A client sat in my chair last month convinced her curls were broken. Frizzy by noon, flat at the roots, dry no matter what she tried. The fix was not a new styling product. It was changing how she washed. That conversation happens a lot behind the chair at Sølvi, so consider this our running set of notes on Love Curl Cleansing Cream from Davines, what it actually does, and who should skip it.
What it actually is
Love Curl Cleansing Cream is a low-lather cream cleanser. That word "cream" trips people up. It is not a styling cream you scrunch into damp hair. It is how you wash. Instead of a foamy shampoo that strips, you work a creamy formula through the scalp and lengths to clean gently. Almond and olive extracts do the heavy lifting, helping define the curl shape while keeping moisture in the hair instead of pulling it out. For curly, coily, and wavy textures, that gentler approach is usually the missing piece.
Why it earns shelf space in our studio
Boise is dry. The high desert air pulls water out of curls faster than most clients expect, and a harsh sulfate shampoo only speeds that up. We carry products our stylists genuinely reach for, and this one stays in rotation because it cleans without leaving hair squeaky and stripped. After a wash, curls feel soft and pliable rather than crunchy. Clients tell us their second-day hair finally behaves, which is the real test for any curl product.
How we tell clients to use it
Wet the hair thoroughly. Take a generous amount of the cleansing cream and massage it into the scalp with your fingertips, then smooth what is left down the lengths. Let it sit for a moment, then rinse well. Follow with the matching Love Curl conditioner if you have it. Because it is low-lather, you can use a bit more than you think without overdoing it. If your scalp runs oily, a couple of washes a week with this and a clarifying rinse in between tends to keep the balance right.
The honest drawback
Here is the part most product pages skip. This does not foam. At all. If you grew up equating a thick lather with "clean," your first wash will feel like nothing is happening, and some clients quietly decide it is not working and go back to their old bottle. Give it three or four washes before you judge it. The clean is real, it just does not announce itself with suds. The price is also worth naming honestly. At $54.00 for the large 16.9 fl oz bottle, this is a premium buy, not a drugstore swap.
Who should skip it
If your hair is fine, low density, or barely wavy, a cream cleanser can sit heavy and leave roots looking limp. Those textures often do better with a lighter shampoo. This formula shines on hair with real curl and coil that drinks up moisture. If you are not sure where you land, that is exactly the kind of thing we sort out in a consultation. Our salon services include curl-specific cutting and routine building, and we would rather match you to the right wash than sell you the wrong one.
The stylist's bottom line
For dry Boise curls that have been fighting frizz and flatness, switching to a low-lather cream cleanser is one of the highest-impact changes you can make, and Love Curl is the one we keep coming back to. It is not for everyone, and it is not cheap, but for the right head of hair it quietly fixes the wash step that everything else depends on. Come see us at our downtown studio at 104 S Capitol Blvd, or book an appointment online and we will figure out your routine together.