FTC: This post is not sponsored but does contain affiliate links. All weird thoughts and quirky opinions are my own.
Well... tides in the natural hair community sure do change rather quickly. As of late, it looks like the tides are no longer in favor of a highly celebrated natural hair staple: Eco Styler Gel. When I saw all of the social media posts claiming that Eco Styler Gel is cancelled, I was surprised and was curious as to what could have possibly happened to make naturalistas turn away from their beloved edge slayer, or wash and go miracle product.
I really thought that the brand had made a massive racial faux pas, as most brands due that end up getting cancelled. Much to my surprise, the cancelation of Eco Styler had nothing to do with race or diversity. Instead it had to do with the ingredients in their products. My first initial thought (and still my current thought TBH) was/is; "What were people expecting the ingredients to be in a 2.00 dollar product?".
I've been telling/warning ya'll about ingredients in natural hair products for years. And I myself have tried to go the all natural route in all of my lifestyle products (hair, laundry detergent, makeup, lotions...etc) and have mailed miserably. The truth of the matter is sometimes it is more expensive or more difficult to find products that are completely 100% safe to use. Should I try harder... absolutely... will I...is a whole other question.
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I'm not defending Eco Styler by any means, because our health comes first, but it is important to note that Eco Styler has never ever ever come out as saying they were an all natural product. And the low price point was definitely a key reminder that they were not. In addition, I am always checking labels and choosing to pick my battles. I don't use Eco Styler gel very often, because I just don't have time to lay my edges (they never stay laid anyway), and I have yet to master the wash and go (even though I've been natural for five years now). So when I read labels, and see that there are things I can not pronounce, or things I do not even recognize I have to make the conscious decision to either A)research these ingredients B) purchase it at my own choosing and whatever happens happens!
Now... I have heard of extreme cases where women have gotten sick or started losing their hair. So I moved on from being a Judgy Judy and tried to be more proactive in offering you a solution. These 6 alternatives to Eco Styler are all natural, have products you can pronounce, and essentially will not harm you (remember everyone's hair and bodies react to things differently so there is no one size fits all).
1. TGIN Curl Bomb Moisturizing Styling Gel
Ingredients: WATER, PVP/VA COPLOYMER, POLYSORBATE 20, OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) FRUIT OIL, GLYCERIN, CARBOMER, HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN, AMINOMETHYL PROPANOL, SODIUM HYDROXYMETHYLGLYCINATE, TETRASODIUM EDTA, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM).
2. Alikay Naturals Aloe Berry Styling Gel
Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Oil), Prunus Amygdalus (Almond Oil), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Fragrance (Parfum), Color additives, Botanical Blend Ingredients
3. Wonder Curl Get Set Hair Jelly
INGREDIENTS: Water, Glycerin, Polyquaternium-7, Carbomer, Panthenol, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water Alcohol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tetrasodium EDTA, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients: Certified organic whole leaf aloe vera gel (99.5%). Less than 1% of the following natural, food grade sources: Citric acid (oxidation inhibitor), potassium sorbate (mold inhibitor).
5. Kinky Curly Curl Custard Gel
Ingredients: Botanical infusion of water, horsetail, chamomile, nettle and marshmallow, organic aloe vera juice, agave nectar extract, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e), pectin, citric acid, potassium sorbate and natural fragrance.
6. Home made flax seed gel: Making your own gel is the safest way to know exactly what is in it. If you don't have time to DIY you can buy pure flaxseed gel as well.
Ingredients: Distilled Water, Organic Brown Flax Seeds, Marshmallow Root Extract, Organic Hemp Seed Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Vitamin E, Preservative (Optiphen PLUS), Fragrance, Citric Acid
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