Issues with Gel.

Tegs99

I have a mixture of 2C/3A and recently even a couple of 3B curls I didn't know I could get. I always style my hair with Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Style Milk as well as the Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie, I love the smoothie I haven't had curls like it since I was a child and I feel indifferent about the Milk- its just providing moisture, sometimes I even skip it. But the problem has arisen when I added Gel, I wanted to get more hold and I'd seen so many people on here have success with Gel so I bought a tub of EcoStyler stronghold Krystal Gel. It took me so long to build up the courage to try it because I've always associated gel with spiked up  hairstyles and then when I tried just a little bit for the first time on top of my usual styling routine it turned out so well but the curls struggled to hold and by the end of the day I had to wash my hair again- I'm still struggling with refreshing my hair especially since I have a shower in the evening so my day 1 hair is basically day 2 hair. The following day I added just a little bit more gel and this time after diffusing (I diffuse my hair in the evening and wear a pineapple to bed) I had a little bit of crunch which I didn't get the last time even though it claims to be a stronghold gel so I SOTC with some Argon Oil which my hair usually loves and I was using since before I discovered this website, but then my hair became really horrible and greasy and stringy looking but not actually greasy. It was really weird, almost like the oil was sat on top of the gel. I know it's not a clarifying issue because despite being entirely silicone free, I still use a sulfate shampoo most washes (i know its bad but I haven't found a low-poo I like). So now I'm completely lost as to the purpose of using a gel on my hair, the first time I used it it didn't provide enough hold to justify using it as well as the smoothie and I hated my hair the second time. Can I fix any of this or should I just give up on a gel? 
Sorry about the length of this, I didn't how to shorten the explanation. 

curlyamaryllis

Oh, that first moment with gel, lol. I was very nervous, then I tried it and was like, "Why didn't someone tell me sooner?!"

Gel should provide you with serious hold that lasts. If it's not, it could be a few things. You probably didn't use enough gel. Most people are so nervous about using gel in the first place they don't use nearly enough. You really need to use more than seems reasonable. I use a heaping handful of gel on fine, thin, shoulder length hair. If your hair isn't drying so hard it rattles, it's not enough gel. 

Not all products work for all hair or all environments or well together. Eco Krystal may not be right for your hair, or the humidity in your area or over the other products you used. I think Eco gels are be pretty friendly with the SM Smoothie, so it might be your hair doesn't like it, or the weather was all wrong for it.

dbars

@Tegs99
Firstly, I love gels. Secondly, I recently tried Eco Styler and it did not work for me. The first few hours of using it, I thought I had found a new favorite but as the day went on, I lost all faith in this product and gave it to my cousin. But it is just ONE of many many gels out there... I also found that the raved about Devacurl Ultra and Light defining gels do not work for me. While they make everyone else's hair look great, it leaves mine limp, dry and straw-like...
Have you tried curling custards or jelly? I found that the couple products I tried out gave me great definition and decent hold. They dry crunchy but once I SOTC they are so soft and bouncy. I used the Kinky-Curly Curling Custard and the Camille Rose Naturals Curl Maker. I also tried a MopTop custard sample today and I most likely will be ordering the full size. 
I also recommend the Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity gel for rainy/ humid days. 
Lastly - have you tried a spray-gel? I make my own by filling an empty spray bottle with 10% Hair Gel, 70% water, and 20% Aloe Vera Gel (AVG is optional; you can use 90% water instead) and then shake it really well before spraying it throughout my hair. I find it is better for distributing the gel and having a more "light-weight" effect. Soon I will try using distilled water instead of my sink water and see if it makes a difference. Good luck!

Tegs99

Climate is something I'm struggling to understand and how it impacts my hair. I'm from the UK so its never really particularly dry and its quite wet- rain is common, but I wouldn't necessarily say its humid at least not like the tropics would be. Other than getting curlier when it rains after my hair has drunk the water, my hair without gel has never done anything very strange in the weather, so the gel-weather concept is really confusing. Thank you @curlyamaryllis for the suggestion about how much gel I use, because I clearly use nowhere near enough and thank you @dbars for the product recommendations as well as the spray gel idea. 

dbars

Tegs99 said:

Climate is something I'm struggling to understand and how it impacts my hair. I'm from the UK so its never really particularly dry and its quite wet- rain is common, but I wouldn't necessarily say its humid at least not like the tropics would be. Other than getting curlier when it rains after my hair has drunk the water, my hair without gel has never done anything very strange in the weather, so the gel-weather concept is really confusing. Thank you @curlyamaryllis for the suggestion about how much gel I use, because I clearly use nowhere near enough and thank you @dbars for the product recommendations as well as the spray gel idea. 

This is also something that confuses me and I am still learning about. To my understanding, certain ingredients in products will be for you or against you when it comes to the weather. For example, Glycerin is a common ingredient in products. Glycerin is heavy in humectants, which are made to pull moisture into the hair and retain it. However, it also works the other way! (This is where it gets confusing) 
“If the environment around the hair is drier than the hair, it is possible for humectants to push moisture from the hair to the dry air to help balance the moisture in the atmosphere. So be aware of your surrounding climate because glycerin can work against you when the air is not humid enough by releasing moisture back into air!" and this causes frizz.
This article makes some good points: https://www.essence.com/2014/10/08/know-your-ingredients-truth-about-glycerin-natural-hair