Do you love the look of a wash and go but you can’t seem to find a gel to give you the results you’re looking for on your 4C hair? Don’t worry, I’m going to share with you the top 3 gels for 4C natural hair that will give you the best wash and go of your life.
The biggest lie in the natural hair community is that 4C hair can’t wash and go. I’m here to say otherwise. Over the past year, I took it upon myself to experiment on my hair to find the best gels suitable for wash and go on 4c natural hair. The experiment was interesting, to say the least, but pretty insightful. So today, let me share with you my findings.
What should you look for in a gel when doing a wash and go?
A gel suitable for wash and go on 4C hair will provide the following:
- Definition: After application of the gel, your curls/ coils should be noticeably defined.
- Hold: Once your hair is fully dry, the curls should not be easily disturbed. The hold can be light, medium, or strong (depending on your preference) but it should take more than a quick touch to disturb your curls.
- Frizz-free: Once the gel is applied to your hair, there shouldn’t be any flyaways AKA frizz. The curls should be nice and neat and clumped together.
- Flake-free: There shouldn’t be any flakes (white residue) left on your hair after your hair dries (especially when the gel is all you have on your hair. If that happens, return it right away.
- Long-lasting: The wash and go should at least last a week before the need to restyle your hair.
So Here are 3 Gels for 4C Natural Hair That Will Give You The Best Wash and Go
Big Poppa from The Doux
If you like more of a light hold, this gel is great for you. It provides a light to medium hold on 4C hair. The definition is amazing. I love to apply it directly on my hair right after I wash it, but feel free to pair it with a leave-in of your choice. It leaves the hair feeling soft and moisturized. It is flake-free and frizz-free (if applied properly). I think there is a slight learning curve with the gel, however, once you’re familiar with how to apply it properly, you will love it.
Gel With Medium Hold
Baomint Moisturizing Curl Defining Gel from Adwoa Beauty
If you are looking for a bit more hold without your hair feeling stiff, this gel is the way to go. Baomint Moisturizing Curl Defining Gel is a cream-based gel that provides a medium hold on 4c hair. It defines the hair and leaves it moisturized without dryness, crunch, tackiness, or flakes. The formula also promotes hair health. Your first time applying this gel may be a bit tricky, but this tutorial using the Adwoa Beauty Curl Defining Gel will remove the confusion for you.
Gel With Strong Hold
Lemongrass Hold It Styling Gel from Alikay Naturals
This gel is for my 4c natural hair girls who don’t mind the crunch and a good hold. Lemongrass Hold It Styling Gel is not for the faint of heart. The hold provided by this gel is unmatched. I think Alikay Naturals had 4c girls in mind when formulating this gel. To me, it checks all the boxes, hold, definition, frizz-free, flake-free, and most importantly it is long-lasting. A wash and go using this gel will last more than a week. If you aren’t a weekly washer, this is perfect for you.
Keep in mind that this gel doesn’t play well with anything other than the Lemongrass Leave-in conditioner per my experience. So, if you plan on applying anything other than this leave-in to your hair before applying the gel, be sure to do a test first.
Read: Lemongrass Hold It Styling Gel Review
Honorable mentions
I had to come back and update this post with 2 more gels that are worth mentioning. Both gels provide a strong hold and great definition amongst other things. They are perfect for humid climates.
Tropical Oasis Gel from Miche Beauty.
This gel provides a strong hold, very good definition, and shine and it does not flake. It’s very easy to work with. It also smells lovely. It has a little crunch but it goes away over time.
Unfortunately, the Tropical Oasis gel is part of a limited edition collection, which only comes out a couple of times per year. So my advice is to stock up so you don’t run out until the next release.
Jello Shot from Ecoslay.
This is another gel that works well on type 4c natural hair. It reminds me a lot of the Hold It Styling gel from Alikay Naturals. The hold and definition are amazing. I never have to worry about frizz or flakes when I use this gel on my hair. It has a good amount of crunch which goes away over time without sacrificing the hold. The best part, Jello Shot is long-lasting.
I could mention other great gels that work well on 4c natural hair, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. These 5 gels mentioned above are a great start and truthfully more than enough.
I hope you found this post helpful.
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Video Tutorials for Reference
Adwoa Beauty Baomint Moisturizing Curl Defining Gel
Alikay Naturals Lemongrass Hold It Styling Gel
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I haven’t tried any of the Doux products but will look to add them to my ‘To-try’ list. I like the Adwoa gel but I need to revisit it. I haven’t tried it since I started clarifying my hair and perfecting my technique. The Alikay did pretty good for me but it dried Lola (my hair) out. I will also revisit because I wanted to love it (plus I bought ✌🏽 jars anticipating I was going to love it… 🥴 😂
Author
I see that The Doux came out with a new gel that people seem to like, I may give it a try when I can. This one though, first time I tried was whatever to me, but now, I like. I’m sure you’ve seen the “first impression”. I feel like Adwoa will always be that girl, lol! Alikay definitely needs a primer under.
Been using Big Poppa and for me know I feel like I have found the holy grail for my 4c hair; definition. Hold, soft and zero flakes,; no additional product required for it to perform!
Author
That is amazing. Thanks for the feedback!