15 Best Water Based Hair Gel (2023 Updated)

Love this! It has everything I want in a gel and it’s a flexible product depending on what I want. For example, I can use a little to get a light hold or use more and get a cast. The cast is easy to leave in but also SUPER easy to break if I want my hair soft.

It’s the only gel I’ve found that keeps my curls intact overnight or after putting my hair up and down a few times during the day. It’s a bit sticky on application but the stickiness doesn’t last and it doesn’t weight my hair down at all.

So good, would recommend to anyone.

I am a big Bumble and Bumble fan. Yes the prices are a tad steep but the quality and the longevity of the product more than make up for it. This is not typical gel (ie. 90’s Dippity-Do, you know what Im saying!) I have very long hair which is both fine and incredibly straight.

I am forever trying to give my hair body without weighing it down – mousse usually does the trick but as someone who regularly wears their hair up in a bun/up-do, slick pony tail Fly-aways drive me nuts.

There is only so much hairspray you can use before it gets crunchy. I have used this product every day since I purchased it! I find working it into damp hair is the most effective – and if I am changing my hair in the evening with no time to wash it wetting my hair slightly revives the product so that hair can be re-done.

So much body and zero weight – will use this indefinitely! Extremely light scent and taking hair out of a bun when Ive used this product gives my hair the most amazing beach waves that usually never hold and just falls straight again – this is va-voom and anti-flyaway at its finest -especially for all of those tiny hairs around the back of the hairline.

Can not say enough good things about this -and will not make hair greasy at all -great for achieving “second-day-dirty” hair when you want to make your hair less slippery (straight-haired girls you know what Im taking about) This also does not mattify the hair which I prefer.

Ive used the thickening cream from B&B which is nice but can makes your roots look greasy and I find is best used for Boho braids – Hairdressers invisible oilgreat for ends -but this is perfect for literally everything else -even better than B&B thickening mousse as you can still brush hair out (wet your brush slightly first) without white flakes/powder or stiffness.

Obsessed!.

More than anything else, my hair wants to disintegrate into a ball of fine-haired fuzz. I need serious help with curl definition, but without too much weight or stickiness. This does the trick. I rake it through wet hair with my fingers, then scrunch in some curl cream to soften it a bit, getting mostly 3b type curls.

And it holds up for a couple days, even with wool hats going on and off (it gets cold where I live). Give it a try!.

the rose scent is not my favorite part of this but it does last for days isn’t over powering to me. I love the the anti-frizz power it has for sure since my hair has a mind of it’s own, it lasted the full 2 days I left it in for before i washed it since it rained.

minor frizz compared to usual. now when I say I detest putting anything in my hair bc it makes it dry tangled I dont state this lightly! The foam made it flexible still held most of the style I put my hair in.

I should add I barely used any product before leaving for work. The cream is equally as great with the foam gel or alone because I had to try it both ways. I have already bought the aloe scent to see if that works better for me but the product is great the price is worth it!! There are so many other products I am interested in trying I urge you to also if you have frizz or moisture retaining issues like I do!!.

thoughts 💭: 1. Love the consistency of both product the foam to gel mostly very interesting products its like a 2 in one for use ladies need a quick mode for ponytail or slick buns this is the go too its starts off has a foaming lotion and dissolve into a styling gel! This product get A+ 2.

Not a fan of the smell when I first initially got this product I assumed it would have some of floral smell to it not that I’m complaining but the scent is kind of giving off a plastic type of smell.

3. The moisturizing lotion also gets an A + the way it defined my curls like no other product ive used before. Ive been searching tor a product that would tame and define my curls and this product has done the job! I have 4c grade hair which usually doesn’t hold many products but this one has done the job.

Thank you @influenster again for these great products looking forward to reviewing more !!.

I tried these products for about a month before doing the review. I wanted to make sure how this product performs. Am I impressed with it…no. Do I hate it…no. I have type 4a hair and I used the styler and serum together for my twist-outs.

The product is lightweight, not heavy and no residue, but it’s not very hydrating. I would mot recommend this product if you like in cold/dry regions. I think this would be sufficient if you like in a warm or humid location.

If I still liked in Florida this would be great but I’m in New England and in these colds weeks my hair has not feel hydrated.

This gel has a decent hold but does flake. I’m not sure if it’s the method I’m using or not. I tried it twice and it flaked both times. In the first attempt, I had curled hair and it started to flake at the roots after a few hours.

In the second attempt, I had a tight bun and it didn’t flake until I touched it. It seems like it flakes when there’s too much pressure on it or movement. I hope that make sense. It also flaked like dried glue.

You could find better at a drugstore at an affordable price.

This. Stuff. Is. So. GOOD! I have fine, color treated, curly hair and I was finding gel like Deva Curl was drying my hair out. I tried Aveda, but it was not a strong enough hold, and if you used too much, you would end up with greasy hair.

This stuff gives me a great gel cast, and once my hair is dry, I scrunch out the cast and my hair is so soft and bouncy. I highly recommend you give this a try if you have curly hair and you’re looking for your hairstyle to last more then one day, and you’d like to avoid drying out your hair!.

Works amazing, makes hair soft and shiny. It’s around $6. 99, it works well for the price. It compares to top haircare. The only bad part is the smell, it smells like marshmallows, not the best smell if the world but it works for me! That’s the only bad thing!.

Amazing product. This doesn’t have any bad ingredients so that’s a huge plus for me. it’s great for hydration and repair. I add a little to my hair after washing and let it air dry. I can tell if I forget to apply it.

Definitely recommend this.

I really like this leave in conditioner, it’s smoothing but not to heavy. Smells AMAZING! Another product my teenage daughters keep trying to steal from me! I really like Alba and their line, also cruelty free!.

I have used many gels e. g. Bumble and bumble, Mielle organics, Camille rose, uncle funkys daughter, Shea moisture, miss Jessie’s, and the list goes on and on. This particular Cantu gel is amazing. It delivers exactly what it promises.

Well, at least for me it does. 1. It minimizes my frizz prone hair drastically 2. Adds shine! 3. Doesn’t feel sticky, tacky, and/or wet (still) after it dries. 4. Doesn’t have an over-powering fragrance that causes headaches.

5. Holds very well and last until next wash day with proper night time maintenance. 6. Does not cause moisture over load that can result into hair breakage and lack of elasticity. 7. Has a great price point 8.

You don’t need that much, although I am a bit heavy handed to ensure complete coverage. 9. Can layer it on top of other styling products. 10. Doesn’t cause flaking or has a cast to break once dry. *Like with any other product that you use, please ensure you are applying this product to CLEAN hair for best results* for those of you that claim to experience flaking.

Make sure you are clarifying your hair, especially if you are someone that uses a lot of product and have product buildup. Not all products can be mixed. Equals= Amazing results and quality for the price!.

This is better than the gel I was using before. I just put my other gel aside after seeing how good my hair looks after using this gel. lots of sheen, moisturizing and no flakiness. I love the fact that this is alcohol free, paraben free, Phthalates, and mineral oil free.

This gives a good amount to hold, but not as strong, strong hold. I guess you would have to go under the dryer to get like a stiff hold. This gel is infused with Jamaican black castor oil and Shea butter to provide a light flexible hold and manageability.

to really reveal soft, define strands without flakes, itch or crunch. Just a great shell overall!.

I like the smell of this styling gel. It has a light fragrance to it that is not overpowering. I like to use this product when I pull my hair back. I put this on the edges to hold the hair in place. It can hold the grey hair in place as well.

Grey hair can sometimes be unruly even when using gel it wants to do it’s own thing. I found that it would keep the hair in place after applying it. I like that it is not a heavy gel. My hair is on the thinner side and works well with my grade of hair.

This is the first time I am using this brand and I like that it has the castor oil in it.

This Gel is the first I have come by that did not add a ton of water back to my hair which results in frizz for me. The first to keep my hair from frizzing. The first gel to not flake. It also still held up days later and I even added back some water and rescrunched it to see an no flaky gel appeared along with very defined crunchy curls that also remained flexible.

I’m impressed. I used it on damp hair an I used a lot the first time to really test it an as you get in your hands the texture is thick and kind of tacky not that wet super slimey regular gel feel. It smells amazing and the best part is it doesn’t have all those bad chemicals or alcohol in it.

I will be buying more. Now I let my hair air dry an I’m not sure how it would do like in the winter when the environment has moisture in the air but it’s perfect for dry weather. If you have any type of curls you need to give this a try.

If you’re like me, when you see a brand called African Pride, you immediately want to check the ownership to know if you’re supporting Black business. Well, the company was acquired in 2016, and is now operated and controlled by Black women and women of color.

I’ve used this product every day for almost two full weeks, and I love the softness of my hair and beard. As a Black man, we have naturally curly hair, and so far, this has kept my hair moisturized and set.

I live in Texas, so even with all of the heat, there’s not a heavy feeling that makes you sweat when you use this product. It’s light, refreshing, and helps keep the curls tight. I’ll continue using this daily, but for right now, I’m extremely pleased with the results! Also, I do have sensitive skin and this product hasn’t broken me out at all.

I have fine, 2c-3b hair and I love this gel! It gives my curls fantastic definition for days. I was a bit nervous at first that this gel might be heavy, but I was wrong. A little goes a long way, and it doesn’t flake at all.

I applied it to soaking wet hair, after leave in and curl cream, and I have both diffused and air dried. In both instances my hair was hydrated, shiny, and defined curls. The gel didn’t help with volume, which is to be expected.

I got a great cast from both drying methods and easily scrunched out the crunch. This works so well and I really like that it’s alcohol free, no sulfates or parabens, and no petroleum or mineral oil.

When it was time to wash my hair, gel has been an issue causing tangles and knots. This time, I didn’t have much of an issue and I had gone to the beach once! This works really well and I might add one of the best gels I’ve used.

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.

This product works really well if you want a gel with a strong hold! Its affordable and best if you want to get rid of fly aways for a nice sleek look. All you have to do is apply the gel to damp hair, brush the fly aways (go over it a couple times if you have thick hair), and then wrap a satin scarf around your hair for a bit.

After this is done your hair will be nicely laid. It also works well for a range of curly/kinky hair types from 3a-4c and more. The only critique that I have is that it doesn’t shine as much and for certain hairstyles, I want a nice shiny sleek look.

What I usually do to compromise this is I’d use this gel for my edges and then the eco styler gel in the black container for my whole head to get the shine, sometimes I combine the two.

This gel is perfect for people with thick wavy or curly hair looking to tame it/style it how they want to. Incredible hold and you don’t need too much to get the job done. I am also happy that this product is cruelty free and vegan.

My only complaint is that synthetic fragrance (parfum) is used in this, which is just an industry umbrella term which allows for the lack of transparency in the actual potentially harmful chemical composition of the fragrance, which is always a little concerning, instead of using natural extracts.

But, I get that this route is much cheaper for production costs and is why most companies do it, unfortunately.

The product works as advertised–strong and firm hold. I probably shouldn’t have purchased the 32 oz. size, but it was the best value…

Best Gel I’ve ever used. Doesn’t get your hair stiff which means no flaking. The hold is fantastic and the product smells good.

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 wasn’t sure if this gel would be too heavy for my fine 3A curls, because it has olive oil. I thought it was worth a shot for the price, and a couple of months later I’ve just nearly finished my first tub of it.

I love it! It has good hold, keeps my curls shiny and it controls frizz. I do have to scrunch out the crunch, but I don’t mind that at all, and it leaves my hair soft afterward. I like that the gel has some protein, too, which helps keep my hair balanced between protein and moisture.

I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s everything I’ve always wanted in a gel!.

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.

Please inform if anymore thanks

Amazing quality.

No.

Easy to apply, pump into fingertips, then apply on roots and drag out but not too far, as it will dry your ends. The scent is great! The volume is amazing. little to no styling needed unless you want a more polished look.

The style hold is good but I do use hair spray so that I get an extra day or two. I have mostly white with a little pepper short/medium length textured hair. I use the gel on towel dried hair, then hang head upside down to dry mostly , finish drying right side up for style direction.

I use a medium size curling iron to direct hair away from my face. finger pick style and finish with Sexy Hair spray. This is the first volumizing gel that I have ever used that does not weigh my hair down or make it crunchy, yet it has great volume and hold.

It is so easy to use.

I typically like L’anza products and I was especially excited by the addition of a heat protectant in this gel. I like to diffuse my waves with a hair dryer, so knowing this could help protect my hair was a bonus.

I just didn’t love the results. I like to wash my hair every other day but I felt like my second day waves were no good with this product. By the end of wash day my hair felt dry and tangly. almost matted? For those worried about the glitter in the gel, it was not visible in my blonde hair–just wash your hands well after application! I will keep experimenting with this as I still have half of the bottle left, but unless I unlock the secret on how to make this work for me I won’t repurchase.

I could write a book detailing the misery of my hair, especially now that I’m 57 and it’s thinning a lot. My entire life has been spent looking for products that provide volume without making my hair scuzzy feeling or hard.

While my straight, fine hair has gone from baby soft in my youth to dry hair mixed with wiry, coily gray hair, it’s been a challenge to say the least. On top of these changes, it’s gotten thinner. Yay menopause.

So I tried L’anza Healing Volume Weightless Gel and have to say I do love it. I try to let my hair air dry as much as possible because blow drying just accentuates the dryness now. If I don’t put something in it while it’s wet, it just dries a flat, lifeless mess.

I put this in my towel dried hair and let it dry naturally. Throughout that process, I’ll reach underneath my hair and give it a shake every now and then. This gel gives me the feeling of a lot more hair, and just as important, doesn’t leave it scuzzy, weighed down or hard.

It also provides texture, which is great when I want to tease the top a little to get max lift. It smells good and doesn’t seem to leave a build-up either. I would not hesitate to get this again.

I was not very impressed with the L’anza healing volume zero weight gel. After all the great reviews I put myself on the wait list because it was out of stock. Maybe I used too much product so I used less the next few times but still the same result.

I was trying to get more lift and body in my bang area. This product does give my hair some shine due to the glittery sheen in the gel. After drying my hair, it doesn’t feel as soft as when I do not use this product.

It makes my hair a little more stiff. I will probably give it away.

Its a really good gel and works well on my curly 3a hair. Its one of the few gels that mixes with the Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Repair Cream which is why I purchased it. I tested it out with my other leave in conditioners and curling creams and it mixed with every single one which is very impressive, Ive never had a gel worked with all my creams before.

Just for reference, I tested it with over 20 different products and it passed with all. It has a nice subtle scent and feels like any other hair gel. I would definitely recommend this gel, especially if you are looking for a gel that will work with your current creams.

I love this gel (I have type 4b hair). This give me the hold I need while not being too crunchy. It gives my hair shine and sleeks it down well. I usually use this gel or the ecostyler Krystal. The container says that it’s a level 10 hold but it feels more like a level 8 to me.

I don’t mind though. It does not dry out hair. I would recommend giving this gel a try. If you have type 4c hair, it may not be ideal for a sleek ponytail. But it’s great for a wash n go. The price is okay as well.

whilst this gel is fabulous, I gave a middle star rating because the container arrived with a split lid with some of the gel oozing out. I didn’t complain as I needed it for a job that day and didn’t have time to send it back.

It was annoying though, as I collect these containers for other uses, and this was un-recyclable. I use this gel for body glitter art as it dries matte, and fixes the glitter in place on both hair and body.

Everyone says when I apply it “Ooh, Isn’t it cold”. so it has a cooling effect when applied. I would give five stars to the product.

I really like this styling gel. It doesn’t flake or anything bad. And it has a really great hold and it just does its job. This gel you can just use it to style pretty much anything. It’s actually really good for doing your babyhairs/edges and I found it really useful for that kind of stuff.

It’s pretty affordable too!.

I just LOVE this product. it has a very delicate lavender scent which I would expect from an organic product. I am allergic to all chemically derived scents, so I know this is a natural product. After 6 months of using this with the Daily Organic toner and the Daily Face moisturizer, I notice a definite improvement in my skin.

The water in Florida, USA is very hard and this formulation seems to counteract the drying effects. As a shampoo it is wonderful. most formulations dry my scalp and cause itching. This plus the moisturizer has restored the texture of m hair.

I use the leave-in conditioner before and after swimming and it protects my hair from salt and chlorine. The big bonus is that a little bit of these products goes a long way. I purchased my last bottle of Shampoo and Body Wash (1) liter) in November 2021, it is now April 2022 and I still have 25% remaining, with daily use.

I found this company in 2016 when I was hunting for an organic moisturizer and have been ordering products ever since.

I purchased Carina Organics unscented leave-in conditioner and unscented hair gel. I have a lot of fine hair which is permed. Both products are great for my hair! I love the way my hair looks after using them.

Unfortunately, my sensitivity to even natural scents has posed a problem using them. I knew that I had problems with chemical based styling products and was hoping I would be able to use Carina Organics.

Over the last number of weeks I have done my own “testing” of both plant based and chemical based products to see what, if anything, I could totally tolerate. I know that I can’t use the chemical based styling products that I own.

Right now, I am using a pea sized amount of Carina Organics styling gel. This small amount works well for my hair which is a medium length style. I may have some sinus reaction, but, I’m hoping that I will be able to continue to use it since my reaction is minimal.

The Carina Organics I’ve tried are really nice products.

Initially, I didn’t like this as it didn’t stop flyaway, but I think I wasn’t using enough. My hair is very dry and flyaway and it’s almost impossible to find an unscented, chemical free leave in conditioner.

In the last few weeks, I’ve started spraying a lot more product into my hair as a detangler and this leave in is officially AMAZING!!! My fine hair knots like mad, so I need a lot of detangler. Because this product contains oil, I expected it to leave my hair greasy.

But, it doesn’t. After my shower, I wrap a towel around my hair for a few minutes. Then, I spray a lot into my hair, comb out the knots, then wrap the towel around my hair again, to absorb the excess moisture.

Once I remove the towel, my hair is untangled, soft, smooth, and shiny, with no flyaway, and not greasy, at all. I LOVE Carina Organics. They have amazing products and the best customer service of any brand I’ve used.

It’s official. I’m a lifer.