Gel House Blues

 

Gel House Blues

 

If any of you grew up like me then the above picture should be very familiar and so should the stress of having hair matted to your head and flakes all over your clothes and personally I hated have big brown spots of gel all over my little yellow scalp. There was nothing I hated more about getting my hair done than when I saw this bottle on my mother's or sister's lap. Maybe, that is why I had such an obsession with braids growing up. Either way, it was liberating day when I started doing my own and never had to see this gel again.

 

 There are now so many alternatives to this gel and I know that most of our naturals have discovered them but for those of us who are new to this or are just still experimenting here is a little information to save your tresses.

The best place to begin would be with the why, as in why does this gel make our hair so hard and flaky? Well most of the gels we were using back then were alcohol based and when the alcohol and the water evaporated all that was left were the chemicals that were making our hair "stay put". Eventually it began to wear off and then we were left with the chemicals snowing all over our shoulders.

 

From Details.com

 

"Most gels, because of the amount of polymer in them, are considered to be almost an adhesive," says Johnathan Antin.

 

Luckily, through much education we have advanced enough to move past putting "almost adhesive" in our hair.

 

Ecostyler Gels



 

Krystal Eco Styler Gel

Best for Hair Types: 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4b

Perks:

· No alcohol

· no frizz,

· bouncy curls,

· soft,

· well defined,

· minimal shrinkage

· small price

Cons:

· takes longer to dry

· typically must use in large quantity

Olive Oil Eco Styler Gel

Best for Hair Types: All

Perks:

· no flaking

· anti itch

· contains 100% pure olive oil

· alcohol-free

· contains UV protection

· does not leave hair feeling weighed down

· small price

Cons:

· contains protein which may not react nicely with all hair in daily use

Argan Oil Eco Styler Gel

Best for Hair Types: 4a

Perks:

· no flaking

· anti itch

· contains Vitamin E and Omega Fatty Acids

· provides hydration and prevents shrinkage

· does not weigh hair down

· smells great J

· small price

Cons:

· can leave some hair types crunchy L

The last alternative would be the method I use. I am personally not a big fan of most gels, I guess I was traumatized as kid. But, I personally prefer to style my hair while wet so that it will set in the desired style or, I also like to use Organix brand serums with a somewhat heavy brush. I understand that not all naturals like hard brushes, so this may be a downfall to my method.

What products or methods do you use to keep your hair under control?