This is a long one, but a super comprehensive guide to gels! In my opinion, gel is THE most important product in your routine so you have to have the right one for good results. Download the chart I mentioned in the video here, and find all the video notes: genamarie.co/2023/09/are-you-using-the-wrong-gel-how-to-pick-the-best-gel-for-your-curls/
Why does it have to be so complicated?! 😅😅 I'm at the point of just using whatever i have because I've tried a bunch and my hair rarely behaves the same way consistently. 😅 I've learned to embrace a bit of frizz and prefer it a bit messy looking. In general, my best curl days are when I use a gel and a mousse over top! Thank you for such a well researched and thoughtful video! Its very helpful, and now I have some new gels I will try when I use up what I have! 😆
The most helpful video that I have yet to find about what gel products to use on curls. Everyone else was so vague that it wasn't helpful because that wouldn't tell me how their hair type would compare to mine. So, thank you!
Thank you so much for breaking this down! After 50 yrs of having curly hair, maybe now i can finally stop simply pulling it back and loving my hair with all that comes with curls❤
This is tremendously helpful! Trying to embrace my curls after many years of blowing it out, coupled with hair changes due to thyroid issue has opened up a confusing world of curl products! Your videos are informative and easy to follow. I love that you always list product recommendations, too. Thank you!
I feel like grey hair changes the whole porosity analysis. My grey hair takes long to get wet but loses moisture and definition quickly. It also hates protein aloe and flaxseed in stylers. I’m on the hunt for a hydrating hard hold gel that does not contain these ingredients. Any recommendations??
My sister has grey hair and I can attest to what you said. It's a different ball game entirely and I always had to use humectant-rich products and grease to make her hair. Some hard-hold gels do not work on her hair as well!
@@RutujaDicholkarthanks. I have this in my arsenal. It works well for a refresh. Maybe I should revisit on wash day but would need a very moisturizing cream underneath.
I’ve just tried …for the first time …the Quidad advanced climate control stronger hold gel. There is no humidity and the dew point is low but I must say my hair looks amazing for first day …slept on one night with hair up in scrunchie I’m impressed . I have low porosity course salt and pepper hair naturally wavy .mi was nervous because I did have a bit of wet frizz but dry there is no frizz at all. I was staying away from glycerine but so far so good… I will report again over the weekend when there will be rain. Thank you so much for the help!!! I also forgot to mention that I used kinky curly knot today leave in conditioner but very little.
I also want to say there has been a lot of rain in New York and the same combination of kinky curly leave in conditioner with the Quidad advanced climate stronger hold gel has been the best thing I have ever tried. Thank you so much for the help .I was scared of the glycerine but you said there were so many more ingredients that the glycerine would not have a chance to cause more frizz! Brilliant. Thank you 🙏
This makes total sense. I have all these hard hold gels but by day 2 my curls fall flat no matter how I style. When I looked at the ingredients none of those you mentioned were in them. Trying the Ouidad one out. 🤞
This is amazing! Thank you so much. So pleased I’ve found you and I love your product page search - I just hope I can get them as I’m in the UK! Some products are therefore a lot more expensive, but fingers crossed 🤞🏻 Newbie here. 40 years old and never realised I was a curly girl!!
I bought a lot of the products you’ve mentioned since I found you this past winter. I’m still experimenting , can’t say I’ve found the perfect combo for my hair type yet but when I do I’m buying a boatload so I can stop thinking about it !!! Lol
You’re so thorough! I am learning about how to wash and style my coarse wavy hair and battle my frizz, and your content is so helpful! The few times I’ve tried gel in the past it’s been a sticky experience, plus I didn’t know to apply it to wet hair!
I choose my gels based on environmental/climate condition, density, style option and my hair texture to choose my hair products instead of porosity because it can change at anytime.
Thank you for your great information! I downloaded your chart, I’m very interested in that. My hair is more fine, but high porosity due to coloring. I always hear that protein is needed for high porosity, but more protein in a gel makes my hair feel awful. I would appreciate any thoughts you might have. And I’ll look at your chart! Thank you!!
So helpful thanks Gena. I can’t hear this information enough, each time I watch your videos I learn something and after nearly 9 months of experimenting it’s sinking in. I have medium/course hair and I think it’s lower porosity but because it’s wavy/looser curl I still need stronger hold. I’ve found the Curlsmith soufflé the best for me so far. AG and Bounce curl make my hair feel dry so I’m guessing it’s the protein. I bought the Ouidad gel but I must’ve bought the lighter hold version because it doesn’t do much for me. I also want to try the Innersense gel. I have a very sensitive scalp and my hair gets build up so easily so I love the more natural brands. So lucky to live in time when there’s more options for wavy and curly hair
This is where I get so confused! Going by what your hair hates which for me is glycerine as I am extremely frizz prone in humid heat I am therefore high potosity? I have no dye in my hair, I barely ever try out heat as hover diffusing increases my frizz. I never pixie diffuse. I do every other trick to protect my curls. I spent four hours this weekend with pure argan oil finding & dusting split ends. I found six split ends. I have had two hair stylists who did not even feel my hair tell me all they would do was a crew cut as they said my hair was so badly damaged. One stylist told me my hair was healthy but she used repairing shampoo on it. She was the top stylist and didn't know about sulphates, silicone nor what a humectant is. She asked me! Today, I went to another salon for a chat she had a good feel of my hair, she told me it is not damaged. Any ideas Gena?
It would be really cool if you could add the same categories that are on your pdf graph to the pull down menu when searching for products that say have "Strong Hold" or "Medium moisture". Thank you as always for the good info.
Hey Gena, I think you should do a video on the new Define Styling Brush by Bounce Curl. It is supposed to be like the Denman brush only better. Thanks so much for all of your curly hair content.
Sounds like for fine hair, the advice is to go with what you like and what works for you. And for me it depends on the weather and how my hair is at the moment. At this time, I am trying to make my fine textured, coily hair have looser curls without being dry. (I had previously been working to keep it continually hydrated with creams and the more I do this, the curlier it gets. And I am tired of wearing my hair the same way.). Now that I am stepping away from creams, the frizz and fluff is of course coming back. Any advice for retraining curly hair without excessive heat?
Oh, I came across this video and I so, so need this! I have only been wearing my 3a curly hair au natural for the last year or so. Before that I bleached, straightened and tortured my hair...for decades haha I've been nurturing my hair back to healthy but Im still not quite there and trying to learn about all this good stuff, but honestly I have had terrible results with gel! I only tried Curlsmith (I think that was brand) and it flaked and elongated my hair strands to where it stretched it out to more of a 2C look which I don't want. It was shocker to me after doing Olaplex 3 treatment that my hair naturally spirals and is a LOT more curly than just wavy 2c where my hair looked brittle and dry and damaged and like I used a crimping iron if I didn't straighten it. So...I used creams and had better luck. I can't wait to watch this because with creams I tend to have too much crunch but its better than with gels. I don't know how people use more than one product as my hair looks weighted down and dirty if I use two things so I can't use much of anything. I've definitely had the stringy look as well and since I'm blonde, it looks like spaghetti but that was early on. I'm learning, albeit slowly haha EDIT: I have some of those products, like the Kinky Curly custard. I haven't used it because it looked so thick but I need moisture so after your vid I'm going to give it a try. I still don't know what porosity I have because it's mixed in front high in back low or medium.
Such a helpful video!! I had wavy to curly hair growing up, but years of dying and heat styling - I kinda forgot I had them until this summer when I started my curly hair journey. Work in progress and still learning, but getting more wave and curl now. This gel talk was just what I needed! Any recommendations for fine gray hair with high porosity? (Maybe bordering on medium porosity - not 100% sure.)
Thank you so much for the information! I never have understood my hair. I think I'm high porosity but not sure. My hair gets wet easily but seems to take a long time to dry. But the crown dries faster and gets frizzy... I may try the Ouidad . But you put a lot into this video that can help with figuring out what might help my hair...thank you!
I do like the Ouidad Climate Control. Still seems like I have to refresh a lot. I feel like I need something else with it for some areas, I have these short bangs that growing out and they get frizzier than the rest of my hair. Are you going to try it? What are you using?
@@bethallen7723 ohh okay I get you same my curls look nice on day 1 and 2 but on day 3 they’re so frizzy and lost its curl :(. So far im using Curlsmith styling soufflé, I really like curl smith products if you haven’t tried I would def recommend ! Do you think you have protein/moisture overload? Maybe that could be a cayse
Great tutorials! I just bought styler products of tre-lux my hair was horrible. I have high porosity and low density . The 2nd wash day I used it with a stronger hold of curl smith or Ouidad the red labeled bottle it was much better. It hold up to 3 days.
same here high porosity and fine hair. i used TreLux mad my hair a nighmare, i evn bouth the serum and follow the instructions. it didn't hold not even one day and couldn't refresh properly, i stick with CS and Twist
I use ouidad avances climate control gel is a red label! I have high porosity 3B hair... My hair hates Camille Rose Aloe Whipped gel and Can survive from Cantu Custard gel
My hair has always been very porous. Not damaged, it’s just its natural state of being. It’s also greasy and curly at the same time. Not a product issue; it’s always greasy. If it’s short, I have to wash every day-if it’s long, I can go 3 days between washing.
Very thorough and insightful! Thank you! I have been using Biologe Gelee, hold 3 for over 20 years. I prefer it for it's soft but hold hold. It has been a great gel for me. I am medium course hair. @genamarie do you have a recommendation for a competitive gel to it? Biologe recently modified their Gelee to a hold 2. They claim that it is the same formula but the ingredient list is different and the reviews from numerous long time users disagree. Therefore, I am not interested in troubleshooting the hold 2. So I am in the market for a new gel!
So how does everyone handle working out? I do cardio daily and get fairly sweaty, day 2 hair never happens for me because *gross*.. Does dry shampoo help it not feel disgusting?
Help…I can’t seem to get a gel cast 😕…I have low porosity (to medium maybe), fine and quite low density…I’ve been trying strong holds ie Ouidad climate control strong hold and jessicurl strong hold…playing with the amount from nickel to quarter size (hesitant to use too much as my hair is so fine) had high hopes for both based on past feedback you’ve shared on them…but virtually no crunch after diffusing which just leaves my curls way too soft to not end up frizzy with no definition within the day or next …especially if anything touches them…any suggestions?
Thanks for the video Gena. Do you also recommend Ouidad for the winter too? I live in the Netherlands is dry but extreme but mostly is wet rains a looootttt
Hi Gena. I am looking for advice on which oil I can use in my hair to dry detangle? I don’t know which to buy and want to start to detangle my hair dry. Thank you!
Do u use hairspray on your hair? Will a good gel or curl cream be enough for hold? I feel like I am using too much hairspray and would like to get away from it all together!
What should you look for if you have fine medium porosity hair and live in a humid climate? I have a whole lot of fine hair and live in SE TX. I have allot of poop but my hair is insanely weighted down when I add products.
Strong hold gels with humidity-blocking ingredients. Here are those filters applied on my shop: genamarie.co/shop/?swoof=1&product_cat=styler&product_tag=strong-hold,contains-polyquats
I've definitely been going through gel woes lately, so this video is a godsend! I have fine hair that is very healthy, and I only use the Curlsmith Shine Cream and the Shine Jelly as my stylers, but my hair always feels producty afterward, and it has that crispy "wet" look for a solid two to three days after diffusing. But these are super lightweight, so im like how could I go lighter?? lol. Not sure if I should just decrease the amount but I already don't use much? Any other gels you would recommend? The Jessicurl one sounds intriguing! If youre looking for any video topics, as a fine hair curly I've been trying out a few different spray heat protectants: The new Eva NYC primer for fine hair, the sun bum heat protectant spray, and the Curlsmith shield as well. Even the new Olaplaex Blowout Mist. The Curlsmith one is great but its super high protein so im a bit wary of it. Have you found any heat protectants that play well with Curlsmith, or any lightweight heat protectants you would recommend in general? thanks so much, Gena, it feels like your videos always come at the perfect time!! no fuss or filler, just practical tips and really helpful, accessible information.
Hi Holly, Sorry to interject before Gena has responded but I have had gel woes lately too so have been trying a bunch of gels. Many of them were Curlsmith ones with varied results. Today was around 20 degrees, high humidity and very windy. I tested the travel size of the Curlsmith Effortless Waves Spray. Even though I am 2C to 3B curls. It says the hold is about a two but it seems stronger to me. I got a cast. Once I air dried I went to get the cast out & had oil on hand but didn't use it. I tried Swavy Courtney's method where she smoothes the crunch before scrunching. I barely needed to scrunch after I smoothed as my curls bounced right back up. I was outside all day today, I got a very few flyaways due to wind splitting curls up which I easily smoothed with a dry hand. I got no frizz. I don't know how it will hold up the next couple of days but today was a very good day. Give it a try!
@@jih-pu4xe after what you said, I’m literally putting the Curlsmith Waves spray in my Amazon cart right now. Thank you for also giving me tips on getting the crunch out, I never considered this might be part of the issue. I really appreciate you taking the time to give such in-depth advice! I will definitely give this method a try!
No problem, I used quite a bit of the spray gel , around 8 pumps, which I thought may be too much but it was great. It was also easy to refresh with for the next couple of days on water sprinted damp hair. I hope you like it! x
@@GenaMarie and also another question if u don't mind but, what haircut should I have that can make my hair voluminous if I have low density curly hair? I have heard that layers are bad for low density hair so idk😭
Hi Gena😊Thank you for your very insightful videos. I have ringlets that I would guess are low to medium porosity and medium to coarse. (I guess I am playing it safe.) My hair is not damaged. I color the roots every 3 months or so and hardly ever use a diffuser. I work from home so my hair is air dried (it takes hours but not all day.) Then, I scrunch. I shampoo once a week or I mist the curls to refresh or wear a ponytail. (This is why I'm guessing I am low porosity, but because of hair color, thought may be more on the medium side.) How do I know my ringlet size? Also... I am gluten free and wondering if you have recommendations for us girls who have curly hair but can't use product with tons of chemcials/gluten. I have been using Not Your Mothers Gluten-free; AG Recoil and Verg Curl Foaming Gel. I do love my curls but I see that my curls look different with every use. I've been mixing Mother's with AG. I think it works for me. I used Curlsmith once my curls were not defined and frizzy. Thank you.
What product has a stupid high hold but doesn't leave a dry, rough feeling? The Ouidad in the red bottle doesn't provide enough hold for me but it does leave my hair feeling soft. I usually use the blue LA Looks gel (10 hold) but it leaves my hair feeling rough and dry.
Have you tried the Inhasi Line? I got the gel in a monthly box, and I love it, but it is out of my budget. Per your videos, I tried the Twist brand, but it did not work for my hair; I figured out I really need a thin gel but with a stronghold.
I tried the Ouidad gel you recommended and it worked well in terms of hold and shine, etc. but I woke up the next morning with tons of white residue in my hair. Never happened before with any other gel product. Thoughts on why that might have happened? Am I just out of luck on Ouidad?
I've never had that happen with the Ouidad Gel, but a few things that can cause that are using a cream underneath that isnt compatible, having buildup on your hair, or using too much. I always use a lot of the Ouidad gel and its never left a residue, so I doubt you used too much. It could be your cream or leave-in you have on underneath, or you need to clarify and remove buildup.
I have very high porosity bleached hair. I use protein shampoo, I use the Curlsmith custard gel but by day 3 I have unbelievable high frizz, hair snaps. Is this wrong gel to use
My challenge is that I have four different types of curls…in the back tight and corkscrew, sides loose curls, top dry and frizzy, lower back wavy not curly Can one product help?
I have wavy to curly low porosity thick hair. I need a strong hold that will help build the curl. I have been using Moroccan Oil Beach Wave Mousse and it works great. But it is being discontinued. Any suggestions on a product to replace.
has anyone else had a really disappointing experience with the ouidad stronger hold gel? i keep seeing reviews about it being long-lasting, but whenever i use it, my hair falls flat and my (wavy) curls lose tons of definition just within the span of a workday. it acts more like a light-medium hold in my hair.
None of the gels featured here do that and if you’re experiencing that, it’s likely because of previous buildup on your hair or the cream or leave in you’re pairing with the gel is not compatible.
I use Ouidad gel, but I don't know why my curls don't get cast evenly. Some are crunchy, and some are not. I try my best to apply evenly but same results. Some strands look seprated and dry and frizzy.
It's because they currently have 20% off sitewide, and my code is for 20%. When they have sitewide sales codes are inactive since you can't combine them. You're still getting the same discounted price if you buy during the sale through my link 😊
Either switch to using a thin formula gel, use less gel, and make sure that your scrunching it out once it’s dried. You don’t need to leave the crunch in your hair once it’s dried.
@@GenaMarie I agree, that’s the conclusion I’ve come to as well. Coarse hair has enough protein, it’s made up of protein. Fine hair has way less and can use some for structure.
This is a long one, but a super comprehensive guide to gels! In my opinion, gel is THE most important product in your routine so you have to have the right one for good results.
Download the chart I mentioned in the video here, and find all the video notes: genamarie.co/2023/09/are-you-using-the-wrong-gel-how-to-pick-the-best-gel-for-your-curls/
Hey Gena! Love your content! I was wondering if you could make a video on brushing (how often to brush, when to brush, how to brush, how often)
Thanks so much. I really needed this
@@amazzaleen😊
Why does it have to be so complicated?! 😅😅 I'm at the point of just using whatever i have because I've tried a bunch and my hair rarely behaves the same way consistently. 😅 I've learned to embrace a bit of frizz and prefer it a bit messy looking. In general, my best curl days are when I use a gel and a mousse over top! Thank you for such a well researched and thoughtful video! Its very helpful, and now I have some new gels I will try when I use up what I have! 😆
I agree.
The most helpful video that I have yet to find about what gel products to use on curls. Everyone else was so vague that it wasn't helpful because that wouldn't tell me how their hair type would compare to mine. So, thank you!
Thank you so much for breaking this down! After 50 yrs of having curly hair, maybe now i can finally stop simply pulling it back and loving my hair with all that comes with curls❤
This is tremendously helpful! Trying to embrace my curls after many years of blowing it out, coupled with hair changes due to thyroid issue has opened up a confusing world of curl products! Your videos are informative and easy to follow. I love that you always list product recommendations, too. Thank you!
I have 4c hair and most gels are too light for me .
Thank you this helped.
Some gels will say strong but don’t hold my hair !!
Would you recommend any brand? 4c hair here as well, Thanks
I feel like grey hair changes the whole porosity analysis. My grey hair takes long to get wet but loses moisture and definition quickly. It also hates protein aloe and flaxseed in stylers. I’m on the hunt for a hydrating hard hold gel that does not contain these ingredients. Any recommendations??
Ditto my grey hair hates those ingredients as well?! Being grey can have it's problems?! I have so many different textures/porosity levels going on?!
Try jessicurl spiralicious gel
My sister has grey hair and I can attest to what you said. It's a different ball game entirely and I always had to use humectant-rich products and grease to make her hair.
Some hard-hold gels do not work on her hair as well!
@@RutujaDicholkarthanks. I have this in my arsenal. It works well for a refresh. Maybe I should revisit on wash day but would need a very moisturizing cream underneath.
Check out my shop page on my blog because there are filters for aloe-free! genamarie.co/shop
For my 4c hair I buy two types of gel - one for clumping ( uncle funky and Ouidad) and one that I am able to use for slick buns like the jelo shot.
I’ve just tried …for the first time …the Quidad advanced climate control stronger hold gel. There is no humidity and the dew point is low but I must say my hair looks amazing for first day …slept on one night with hair up in scrunchie I’m impressed . I have low porosity course salt and pepper hair naturally wavy .mi was nervous because I did have a bit of wet frizz but dry there is no frizz at all. I was staying away from glycerine but so far so good… I will report again over the weekend when there will be rain. Thank you so much for the help!!! I also forgot to mention that I used kinky curly knot today leave in conditioner but very little.
I also want to say there has been a lot of rain in New York and the same combination of kinky curly leave in conditioner with the Quidad advanced climate stronger hold gel has been the best thing I have ever tried. Thank you so much for the help .I was scared of the glycerine but you said there were so many more ingredients that the glycerine would not have a chance to cause more frizz! Brilliant. Thank you 🙏
This makes total sense. I have all these hard hold gels but by day 2 my curls fall flat no matter how I style. When I looked at the ingredients none of those you mentioned were in them. Trying the Ouidad one out. 🤞
This is amazing! Thank you so much. So pleased I’ve found you and I love your product page search - I just hope I can get them as I’m in the UK! Some products are therefore a lot more expensive, but fingers crossed 🤞🏻 Newbie here. 40 years old and never realised I was a curly girl!!
I bought a lot of the products you’ve mentioned since I found you this past winter. I’m still experimenting , can’t say I’ve found the perfect combo for my hair type yet but when I do I’m buying a boatload so I can stop thinking about it !!! Lol
You’re so thorough! I am learning about how to wash and style my coarse wavy hair and battle my frizz, and your content is so helpful! The few times I’ve tried gel in the past it’s been a sticky experience, plus I didn’t know to apply it to wet hair!
Fantastic post!!!! Been struggling with different gels. Off to the bathroom to go ingredient hunting in my gels. Thank you Gena.
I choose my gels based on environmental/climate condition, density, style option and my hair texture to choose my hair products instead of porosity because it can change at anytime.
Thank you for your great information! I downloaded your chart, I’m very interested in that. My hair is more fine, but high porosity due to coloring. I always hear that protein is needed for high porosity, but more protein in a gel makes my hair feel awful. I would appreciate any thoughts you might have. And I’ll look at your chart! Thank you!!
Wow what a great video! This journey has been so confusing for me but you explain everything so clearly. Can't wait to try out some new products!
So helpful thanks Gena. I can’t hear this information enough, each time I watch your videos I learn something and after nearly 9 months of experimenting it’s sinking in.
I have medium/course hair and I think it’s lower porosity but because it’s wavy/looser curl I still need stronger hold. I’ve found the Curlsmith soufflé the best for me so far. AG and Bounce curl make my hair feel dry so I’m guessing it’s the protein. I bought the Ouidad gel but I must’ve bought the lighter hold version because it doesn’t do much for me. I also want to try the Innersense gel. I have a very sensitive scalp and my hair gets build up so easily so I love the more natural brands. So lucky to live in time when there’s more options for wavy and curly hair
This is where I get so confused!
Going by what your hair hates which for me is glycerine as I am extremely frizz prone in humid heat I am therefore high potosity?
I have no dye in my hair, I barely ever try out heat as hover diffusing increases my frizz. I never pixie diffuse.
I do every other trick to protect my curls. I spent four hours this weekend with pure argan oil finding & dusting split ends. I found six split ends.
I have had two hair stylists who did not even feel my hair tell me all they would do was a crew cut as they said my hair was so badly damaged.
One stylist told me my hair was healthy but she used repairing shampoo on it. She was the top stylist and didn't know about sulphates, silicone nor what a humectant is. She asked me!
Today, I went to another salon for a chat she had a good feel of my hair, she told me it is not damaged.
Any ideas Gena?
It would be really cool if you could add the same categories that are on your pdf graph to the pull down menu when searching for products that say have "Strong Hold" or "Medium moisture". Thank you as always for the good info.
How about trying bangs - I think they would frame your face super cute!!!
I love Biotera Defining Gel best...so far.
Wow Gena your amazing! Thank you so much for all the helpful tips!🤗
Hey Gena, I think you should do a video on the new Define Styling Brush by Bounce Curl. It is supposed to be like the Denman brush only better. Thanks so much for all of your curly hair content.
I’ve done a Short 😊 I am waiting for it to come back in stock to do a longer video
@@GenaMarie I can't wait to see the video.
I was JUST talking about this today to my coworkers! Thank you so much for this video☺️
Sounds like for fine hair, the advice is to go with what you like and what works for you. And for me it depends on the weather and how my hair is at the moment. At this time, I am trying to make my fine textured, coily hair have looser curls without being dry. (I had previously been working to keep it continually hydrated with creams and the more I do this, the curlier it gets. And I am tired of wearing my hair the same way.). Now that I am stepping away from creams, the frizz and fluff is of course coming back. Any advice for retraining curly hair without excessive heat?
Oh, I came across this video and I so, so need this! I have only been wearing my 3a curly hair au natural for the last year or so. Before that I bleached, straightened and tortured my hair...for decades haha I've been nurturing my hair back to healthy but Im still not quite there and trying to learn about all this good stuff, but honestly I have had terrible results with gel! I only tried Curlsmith (I think that was brand) and it flaked and elongated my hair strands to where it stretched it out to more of a 2C look which I don't want. It was shocker to me after doing Olaplex 3 treatment that my hair naturally spirals and is a LOT more curly than just wavy 2c where my hair looked brittle and dry and damaged and like I used a crimping iron if I didn't straighten it. So...I used creams and had better luck. I can't wait to watch this because with creams I tend to have too much crunch but its better than with gels. I don't know how people use more than one product as my hair looks weighted down and dirty if I use two things so I can't use much of anything. I've definitely had the stringy look as well and since I'm blonde, it looks like spaghetti but that was early on. I'm learning, albeit slowly haha
EDIT: I have some of those products, like the Kinky Curly custard. I haven't used it because it looked so thick but I need moisture so after your vid I'm going to give it a try. I still don't know what porosity I have because it's mixed in front high in back low or medium.
Such a helpful video!! I had wavy to curly hair growing up, but years of dying and heat styling - I kinda forgot I had them until this summer when I started my curly hair journey. Work in progress and still learning, but getting more wave and curl now. This gel talk was just what I needed! Any recommendations for fine gray hair with high porosity? (Maybe bordering on medium porosity - not 100% sure.)
Thank you so much for the information! I never have understood my hair. I think I'm high porosity but not sure. My hair gets wet easily but seems to take a long time to dry. But the crown dries faster and gets frizzy... I may try the Ouidad . But you put a lot into this video that can help with figuring out what might help my hair...thank you!
High porosity hair can take a long time to dry when you style with too much water or do not scrunch out the water
hii i have the same hair type, did ur figure out products that work for u?
if u tried ouidad did it work ?
I do like the Ouidad Climate Control. Still seems like I have to refresh a lot. I feel like I need something else with it for some areas, I have these short bangs that growing out and they get frizzier than the rest of my hair. Are you going to try it? What are you using?
@@bethallen7723 ohh okay I get you same my curls look nice on day 1 and 2 but on day 3 they’re so frizzy and lost its curl :(. So far im using Curlsmith styling soufflé, I really like curl smith products if you haven’t tried I would def recommend ! Do you think you have protein/moisture overload? Maybe that could be a cayse
Great tutorials!
I just bought styler products of tre-lux my hair was horrible. I have high porosity and low density . The 2nd wash day I used it with a stronger hold of curl smith or Ouidad the red labeled bottle it was much better. It hold up to 3 days.
same here high porosity and fine hair. i used TreLux mad my hair a nighmare, i evn bouth the serum and follow the instructions. it didn't hold not even one day and couldn't refresh properly, i stick with CS and Twist
I use ouidad avances climate control gel is a red label!
I have high porosity 3B hair...
My hair hates Camille Rose Aloe Whipped gel and Can survive from Cantu Custard gel
Thanks for another great video! I prefer the AG Liquid Effects over the Ouidad gel only because I don't care for the scent of the Ouidad gel. 🤷🏻♀️
Yeah they are so similar!
My hair has always been very porous. Not damaged, it’s just its natural state of being. It’s also greasy and curly at the same time. Not a product issue; it’s always greasy. If it’s short, I have to wash every day-if it’s long, I can go 3 days between washing.
As always, AWESOME FEED!! THANK YOU!!
Thank you Gena! ❤
I found this info very helpful thank you so much.
Very thorough and insightful! Thank you! I have been using Biologe Gelee, hold 3 for over 20 years. I prefer it for it's soft but hold hold. It has been a great gel for me. I am medium course hair. @genamarie do you have a recommendation for a competitive gel to it? Biologe recently modified their Gelee to a hold 2. They claim that it is the same formula but the ingredient list is different and the reviews from numerous long time users disagree. Therefore, I am not interested in troubleshooting the hold 2. So I am in the market for a new gel!
Thanks so much for this. It’s very helpful!
Very informative, appreciate the viedo as always.
So how does everyone handle working out? I do cardio daily and get fairly sweaty, day 2 hair never happens for me because *gross*.. Does dry shampoo help it not feel disgusting?
Thanks for sharing and very helpful
Help…I can’t seem to get a gel cast 😕…I have low porosity (to medium maybe), fine and quite low density…I’ve been trying strong holds ie Ouidad climate control strong hold and jessicurl strong hold…playing with the amount from nickel to quarter size (hesitant to use too much as my hair is so fine) had high hopes for both based on past feedback you’ve shared on them…but virtually no crunch after diffusing which just leaves my curls way too soft to not end up frizzy with no definition within the day or next …especially if anything touches them…any suggestions?
Thanks for the video Gena. Do you also recommend Ouidad for the winter too? I live in the Netherlands is dry but extreme but mostly is wet rains a looootttt
yes! I just use a very moisturizing cream underneath in the winter
Your hair looks amazing in this video.
Hi Gena. I am looking for advice on which oil I can use in my hair to dry detangle? I don’t know which to buy and want to start to detangle my hair dry. Thank you!
I'd appreciate a review on the TreLuxe' products.
Do u use hairspray on your hair? Will a good gel or curl cream be enough for hold? I feel like I am using too much hairspray and would like to get away from it all together!
What should you look for if you have fine medium porosity hair and live in a humid climate? I have a whole lot of fine hair and live in SE TX. I have allot of poop but my hair is insanely weighted down when I add products.
I have this exact same issue.
Strong hold gels with humidity-blocking ingredients. Here are those filters applied on my shop: genamarie.co/shop/?swoof=1&product_cat=styler&product_tag=strong-hold,contains-polyquats
I've definitely been going through gel woes lately, so this video is a godsend! I have fine hair that is very healthy, and I only use the Curlsmith Shine Cream and the Shine Jelly as my stylers, but my hair always feels producty afterward, and it has that crispy "wet" look for a solid two to three days after diffusing. But these are super lightweight, so im like how could I go lighter?? lol. Not sure if I should just decrease the amount but I already don't use much? Any other gels you would recommend? The Jessicurl one sounds intriguing!
If youre looking for any video topics, as a fine hair curly I've been trying out a few different spray heat protectants: The new Eva NYC primer for fine hair, the sun bum heat protectant spray, and the Curlsmith shield as well. Even the new Olaplaex Blowout Mist. The Curlsmith one is great but its super high protein so im a bit wary of it. Have you found any heat protectants that play well with Curlsmith, or any lightweight heat protectants you would recommend in general? thanks so much, Gena, it feels like your videos always come at the perfect time!! no fuss or filler, just practical tips and really helpful, accessible information.
Hi Holly,
Sorry to interject before Gena has responded but I have had gel woes lately too so have been trying a bunch of gels. Many of them were Curlsmith ones with varied results.
Today was around 20 degrees, high humidity and very windy.
I tested the travel size of the Curlsmith Effortless Waves Spray. Even though I am 2C to 3B curls.
It says the hold is about a two but it seems stronger to me. I got a cast. Once I air dried I went to get the cast out & had oil on hand but didn't use it. I tried Swavy Courtney's method where she smoothes the crunch before scrunching. I barely needed to scrunch after I smoothed as my curls bounced right back up.
I was outside all day today, I got a very few flyaways due to wind splitting curls up which I easily smoothed with a dry hand. I got no frizz.
I don't know how it will hold up the next couple of days but today was a very good day.
Give it a try!
@@jih-pu4xe after what you said, I’m literally putting the Curlsmith Waves spray in my Amazon cart right now. Thank you for also giving me tips on getting the crunch out, I never considered this might be part of the issue. I really appreciate you taking the time to give such in-depth advice! I will definitely give this method a try!
No problem, I used quite a bit of the spray gel , around 8 pumps, which I thought may be too much but it was great.
It was also easy to refresh with for the next couple of days on water sprinted damp hair.
I hope you like it! x
Hi! Did you have a video on how you apply your gels?
For people who have tried the umberto curl jelly and the twist gel, which do you prefer?
I think it depends on your climate. The Twist has humidity blocking ingredients, and the Umberto one does not.
I have a gel that's enriched with flaxseed and wheat protein, is it okay for high porosity hair? that's all I have lol.
Yep!
@@GenaMarie and also another question if u don't mind but, what haircut should I have that can make my hair voluminous if I have low density curly hair? I have heard that layers are bad for low density hair so idk😭
- dry frizzy
- don't last 1 day
- dry after day 1
- very sticky weighed down
- amount of hold
Hi Gena😊Thank you for your very insightful videos. I have ringlets that I would guess are low to medium porosity and medium to coarse. (I guess I am playing it safe.) My hair is not damaged. I color the roots every 3 months or so and hardly ever use a diffuser. I work from home so my hair is air dried (it takes hours but not all day.) Then, I scrunch. I shampoo once a week or I mist the curls to refresh or wear a ponytail. (This is why I'm guessing I am low porosity, but because of hair color, thought may be more on the medium side.) How do I know my ringlet size? Also...
I am gluten free and wondering if you have recommendations for us girls who have curly hair but can't use product with tons of chemcials/gluten. I have been using Not Your Mothers Gluten-free; AG Recoil and Verg Curl Foaming Gel. I do love my curls but I see that my curls look different with every use. I've been mixing Mother's with AG. I think it works for me. I used Curlsmith once my curls were not defined and frizzy.
Thank you.
What product has a stupid high hold but doesn't leave a dry, rough feeling? The Ouidad in the red bottle doesn't provide enough hold for me but it does leave my hair feeling soft. I usually use the blue LA Looks gel (10 hold) but it leaves my hair feeling rough and dry.
Has anyone tired bee girl hair gel I love ❤️ it
Have you tried the Inhasi Line? I got the gel in a monthly box, and I love it, but it is out of my budget. Per your videos, I tried the Twist brand, but it did not work for my hair; I figured out I really need a thin gel but with a stronghold.
I need to try it! I have a sample of it as well from Curls Monthly. I keep forgetting to try the minis but will try to soon
I tried the Ouidad gel you recommended and it worked well in terms of hold and shine, etc. but I woke up the next morning with tons of white residue in my hair. Never happened before with any other gel product. Thoughts on why that might have happened? Am I just out of luck on Ouidad?
I've never had that happen with the Ouidad Gel, but a few things that can cause that are using a cream underneath that isnt compatible, having buildup on your hair, or using too much. I always use a lot of the Ouidad gel and its never left a residue, so I doubt you used too much. It could be your cream or leave-in you have on underneath, or you need to clarify and remove buildup.
Ty!😊
thank you
I have very high porosity bleached hair. I use protein shampoo, I use the Curlsmith custard gel but by day 3 I have unbelievable high frizz, hair snaps. Is this wrong gel to use
My challenge is that I have four different types of curls…in the back tight and corkscrew, sides loose curls, top dry and frizzy, lower back wavy not curly Can one product help?
Yes! Curl pattern doesn’t matter when it comes to picking products. It’s more about the texture and porosity.
I have wavy to curly low porosity thick hair. I need a strong hold that will help build the curl. I have been using Moroccan Oil Beach Wave Mousse and it works great. But it is being discontinued. Any suggestions on a product to replace.
I'm from West Bengal can anyone suggest best gel for my high porosity 2b type hair??
Which gel would you recommend for high humidity weather? I feel that nothing can stop the frizz 😢
The Ouidad one I shared, then I would add a hairspray for extra protection if you’re in very high humidity
has anyone else had a really disappointing experience with the ouidad stronger hold gel? i keep seeing reviews about it being long-lasting, but whenever i use it, my hair falls flat and my (wavy) curls lose tons of definition just within the span of a workday. it acts more like a light-medium hold in my hair.
I tried it and it only holds my curls for one day. The results were dissapoint8ng. No volume, flat and the curls unravel in a day.
Can I use only gel and then oil when is dry ? or I can feel more cast if I do not have a cream under iit?
My hair is way too soft, it falls out completely within hours 😂
What are humidity blocking ingredients we can look for?
I listed them in the video in text and on the blog post
Is there any gel that doesn't leave product buildup? The white stuff that looks chalky.
None of the gels featured here do that and if you’re experiencing that, it’s likely because of previous buildup on your hair or the cream or leave in you’re pairing with the gel is not compatible.
I had buildup with the Briogeo Curl Charisma gel. But I will try out one of your gel recommendations. Thanks for responding.
Off topic but ❤ your nail polish 😊 and wondering what it was?
Thank you! It's a gel polish that I use with a UV light but it also comes with a regular polish in the set: amzn.to/45S0wpu
I use Ouidad gel, but I don't know why my curls don't get cast evenly. Some are crunchy, and some are not. I try my best to apply evenly but same results. Some strands look seprated and dry and frizzy.
Curious if you brush style after applying products? That should ensure even application and better results 😊
I tried to order the AG, but it wouldn't take the discount code. 😟. Well now um not sure thats what I need.
It's because they currently have 20% off sitewide, and my code is for 20%. When they have sitewide sales codes are inactive since you can't combine them. You're still getting the same discounted price if you buy during the sale through my link 😊
I use a thick gel and my hair feels very crunchy 😢 and not soft, what can I do?
Either switch to using a thin formula gel, use less gel, and make sure that your scrunching it out once it’s dried. You don’t need to leave the crunch in your hair once it’s dried.
My curls seem fine except for one section which tends to frizz. Should I find a second gel for that one section?
Yes I would use a 2nd gel in that section. I’ve seen people use different products in different sections according to the results they’re looking for😊
My gel says strong hold 😅 and does not give any
Is mousse an okay substitute for gel?
Yes, it can give similar hold. Only downside is it doesnt provide slip therefore you can get more tangles and refreshing is not as easy
If coarse hair is colored, it needs some protein, I've found.
I don’t know what my type is 🤷♀️🤔.
🤔🤔🤔I don’t which one I am. L
You lost me when you said low porosity hair should avoid protein! My fine, high density, low porosity hair LOVES protein.
It’s likely because it is also fine 🤗 fine hair usually does well with protein. It’s low porosity and coarse that should overall avoid it. ❤️
@@GenaMarie I agree, that’s the conclusion I’ve come to as well. Coarse hair has enough protein, it’s made up of protein. Fine hair has way less and can use some for structure.
This all to much it’s confusing to me.