Natural hair has evolved so much over the last few years. It has become a huge community of people that are intent on finding out more about their natural hair.
Those of us with curly hair are continuously looking for new ways and new things to do with our hair as we can finally see how versatile it actually is.
The versatility has even ventured into the area of gel for natural hair.
Never before did we think that gel could work and make our naturally curly hair look even more beautiful.
When you use gel in your hair the options are endless but how exactly can you use gel for your natural hair?
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The best gel for 4 natural hairstyles
1. Keeping those edges laid
Gel can be used to keep your edges laid. It may not be every day that you want to keep those edges laid but you do want something that will work really well in your hair and not turn flakey and white as the day goes on.
Having your edges laid can really make the difference to your overall hairstyle. It’s similar to picking the perfect shoes to go with your already dope outfit.
You want to pick a gel that will keep your hair nicely laid and that can shape those baby hairs into a nice pattern.
I would recommend:
Moco De Gorila Gel Extreme Hold
This gel is perfect if you want your hairstyle to last all day long. It will last through all weather conditions so you won’t need to worry about your hair getting wet and the gel melting all down your face.
It is also a residue-free formula so your hair should not be left feeling sticky afterwards.
2. The perfect wash and go
Wash and goes are fairly easy to create. They can leave your hair really curl defined and bouncy. Wash and goes are a great go-to hairstyle for those of us with natural hair.
In order to get that perfect wash and go hairstyle, you’ll want to pick the perfect gel. One that will clump your curls together nicely and won’t leave your hair feeling dry and hard.
The best gel for your natural hair would be Kinky Curly Curling custard
If you don’t want your hair bogged down with too much product then this could be the one for you.
The gel is really light and you only need to use a very small amount for it to be effective. For this reason, I would say its best to experiment a little with it first to see how much or how little of it you should be using.
A lot will depend on the type of hair that you have as well.
The only thing that I would say about this gel is not to mix it with any other products. It could leave you with white bits all over your hair.
Less is definitely more when it comes to achieving that wash and go look.
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3. Twist out heaven
Who doesn’t love a twist out? It’s a simple style that can last you days.
Some people prefer not to use a gel when it comes to a twist out and that’s fine but for some people adding a little gel can help to make your twist out last a little bit longer and make the curls more defined.
If you haven’t tried a twist out with gel yet then I would recommend you try Aunt Jackie’s Don’t Shrink Flaxseed Elongating Curling Gel
This gel will help to keep your curls stretched and is rich in omega fatty acids which is perfect for your natural hair.
If you really don’t like shop bought gel you can always make your own using flaxseeds here.
4. The sleek bun look
We all love a sleek looking bun from time to time and my all-time favourite gel to achieve this has to be the Eco styler gel.
Eco styler gel leaves no flakes and gets the job done. My hair is never left feeling dry when I use this gel.
If you haven’t tried it yet I highly recommend it, it’s great for slicking back natural hair.
Is gel bad for natural hair?
Gel is only bad for your hair if you pick the wrong type.
Some gels contain things like alcohol and parabens which can be harmful and drying to your hair in the long run. You’ll want to stay away from these. There are some alcohol types that do not harm your hairs so you will want to be able to recognise the difference between them.
Try to look for products that are as natural as possible as these will not be harmful to your hair.
It’s worth investing a bit of time into being able to understand the ingredients listed on natural hair products.
Can gel grow your natural hair?
So far I have not come across anything that states that gel can grow your hair.
Just be sure to make sure you are doing the basic maintenance on your hair by keeping it as healthy as possible and it should grow.
It’s highly unlikely that a particular product will cause your hair to grow more than it already is.
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Alternatives to natural hair gel
If you are not a fan of gel for natural hair at all there are a few alternatives on the market that you can try.
Some alternative products are mousses, butters, and pastes.
Here are a selection of alternate products that you can try:
1.Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie
3. Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Control Paste
Final thoughts on using gel for natural hair
If you have natural hair then using gel can really open up a lot of new ways for you to experiment with your hair.
Finding out what works is always going to be a lot of trial and error but you will soon reap the benefits of it.
