Curl Enhancing Custard — Defining Curl Gel for Curly Hair

Curl Enhancing Custard is an alcohol-free curl gel for 3A–4C curls and coils that defines wash-and-gos with a soft, flexible hold and no crunch. Carbomer sets the curl clump, and argan, olive and grape seed oils keep the finish shiny instead of stiff.

What this curl gel does

• Definition: clumps curls and coils into defined ringlets when you rake or shingle it through.
• Hold: soft and flexible. It holds the pattern without a hard cast.
• Crunch: none. It's alcohol-free, and the oils keep the gel film flexible as it dries.
• Humidity: it contains glycerin, a humectant that pulls water from the air. That keeps curls hydrated on normal days; on high-humidity days, expect a little extra volume.
• Protein: it contains hydrolyzed wheat protein, so it isn't a pick for protein-sensitive hair.

Curl custard or curl defining gel? A custard is a gel with oils folded in — creamier going on, softer when dry. On 4C coils it works as an alcohol-free hair gel for wash-and-gos.

What's inside, and why it works

• Carbomer + xanthan gum — gel-formers. Carbomer thickens water into a gel that dries to a flexible film holding each curl's shape, and xanthan gum, a plant gum, adds body.
• Hydrolyzed wheat protein — small protein fragments that bind to the strand and add body to the curl.
• Argan, olive + grape seed oils — soften the gel film and add shine; glycerin keeps curls hydrated under the hold.

How to use for a wash-and-go

1. Detangle with Babassu Detangling Conditioner and rinse. Leave hair soaking wet.
2. Smooth Curl Moisture Cream through as your leave-in.
3. Rake or shingle a generous amount of Custard through small sections.
4. Air-dry or diffuse, hands off until fully dry. Touching wet curls is what invites frizz.

What to expect

Definition shows as it dries — judge it dry, not wet. Naturally Curly's Editors' Choice Awards voted it Best Styling Cream for Type 3 hair.

Size: 12 oz / 340 g.

FREE FROM: mineral oil, petroleum, sulfates, parabens. Vegan and cruelty-free. pH-balanced at 4.5–5.5 — the slightly acidic range where the cuticle lies flat.

Full ingredients

Purified Water (Aqua), Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Vitis vinifera (Grape Seed) Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil, Carbomer, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Vegetable Glycerin, Gluconolactone and Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Phthalate-Free Fragrance (Parfum).