Over a year ago, I discovered the wonders of homemade Flaxseed gel for curly hair. Flaxseed is an incredible hydrator, and it makes curls shine. My only problem with Flaxseed gel is the lack of hold. It defines, and hydrates curls well, but the amount of hold never lives up to the expectation. But that was until recently! During conversations with members of the curly hair community, I came across a fabulous natural hair gel made from Flaxseeds, and it has incredible hold! It’s the Orange Marmalade Flaxseed and Aloe Curl Definer by Ecoslay.
This magic potion in a bottle was created by Adria Marshall and let me tell you, it is quite popular! Adria is the superwoman behind Ecoslay, and today I am reviewing her gel.
The Story
Adria started embracing her curly hair 16 years ago. During that time, there weren’t many hair brands that catered for her hair type, so she used a lot of experimentation. The “trial-and-error” trend quickly began to take a toll on her wallet. Hair products are expensive! That’s when she decided to become familiar with ingredients. Not long after, she had the ability to ignore what a product claimed it would do on the label and forecast how her hair would react by reading the ingredient list.
Adria realized that natural ingredients worked better for her own hair and from this realization, Ecoslay was born. Ecoslay was created with the intention of providing an all-natural one-stop-shop product line. After successfully creating the Ecoslay bamboo edge brush, Adria reached out to a chemist and created several products: The Apple Sauce Edge Control Gel, the Hot Sauce oil treatment, the Peppermint Schnapps Hair Wash and the Moonshine hair & body oil.
Adria had always wanted to create a hair gel but found it extremely daunting for many years. For her, the perfect gel would have natural ingredients, superior hold, add shine, smell good and come in a pump bottle. Was this hard to create? Very! Adria had made several attempts with failures, but with the assistance of her chemist, she finally managed to successfully create Orange Marmalade. She says, “Seriously, Orange Marmalade was created in 2 weekends! I tweaked it for a couple of months after that, just to make it perfect. My story of creating Orange Marmalade can be summed up by Winston Churchill’s quote, ‘Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever give up’.”
Image Source: @girl_sams_curls’ hydrated waves, using Orange Marmalade.
Adria never imagined that her creation would become so successful: “I knew that it was the best gel on the market, but I never imagined that it would blow up like it did. And, that’s the advice that I would give anyone starting their small business: create something that you love. Don’t worry too much about it being embraced by others. If you’ve created something that you are proud of and you feel is superior, you’ve won. The rest is just gravy.
I knew that my hair looked amazing every single day. I knew that I only had to wash my hair every 8th day because of the amazing holding power of Orange Marmalade. I knew that one day, someone else was going to notice! I receive so many emails and messages from curlies who thank me for their 2nd, 3rd, 4th day hair! They tell me how it’s changed their lives, allowing them to embrace their natural selves. Honestly, those are my favorite moments, and that’s what keeps me going.”
Image Source: @mymanecurls’ shiny curls, using Orange Marmalade.
Image Source: @curlygingerjulie’s luscious curls, using Orange Marmalade.
The Ingredients
When it comes to ingredients, the formulation of Orange Marmalade is very clear, simple and effective.
This is the ingredient list: Flaxseed extract, Agave nectar extract, Pectin, Aloe Vera juice, Marshmallow Root extract, Vitamin E, Xanthan Gum, Optiphen Plus, Sweet Orange Essential Oil.
This is a breakdown of the main ingredients:
Orange Marmalade feels very smooth when applied to the hair. It doesn’t have a stiff feeling once applied, but don’t be fooled: it has ultra-high hold! Orange Marmalade can be very economical for this reason. You don’t need to use too much to get good curl definition with superior hold. In fact, the key with this gel is a “less is more” approach.
My results using Orange Marmalade.
Image Source: @annzcurls’ lovely curls, using Orange Marmalade.
How to Use
Because Orange Marmalade has superior hold, I personally find that styling creams are not necessary with it. Orange Marmalade works perfectly well as a curl definer and a gel at the same time.
Here’s how I use Orange Marmalade:
- After applying my favorite conditioner, I do a “trickle” rinse on my scalp.
As the water runs through my hair, I use my fingers to comb the water into my hair. - Then, I gently “squish” once.
- I use four pumps of Orange Marmalade on my entire head.
- I have high density curls, but this is just enough.
- I apply Orange Marmalade using the “praying hands” method, then I rake the gel through my hair for even distribution.
- Finally, I scrunch gently and diffuse using medium air flow and low heat, until fully dry.
Orange Marmalade has enough hold for multi-day hair, depending on how you preserve your curls overnight. I like to use a silk pillowcase and a silk cap made for long hair.
Image Source: @actuallyalicia.curls’ sunning curls, using Orange Marmalade.
My Conclusion
In my opinion, Orange Marmalade is a 10 out of 10.
It defines, hydrates and holds curls extremely well.
It doesn’t build-up, it is fully plant derived, curly girl friendly and it fosters a simple curly hair routine.
Ecoslay Orange Marmalade can be purchased directly from Adria at her online shop. It’s also available across different shops around the world.
In the US, it’s also available at Salon 305 and Curly Girl Solutions (subscription box”>. In Australia: Curls Only, Curly Hair Shop and This Little Curl. In India: Honest Products Here. In the Netherlands: Me Gorgeous. And finally, in the UK: Beauty by Zara.
Have you tried the Orange Marmalade gel by Ecoslay? What are your thoughts? Share with us in the comments below!
