Wednesday 7 November 2018

Gel as a Styling Product




When I went natural one of the styling products that was mentioned a lot was gel, mostly Ecostyler gel. You can imagine my frustration when I couldn’t readily find it in South Africa; this was about 2 to 3 years ago. I was so desperate I even went as far as making my own gel using flax seeds. I’ve also bought a few gels over the years including two samples of the coveted Ecostyler gel. However I’ve just realised that I don’t use gel.

Ever since I discovered that I couldn’t do a wash and go I haven’t felt the need to use gel. My hair has no discernible curl pattern and therefore a wash and go just results in a shrunken mess. The last time I tried it using flaxseed gel, even though the wet results looked very promising, when my hair dried I was left with a white flake-like residue all over my hair. I had to rewash my hair to get rid of it, very disappointing. The other gel I used just didn’t dry and all I got was a sticky mess.

I don’t care for laid edges or sleek hairstyles either; I have little to no baby hairs and my hair doesn’t lay. It just doesn’t. The one time I used a gel successfully was when I did finger coils. They came out very nice but were too time consuming and I’ve never tried again.



I’ve also used gel to enhance the definition of my twist outs or braid outs. I must admit I didn’t really see much of a difference, maybe I wasn’t using it right. I also didn’t like how my hair felt with gel in it, all dry and crunchy. Now that my hair is a bit longer, the only reason I do twist-outs or braid-outs is to stretch my hair and not to define it.

I’ve listed the three reasons I know to using a gel; laid edges, sleek hairstyle, and definition. So before I throw away the gels I have left I’m asking myself, am I missing something? Am I being left out of a movement? Does anyone out there use gel, and if so how?

Yimina ozithobayo

Snothando

4 comments:

  1. It's funny you're are writing this... Kade ngizama nami ukusebenzisa the wash and go look about two weeks ago, which came out like a hot mess. Maybe we are missing something, well I thought my hair wasn't long enough or fanele ikhalashane... Angazi.

    The videos on you tube abanye they apply all the required products and just run the fingers through their hair and boom curls.. And then there's me 🙄

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    Replies
    1. Lol, I think gel enhances what you already have. You and I probably have no curl pattern to begin with.

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  2. Hey Queen. I’ve had the same gel for the past 2 years 😆 which I fact was purchased by my sister, and I stole it from her. I do use it to sleek down my stray hairs and to get an “almost laid” look. It works if I apply iduku for a few minutes. That’s all I’ve ever tried to use it for...baby hairs, I don’t think I have them either so I don’t bother, I have never attempted a wash and go as much as I love em my hair normally takes too long to dry which is the main reason for my failed braid outs :(

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