Alcohol-free: Alcohol can be a problem in any hair care product. In textured hair, it can increase dryness. Since textured hair tends to err on the dryer side already, this can be damaging and can make hair look dull. Fortunately, many products on this list are free of alcohol, including CURLS Blueberry Bliss Curl Control Jelly. Catherine Hufton is a London-based lifestyle journalist and has been a contributing writer and editor for Byrdie since 2022. She digs deep into all things fashion and beauty to find the very best shopping must-haves—from the most effective collagen serums to the best drugstore makeup essentials. Gel is a great choice for everything from twist-outs to holding a sleek pony in place. However, some people might not enjoy the look or feel of them. Pomade doesn't offer as much control as gel, but may be gentler on hair. As for mineral oil, though some people try to avoid it because untreated or lightly-treated mineral oil is a carcinogen, and could be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane. However, there isn't evidence that the amounts present in the ultra-refined mineral oil used in beauty products is particularly harmful. "The biggest unknown is: What level of 1,4-dioxane is safe?," Ni'Kita Wilson, a cosmetic chemist based in the New York City area previously told Allure. "The studies so far have involved giving the raw material to animals; that's not the same as applying a diluted version to the skin." Some beauty consumers still choose to steer clear of it, though. All hair gels are not created equal—and if you have curly, coily, or kinky natural hair, then you know that different occasions call for different gels. The right gel will provide clumping for your wash-and-go curls and definition for your twist-outs, but the wrong gel? Well, that’s just a dry, crunchy mess.

To get more insights on the best gels for natural hair we spoke with an expert to get insights for this story: I would suggest looking for a gel with either no alcohol or the least amount of alcohol possible so as to not draw out moisture and dry out your hair that you spent time washing and treating,” says Ebony Gordon, an expert on natural/curly hair, color, extensions, and overall hair health. “No matter your hair texture, balance and moisture is key”. Clean" beauty can be a loaded term, as we know, and many ingredients that have been deemed "bad" aren't as harmful as they're hyped up to be. Sulfates, for example, get an extremely bad wrap when in reality, in most cases they're really not that terrible for your hair.