Drugstore alcohol-free styling products?

Chikyuu · 04-24-2012, 06:21 PM

I just got an appointment with a hairstylist who goes to my school and has come in from California. She said that the alcohols in my gel (LA sport) are drying out my hair. I was thinking of trying SheaM Curl Milk or Herbal Essences Twisted mousse instead, but are there any others I could take a look at?

SegB · 04-24-2012, 08:12 PM

I didn't think there were any bad alcohols in LALSG...?

Geek_Chic · 04-24-2012, 11:45 PM

The back of my LALSG bottle says it's alcohol free, but if something else in it is drying your hair out... I believe BRHG is alcohol free, and L'oreal has a new alcohol free EverStyle gel.

SegB · 04-25-2012, 07:20 AM

There is protein in LALSG which is what dried me out when using it...

jaclyn15 · 04-25-2012, 09:14 PM

There is also glycerin which many have an issue with. It dries me out so I only use it once in awhile.

Chikyuu · 04-26-2012, 12:16 AM

Yeah I just checked, LALSG is free of alcohols. Maybe the protein or glycerin is drying out my hair? If so, any other ideas for a replacement styling product? My local walmart sells Loreal Out of bed, loreal's new everstyle gels, the garnier pure clean styling product line (cream, gel and paste), suave captivating curls spray gel, and HETT gel and mousse. My routine is basically cleansing (low-poo or co-wash), condition, and super soaker with a leave-in and a single styling product before plopping and a little diffusing.

Chikyuu · 04-26-2012, 10:39 AM

So I just heard that glycerin is drying for hair in dry environments. That must've been what was drying my hair from the LALSG! Now I should find a styling product without glycerin. Stupid stupid stupid!

Geek_Chic · 04-26-2012, 01:56 PM

Yup, glycerin is a humectant and will steal moisture from whatever is wettest in an attempt to hydrate whatever is driest. So in hair products, in low dews (below 40, or 30 for some) or dry air, it steals moisture from hair while trying to hydrate the air. It's a good thing in dews between about 40-60 because it's pulling moisture out of the air and adding it to hair. In dews above 60-ish, hair can get overhydrated (read: poofy /frizzy) because the air is too moist. Glycerin's a common culprit for dewpoint induced dryness. Aloe vera, honey, and agave are other humectants, and you can check here for others. It's hard to find humectant free products, and glycerin and aloe are the most common culprits I've seen people mention here. You might try for a product with humectants lower on the ingredient list, or perhaps try sealing after gel.

That said, humectants may not cause problems for you in everything. I used a condish with fairly high glycerin content as a RO /LI all winter here and had no issues with dryness in dews down to 11. I do watch it in gels, and you might try layering LALSG over another, glycerin free gel. I did that sometimes this past winter when I wanted the increased hold of LALSG without the drying effects of using it as my only gel.

HETT didn't have the hold I wanted. It's more a medium /flexible hold than a firm /hard holding gel. I'm liking Aussie's Instant Freeze gel, which does have Benzyl Alcohol (a safe one, I believe). Comparable hold to HESMU which was my go to glycerin free gel before it was reformulated. Check the ingredients, but Herbal Essences spray gels were CG friendly and alcohol free last I checked.

Also, I believe SaraNoH lives in the desert, so maybe scope her siggy for product recs.