The products were great on
"The products were great on my hair. My hair feels healthy and manageable. Thank you."
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A soft-hold curl cream that provides loose, soft definition without crunch.
Provides long lasting hydration
Lightweight feel, never heavy
Suitable for curl & texture types (Wavy, Curly, Coily)
Find your Curl Match
Hold Me Softly Style Balm
How does it perform across different curl types?
Wavy (2A-C)
Hair Texture:
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Curls (3A-C)
Hair Texture:
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Coily (4A-C)
Hair Texture:
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Great
Works
Not designed for
Not sure of your type? Take the curl quiz
Product Specifications
Product type:
Styler
Format:
Cream
Best for:
Natural-Looking Waves, Curls, or Coils
Feels like:
Lightweight, silky whipped cream
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Reviews
The Formula
Our mission is to provide clean, effective products that help you achieve the curls of your dreams. We’re constantly looking for feedback and finding ways to improve on existing formulas to deliver better results and experiences to our community.
Apricot Kernel Oil
Obtained from the seeds of the fruit, this light oil is seen as an incredible moisturizer due to its richness in vitamins and minerals.
Avocado Oil
One of the few oils that can penetrate the hair, delivering intense moisture from within.
Olive Oil
Known to provide excellent conditioning and softening benefits in hair care products.
How to use
1
Take a small amount of balm. Start with a dime-size per section and add up if needed - a little goes a long way!
1/4
2
Rake the cream through soaking wet hair, making sure you are evenly distributing it and coating every strand. Use the 'praying hands' method to smooth the strands. This helps sealing cuticles and reducing frizz!
2/4
3
Select your desired styling method (scrunch/fingercurls/shingle) to enhance and define.
3/4
4
Air dry or diffuse for a loose, soft style or follow with a strong hold styler for longer lasting definition.
4/4
Build Your Routine
Compare Products
Compare products and discover the difference to find which item fits your needs the best.
Hold Me Softly Style Balm
$28
Best suited to:
Natural-Looking Waves, Curls, or Coils
Benefit:
Cream
Type:
Styler
Format:
Cream
Awestruck Definition Cream
$32
Best suited to:
Medium to coarse textures
Benefit:
Cream
Type:
Styler
Format:
Cream
Overall rating: 4.574394 / 5 from 578 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
Hold Me Softly Style Balm is a light-hold curl-enhancing styling cream that provides soft, moisturized, and bouncy curls. Customers appreciate its amazing smell, great hold, and frizz control without weighing down their hair.
Summary topics
- Hair Feel (6%): It was reported by customers that this cream makes their hair feel incredibly soft and moisturized for several days.
- Curl Quality (18%): Customers keep praising the product for its ability to create soft, bouncy, and beautiful curls.
- Product Scent (14%): It was highlighted by customers that the product smells amazing, with multiple reviews mentioning that it smells great.
- Hair Appearance (8%): Customers raved about how this product made their hair look great and amazing. (100% agreement)
- Product Hold (16%): Many customers remarked that the hold of the product is perfect, great, soft, and lightweight.
Review topics: ["size","quality","shipping","feels","weight","improvement","deal","service","look","texture","results","works","light","balance","maintenance","use","base","softness","hair","curls","hold","smells","cream","balm","styler","definition","waves","curlsmith","frizz","buy"].
Review highlights
- "Soft hold, helps my curls stay moisturized, and my hair still feels touchable." —
- "It smells wonderful, doesn’t leave my hair weighed down or sticky and my curls look great." —
- "It provides a nice soft hold and defines my curls well." —
Reviews
I might be Curl-smitten
"Very happy. Light. Gently. Calm, not overwhelming scent. Gentle hold with just the right shine. My friend turned me onto Curlsmith, and I might be smitten."
Thin hair/Heavy
"It is a bit heavy for my hair even with just a quarter size amount. My hair is shoulder length and each strand is thin. I'll try using a smaller amount next time."
"After the first time using it, I could tell it really worked for my hair and it’s super easy to use. The instructions are very helpful."
"I love these products. The subscription option allows me to save money and time. It's easy to use and I can pause it if I don't need a product."
Amazing for thick unruly hair
"Hold Me Softly Style Balm is the best Curlsmith product I've ever used, and I like a lot of them! My hair is really thick and dry, and this made my hair soft, untangled, frizz-free and shiny. It took me a while to figure out how much to use as it initially made my 2b/c hair straighter but I use less with the multi-tasking conditioner and it's amazing. Highly recommended!"
Hold Me Softly (Blue)
"Hold is good. Smells like Tutti Frutti. Grown up fragrance would be nice."
Hold Me Softly
"This was the free mystery gift with my order, and I am amazed at how good it is. I normally choose firm styling products for my hair which can go very frizzy if I don’t apply any products. But this actually works, (as long as I use plenty of it), and makes my hair feel really soft whilst giving me great curls!"
Great New Addition to Wash Day
"I recently tried this styling cream and was amazed at the results! I applied it after my leave-in conditioner and followed it up with a stronger holding gel and my hair consistently holds its curl pattern much better in between washes. This is a great product to help keep your curls formed and soft until wash day."
Lovley surprise, used this styling
"Lovley surprise, used this styling cream after shampoo and was very pleased"
Q&A
- Is this Balm moisturizing enough to use it by itself, without applying a leave-in conditioner to my hair first? I am of African-American heritage with 4a-3c coils and curls (in case that helps) and I am trying to simplify my routine, but I understand if using a leave-in first would be recommended with my hair type! In all honesty, I have the same question about your other styling creams as well. Can any be used alone, or is it rule of thumb to always use a leave-in first? Thank you in advance!!!
- Hi Sam, Thank you so much for reaching out and for sharing a bit about your hair type — that’s really helpful! 💛 The Hold Me Softly Style Balm does provide light moisture and definition, but for hair types like yours (3C–4A), we generally recommend pairing it with a leave-in conditioner for the best hydration and manageability. However, if you’re looking to simplify your routine, you can absolutely try it on its own to see how your hair feels — some find it works well solo, especially on damp hair. This applies to most of our styling creams, though richer options (like the Curl Defining Styling Soufflé) may give a bit more moisture if used alone. We’d love to hear how it goes for you!
- Can I use this with the weightless air dry cream? I have low porosity hair !!
- Hi Nathalie, Thank you for your question! Yes, you can use the item with the weightless air dry cream. For low porosity hair, it's often best to use products that are lightweight and don’t weigh down your hair. The weightless air dry cream should complement your hair type well, helping to keep it hydrated without causing buildup. If you have further questions. Please reach out to us at hello@curlsmith.com and our team will be able to help you. Thanks, Curlsmith
- I got this product some time ago but not sure when I got it, maybe about a year and a half ago. I know it's good for 12 months after opening. Does this product start going bad a year after opening? I want to still use it as long as I can.
- Our products do not have an expiration date so will be save to use past 12m
- If I subscribe to the 8 ounce Hold me Softly Style Balm and the size I order is under $35 will I be charged shipping?
- Shipping will be charge for orders under $35
- Can this be used on hair that is not wet for refreshing?
- We advise to use on wet hair for best results - for refreshes check out our Moisture Memory Reactivator!
- Is this product color safe? I have highlighted hair.
- It is color safe!
- Is this color safe?
- All our products are color safe
- If I use this do I need the Oil in Cream?
- The Hold Me Softly Balm can also be used as a leave in condition, perfect for those with medium porosity hair