20 Best Gel For Curly Hair Without Alcohol (2022 Updated)

I have tried so many gels from lower price points to high end. I have 2C-3B curls, low porosity and regular porosity strands, shoulder length, and curly bangs. Lots of layers in my hair with the shortest being 2” on top.

I particularly love this gel because of its runny consistency, which makes it super easy to glaze and rake through the hair. On top of average 80%+ humidity in summer, I work a job that often causes me to sweat.

This gel holds up. I can get away with washing my hair once a week. When I need a refresh, I either simply add water which reactivates the gel or, around mid-week, dampen hair and add more gel. The cast created is buildable – less gel = softer curls with little cast, more gel = stronger cast.

I prefer a stronger cast with this product, so I use a dollar coin sized amount THREE times on each side of my hair, working in sections. I say this because some people think this gel doesn’t make a cast, but maybe they aren’t using enough product.

It is an expensive gel, but worth every penny for me.

I have been using this product for three years and I love it. Honestly you have to know exactly what your hair needs because It took me a while to figure it out but this is what I do. I have medium (thickness) curly hair.

I use a leave in conditioner, the curlsmith activator spray, curlsmith jelly, then Ouidad gel. It leaves my hair super shiny and soft with defined curls. This is not a product that I would recommend curly girls to use alone unless you have fine hair.

I think it would it would be a great product for someone with fine hair because it’s super lightweight and doesn’t weigh my hair down. I would not say this is “strong hold” I would say “soft hold”. So if you’re looking for shine, and something that won’t weigh down your curls, this could help.

Hope this helps. If you have thick hair you need to layer products. Sorry I also wish I could find one product that would do all of the things my hair needs but I have not found it yet.

This gel is a great option for someone who needs a fragrance free product. It is very difficult to find products with zero fragrance. I would be lost without this. The gel provides great hold and no flaking.

It also brushes out easily. I love it.

We have a ton of allergies and sensitivities in our house. fragrances, aloe vera, and all kinds of stuff that is usually put in beauty/self care products. We searched high and low to find something my husband could use to tame and style his very long beard.

Finally found it!!! This gel truly has no odor. It holds really well. And it is much more affordable than so many hair and beard products out there. Try it: you’ll like it!.

I’ve searched forever for fragrance free hair products. I have asthma, and fragrance is my worst trigger. This gel works for me. I use it like a finishing product to smooth down the little flyaway hairs when I wear my hair in a straight style.

Works great, doesn’t weigh hair down, and best of all~ no smell!.

I have type 2b/2c hair and use products that encourage and enhance my natural curls to give me more volume. Due to PCOS, I lost about 2/3 of my hair and I’m extremely careful with what I have left! I don’t brush my hair and only comb it before washing to get any tangles out.

I use a cleansing conditioner, curling product, scrunch my hair, and let it air dry. I’ll occasionally use heat tools but not often. All that being said, I did not particularly like this Biolage Curl Defining Elixir with my usual routine nor was I impressed by the outcome.

It has a clear, gel-like consistency that’s on the thinner side but felt sticky after applying. I found that it did not help my hair curl much at all and instead dried rather lanky and weighed down. It also left with sticky hands when I did, occasionally, touch my hair or run my fingers through some parts when restyling.

Boo! However, I’m giving it 3 stars because although it’s far, far from my go to for natural air dried styling, this product was awesome when used for heat styling. I curled my hair with my Dyson curler and I had volume, body, and curls galore for 3 days.

A bit more on the overkill side since I looked a bit like I had a Farrah Fawcett do but I think I’m going to have to practice with it a bit more to get the right temp and time to use with it. I intend to continue using this curling Elixir when heat styling only and might consider buying it again just for that use alone.

or not. we’ll see!.

I REALLY hoped and wanted to love this but it doesn’t work for me. While the tube says ‘medium hold’ I have to disagree as this was definitely a light hold on my hair. I have natural 2c/3a curls and need more holding power if I’m going to try to get past day 1 curls.

The product smells great and had plenty of slip getting it applied onto my hair. I only used this product so I could provide a 100% honest review, however I believe by cocktailing this with a higher hold gel it might have great potential.

I was impressed while diffusing because my curls were popping and looked great, but once my hair finished air drying it was sooo soft and flat on my crown. I’m used to a bit of “crunch” to scrunch out but there was no cast using this gel.

I was able to get to day 2 and 3 hair by sleeping in a loose high ponytail and refreshing with water and mousse, but it’s baby soft and not the defined look I prefer.

Overall satisfied with this. I don’t usually use gel like products for my hair because I don’t like the “crunchy” texture. Even though this does have a “crunchy” texture, it disappeared on the next day and hair remained soft and shiny.

I don’t think this is really medium hold, seems very light to me, which is better for my hair since it is thinner. My hair is not so curly, but more wavy. And when my hair is long, the waves are really open and loose.

This added a lot of shine to my hair and held frizz pretty well. I have very frizzy hair, so I was not expecting much there and was pleasantly surprised. Rather than using this alone, I think it may become an addition to my hair routine which usually requires more than one product to look good.

But if in a hurry, alone works great also! I already love the smell of Biolage products, so that is a plus!.

I’ve tried MANY products for my course, thick, long, s-curled hair and Maui Moisture is Thee Best. I first spray on Maui Moisture leave in conditioner then pattycake Maui Moisture Gel on my hair from tips moving upward.

I either air dry, diffuse dry on cool heat or wet roll with absolutely BEAUTIFUL results. My hair will always end up looking healthy & shiny with LOTS of volume. This gel also has a light sweet scent, doesn’t leave hair crunchy and/or flaky.

Since I started using the Maui Moisture products my hair is 100% healthier, SERIOUSLY. And the best part, it’s affordable so I’ll Gladly continue purchasing and recommending to everyone.

I received this product from Influenster as a sample to try. I gave 3 stars to try and keep it neutral. I’ve never been big when it comes to hair products like mousse, gels, hairspray, etc. I don’t like my hair to be crunchy, stiff or sticky.

I also don’t really have curly hair. it’s actually wavy but even more so naturally frizzy and I usually straighten it or braid it. I tried it because I love the first product that I tried by the same company which is the oil mist.

But unfortunately I didn’t like the gel for the reasons I stated above. Maybe because my hair isn’t really curly that neither the mousse or gel accentuated the curls. I did like the packaging and the scent was pleasant but not overpowering.

I just don’t think the product is for me though I still think it’s a good product and that’s why I kept the stars as neutral as I could. #aloeforcurls #contest #complimentary @mauimoisture @Influenster.

I used to use this brand before the formula changed, but I used to use their ultra defining gel. I was concerned previously because one of the Ingredients in the old formula had formaldehyde as a chemical byproduct, so I never used this.

It seems the brand worked with a dermatologist and now the ingredient was removed. I was willing to give this a shot because of the new formula and I love it. I get way more definition and because of the consistent curl pattern this creates- my hair shrunk about 2-3 inches depending on which curl you look at (my hair goes down to my butt and I have 3A and 2C curls).

Overall I’m so glad I came back to give this brand another chance and this product a first try!.

I have been an advid Deva Curl user for over 8 years and Love all of their products, and they have really took my hair to a place that I didn’t know it could go as far as health, shine and brilliancy.

However I am very disappointed with the replacement for the Very Popular and highly requested Arch Angel Gel. This gel, is not the same at all. It leaves my low porosity type 4b/c hair frizzy, dry, and FLAKY!Yes Flaky! My experience with the previous gel was the complete opposite.

I’ve tried this new gel 3 different ways, one of which I’ve stuck really close to the recommended instruction, and it does NOT work! Deva Curl, if you have some left over Arch Angel, please send it to me, or consider bringing it back as another Gel option.

This product definitely have a learning curve to it. You must use it when your hair is dripping wet with no other product what do ever for it to work, which is perfectly fine to produce amazing curls.

I tried using this product with the deva curl leave in conditioner (that I later found out was regular conditioner lol) and it left my hair super flaky and didn’t curl one bit (again I accidentally used conditioner).

After that I tried again with actual leave in conditioner and the product curled my hair but again it was still very flaky. The final time I use this product with my hair soak and wet no other product and it was a great result, my curls were super defined and looked very nice (I have 4C hair), but I did feel like my hair was a little dry and needed some moisture.

Deva curl have a very nice curl spray that would be great to pair with this so your hair wouldn’t be dry after using this. My curls lasted for 2 days top which wasn’t to bad for me so I can say I do like this product again it had a small learning curve but all in all once I got down packed it worked out nice.

This was a nice complimentary product from DevaCurl.

I’m a natural with 4a/4b hair that mainly does wash n goes. I wanted a gel to layer for hold that had better ingredients than eco and wetline. I planned to use this as a topper. I’ve experienced that this product offers great hold, it does not control frizz very well due to the light/watery consistency.

I used a botanical gel underneath and I think my hair would have had more frizz control if I used it on damp hair vs. soaking wet. I feel as if my hair dried quicker while using this product (I did sit under the hooded dryer) and the application was super easy.

I felt that it had slip due to the consistency. The hold that this gives is correct. I would describe it as a firm-medium. Definitely not a strong hold. And I would agree with the reviewer that said the curls need to be sculpted beforehand.

This is not going to give you much definition alone. Use this for additional hold and control. Overall, I think I would purchase again and I’m interested in trying their strong hold gel.

I LOVE this product and this whole brand. I was sent a sample of the curl defining cream and the smell won me over instantly. It just makes your hair smell so good. My husband thought it was my shampoo or conditioner, but he told me my hair smelt so good the first time I used this product.

I even went and bought the perfect defense heat protector spray after they sent me this sample. I use it after I curl my hair with my straightener and it just makes my hair smell amazing, reduces any frizz left, and makes my curls bouncy.

I also let two of my friends use it and they loved it as well. My friend has super curly ringlets and used it after a shower and her curls looked so good. They were bouncy and frizzless. I will be buying her the full sized curling define cream for her birthday coming up! Thank you so much Influenster for sending me this sample product!.

I originally got these products because they offered free samples and fragrance free since I have horrible allergies. I have been using the products since October 2021. I have had issues with the Gentle cleanse shampoo drying my hair into a clump after using it.

I was washing every night now I don’t wash, but every other day or every 2 days. It seems to help more. I do love the products and the more I use them the better my hair is looking. My reason for the 3 stars is the shipping is awful! I purchased over $100 for my products and paid $30 for shipping for 2 days.

It didn’t get here for 6 days. I have written 2 complaint emails and called the number to complain. If you can’t guarantee 2 day shipping why offer it?! I can read that it says it takes longer for shipping, but this was air shipping and 2 days not ground.

As far as their customer service goes it stinks! The hair care products are good though. Glad to see they sell them on Amazon. I know I can get them faster then 7 days thru them. So, now I will order thru them.

I have fine, curly hair that needs holding power to help my curls retain their shape and bounce. This gel is super light yet strong enough to hold my look. There’s no extra fragrance added so there’s no scent to worry about.

I like the spray applicator which helps keeps my hands from having to apply it and adding extra frizz. I love using this on my second and third days after shampooing to help reactivate curls and help redefine and add life again.

This is definitely geared towards fine hair and is a great asset for anyone needing hold but not extra weight.

I have 2a/3c hair and I absolutely love this gel. I’ve been using it since I started my curly hair journey and I have used some other gels as well to different things but I always come back to this one.

Absolutely amazing hold and definition. I’d be more cautious if you have wavy hair though – it has a LOT of hold and can get quite sticky so I think it serves curly types more. Even for curly hair though it can get too sticky sometimes so I like to put some on my hands and water it down a bit with a few sprays from my styling bottle and remember that less is more otherwise it might get too greasy and crunchy.

Drying with a t shirt / microfibre towel afterward does miracles too :).

I thought this purchase was very good value for money. The product gave my hair lots of shine whereas previously it lacked lustre. I wanted it to define, loosen and hold my curls and it is the most effective product that I have used for this (believe me I have tried so many).

It is best applied when the hair is wet e. g. after washing. I was even able to freshen up the curls between washes by just wetting the hair, plaiting and leaving it in the plaits over night. Just wetting the hair seemed to activate the gel that I had initially applied after washing.

You need to gauge how much gel to use by experimenting. Too much will make the hair too crispy and stringy and I don’t recommend using it on dry hair at all.

I don’t like it nor’ do I dislike it. Yes, it’s flaky! You’ll have to wash your hair out after a couple of uses. I recommend molding your style the day before, sleep with a scarf and/or bonnet and there you go a molded hairstyle for the morning.

You might have to fix a couple of fly aways, but it’s all good. It molded my hair neatly, don’t recommend using for edges, unless you want to go out with dried up white edges. I have 4 type hair, not aware of the exact type.

If you have really thick hair it will not come out like the videos, it will be kind of like a wavy slick back, but it’s still pretty. I will continue using this product because it still slicks my hair down.

This is amazing for curly hair. Makes them lightweight beautiful curls u want. smells amazing. U open it to smell something so good it takes u to a new place in your head. I have colored hair it does not effect the color at all.

easy to apply and no sticky residue.

First things first, this gel smells amazing. My hair really likes it too. It is not too heavy and has an interesting texture. Don’t expect eco level hood from this, it is more medium. It can be a bit pricey but I think it’s worth it.

This product smells so amazing; however, I do no believe its worth the price. I have 3c/4a hair and started using this product for sleek buns. It provided a medium hold and held my bun throughout the day.

There was a little pink build in my hair from the gel after a few days.

I’m a true believer in all JessiCurl products! About 9 months ago, I made the conscious decision to try to get my hair in better, healthier shape. After being someone who used HEAT EVERY DAY for at least 5-6 years.

During that time, my hair was slightly wavy. After 9 months of not using heat, and using JessiCurl, I now have RINGLETS!! It’s amazing how much healthier my hair already is! Thank you JessiCurl ❤️.

This was a gift to. My 59 y/o daughter, she was reminiscing how I used it on her hair to keep the curl. Wish it was still on the market it was better than those spray mousse we now have! Aerosol not good for lungs; in my opinion, and it takes a lot more than dippity do did! Thanks for the opportunity to bring back nice memories!.

This is definitely one of the top styling gels that I have ever used. Though the smell is strong, it is not a bad smell. The price is bomb for the product and how much you get. I used this for twist outs and once for a wash and go and I always loved it.

Definitely, suggest it to anyone!.

I don’t care for it. It does absolutely nothing to my natural hair. It’s jelly like and a lil clumpy. It smells good though. It’s a little pricey. I like their other products though.

I love this product!! I’ve wasted so much money trying loads of curl gels and creams until I discovered Boucleme’s curl defining gel. It’s amazing on my hair and curls. It leaves them defined, soft and shiny.

And they stay like that all day. I won’t use anything else now. I love it so much that I buy it by the litre. I can definitely recommend it.

This is the best gel I have used on my hair – it encourages the natural curl but does not feel heavy. It also stops my hair from going frizzy when I use a hairdryer. I tend to buy the largest size bottle which is expensive but it lasts for ages and it’s well worth the money for the results.

Very good hold on medium curly hair and light (not sticky), give very bouncy curls. my 3rd litre.. love that we can buy in large quantities to be more sustainable

I’ve used this a few washes now. The hold is not a 10 but I already knew that. Performance wise it’s actually quite nice. I like to take a small amount and rub it between my hands. Then I glaze over my wavy hair.

The gel is not sticky and very pleasant to work with. I use a lot but it’s so economical we don’t have to worry about that. I’ve put in a lot and my hair doesn’t become crunchy but there is a cast. My hair held its wave for about 2-3 days which is excellent.

Don’t forget to wear a bonnet at night ladies. I prefer to apply to sections in smaller amounts and go over each section twice. I find that I dispense product better but that’s just for me. I also like that it’s pink!.

I actually have the 16oz container… but I love this stuff!! It’s so affordable and it works so well! You do have to use a lot but I’m fine with that. My favorite part is that I can use it on my dry hair and it’s great for refreshes.

Makes my hair so shiny. Has a great hold and easy to scrunch the crunch out.

If I could give this product 100 stars I would. I have curly/wavy hair that almost reaches my waist and I was originally using the Devacurl stylers. However, those were really expensive and I had to use so much! I needed a cheaper alternative and bought this on the recommendation of some YouTubers.

I was not disappointed! This stuff is amazing!It has a very odd texture for a gel, it almost feels like a really thick glue, because it is pretty sticky. I use almost a handful of this on soaking wet hair and it never weighs down my curls or dries them out as long as I have a good leave-in conditioner.

It never leaves my hair crunchy or flakey and also works as a refresher when watered down a bit. You HAVE to try this if you are looking for a cheap curly styler!.

I first heard about this in someones youtube video about the best affordable gels for curly hair so I decided to buy it to see. I was on a budget at the time so I was happy with it. Ive now had it a couple months and I love it! The bottle, first of all, is HUGE, it will last you basically forever!! AND you don’t need to use so much to get a nice crunch, just a bit.

Once it dries all the way on your hair, you give it a nice fluff and the cast just becomes one with your hair, no frizz what so ever! I used the devacurl gel before this and i loved it too but it was expensive to keep purchasing it.

Sometime I combine it with some herbal essence mousse and ?? my curls never looked any better.

Awesome gel for curly hair! The consistency of the gel is thinner than your average drugstore hair gel, so it isn’t gloppy. I use quite a bit to create a gel cast on my curls. After I Scrunch Out the Crunch my curls are bouncy and soft.

The gel doesn’t leave a noticable residue on my curls and my roots still have volume. Also the bottle is huge so it lasts forever! A great, Curly Girl Approved, gel!.

This stuff is really great. It’s incredibly affordable ($7), you get a large bottle, it smells just like Biolage products, and it works! It leaves my wavy curls defined with a good medium hold. No flaking.

It has protein in it which my hair responds well to so that was a plus. Also it’s a very liquidy gel which is what I prefer as I find that applies more evenly. All in all a great product worth trying!!.

Make sure you read the packaging unlike myself! This is a hydrating gel, so for my curly hair when I apply this to my wet hair after my wash day I was expecting this to have a strong hold. This one does not.

It has a very light hold and once my hair was dry it was much frizzier than when I use my other gels. No cast but my hair does look hydrated and shiny. This gel from Cantù was not for me.

My signature style is my bun with a part down the middle. This is my go to gel to lay my hair down. It’s not heavy and it doesn’t flake. I love that it has avocado and Shea butter. The most important part that it’s alcohol free.

This is my number one go to. I have tried other but they flake. Now the hold could be a little better but I have edge control for the hold.

Cantu products are awesome and never a disappointment. Got this for my teen as she wanted to try it and she loves it. She says it holds her natural curls good and keeps the frizz down. It doesn’t get too hard when it dries which is what she likes most.

We definitely recommend that you try it!.

I’ve used this product for years. I have thick, dry, curly hair. And I’ve loved how this product would hold my curl, over days, because I don’t wash my dry hair every day. But they’ve changed the formula, and now it really sucks.

Doesn’t hold my curl longer than one afternoon before it gets uncontrollably frizzy. This product has been ruined for me. Now I have to try to find something new and hope that I can find something as good as this product used to be.

Very disappointed. What was wrong with the old formula Tresemme???.

At first, this product was a mystery to me. As a Curly Girl from way back, I tend to only think of hold and definition as a stiff, tough, non-movable, crunchy, dont-touch-it-or-it-will-flake look. Not so with this product.

Let me tell you why. My first instinct was to goop it on to get that super definition curl that gel delivers so well (hey Rave gel 90s?), but first instincts can be overridden. I read in the instructions to diffuse with a hair dryer, damp hair with the product in it.

I rarely heat style my hair and don’t own a diffuser, so I just used the gel. Didn’t work for me. I tried again on Dry Hair, Dirty Hair, nothing doing. Then I tried it with some other products. My insight was there! When mixed with a Root Booster and a Finishing Spray, this stuff is BRILLIANT!!!! I can’t say enough about how lovely your curls can be and how much hold you get with no crunch or stickiness at all!!!! My boyfriend ran his hands through my curls and they came back NO FRIZZ!!! Who can say that? Please get this! You won’t be sorry.

Just remember, like every other beauty product, hair products need you to experiment a little to see what works for you and what does not. This one works hard for me.

The product gives me bouncy curls so in that sense it fulfills it’s promise. When inside Day 7 hair is great: soft, bouncy and defined curls. HOWEVER, the fact that the product is geared towards curls but clearly doesn’t have enough hold is DISSAPOINTING.

That’s the only thing stopping me from purchasing this again. SUGGESTION to tresemme: create 2 formulas- one for wavy & loose curly hair and a separate one for very curly hair (‘3b-4a’). A one size approach hasn’t worked for me in this case.

My hair finds gel quite drying and I was hoping it might be different with this one but it was not unfortunately. The shampoo and conditioner are amazing though (I got the citrus scents and they remind me of pink bubble gum!) I think my hair just does better with mousse so I will be sticking with that from now on.

If yours likes gel, this stuff offers good hold and is easy to work with. My scalp wasn’t itchy with it either, unlike other gel brands I have tried. For reference, I have fine 2A/B medium density hair with a mix of low and medium porosity.

I actually purchased this product by mistake. LOL. I was ordering the Carina unscented hairspray and ordered this by accident. I love both products. The Carina hair gel is a wonderful product. Absolutely no scent which is very important to me, and the product really does a nice job of holding your style all day.

I might as well let you know how happy I am with the hairspray too! It’s the first unscented hairspray I’ve used that actually is unscented. And it is good to keep the hold all day as well. Not sticky at all.

I’m so happy I found this company. I will be a customer forever.

We endeavour to purchase unscented products. This can be difficult. Then I discovered Carina Organics unscented hair care products. I have been using Carina Organics gentle shampoo for several years now as well as the hairspray.

Lately, I have tried the styling gel. It all works well for my fine hair.