As
some people know, I do twists very often, in order to cope with the stress of
being a working lady in a busy place like Lagos. I therefore use gel on my hair
all the time. However, I have had several experiences with these gels.
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I was
using Aloe Vera gel for a long while (not the natural gelatinous substance from
the plant). However, the Aloe Vera gel I use was manufactured primarily for
skin care and to treat sun burns, which is what most Aloe Vera gels are
manufactured for, though the ingredients are natural. With these gels, I found out that my hair
shrinks to like a quarter of my original hair length. The shrinkage is always
massive, as the gel is water based. Now that the gel is finished, and I have
not had the opportunity to buy another one, I switched to Jack 5 curl
activator, which doesn’t shrink my hair as much as the Aloe Vera gels. However,
jack 5 is very greasy and seems heavy on the hair, and I feel it may cause
rapid build-up, especially in this dusty Lagos environment. Maybe it’s because I
am already use to the lightness of the Aloe Vera gel.
Aloe
Vera gel Jack
5
1. Water
based 1.
Oil based
2. Shrinks
hair massively 2.
Less shrinkage
3. Light
on the hair 3.
Heavy on the hair
I have
tried other gels like olive oil gel and world of curls, but couldn’t really assess
them as I mixed them with one or more of the above gels, cos I ‘stole’ them in
small quantities from my mum, lol.
My next
project will therefore be to search for the perfect natural hair gel for my twist.
I would like it to be water based but with less shrinkage, light on the hair
and a firm hold. Suggestions anyone? Please, I don’t want gels that can only be
found in USA. Thanks.
Update: I found the perfect solution to my problem. Click here to read the result.
Update: I found the perfect solution to my problem. Click here to read the result.
In the mean time, please vote on the gadget on the right hand side, in order to let us know what your greatest natural hair challenge is. The poll ends in just three months. This will help us know what problems most naturalistas have and we will therefore be able to carry out more research and do posts on what we have found out.
Have you tried making the Flax seed gel? Natural and water based since you would boil the seeds yourself.
ReplyDeleteNo I havent tried. How do I get flax seed?
DeleteU should order from Ahia Natural Nigerian. Dats where I got mine.She also has a post on making Flaxseed gel.
Deleteive voted by the right side and i do hope it counts cos im seriously having issues with natural hair maintenance,hair styling(cant seem to style my naturl hair apart from packing it alltogether) and natural hair prdts
ReplyDeletetanx..and i love your blog ma'am, very encouraging most especially when i had begun to lose hope about my natuaral hair
Lol, this is not Nigerian elections. Every vote counts.
DeleteI am glad you find the blog useful, I hope we maintain our relevance to your hair journey
LMAO!! @naija elections
Deletewhy don't you use the natural aloe vera plant itself. It is already full of water. I am yet to try that because i hardly use gels to twist my hair, using i use my mixture of oils (tea tree, olive oil and jojoba)
ReplyDeleteHmm, I am hesitating to do this because of the slimy yuckiness. Also, I don't know how my daily spritz will be able to cope with this
DeleteI was also going to suggest flaxseed gel. I made a batch when I went to Naija last December. I turned mine into a moisturizer because I included a little bit of Giovanni's leave in and castor oil. I also mixed in a few drops of tea tree and honey to stave off any molding, since it was in and out of the cold (janky electricity).
ReplyDeleteHmmm. I am getting to be interested in this flaxseed. But I here its not sold in Nigeria, or do you know where I can get it in Nigeria?
DeleteI swear by Ecostyler Argan Oil gel. Available at Casabella stores at The Palms in Lekki or at the Ikeja Mall. And a few other salons too. There is an olive oil version but i prefer the smell of the Argan Oil version. A little goes a long way. Does not dry crunchy and gives a lot of definition for my cvurls. Flaxseed is available at good pharmacies - i buy to sprinkle over my breakfast yogurt and in my smoothies.
ReplyDeleteI use Ecostyler now. It is like the bomb. Best Natural Hair gel I know so far
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI just detest gel, had a bad experience once and i stayed off, until I found Organic Root Stimulator's Lock and twist gel.
ReplyDeleteMy sis says its good, but how would i know when my lazy/soft hair has a mind of its own - it just refuses to hold in locks!
Use real gel jare. Maybe the ones you used in those days had alcohol dat chopped off your hair, lol.
Deletewhere can i buy jack 5 gel online? because we dont have it here in Norway.
ReplyDeletewhere can i buy JACK 5 gel online? because we dont have it here in Norway.
ReplyDelete