ECO Style Professional Styling Gel with Olive Oil

Okay, I gave this gel a try (three times), and I have to say, I didn't like it. Compared to my previous gel, my hair felt rougher, had way more frizz, had much less volume (my hairs felt more stuck together), my curls weren't as defined. It was way thicker than my other gel, so I used less the second time and even less the third time, but I got the same results each time. I didn't get very good 2nd-day hair, so I wore it up. I wasn't completely satisfied with my previous gel, but it was working okay; maybe I was expecting too much out of a different product, especially since it cost half as much money. But at least it was only $3 and not $20, although I hate to throw so much gel away. Does anyone have any ideas on how to re-purpose hair gel?
My previous gel did not have glycerin in it, and I know I can't really pin down just one ingredient that didn't get along with my hair, but I'm wondering if that was the problem. I tried a DIY conditioner a few weeks ago using coconut oil, my regular conditioner, and honey (I use the first two ingredients often, but have never used honey before), and my hair felt about the same way as using this gel. I suspected the honey was the problem, and I'm wondering if my hair just doesn't play well with humectants. Does anyone else have a problem with humectants? It seems odd, because they are usually recommended for moisturizing (at least, according to everything I've read on the internet and curly hair books).
My previous gel did not have glycerin in it, and I know I can't really pin down just one ingredient that didn't get along with my hair, but I'm wondering if that was the problem. I tried a DIY conditioner a few weeks ago using coconut oil, my regular conditioner, and honey (I use the first two ingredients often, but have never used honey before), and my hair felt about the same way as using this gel. I suspected the honey was the problem, and I'm wondering if my hair just doesn't play well with humectants. Does anyone else have a problem with humectants? It seems odd, because they are usually recommended for moisturizing (at least, according to everything I've read on the internet and curly hair books).
rabar
2c/3a/3b, coarse, med-high porosity, medium density
formerly CG method
2c/3a/3b, coarse, med-high porosity, medium density
formerly CG method
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2B/2C, fine hair, low density, mixed porosity, protein loving hair
Current products:
For repurposing, (this is embarrassing) I use mine as an eyebrow gel sometime. I don't have thick eyebrows just really long hairs that fill in the sparse areas because of length alone. The gel just keeps them in place on days that I want to fool with my eyebrows.
You can also use it as edge control.
Guide 65 said: Thank you @Guide 65 for the tip, but it's very humid year-round where I live; I don't think waiting for summer will help. The humectants don't really dry out my hair, so I don't think that they're drawing moisture from my hair (it just feels very rough and stuck together). And I'm not sure that it's all humectants that my hair doesn't like, but it seems to react this way with products high in aloe juice, glycerin, and then with the honey (so it wasn't very fair of me to say that earlier). It may be due to lack of slip in the product, and not the humectants themselves (it seems to me that products with higher percentages of humectants don't have a lot of slip). Not that I'm expecting a hair gel to have lots of slip, but I do need to be able to spread the product into my hair. Maybe I will try diluting it with distilled water and see if that helps it spread better--maybe, because i doubt if diluting it will change the way it makes my hair feel. Or maybe I'm just whining, because I'm stressed out lately! Maybe I'm focusing on my hair too much!
But thanks, y'all, for listening and trying to help!
2c/3a/3b, coarse, med-high porosity, medium density
formerly CG method
I tried diluting it this morning, 1 part gel and 2 parts warm water. It was much better this way, but I think I diluted it too much! No cast was formed (my curls feel very soft and hydrated, though). My hair is still frizzy, but my curls look way better than when I used the gel straight--not crunchy, and not glued together. I doubt I'll get 2nd day hair, but my hair doesn't feel like there's anything on it, so I may just add more of the diluted gel on damp hair tomorrow morning. Next time I may try a 1:1 solution, and see how that works.
2c/3a/3b, coarse, med-high porosity, medium density
formerly CG method