Most of the time, my hair is a coily bundle of joy as long as I properly hydrate and dangle it. Since my hair is color-treated, I was surprised to find my curls were low porosity rather than high porosity like many chemically treated curls and coils. Despite its tight curls and density, my hair doesn’t require much. Good cleansers, protein treatments, deep conditioners, leave-ins, creams, and gels work best. I know what you’re thinking—she listed a lot of products. You know how hard it is to learn what your coils need to thrive if you have natural curls. You know if you know.

As I applied the activator to soaking wet hair in the shower over my leave-in, I was pleasantly surprised that it glided easily through my curls. Since my hair is low porosity, I applied it over my leave-in on top.

The brand’s signature curl-creating complex provides nourishing, strengthening results with this curl activator tube. Rice amino acids hydrate, strengthen, fight frizz, and help curly hair do its thing. Using bio-fermented tomato fruit extract, the complex seals the hair cuticle and promotes curls. Additionally, the activator contains sodium PCA, a humectant found naturally in the skin, herbal extracts (chamomile, wild cherry bark extract, hops, nettle, rosemary leaf, and sage leaf) to soothe the scalp, and silk and keratin proteins to help moisturize, strengthen, and enhance elasticity and shine.

The next morning, my freshly co-washed hair was still damp (as I expected), so I diffused it using my Dyson hairdryer on low heat and power. Instead of setting it under the dryer, I plopped it on a silk scrunchie and scarf just before bed. As well as having great definition, my curls also stayed frizz-free—partly because I have learned to avoid touching my hair while it dries. Instead of touching my curls, I shook them and turned my head upside down continuously until my hair was completely dry. My curls looked hydrated, defined, and fluffy when I did this. Despite AG’s note on its website that this product has a curl and hold factor of three out of five stars, they didn’t fare well overnight. As someone with coily hair, I need products that have a stronghold and weight, so this is not a product I could use as a stand-alone, even though I love its hydration and definition.