Having a good styler in your curly routine is key to getting defined curls and reducing frizz. With a strong hold gel, your curls can even last multiple days without you having to rewet your hair. But finding a styler that actually gives the hold it promises can be tricky!
So if you need help finding a good hard hold gel that gives you great curl definition, keep reading.
How can you tell if a curl gel is strong hold?
The obvious place to start is the packaging, although this won’t tell you everything (more on that in the next section). Look for gels that say “strong hold”, “extreme hold”, “max hold” or something similar on it. If you’re looking for the strongest hold possible, avoid stylers that say “flexible hold” or “gentle hold” on them, as these will not give you the hold you need.
I would also be dubious of stylers that say “no crunch” on them: the crunchy shell that stylers leave is what helps to lock your definition into place and reduce frizz, so any stylers that don’t give this crunchy cast may not give lasting results.
Tip: if you don’t like that crunchy feeling that stylers leave, once your hair is 100% dry, simply scrunch or smooth your hair to break the cast and release the curls within.
Why isn’t my hard hold gel working on my curly hair?
Have you ever applied a gel that you’re sure is supposed to be strong hold but you’re still ending up with loads of frizz and lost definition? There are a couple of reasons why this could be happening:
Overconditioning before styling
If you have a very moisturising washday lineup, this can affect the hold of your styler. Using a moisturising shampoo followed by a hair mask, leave in, cream and/or oil before your gel means that a lot of product is already trying to attach to your hair, meaning that your gel just doesn’t have the opportunity to adhere.
Try clarifying your hair once in a while and skipping some of these steps to improve the hold of your styler: either go straight from your conditioner to your gel, or if you really do a need little something, switch to more lightweight products.
The gel is too heavy for your hair
Even when a gel is marketed as strong hold, sometimes it can still contain moisturising ingredients that prove to be too heavy for certain hair types, causing your curls to become too soft and lose their definition.
Any styler that has thick and heavy oils or butters high up the ingredients list is going to be a more conditioning product – this is handy if your hair is coarse or damaged, but less needed if your hair is fine or virgin.
The Eco Style Olive Oil gel, for example, is marketed as “max hold”, but because olive oil is the third ingredient, I personally found it too heavy for my fine hair, creating lots of frizz. Luckily, there are lots of good lightweight, hard hold gels on the market (see below).
You haven’t applied enough styler
You’d be surprised at how often this is a problem! Sometimes we are simply a bit too stingy with our product application. Make sure you are coating every single strand of your hair (and don’t forget the back!). I find it’s sometimes best to over-apply at first, and then scale it back on your next washday if it turns out to be too much.
Which ingredients to look for in a strong hold styler
There’s no straightforward answer to this, but the most popular hard hold gels on the market seem to have a few ingredients in common. Don’t forget that the higher up the ingredients list an ingredient is, the more of it there is in the product, so anything near the bottom of the list is not going to be in a very high concentration.
Polymers/copolymers
(e.g. VP/VA Copolymer, Polyacrylate-1 Crosspolymer, or anything that ends with “copolymer” or “crosspolymer”)
Polymers not only help the consistency or hair products by acting as thickeners or emulsifiers, but they are also film-formers: they form a flexible barrier around the hair strands to hold the hair in place while also smoothing it.
Polyquats
(look for “Polyquaternium” followed by a number)
Polyquats are positively-charged compounds that stick to our negatively-charged hair, creating a protective layer. They are good for detangling as well as anti-humidity and heat protection. Some people find that certain polyquats cause buildup on their hair, so be sure that clarifying is a part of your curly routine to counteract this.
Humectants/Film-forming humectants
(humectants include: Glycerin, Erythritol, and Propylene Glycol; film-forming humectants include Aloe vera, Panthenol, Carrageenan gum, and Xantham gum)
Humecants work to draw water to the hair, keeping it hydrated and improving its texture. However, some curlies find that classic humectants like glycerin can cause havoc in humid or very dry climates, as they try to draw additional moisture from the air and cause frizz as a result.
Instead, they have better luck with stylers containing film-forming humectants, which seal the hair from any unwanted additional moisture. I personally find that glycerin-free gels that contain film-forming humectants higher up the ingredients list are perfect for me in my humid coastal city.
Proteins
(e.g. hydrolysed wheat/rice protein, amino acids, keratin)
Since our hair is made of protein, proteiny hair products can help repair and strengthen our hair, which improves curl definition and structure, especially if you have fine hair that struggles to hold its curl.
However, some people find that protein makes their hair feel dry and brittle. If this happens to you, clarifying and switching to a protein-free lineup should sort it right out. Don’t let this scare you off – I find that proteiny curl stylers are a must if I want to get good hold and lasting definition on my fine hair.
Best hard hold gels for curly hair
Now you have a better idea of what might work on your hair, below are some popular hard hold gels for curly hair, and include some of my favourites. Not all of them are curl-specific, either – you can still get great curl definition with a budget, all-purpose drugstore gel.
Boucleme Super Hold Styler
This gel is a little on the conditioning side, but its smooth texture and hard cast makes it great for beginners.
Get it direct from the Boucleme website (and use code COAST15 for 15% off), LookFantastic (use code LFTFCOAST for 21% off), Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Boots UK.
Giovanni LA Hold Styling Gel
Thick and no-nonsense, this glycerin-free gel gives great hold and a bit of texture to fine and overly soft hair, but those who need a little more moisture in their routine may find it drying. I recommend spraying extra water on your hair and hands to help you distribute this gel!
Buy directly from their (US) website and get 15% off when you buy through this link, find them on LookFantastic (use code LFTFCOAST for 21% off), or on Amazon UK, Amazon US, or Naturalistic Products.
VO5 Mega Hold Gel
This is another gel that’s great for beginners, plus it’s cheap and easily available in the UK. Its film-formers and low glycerin make it good in humidity too.
Find it in Boots | Superdrug | Amazon | as well as Sainsbury’s and other supermarkets.
LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel
I haven’t tried this one personally, but it’s a favourite budget-friendly gel in the curly community. You get a lot for your money and it’s available in many physical US stores.
Find on Amazon US, Amazon UK, or find out which US stores stock it here.
Curlsmith In-Shower Style Fixer
Another thick gel, this is the hardest hold styler in the Curlsmith line. As the name suggests, you need a lot of water when working with this gel!
Buy direct from the Curlsmith website, Amazon US, Amazon UK, Sephora, or LookFantastic (and get 21% off with code LFTFCOAST).
Curls & Co Soft Curl Gel
Don’t let the name fool you – this is actually the hardest hold gel I’ve ever tried! The company has sadly closed down, but Kiyo Beauty is still selling the last of its stock (at the time of writing). Get it before it’s gone!
I hope you find a styler that works for your curls! If you’re looking for more hard hold stylers for curly hair, find out how to style your curly hair with just hairspray.
Curls by the Coast 
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