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What am I looking for in a mousse/gel?

For the umpteenth time I'm trying to learn to control (and love!) my natural curly hair, but this time I want to think more about the products instead of putting anything on my hair in desperation.
After a lot of research I decided to try co-washing with Dr Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner, washing it all out and applying a small amount of groundnut oil. So far so good?
Today though the curls very quickly went poofy with some frizz, so I think I'm being told I need mousse/gel to hold the curl, especially with it getting hotter?? Does this sound about right? In a conditioner I know I'm avoiding silicones, sulfates, polyquats and in general alcohol, is this exactly the same with mousses/gels and can anyone recommend me something I can get on the high street?
I'm a 3a/3c, so I think I'm looking at mousses.
After a lot of research I decided to try co-washing with Dr Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner, washing it all out and applying a small amount of groundnut oil. So far so good?
Today though the curls very quickly went poofy with some frizz, so I think I'm being told I need mousse/gel to hold the curl, especially with it getting hotter?? Does this sound about right? In a conditioner I know I'm avoiding silicones, sulfates, polyquats and in general alcohol, is this exactly the same with mousses/gels and can anyone recommend me something I can get on the high street?
I'm a 3a/3c, so I think I'm looking at mousses.
3b curls, 1 month CG, long journey still ahead!
CO: Garnier Sleek and Shine Frizz Tamer Conditioner
LI: Dr Organic's Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner
Stylers: Boots Curl Creme
CO: Garnier Sleek and Shine Frizz Tamer Conditioner
LI: Dr Organic's Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner
Stylers: Boots Curl Creme
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LoPoo: Onesta Hydrating Shampoo
CoWash: LP Curl Conditioning Wash
ROs: Onesta Hydrating Conditioner, LP Curl Detangling Rinse
Weekly DC: LP Restore Mask Treatment
Leave in: LP Restore Targeted Repair Cream
Stylers: (in application order): LP Prime Style Extender Cream, LI, LP Curl Defining Style Cream, LP No Frizz Weightless Styling Spray, LP PHD Night Cap
Sealer: Body Shop Olive Oil/Body Shop Argan Oil/Josie Maran Argan Oil
If you are us based everyone here loves LA Looks line of gels. They considered inexpensive.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using CurlTalk App
M/C, Low/Medium/High Por, Normal Elast. Medium Density
LP: INSIGHT DAMAGED HAIR Restructurizing Shampoo
CO: Generic protein conditioner, Hair Academy Deep Cleansing CO
DET/RO/LI: GNC Avocado And Shea Butter Conditioner +/mask,
Styler: Schwarzkopf Taft Fixing GelWellaflex Instant Volume Boost Mousse
DT: EVOO, C.O
HG
Goal: WL when curly
CG since Feb 2014
Some people here have said good things about Deva Foam. I haven't tried it, but perhaps someone has some for re-sale so you could get a sample less expensively?
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I think what I want to know is, is the next step to get a gel/mousse, the co-washing and oil is not enough is it? And based on your recommendations, I'll go for a gel.
CO: Garnier Sleek and Shine Frizz Tamer Conditioner
LI: Dr Organic's Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner
Stylers: Boots Curl Creme
Otherwise based on the goal picture, maybe LA Looks wet gel.
Shampoo: Loreal EverSleek Sulfate-free (Only 1 or 2x a week)
CoWash Suave Naturals Coconut or VO5 Kiwi Lime Squeeze
Rinse Out: Giovanni 2chic Avocado and Olive Oil or GVPCB
Leave in: More Suave Naturals Coconut or GVPCB Always diluted with water/epsom salt spray
Products: AG Re:coil with EcoStyler Olive Oil gel or HETT gel
As great as the Devarange is, I think (or at least I'm hoping!) more of the problem is learning what types of products to use on my hair and how to use them.
CO: Garnier Sleek and Shine Frizz Tamer Conditioner
LI: Dr Organic's Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner
Stylers: Boots Curl Creme
Look up their ingredient and try to find something similar then.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using CurlTalk App
M/C, Low/Medium/High Por, Normal Elast. Medium Density
LP: INSIGHT DAMAGED HAIR Restructurizing Shampoo
CO: Generic protein conditioner, Hair Academy Deep Cleansing CO
DET/RO/LI: GNC Avocado And Shea Butter Conditioner +/mask,
Styler: Schwarzkopf Taft Fixing GelWellaflex Instant Volume Boost Mousse
DT: EVOO, C.O
HG
Goal: WL when curly
CG since Feb 2014
http://geaugadoggy.wordpress.com/
http://https://heelfracturetalk.wordpress.com/
http://www.tumblr.com/blog/wolfgangscigar
http://Heel Fracture Talk on FB
FYI, her approach to hair products is pretty different from yours: she shampoos regularly, loves silicones, and doesn't use any styling products. I think it's really useful to learn about different product and styling regimens. That way, you can take the best aspects of each one and adapt them to your own hair needs.
- A water-based leave-in conditioner. This layer reinforces the water content of your hair. It doesn't have to be labeled as a leave-in, and just how heavy or watery it is will depend on what your hair needs.
- An oil-based sealant. This layer creates a "seal" that makes it harder for water to leave your hair. It should be applied sparingly. Oils/mixtures range from very light to very heavy, so again it depends on your hair. If your hair gets weighed down easily, you may need to skip this step.
- The actual styling products! IMO, I think the most basic one is a moisturizing, flexible-hold gel. However, the types of products out there are limitless

Again, this is basic, generic advice to get you started. Don't worry about adhering to a certain product line or strictly following a regimen that worked for someone else. Plus, the price and quality of hair products are way out of whack: inexpensive products are often better than their pricier counterparts.Just do what works for your hair
In the past, and again quite recently, I've been very successful in using only a LI to style my curls and I've been getting up to 3 days of wear by just "refreshing" the curls either with distilled water of a home-made spray using a CO diluted in water plus a few drops of coconut oil. This "method" didn't work perfectly the first time or two, but as my hair became more moisturized I started to go longer between co-washes or rinses.
I've been on a product search based on the basic regime you wrote Eiloy and I'm super excited! I've been straightening for over 6 years though so I think my hair really needs product.
CO: Garnier Sleek and Shine Frizz Tamer Conditioner
LI: Dr Organic's Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner
Stylers: Boots Curl Creme
Glad to "hear" things are getting better, with practice you'll soon be a "pro" at it.
Suave conditioner, LAL gel
I'd also recommend your getting a copy of the book, Curly Girl: The Handbook.
Morgan
Baby Fine 3B, low porosity, normal density and elasticity
CGing since July 2008
1. There is a British Curlies site linked to an online store. The site also has a forum and if you explore it you will easily find a thread that lists high street products.
2. There is a shop in SE London called Beauty by Zara which has an online store. (They also sell their products on Amazon UK)
3. There is a shop with branches in North/West London called Paks Cosmetics which has an online store.
The first two sell curly hair product lines with Beauty by Zara having a slightly bigger selection. Due to the postage it's not worth just buying one product.
Paks Cosmetics sells more ethnic hair products at a cheaper price than the other two. The postage is much more reasonable even so you probably want to buy more than one item at a time.
So I'm starting to get a hang of this more and more, I'm in supermarkets looking at all the products, reading the ingredients, researching products on the internet if I'm unsure about them and overall getting quicker at figuring out what is and isn't cg. I've always had massive hang ups over my curly hair but very slowly I'm going from always in a bobble to walking around with it down (which is a BIG step!).
I'm now using conditioner, leave in, curl creme, oil and a light gel.
The first pic is first day hair and the last two are today, 4th day hair (put an extra one as the first was too flattering
My next step is fine tuning my products, getting it to dry in the position I was it to and just being comfortable with it down and out. All your help has been invaluable!
CO: Garnier Sleek and Shine Frizz Tamer Conditioner
LI: Dr Organic's Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner
Stylers: Boots Curl Creme
Suave conditioner, LAL gel
Any other gels I could give a try? I'll pay the money if I need to.
2A/B, medium/course, normal porosity, SL
Shampoo: Shea Moisture Chamomile & Argan Oil
CO wash: Suave Apple conditioner (1:1)
LI: Sauve Coconut (1:1 & coconut oil)
Most gels dry out "crunchy", you just have to scrunch out the crunch (SOTC), only when you apply too much the crunch may not be broken. You can post the ingredients here if you like and we'll tell you if it's CG or not.
My gel was just something cheap lying around the house, eilonwy is right I think, inexpensive products are often better than their pricier counterparts, or at least do a good enough job.
CO: Garnier Sleek and Shine Frizz Tamer Conditioner
LI: Dr Organic's Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner
Stylers: Boots Curl Creme
It all depends on the ingredients, there are some really bad cheap gels too. But most people on CG end up learning quite a bit about ingredients. I began learning many years before thanks to Paula Begoun's books, it was very freeing to no longer be trying out stuff blindly!