Assessment: Wash and Go along with KeraCare GELESSENCE

December 25, 2024

), however one thing a lil’ extra forgiving by way of moisture and taking part in properly with different merchandise is all the time a precedence.

At my native Goal retailer, I used to be in a position to get my hand on the pink Moisturizing Gel and the yellow Strengthening Gel. I hoped to return throughout the Tremendous Maintain Gel, however maybe I am going to simply order that from the KeraCare web site down the road.

Energetic Substances
Observe: The ingredient lists for these two gels are very comparable. The place the Strengthening Gel has additional virgin olive oil and apple extracts, the Moisturizing Gel has Jamaican black castor oil. Every part else is identical. Dassit. Not gonna get into what meaning proper now, however I simply wished y’all to know!

Water
Glycerin: Usually vegetable-based humectant that absorbs and retains moisture from the air.
Betaine: Amino acid that acts as a humectant and anti-irritant in hair merchandise. Betaine molecules are nice for hydrogen bonding, which helps them retain water and impart hydration and moisture to the hair. It additionally cancels out the “stickiness” of glycerin in product formulations whereas smoothing over areas of harm on the hair.
Polysorbate 20: Emulsifier that allows oil and water to combine. It helps product disperse, is a thickener, and stabilizer of important oils.
Olive Fruit Extract (Strengthening Gel): Extract wealthy in fatty acids and Vitamin E. Nice for hair progress, moisturizing, nourishing, and defending the hair. Aids in strengthening hair and stopping hair loss.
Apple Fruit Extract (Strengthening Gel): Pholyphenol-enriched extract believed to advertise and stimulate wholesome hair progress.
Jamaican Black Castor Oil (Moisturizing Gel): Oil derived from roasted Jamaican castor beans believed to stimulate hair progress and promote scalp well being. Additionally serves as a sealant that helps the hair retain moisture over lengthy intervals of time.
Carbomer: Mix of acrylic acid monomers that acts as a viscosity controlling agent (thickener).
Aminomethyl Propanol: pH adjuster and buffering ingredient

Review: Wash and Go with KeraCare GELESSENCE on Natural Curly Hair

Protein Free?

Sure! All GELESSENCE gels are protein-free.

Curly Lady Pleasant?

At this level y’all, I gotta be trustworthy. I do not know. And fairly frankly, I do not suppose anybody must be using the curly lady methodology wave anymore… in mild of what is taking place with the model that created it. Do not come after me with pitchforks and torches — I am simply connecting the dots. However that is one other story for one more time.

For people who care, these gels are silicone-free and don’t include drying alcohols.

Review: Wash and Go with KeraCare GelEssence on Natural Hair

The Good

To get a very good really feel for each GELESSENCE gels, I repeated this experiment twice on either side of my hair — as soon as utilizing a leave-in, and as soon as utilizing the gel alone with no leave-in. For the primary go-round, I parted my hair down the center and utilized one on both sides. On my left, the Strengthening Gel. On my proper, the Moisturizing Gel. I used Miche Lavish Depart-In beneath, and utilized each gels on soaking moist hair utilizing my Felicia Leatherwood Detangler Brush methodology. As soon as full, I sat below my hooded dryer to lock the type in.

The second time round, there was no leave-in — simply damp hair. Similar sides. Similar Felicia Leatherwood Detangler Brush methodology.

Efficiency-wise, I had a really exhausting time separating the 2 GELESSENCE gels on each events. I LOVED the thickness, texture, and really feel of each by way of making use of them to my hair. They each performed properly with my leave-in, and left no bizarre flakes or globs. Upon drying, I actually favored how my hair appeared on either side. Each the Strengthening Gel and the Moisturizing Gel did the factor I really like about carbomer-based gels — clumping my curls and leaving them feeling supple and plump when dry.

With or and not using a leave-in, neither of them left a true gel solid. There was an ever so slight crunch, however nothing like what I am used to by way of thick gels. With the absence of a real gel solid, either side of my hair felt extremely moisturized… a bit too moisturized. Sticky, if you’ll.

However take this with a grain of salt — as a result of I additionally use a TON of gel. On the up facet, my curls did not frizz up or lose definition simply. The truth is, they stunning a lot appeared the identical on days 1-3. And by day 3, most of that sticky feeling had dissipated.

As a word, I did use the Strengthening Gel alone (no leave-in) on some chunky twists I rocked through the first week of #TheRonaLockdown. The twists had been gentle, shiny, and held up properly with minimal stickiness. Like as a result of I used much less gel on them than I’d a wash and go. Test it out:

The Unhealthy
The primary time round, I attributed the sticky feeling to the super-moisturizing combo of the leave-in and gel. However the second go-round with gel solely shortly proved that concept flawed. Trying again at each ingredient lists, I should not have been stunned — glycerin is the second ingredient. But when your hair loves glycerin (otherwise you’re not like me and use acceptable quantities of product), this most likely will not even be an element.

The one different factor I did frivolously take difficulty with is the perfume of every gel. I am a contemporary and pure kinda lady — perfume-esque is not actually my jam. Whereas neither GELESSENCE perfume is powerful, they’re each a bit too flowery for my liking. If I needed to choose, although, I would go together with the brisker scent of the Strengthening Gel over the Moisturizing Gel. The Moisturizing Gel is just a bit too church-vestibule-on-Sunday-morning perfume-y candy for my liking. 🙈

What is the Distinction Between Them?

To be brutally trustworthy, except for perfume and colour, not an excessive amount of. Maybe there’s extra to the story with the Anti-Shedding and Tremendous Maintain Gels. However as for these two, I discovered them on par with one another moisture and performance-wise. The one variations I skilled had been in perfume and colour.

The Backside Line

Should you love thick, humectant-rich gels (suppose Camille Rose Naturals Curl Maker, Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curl Stimulator), then you definately’ll most likely love the GELESSENCE Strengthening and Moisturizing Gels as an reasonably priced different. However in case you’re used to some crunch, some maintain, and a gel that makes you wrestle (however provides you superb outcomes), the search to switch WetLine Xtreme shall proceed.