MopTop hair products keep appearing in curly hair searches, and for good reason: it is one of the older brands built entirely around waves, curls and coils, with short, silicone-free formulas and a famously devoted customer base. But a loyal fan base is not the same as the right products for your hair. This honest review walks through the MopTop lineup product by product: what each one actually does, who it suits, and where we think your money is better spent elsewhere.
Quick answer: MopTop’s best buys are the Curly Hair Custard (defined, soft hold for waves and curls) and the Gentle Shampoo (a genuinely mild sulfate-free wash). The Leave-In Conditioner and Mongongo Oil are good but easy to overuse on fine hair. As with our other reviews, we evaluated ingredients, the brand’s stated specs, and consistent patterns in verified buyer feedback rather than claiming hands-on testing we did not do.
About MopTop: What the Brand Promises
MopTop was founded by stylist Kelly Foreman after years of working with curly clients, and the line is built on a “junk-free” promise: no sulfates, silicones, parabens or waxes in the core products, with the stylers also free of dyes and phthalates. Most formulas are also designed to be water-soluble, which matters if you co-wash or wash infrequently, because it means less buildup between clarifying days. The range covers the full routine: cleansing, conditioning, leave-in moisture, and styling. Prices sit in the mid-range salon band; check the brand site for current pricing rather than trusting marketplace listings, which vary.
MopTop Gentle Shampoo: The Everyday Wash
The Gentle Shampoo is the product most routines should start with. It is sulfate-free, lathers lightly (do not expect drugstore foam), and cleans without that squeaky, stripped feeling. In buyer feedback, the consistent praise is that curls feel clean but not puffy afterwards; the consistent complaint is that heavy product users need two washes. Our verdict: a solid default wash for 2A to 3C hair. If your scalp gets oily fast or you use a lot of styling product, rotate it with a monthly clarifying wash; our detox shampoo guide explains when and how.
MopTop Curly Hair Custard: The Standout
The Custard is the product people mean when they recommend MopTop hair products. The brand lists it as a medium-hold gel custard built on aloe, sea botanicals and honey, with a citrus kumquat scent, and it gives definition without crunch or flakes. It is water-soluble, which means it rinses out cleanly and does not build up the way silicone stylers can.
Waves and loose curls get clumping and frizz control; tighter curls (the brand suggests applying it section by section over a leave-in for 3C-4A hair) get softness plus hold. It also reactivates reasonably well with water on day two, which stretches a wash day further. Work it through soaking-wet hair for the best clumps, the same technique we recommend in our curly hair routine. If custards are too heavy for your fine waves, compare it with the lighter options in our best curl cream for wavy hair guide.
MopTop Leave-In Conditioner and Daily Conditioner
The Daily Conditioner is a straightforward, slippery rinse-out that detangles well in the shower, and the brand’s Curly Hair Cream sits between the conditioners and the Custard as a moisturizing prep layer for normal to thick hair. The Leave-In is richer than its name suggests: a pea-to-dime amount is plenty for most people, and using it like a styling cream is the fastest route to limp, greasy-looking curls. Fine and low-porosity hair should treat it as an occasional extra rather than a daily step. Not sure about your porosity? Our hair porosity test takes two minutes and makes product choices like this much easier.
MopTop Detox Shampoo and Co-Washing With the Line
MopTop’s Detox Shampoo is the reset wash in the range, sold in the brand’s own curly bundles, and it is the one to reach for after swimming, hard-water exposure, or a month of heavy styling. Between detox days, the line suits a co-washing rhythm precisely because its stylers are water-soluble: there is little buildup for a cleansing conditioner to remove. Our co-washing guide explains how to build that rhythm and which cleansing conditioners pair with it.
MopTop Mongongo Oil: A Little Goes a Long Way
The Mongongo Oil is a finishing oil meant for sealing moisture and adding shine, worked over dry or nearly-dry hair. It is genuinely lightweight for an oil, but “lightweight” is relative: on fine waves, two drops is a serving, not a suggestion. Coarser and high-porosity curls can be more generous. If you prefer a DIY route, our guide to hair-growth oils covers how oils fit into a routine honestly, without growth miracles.
Who Should Buy MopTop, and Who Should Skip It
- Good fit: wavy to curly hair (2A-3C) that frizzes easily, anyone avoiding silicones and sulfates, and people whose current products build up quickly.
- Maybe skip: very tight coils (4B-4C) may find the stylers lack hold and moisture weight; heavy butter users will need the detox shampoo more often than the brand’s gentle routine assumes; fragrance-sensitive shoppers should note the products are scented.
- Budget note: start with one product, the Custard or the Gentle Shampoo, rather than the full line. The routine works as a system, but the standouts carry it.
The MopTop Lineup at a Glance
The MopTop hair products lineup covers every step of a curly routine:
| Product | Type | Best for | Role in the routine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gentle Shampoo | Sulfate-free wash, 8 oz | 2A-3C, regular wash days | Everyday cleansing without stripping |
| Detox Shampoo | Clarifying wash | Buildup, hard water, swimmers | Reset wash every 2-4 weeks |
| Daily Conditioner | Rinse-out conditioner, 8 oz | All curl types | Detangling and moisture after washing |
| Leave-In Conditioner | Leave-in, 8 oz | Dry 3A-4A hair, in small amounts for fine hair | Extra moisture layer before styling |
| Curly Hair Cream | Styling cream, 6 oz | Normal to thick wavy and curly hair | Prep layer that boosts definition |
| Curly Hair Custard | Medium-hold gel custard, 8 oz | Wavy to coily hair wanting soft hold | Main styler: definition without crunch |
| Mongongo Oil | Finishing oil | Dry ends, high-porosity hair | Sealing and shine, a few drops only |
A Full MopTop Wash Day, Step by Step
Here is how the core MopTop hair products work together on one wash day.
- Cleanse: Gentle Shampoo on a normal week; Detox Shampoo on a reset week. One wash is enough for most people because the Gentle Shampoo is low-lather, not no-lather: massage the scalp with fingertips, let the rinse carry the suds down the lengths, and do not pile the hair on top of your head.
- Condition: Daily Conditioner, detangle with fingers or a wide-tooth comb while it sits, then rinse most (not all) of it out. Curls should feel like wet seaweed; if they squeak, you rinsed too much.
- Prep: on soaking-wet hair, rake a small amount of Leave-In or Curly Hair Cream through the lengths. Fine hair picks one and uses half; thick, dry hair can layer both.
- Style: work the Curly Hair Custard through in sections, scrunch, and stop touching it. Air-dry or diffuse on low; the custard sets as it dries, and fiddling is what breaks the set.
- Finish: once fully dry, scrunch out any set and smooth two or three drops of Mongongo Oil over the ends.
- Refresh: on day two and three, mist with water, pinch the flattened curls back into clumps, and add a pea of custard only where definition has gone.
The pattern worth copying is the restraint: this line is concentrated, and most negative reviews we found traced back to using all seven products at full amounts on fine hair. Pick the steps your hair type actually needs.
MopTop vs SheaMoisture and Cantu: How It Compares
Shoppers comparing MopTop hair products with SheaMoisture or Cantu usually ask three things: SheaMoisture offers far more lines at lower drugstore prices but formulas vary in weight and many contain shea-heavy blends that overwhelm fine or wavy hair; Cantu is cheapest and easiest to find but its classic products are heavier still, built around shea butter and stronger fragrance, a common complaint in sensitive-scalp reviews.
MopTop counters with a smaller, more consistent lineup, medium-weight formulas, and scents that are present but not lingering.
Verdict: wavy and fine curly hair usually gets on better with MopTop; very thick, coarse hair that drinks up heavy butters may prefer SheaMoisture’s richer lines; tightest budgets point to Cantu (patch-test the fragrance first). None of the three is objectively best; the match between formula weight and hair strand is the whole game.
Where to Buy, and What to Watch For
You can buy MopTop hair products from the official MopTop store and from Amazon. Marketplace prices for MopTop swing oddly — we saw the custard listed well above retail by third-party sellers — so check the price on moptophair.com before paying a markup elsewhere. Watch the sizes when comparing: most of the line is 8 oz and the cream is 6 oz, which makes per-ounce comparisons with drugstore brands less lopsided than the shelf prices suggest. And if a deal looks dramatic on a marketplace, check the seller: hair products are a common target for old-stock and counterfeit listings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are MopTop hair products good for wavy hair?
Yes, especially the Custard and Gentle Shampoo. Wavy hair needs definition without weight, and both products are silicone-free and rinse clean. Use less than the label suggests at first: waves are easy to over-product, and you can always add more.
Are MopTop hair products Curly Girl approved?
The core line is formulated without sulfates, silicones, parabens or drying alcohols, which matches the rules most people mean by Curly Girl friendly. Formulas can change, so check the ingredient list of the specific product before buying if strict compliance matters to you.
Which of the MopTop hair products should I buy first?
The Curly Hair Custard if styling is your main problem, or the Gentle Shampoo if your current wash leaves you stripped and puffy. Those two show the brand’s strengths most clearly and work with products you already own.
Do MopTop hair products help hair grow?
No cosmetic product makes hair grow faster from the root, and MopTop does not claim otherwise, which is a point in the brand’s favor. What the line can do is reduce breakage along the length, which helps you retain the growth you already get. For shedding concerns, see our guide to reducing hair fall.
How often should I use the MopTop detox shampoo?
For most people, once or twice a month is enough: after heavy product weeks, swimming, or when your curls start feeling coated and limp despite washing. Over-clarifying dries curls out, so treat it as a reset, not a routine wash.
Can fine hair use the MopTop leave-in conditioner?
Yes, in very small amounts, ideally on the ends only and not every wash day. Fine hair shows buildup and grease quickly, so a pea-sized amount worked through wet ends is the safe starting point.
Final Thoughts
MopTop hair products earn their place in a curly routine by doing a few things unusually well: sensible formulas, no miracle claims, and stylers that rinse out cleanly so your routine stays simple. Buy the Custard or the Gentle Shampoo first, judge them over three or four wash days, and add pieces only if your hair asks for them. That is how product lines should be adopted, and it is the same advice we give for every brand we review. Used together, MopTop hair products cover wash day from cleanse to finish.