I get a lot of questions about Gel, most curly girls like the way gel leaves their hair but they don't like the crunchy feeling and the guilty pleasure that gel may damage their hair. I don't use it all over my hair because I don't like how my hair looks; I like soft, manageable, loosen curls, but in this post I will discuss all about gel and the best options for you if you like to use them.
The main ingredient in gels is a plastic called PVP; a polymer sealer that strengthens the hair cuticle to shape the hair. This PVP is dissolved in water or alcohol and form a clear film between each hair strand , attaching it to one another.
When gel is applied to wet hair, the PVP or similar ingredient absorbs water quickly. When the gel dries completely, it forms a fixed connection between hair strands.
Since the main ingredient in hair gel is water-soluble, if you want to refresh your style, reactivate the gel by spraying a little water into your hair and reshaping.
To remove the gel, shampoo or rinse with water to break the PVP's water-soluble connections.
The bad side.
- Since gel is water soluble, if it is rainy or especially humid, the gel might get sticky again or deactivate altogether.
- The alcohols in some gels can dry out hair. Since curly hair is already dry, gels with alcohol are bad choices for us.
- Gel builds on hair follicles over time, especially with everyday use. If you plan to use gel as your primary hairstyling product, you'll want to use a clarifying shampoo at least once a week.
- There are low-quality and high-quality gels. For this reason if you are a gel lover, please choose a High quality one and with no alcohols.
Here are some recommendations:
Camille Rose Curl Maker (review soon)
Size: 12 oz.
Price: $22.00
Ingredients: Ingredients: Dionized water, glycerin, pectin, coco nucifera(coconut )oil, panthenol, hydrolyzed wheat protein, equisetum arvense (horsetail) extract, urtica dioica (nettle) leaf extract, althaea officinalis (marshmallow) root extract, aloe barbadensis leaf juice , agava americana leaf extract, punica granatum (pomegranate) seed oil, oryza sativa (rice) bran oil, PEG-40, hydrogenated castor oil, xanthan gum, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), cyanocobalamin (vitamin B-12), acrylates/C10-30, alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, aminomethyl propanol, pheoxyethanol, caprylyl glycol, tetrasodium EDTA.
Karen's Body Beautiful "Hold it hair gel" (Review soon)
Size: 8oz
Price:$16.00
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Argania spinosa (Argan) Oil, Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose (Cellulose Thickener), Panthenol, Aloe barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Oil, Sclerocarya birrea (Marula) Oil, Hydrolyzed Silk Protein, Fragrance (Parfum), Citric Acid, and Silver Citrate
Curl Gel-les'c - Curl Serum/Gel, please click here for my review and details
Another great natural choice is to make your own flaxseed gel (a lot of videos about it on youtube)
or Aloe Vera (click here to read my recipe ).
The key is to read the ingredients and find one that fits you budget and hair needs..
What is your favorite gel?
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