Mulling over which oil might be better for my 4C curls, a product war upended my once collected thoughts. Olive oil and coconut oil began fighting a battle for real estate in my curly girl product collection. Sure – all is fair in love and war, but I’ve experienced benefits from both of these moisturizing oils.
So when it comes to styling products that feature both, how could I possibly choose between them?
The fine folks at Ampro Gel helped me out by asking me to try not one, but two of their gels that feature none other than my beloved olive and coconut oils: the Ampro Pro Styl Olive Oil Gel and the Ampro Pro Styl Clear Ice Coconut Oil Styling Gel. If you know anything about gels, you know that Ampro is among the most praised and has been a NaturallyCurly community favorite for several years. Now what you may not know is that all of Ampro’s alcohol-free styling gels are fantastic for coily girls looking for products that don’t leave residue on curls, won’t dry out and will never flake off during the day.
I felt compelled to tell you about how both of these gels helped me kill the crunch. This Ampro-sponsored post is brought to you by people who know that styling products for curly women and men of the world can do a whole lot more than just hold your ‘do in place, but keep curls moisturized and looking super fly all day long.
A Tale of Two Gels
Beauty stores across the country showcase an array of curly hair products, and in my experience there are two clear-cut types of gels:
- Those that work well enough to offer enough hold for cute, yet sleek looks for work and happy hour
- Those that don’t work as well as you expect them to, flaking and crunch crunch crunching when dry!
As it turns out, these gels I tried are neither.
They both stand alone in their curl styling benefits, and yet both have become staples in the natural hair community. After using both over a few days, I can definitely see why.
Clear Ice Coconut Oil Styling Gel: The Gel That Refuses to Flake on You
It’s becoming more and more difficult to find products that actually do what their product label says they’re going to do. That’s why, even as a pretty well-researched product junkie, I always go into the application process with a grain of salt. That being said, I’ve found a foolproof way to test products on my 4C curls: the trusted wash-n-go.
This simple test evidences to me whether or not a product works well for my curl pattern. Most importantly, it shows indications of the product’s ingredient integrity (e.g., does moisture last all day, will my curls stay defined after a few hours, etc.“>. So even though I’m going into this test knowing full well that I might end up looking like I’ve done absolutely nothing to my curls, it’s the best way for me to know whether or not I’ll keep a product in my Holy Grail collection.
When Ampro’s coconut oil gel was introduced to me, I hypothesized that because it has coconut oil in it, my curls would soak it up and would dry without seeing one gel-induced flake. To quell my curiosity about the product, I wore it all day at work and was not one bit surprised: this gel works!
What I liked the most about this styling gel was that it gave me lasting hold throughout the day. Sometimes I wear a satin scarf, tied into a headband, which helps me give the illusion of bangs (pictured below”>. I like to either finger coil or plait the front of my hair, using gel to hold and set the shape. This coconut oil styling gel definitely did that, and absolutely refused to flake once it had throughly dried. Color me impressed!
If you like a gel that will hold your style and smells absolutely divine, you’re going to need to get yourself a tub of the good stuff. For those of us that definitely hate using gels that flake on our curls, the Ampro Pro Styl Coconut Oil Gel is going to be your go-to styler for years to come.
Now, take a look at what happened when I used the coconut oil gel’s sister product in my hair.
Olive Oil Gel: The Gel That Refuses to Quit
A little backstory on my strong affinity for Ampro Pro Styl Olive Oil Gel: I live with a professional hair stylist. Beyond that, she’s my most trusted curlfriend because she knows that I really, really, really love trying new products for my 4Cs. She can also read ingredients and tell me if certain products will work for my texture.
Several moons ago, she came home with with a box full of gel. Wouldn’t you know it, they were tubs of Ampro gel – all of the olive oil variety. She unloaded them on me and said, “Oh, yeah! I figured you’d really like this gel-it smells soooo good.”
Being a hardcore product junkie, I said, “Cool. Thanks!” and slinked off into my room. I immediately dipped my hands into a vat of the green stuff, lifted the gel to my nose for a brief sniff (yes, it smells lovely”>, and methodically finger curled sections of hair until I was satisfied.
Yes, it was love at first edge lay down… and still is.
If you haven’t tried it yet and aren’t sensitive to product dyes or proteins, I just know you’re going to love it! You’ll be amazed how much this olive oil gel can change the look and feel of styled hair. What I love the most about this gel-that I’ve been using for a cool 4 months now-is that it doesn’t make your curls crunchy! It makes them soft, manageable, and holds them in place. If you have springy coils that have a hard time retaining moisture and have a mind of their own, I 100% recommend using Ampro Pro Styl Olive Oil Gel. Its light hold is perfect for styles that don’t require that much hold and for locking in moisture.
Why is this stuff so good?
Needing more information about why Ampro Gels are so effective at killing that crunchy feeling curls can get after products are applied, Naturally Curly reached out to the Ampro office and connected with Camille Wright, Ampro Gel’s Vice President of Public Relations and Social Networking. We wanted to get a little more insight from the source, so here’s what she told us:
“Our Coconut Oil Gel is protein free, paraben free, sulfate free and free of dyes versus the Olive Oil Gel – which is an awesome product, but more traditionally made,” Mrs. Wright said, “Both are free of alcohol and parabens, both are of the most moisturizing gels we’ve ever made, but the Olive Oil Gel is made for people who aren’t sensitive to protein or dyes.”
Products, especially those that work as promised, deserve advocates. The Ampro Pro Styl line, featuring olive oil and coconut oil gels, is an example of a product that delivers – I’ll definitely advocate for them. Perfect for 4C curlies, like me, these gels won’t let you down. Whether you’re getting styled for a night of dancing with your curl crew or smoothing down your strands for a special event, both of these alcohol- and paraben-free gels will help you look and feel your best while killing the crunch!
The gels pictured with the olive oil and coconut oil gels are also members of the Ampro Pro Styl Gel family that you can try: the Argan Oil Gel and the Curl Enhancer, which I’m interested in trying because it’s designed for “extra dry hair”.
Haven’t tried Ampro gels before? Do you already have a favorite Ampro gel that you swear by? This is your chance to share your stories with me in the comments section below!
As ever, stay curly!
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