What's the differences b/n curl creams & gels?

e_m · April 2016

How do curl creams (eg AG: Recoil) differ from gels? When do you use one or the other, or both (as many seem to do here?)

Geek_Chic · April 2016

Curl creams are generally light hold (no hold in some), and have some moisturization and/or curl enhancing qualities to them. Curl creams will generally leave a softer finish to the hair than a gel, even after SOTC (scrunching out the crunch). Gels may or may not be moisturizing, and pretty much always have some level of hold to them (light to hard). If you're one who likes to run their fingers through their hair, curl creams will make that easier than a gel.

As far as AG Re:coil, that particular curl cream has magnesium sulfate, which is curl enhancing and keratin and silk proteins which help support good curl formation as well. It contains no ingredients for hold (as a gel would).

Curl creams can be used alone on days you don't need the hold of a gel, or they can be used under a gel too. Depending on the curl cream, you may not need a leave in conditioner when you use the cream. If used before a gel, the curl cream would be the moisturizing and/or curl enhancing step, then the gel would lock the curl in place as it dried and provide the hold needed to maintain the curl after drying and SOTC.

e_m · April 2016

Apologies in advance for a silly question...but why would one need additional product for hold? I always associate gels with, say, spiked hair and not curls and waves.

Geek_Chic · April 2016

e_m wrote: »

Apologies in advance for a silly question...but why would one need additional product for hold? I always associate gels with, say, spiked hair and not curls and waves.

Gels for curls /waves help prevent frizz and maintain curl while drying. Even after SOTC, the hold helps to maintain curl. Hard hold gels can assist in getting 2nd day hair. After SOTC, the hair feels soft, not hard as with spiked hair.

Sent from my SGH-T599 using CurlTalk App

chickitten · April 2016

e_m wrote: »

Apologies in advance for a silly question...but why would one need additional product for hold? I always associate gels with, say, spiked hair and not curls and waves.

That's a popular misconception about gels, especially those with a hard hold, but in fact gels can be used on curls/waves. Gels/mousses (or any other product with hold) form a soft to hard "cast" around your curls/waves. Most creams do not have any hold so as a result, your hair may feel soft moisturized but look fuzzy with undefined curls/waves. Creams can be used under gels to give you all the benefits of the cream but with the hold and definition of the gel. My hair pictured in my avatar is styled with a strong hold gel but doesn't appear to be because I "scrunch"/twist out any undesired crunch I might get when my hair dries.

What's the differences b/n curl creams & gels?

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