Natural Hair #7: Defining Curls with Eco Styler and Liquid Lanolin

I've tried an assortment of gels and creams, but there is one that is a keep sake in my hair arsenal; that is good 'ole Eco Styler gel.  I started using Eco Styler back in 2009 after hearing about it from some other Naturalistas on YouTube.  The Eco Styler combined with Castor Oil created massive curl definition for me and provided great hold.  But in this "How To" video, I decided to try a different combination.  In my past videos, you will notice the use of Liquid Lanolin for many of my styles, so I decided that I should test it out with the Eco Styler gel.  

You will notice in the video that I did not rinse out the Alba Botanica Hawaiian Coconut Milk conditioner.  My reasoning behind this was that I felt the conditioner would help reduce the crunchy feeling that I get when using gels alone.  I got this idea when I first started wearing Wash-N-Goes using Kinky Curyly products.  I would use the Kinky Curly Curling Custard and the Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner along with Castor Oil to seal in moisture.  Using those 3 products would always leave my hair soft and well defined for the duration of the style (usually 7-10 days).  


When I first started applying the liquid lanolin on top of the Alba Botanica Hawaiian Coconut Milk conditioner, I couldn't tell that the lanolin was actually on my hair.  All I could feel was the conditioner.  As a result, I added a little more of the lanolin to each section and focused on working it onto the ends of my hair.  Even when I began applying the Eco Styler with Olive Oil gel (level 10 hold), I could not tell whether the gel was on my hair.  However, I continued to apply and shingle as usual...and hoped for good results. 

After the application process, I lightly misted my hair with water to give my hair concoction a boost and then allowed my hair to air dry.  In the pictures at the end of my video, you will see how my hair progressed from Day 1 through Day 7.  I must say that my results were AWESOME.  Throughout the week, my hair remained soft and well defined.  Even my gym escapades did not jeopardize my curl definition nor create excessive frizz.  I didn't have to mist my hair with water until Day 5 to reshape the style, but really could have reshaped without it.  The Liquid Lanolin and Eco Styler gel combo is a winner in my book!

Day 1

This is how my hair looked on Day 1 after styling.  Although it is still wet in this picture, my curl definition is visible.

Day 7

By Day 7, my hair still maintained a lot of curly definition.  I decided to switch the look up by doing a simple up-do.  

Below are a list of highlights about the products I used: 

1. There is a wide variety of Eco Styler gels.  I've only used the Olive Oil formula which is a level 10 hold.  
2. Eco Styler gels can be purchased from stores like, WalMart, Sally's Beauty Supply, WalGreens, and CVS.
3. A 32 fl oz container costs less than $5.00.
4. Liquid lanolin can be purchased online.  I actually purchased a 4 fl oz bottle from the Vitamin Shoppe for around $8.00.  
5. Eco Styler does NOT contain Alcohol.
6. Eco Sytler DOES contain Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein for those of you who may be sensitive to this form of protein.

Check out my interview here-->My Hair Story with Black Hair Information

Shingling method using Gorilla Snot Hair Gel

These days, there are so many curling gels on the market offering those with natural hair a plethora of options.  I recently watched some fellow YouTubers demonstrate their application process using Gorilla Snot Hair Gel or Moco de Gorila.  I've been doing wash-n-goes using the shingling method for years using products like Kinky Curly, Uncle Funky's Daughter, Eco Styler Gel, and the list goes on (LITERALLY). So, it made me want to try this Gorilla Snot out for myself.

I purchased the Gorilla Snot Hair Gel at a local Walgreens for $2.99.  This gel comes in a few different hold/strength levels, so I picked level 9 out of 10.  I felt this would give me the hold I need without too much of a crunchy feeling or that helmet hair look after it dries.    Now keep in mind that this gel is used by various ethnicities, such as Hispanics or Latinos to create spike styles.  With that in mind, who would have guessed it would be suitable to maintain wash-n-goes of those of us with curly textures.

My impressions of the Gorilla Snot Hair Gel:

Display Look & Feel: The design of the container is cleverly funky yet very practical because it allows you to easily squeeze out the product due to the fact that the bottom of the container is also the lid.  This eliminates the need to turn the container upside down to get that last tiny weeny bit of product out.

Smell:  Very pleasant scent with a hint of lemon smell.

Cost:  $2.99 + tax....no further cost point analysis needed:-)

Gel Look & Feel:  This gel has a slime consistency.  It is sticky, but not as sticky as some other gels I've used.  As my hair was drying, I didn't have a sticky residue feeling on my face or neck, so that is a  plus.

Ingredients off the bottle: Water, PVP, Alcohol, PEG-150, Sorbital, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Cyamposis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Fragrance.

Hair Impact Review:  The Gorilla Snot Hair Gel is good, but the alcohol seems to have caused frizz by Day 2.  Although my curls remained defined, my day 3 hair had more volume than expected.  I decided to  lightly spritz my hair with water and add some of my shea butter mixture for moisture.  I repeated as needed on the following days.  Overall, I will continue to use this product and tweak my regime to see if I can reduce some of the volume and retain more curl definition throughout the week.

Day 1 results using Gorilla Snot Hair Gel

Application Process:

1. I applied Castor Oil and Lanolin Oil to wet hair from root to tip.
2. I applied a generous amount of Gorilla Snot Hair Gel to each section.
3. I smoothed sections of hair from root to tip to allow my natural curl pattern to take shape (Shingling Method).   NOTE: In some areas I used my Denman brush to help separate my curls. 
4. I allowed to air dry from morning until night.   
5. I pineappled my hair with a satin hair tie.  

Take a look at my application process and more pictures in my video.

Day 5