Questions for gel users

diaspora · 06-14-2012, 04:35 PM

I know there are lots of threads on gels, 2nd day hair, but I've being going through them for nearly an hour now and am still not sure, and thought I'd put my questions into a new post. I'm normally a cream user, but the weather has had me searching for a gel, and I think I finally found one that fits what I'm looking for!

My questions:

1. Does the amount of LI you use under a gel decrease the hold of the gel?

2. If you don't scrunch out all of the crunch, will it eventually go away on its own? (I really need 2nd day hair tomorrow so didn't SOTC on a section that tends to get frizzy).

3. Is there a styling technique to get clumps with gel as big as with creams? I always get skinnier clumps with gel, even this one, though the clumping's still great.

4. Can you refresh 2nd day hair with gel and water? Or is it better to use LI or something else creamy (water alone doesn't work for me, nor does oil)? When I've tried with gel/water I've gotten stringy, crispy curls, though I haven't tried with my new gel yet. It says it can be used on dry hair, so maybe this one will be different.

Thanks!!

Oh, in case you are also looking for a gel, the one that worked for me today, and I didn't even use a LI, is Max Green Alchemy Sculpting Gel. I love the ingredients, lots of herbal extracts rather than oils, no glycerin, and protein at the bottom. What sucks is that it's $15 for 5.5 oz. That's even more expensive than CJ products! If anyone likes this gel and knows of a cheaper alternative (paraben free), please share! (I have already tried CIAB, like it but the MGA's even better for me, Pattern Pusha, AIF, neither of which worked, and others...).

mhen76 · 06-14-2012, 07:10 PM

I don't know that I can answer all your questions but I can tell you what works for me. I have fine hair and if I use too much LI, I get producty, limp and weighed down. I have to very careful to go light on the LI or don't use it at all - regardless of what gel I use.

The crunch isn't going to go away by itself but the "cast" that is formed will break if the hair is manipulated at all. Even resting your head on the back of the couch will break the cast and in a sense SOTC.

I pineapple at night and refresh with just spritzes of water in the morning. I'll occasionally scrunch in some FSG. For some reason, that doesn't weigh me down at all. Sometimes I add some AVG to the water bottle (about 1 part AVG to 3 parts water). If water alone doesn't work for you, and your new gel doesn't work, you may want to try some FSG.

SaraNoH · 06-14-2012, 08:55 PM

1. Sometimes. If I use too much sealer (Cantu) then it weighs down my hair and it's not so much a strong curly hold, but a decent wavy hold.

2. yeah, to an extent. Just moving your hair around will disrupt the cast, but if I hit the magic amounts/combos of product then there's not much crunch left.

3. The past few days I've gotten the best clumps of my life. What I do: after shower, separate hair into left and right, and apply products. After each product (LI, sealer, gel, hard gel) comb through with a Denman brush to distribute. On the final comb get everything smooth and straight, then scrunch in 1-2 sections per side, plop 1 hr, let air dry. I recently started using BRHG also and it's made a huge difference as far as thick, shiny clumps that last.

4. I use an all-in-one type spray to refresh (some LI, a tiny bit of gel, water mixed together). I lightly spray my hair, then coat my hands in the mixture. Going curl by curl I gently smooth this over the entire length, re-wetting my hands are needed. NO raking. I always get stringy curls that way. I'm thinking you could also spray your hair down, comb through completely (detangle), then wrap your hair in foam rollers (the long ones.)

Hope that helped

Marci Pie · 06-15-2012, 02:45 PM

1. Does the amount of LI you use under a gel decrease the hold of the gel? I don't think so. I use lots of LI and gel.

2. If you don't scrunch out all of the crunch, will it eventually go away on its own? (I really need 2nd day hair tomorrow so didn't SOTC on a section that tends to get frizzy).
I hate the cast, so I always SOTC. It will not go away on its own unless you touch the hair.

3. Is there a styling technique to get clumps with gel as big as with creams? I always get skinnier clumps with gel, even this one, though the clumping's still great. My clumps only change by the amount of water in my hair so I don't get different clumps for gel vs LI.

4. Can you refresh 2nd day hair with gel and water? Or is it better to use LI or something else creamy (water alone doesn't work for me, nor does oil)? When I've tried with gel/water I've gotten stringy, crispy curls, though I haven't tried with my new gel yet. It says it can be used on dry hair, so maybe this one will be different. It would be a matter of your hair's preference. It's hard for me to get 2nd day hair, but I have tried gel and water and LI, gel, and water and water alone.

Auntie Bubbs · 06-15-2012, 04:52 PM

I get thinner curls/clumps from gel than from cream. Cream makes my hair clumpier for sure, but I still have to use a gel over it or else I get massive frizz.
Despite that, I prefer to use FSG rather than cream because it's more cost effective and my hair does curl nicely with FSG. I wish I did get thicker, plumper curls with FSG, but I still like the curls I get.

I don't have a problem with LI under either gel or cream. I don't use alot of LI though.

I use my LI and water to refresh 2nd day hair, and I have better volume and clumps on 2nd day hair, but more frizz. I put a small amount of LI and a splash of water in my palms and gently work on reforming my curls a section at a time. I have to handle the curls very gently or else I'll get major frizz. And I only get 2nd day hair if I sleep in a bonnet.

diaspora · 06-16-2012, 12:10 AM

Thank you all so much for sharing what works for you!

Auntie Bubbs, I'm glad I'm not the only one who notices skinnier clumps with gels. I will go ahead and use a little LI under the gel tomorrow, maybe that will improve my clumps.

It's true that the crunch won't go away on its own, wow! Crunch is such a novelty to me that I didn't mind having some in spots for 1 day, but I want my hair to be touchable so I'll be scrunching it out from now on.

Another weird thing I'm noticing about gels (the ones that work anyway) is that they make my hair look shinier than creams do-- so shiny that my hair color looked darker on day 1.

I might start a thread about the Max Green to see if anyone has tips pertaining specifically to this gel or knows of cheaper alternatives.

Auntie Bubbs · 06-16-2012, 01:09 PM

Yeah, I've definitely noticed the skinnier curls. I wish creams were not so expensive. The creams that are cheaper, just don't work for me. The best cream I've found, which is MOP C-Curl Defining Cream, is $18 a tube.

I keep a tube on hand, but that's way out of my budget for an everyday styler.