dry cuts at a DevaChan salon every 4 months but the product line I have been using-InnerSense-was not giving me my best head of hair. I ‘shed’ a lot and the InnerSense suddenly seemed to be making that worse. I also found it too much fuss to use all the products recommended for fine, thinning hair. Even using their whole system, I was getting limp, stringy curls with little body and had to clarify my hair at least once a month. If I did not diffuse my hair with my head upside down to help get some volume but chose instead to let it air dry, my curls looked thin, flat and rather pathetic. Second day hair? Forget it. No such thing. Silk pillow case or not-I’d wake up with thin, flat, semi straight frizz. No spritz with water, scrunch and go-ever.
LUS makes my hair shiny (hard to get curls to do that!) and very full-and that is with air drying only. I have yet to use it and then diffuse. I got the unscented line and was happy to see that as an option. Right before I bought the 3 product LUS kit, I was seriously ready to say ‘eff it’ and get a pixie cut at my next hair appointment. Now I am once again enjoying my curls and can honestly say that I cannot remember when my hair looked and felt this good. For the record, I got the Curly line.
DON’T PURCHASE THIS PRODUCT!!!!
BUYER BEWARE. if you don’t like the product they don’t have a return policy. Really? I still can’t believe it. Who does not want to make a customer happy these days? Everyone but LUS has a generous return policy. That alone tells me how the owners of this company treat people.
I purchased all of LUS Brand products for wavy hair plus the comb and the water sprayer and the deep conditioning product. $125 AND NOTHING!!!
My hair looks NOTHING LIKE ANYONE, including you, in ANY of the videos or photographs on line. I tried using a little product, I tried using a lot of product, and everything in between. I’ve tried air drying and scrunching and diffusing. I’ve watch every video I can find from LUS, plus carefully reading everything on their website as well as on the bottles. NOTHING.
THESE PRODUCTS do nothing more for my hair than any of the other products I can purchase at my local drug store.
I have think hair, a good bit of gray, that has thinned over the years, as most do when they get older. But still a nice head of hair.
So disappointed in the PRODUCTS and in the COMPANY.
I don’t really understand your outrage as it states this policy clearly on the website. Did you contact them for advice on using it? I have found their advice incredibly helpful, they have replied to DMs and emails and have several video tutorials. I am not paid by the brand, but a fan who did check out their return policy as I do with most businesses prior to shopping.
From the LUS site (https://lusbrands.com/pages/lus-policies):
LUS Policies
Return & Exchange Policies
We are happy to offer a full refund or exchange on unopened products within 30 days of purchase. Please contact us first to initiate your return or exchange request.
PLEASE NOTE: All returns and exchanges require email authorization and are subject to quality assurance review upon receipt. If you return your products without authorization, or if they are found to be opened or used upon inspection, you will not be eligible for a refund or exchange. Please note that you are responsible for the cost of return shipping to our distribution center located in Toronto, Canada. Please contact us to initiate your request and receive your return instructions.
If you have opened or used your product(s) and have any concerns at all, please contact us. Some of our customers report a trial & error phase to learn the best application technique for their curls. That’s normal, don’t give up! While we cannot accept return or exchanges on opened or used products, we have tons of great resources to help you find what works for your unique curls. Check us out on YouTube or our blogs, or reach out for one-on-one support with one of our Curly Care Specialists. Learning to love your curls takes time (and practice) and experimentation (and practice) and can be loads of fun. Letās get started….weāve got your back!
I think they have trial sizes as well. Iām not a huge fan and I have the shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, wavy, and curly styling products. I donāt hate it but itās not a one and done for me. I think it has to do with your climate. I think Canada is probably not as humid as North Carolina. I feel that it will not hold up to humidity. The only thing I havenāt tried is air drying. Never been able to do that because my hair sticks to my head. Itās thinning, thin already, and almost all silver now. Iām now inspired to give it one more shot…glutton for punishment Thanks for the review!
On your recommendation I ordered the LUS regimen and I will never turn back. My hair is thin and curly too and itās never looked better. Because of the pandemic and my stylist retiring () I havenāt had a haircut in a year. I usually wear a pixie, but now itās a badly grown out pixie, but thanks to LUS , instead of an uneven mess, I have beautiful curls.
Love the review. I too have fine thin (and thining in amount) but loose curly hair, the longer it is the less curl. I usually just blow dry it straight since my curls become a wavy limp mess by the end of the day. I’m still deciding between the wavy or curly products. I do like to leave my hair curly on wet or humid days. The thought of not having to wash it every day is a bonus.
Great review! Finally found someone who has the same hair. Will try this product. Xtra love for it being a vegan/female-led/Canadian business š
So glad I found your review. My curls are just like yours except I didn’t get them until my 40s. I even style the same way..With the help of another product, my thinning top has gotten better and my hair is the longest it has ever been. But a year of not working and not fixing up my hair every day shows. I think I am going to give Lus Brand a try after reading how simple to use it is.
What do you use to help with thinning
what do you use for the thinning top?
Your review is fantastic- so thorough, with pics too. Thanks so much, I related so much to you, especially relating to your hair.
Thank you so much for this review ! I do have a question for you though (non hair related) , where did you get your “A” initial necklace ? I just love it!
It’s from the Canadian jewelry designer Jenny Bird! https://jenny-bird.com/collections/modernist-monogram/products/modernist-monogram-pendant-necklace-gold
My hair is fine and wavy only. I see thse products have shes butter and oil. I’ve had so many other products with these ingredients and they weigh my hair down quickly. I’m a bit hesitant to try these products because they have oil and shea butter both which seem very heavy to me. Would love your feedback
I haven’t experienced my hair being weighed down, in fact the opposite.
I would love to hear your feed back on the curly line. I know you have been using the wavy line and like it. I have similar hair to your fine curly. I would love to see which one you like better before I purchase it to try.
I don’t have any plans to try the curly because it’s heavier of a product and I know it won’t work with my hair.
You do not look 40 at all! I have hair similar to yours. I recently ordered the LUS Curly system. Are you still using the Wavy system? Do you have any idea what the difference is between the Wavy styler and the Curly styler?
Thank you! I still use the Wavy, from what I have heard it’s the thickness/control aspect which increases with curly. It’s still a pump, but I’ve heard it’s a thicker consistency.
Hi there! Thank you for the thorough and thoughtful review! I also use LUS products and have been for over a year now. Love them! Iām wondering if I can email you directly a few questions about the products. Let me know. Thanks!
Sure, I’ll try to answer them. alison at wardrobeoxygen dot com
Hi Alison I came across this article when researching Thin Curly hair and LUS products. I also have fine soft curly hair but tighter curls than yours and my hair doesn’t look as full as yours. I did buy the products in June or July 2020 as my friend uses them . I have always blowed dried my hair trying to make it look “fuller’ and hide thin areas but with the summer heat and always being active I just decided to let the curls rule. I brought the curly product and am wondering if I should try the wavy seeing that is what you use. Do you have a photo of how your hair looked when you said in the article that the curls were tight on your head. I would love my curls to look like yours.
Hi!
Iām considering in buying the products. Do you have to buy the shampoo and conditioner and the styling product? Or can I just purchase the styling product?
Im eager to try the product!
Thanks!
You can totally buy just the styling product but TBH I have never tried it without the shampoo and conditioner and doesn’t know how it works alone.
Hi, great review! Have you ever tried the LUS brush?
No I haven’t, but with my next order I am thinking of trying it and the rest of their products! Stay tuned…
excited for this review. I just got my first package of LUS this week. Hope my curls love it as much as yours.
I was wondering how long the products lasted for you before repurchasing? Thank you
I got them mid-June and this past week ordered replacements knowing I’m good for likely two weeks more.
Thanks!
Ha! Your hair looks very moisturized on all those pictures! I must try those products hmmm
Thank you for such a thorough review – Iāve been interested in both LUS and the brush….and you covered both. I was never sure what the brush was supposed to do. My hair is very similar to yours. For years Iād blow it out & majorly heat style. But the past 2 years Iāve been trying to embrace my curls & theyāve come a long way.
Oooooh, looking forward to trying this. My hair is thick and curly, but I suspect their curly line will work well for me.. I am using Northern Naturals styling products (another Canadian brand) which is really good, but I need shampoo and condition, so will try this now, Thanks too for featuring a Canadian brand, it is great to read about something and , as a Canadian reader, be easily able to get it too!
Love. Love. Love.
Iām ordering some tonight.
Thank you.
I am a curly haired girl…it was fantastic in my hey days of the 80’s, I hated it in the 90s and 2000s when everyone had either an Aniston shag cut or long straight hair, I cut it short to be more professional, I’m now 55 and just want to be less hassled about taming, trimming and covering grey. But mostly, I want my 9yo granddaughter to love her gorgeous, long, red CURLS!
This is an epically thorough review. This fellow fine-hairded curly girl thanks you! I’m going to give it a try!
It was the detailed review that sold me too!
Just did an order- if my hair looks half as good as yours, I’ll be happy!
I have very similar hair to yours, though longer. I straighten mine in a half assed manner most days. What do you think about the curl-memory theory… I like my hair straight sometimes and wonder if these products would be as good for me if I am not 100% committed to curly only. Thoughts??
There is some curl memory, especially if you use hot tools to straighten. It takes a few washes to coax that curl back each time. I’m not sure any product will let you switch between the two without using hot tools to also curl.
How did you find the scent? I’d seen this line reviewed favorably by a few folks but they said the scent was pretty strong and that’s not great for me.
I don’t think it’s especially fragrant. It has more of a scent than Ouidad, but not as much as say Pantene.
At 60, I still have the fine stick straight hair I was born with, and weirdly, I stay strawberry blond and my grays are not gray, they are just pale blond, which leads everyone to say, where are you getting those highlights done these days?
I envy your fabulous curls. We always want whatever we cannot have, right?
So true, I think of all the years I straightened my hair and was frustrated it wouldn’t last!
Thank you so much for this post. I canāt wait to try this new brand. I have a question about your haircut, which I love. It looks to me like your hair is layered all over. Is that correct? Are all the layers about the same length? What would I tell my stylist to get a haircut like yours? Is there a name for it?
Thank you so much. I LOVE your blog!!!!
My hair is all layered, I’d say it’s almost a box because I didn’t want it to be round. I don’t think there is a specific name for it but it is kind of like a shag. And thank you!
Iāve got wavy hair and have been using Inner Sense shampoo and conditioner for years now, but your hair looks amazing and Iām curious to see how LUS might work for me!
Iām interested in hearing more about the brush – In the past, brushing just pulled all the curl out of my hair, so I only use a detangling comb now – and then only on the days when I shampoo and condition. Are you using the Denman on wet hair to detangle, or only on dry hair?
I am using the Denman on very wet hair after applying styling product to help coax curls into larger clumps. I haven’t used it on dry hair, I think I’ve brushed my hair dry maybe twice in the past year!
Love your lipstick in the top picture in the black and white blouse! What shade is it?
Thank you! It is NARS ‘Pigalle’ lipstick https://shopstyle.it/l/bmlow with Fenty Beauty’s Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow over it https://shopstyle.it/l/bmlov
Thanks!!
I noticed your hair was looking great! Ordered.
I hope you like it as much as I do!
I am now officially intrigued! I literally just started my latest bottle of beloved Ouidad leave in conditioner a few days ago, which has been the best product I’ve found so far, but when I get low I am going to give the LUS a try. Thanks so much for this thorough review!
Ouidad leave-in is fantastic, I also love it!
So excited to see this review. Especially after finding I canāt use Hair Biology (the gray line has ingredients that are not for me). Another friend has used LUS and sheās never had prettier curls. And while (usually) my curls stay in check, anything thatās going to make the process easier and with fewer products is one Iām down with! You need a referral link.
There are referral links in this post, but they are the same ones any LUS customer has access to; I will get $5 credit if you shop and you will get a discount too! š
Thanks for such a thorough review. Do you find that the three products last the same amount of time or did you run out of one long before the others?
I think the styling product has been used more than the others, but I still have enough in it. I think it has been relatively balanced because it’s not the kind of conditioner where you need a whole egg-sized amount unless you have long or very thick hair.