DIY Eco Styler Gel Custard Recipe

After many months of searching for an alternative to Eco Styler Gel, I finally resigned to the fact that it's the only gel that gives the hold and definition my curls crave.  Still, I always got the dreaded dry, crunchy feeling everytime I used it.  I usually apply a leave-in to my wet hair and seal the moisture in with an oil underneath the gel.  No matter what, I kept getting the same result.  After reading through the book, Curly Girl, by Lorraine Massey, I found out that the crunch or "cast" the gel leaves behind is actually a good thing.  This is when you know your curls have been set into place.  I found this to be true because after air drying, I'm usually able to fluff and style my hair without worrying about losing my curl definition.  The book suggests that you scrunch the hair to remove the crunch but I sometimes kept getting a dry feeling after this step.

I figured out that the combination of an oil and a mositurizer underneath the gel gave me much softer hair.  This however led to applying lots of products one by one.  By the time I reached the front sections of my hair it was dry and not as manageable.  I wanted a way to apply the products quicker so I decided to just whip them all together and came up with a nice custard consistency.  I'm realizing that this is a much easier way to apply my products and my curls love it!  

Here's the recipe I came up with



Eco Styler Gel Custard

6 oz. Argan Oil Eco Styler Gel (or fill a 12 oz container half way)

2 Tblsp. Hollywood Beauty Olive Creme Hairdress for Dry Hair*

1 Tblsp. Castor/Coconut Oil Mix**


Place ingredients in a small container.  Whip together until all ingredients are combined.   The mixture will have a pudding like consistency. 

*You can substitute another moisturizer; one that pairs well with Eco Gel

**I use a 50/50 Castor/Coconut oil mix to seal my hair.  For this recipe I just used 1 Tblsp of my pre-mixed oil.

The Application

After cleansing and conditioning, I apply my leave-in conditioner (currently Paul Mitchell's The Conditioner) to my hair while it's still wet.  Next I section my hair into four sections to keep my hair up while I'm styling.  Within each section I make small parts and apply my Eco Gel Custard.  I use a smoothing and raking motion to help give the curls definition.  I've also started sealing the hair with oil after applying the gel custard for an even softer hold but this is optional.  Then, I let it airdry for about an hour or so before I use a blow dryer on the roots.  You can also plop the hair with a T-Shirt to help with the drying time or just continue to air dry.

Final Thoughts

I'm finding that the mixture also works on my edges when I wear my hair up.  I haven't done a braid-out or twist-out with it yet but it looks like it may give good results.   I'm going to continue to play with the recipe but this version seems to work well on my hair which is a 4a/4b texture.  I've also started using it on my son's curly 3b/3c/4a hair and it is also responding well.  The only thing I noticed is that I'm getting a lot more shrinkage because my curls just love the moisture.  To get more hang time I usually just stretch it by pulling it back at night.

How I Style My Heat Damaged Hair for a Wash n' Go

A plait in front helps to
blend the straight pieces
with the rest of my curly hair

Even though the majority of my hair is still nice and curly, the front of my hair is practically straight when I wear a wash n' go because of heat damage.  I've been doing lots of braid outs and twist outs to help add texture to that area.  I finally figured out how to blend the straight pieces in with the rest of my hair when I wear my natural curls.  I feel so silly for not figuring it out sooner but hey, better late than never.

Gel of Choice
for my Wash n' Go styles

Basically, I apply product to my hair the way I normally would for a wash n' go.  I use leave-in conditioner on wet hair (usually Suave Coconut Conditioner) and then seal with oil.  Right now I'm lovin' African Royale's Hot Six Oil, which is a Bronner Bros. product.  Then I apply Argan Oil Eco Styler Gel to my hair in medium size sections starting with the back and rake it through.  When I get to the front, heat damaged area, I still apply products in the same way.  Then I take that section and braid it up in one plait.  Sometimes I'll do a two strand twist with a roller on the end.  Since I start my wash n' go's at night, I usually pull the rest of my hair back into a puff and cover my hair with a satin bonnet.  The next day I take down the puff and spritz with my leave-in spray mixture.  Then I shake my hair out to bring the curls back to life.  Lastly, I take down the plait or twist, which is usually a bit damp but is now wavy in texture and blends in better with the rest of my hair. 

The front now blends with the rest of my hair

Wavy bangs are better than straight for this look

Back/Side View