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Gena Marie

These Products are Causing your Curl Problems + Alternatives

Published 3 months ago • 5 min read

Could you be using the wrong products in your routine, causing your curls to not last, frizz up quickly, or fall?

Here I am sharing some of the most common products that you are using that need to be swapped out and suggesting alternative products. I also am including what to look for so you can avoid these issues when shopping, or select the right products from your existing stash.

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Just because I mention products that could be causing your problems, doesn’t mean that they are “bad” products, it’s just that I often find people with the wrong hair type are using them.

This list is compiled based on my coaching sessions where I have seen repeat products that when replaced, people get better results.

Problem: Shampoos that are too gentle

Some shampoos are not strong enough to fully cleanse your hair. How do you know if your shampoo is too gentle? You may notice buildup, an oily scalp, your roots are weighed down or your hair has signs of being over moisturized; such as:

Examples of gentle shampoos:

  • Shea Moisture shampoos (has mild cocamidopropyl betaine, shea butter, and coconut oil)
  • Jessicurl Shampoo (non-ionic surfactants Decyl Polyglucose)
  • DevaCurl No Poo (co-wash, cetearyl alcohol)

Alternatives:

Mid-strong cleanse

Gentle cleanse

✅ What to look for:

  • Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
  • Disodium or Tetrasodium EDTA
  • Sodium chloride
  • Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine

❌ What to avoid:

  • Cocamidopropyl betaine as the ONLY surfactant
  • Shea butter, coconut oil, other oils etc. at the top of the ingredients list
  • High number of oils
  • Labels that say:
    • Co-wash
    • Cleansing conditioner
    • No lather

Problem: Deep conditioners, conditioners, creams, and leave-ins that are too heavy

You may notice your hair feeling weighed down, or appearing limp, there is no cast and curls don’t last. You may also have frizz and/or your hair looks greasy or oily.

These products may be too heavy for your hair:

  • Shea Moisture deep conditioners
  • Shea Moisture curl creams
  • Cantu curl cream
  • Pattern curl cream
  • Fenty curl cream

Alternatives:

  • Use less of your deep conditioner and make sure you fully rinse it
  • Use less curl cream or leave-in
  • Skip curl cream and just use moisturizing gels
  • Opt for leave-ins over creams

Lightweight creams & leave-ins

Medium-weight creams

✅ What do look for:

  • “Lightweight” on the label
  • Use my shop page filters for “lightweight cream” and “mediumweight cream”

❌ What to avoid:

  • Shea butter, coconut oil, other oils etc. at the top of the ingredients list
  • High number of oils
  • Creams that come in a tub*
  • Labels that say:
    • Elongating
    • For thick or coarse curls

Problem: Stylers/gels that don’t have enough hold

If you product is not providing enough hold, your curls will be frizzy, not last and have a dry look. You won’t feel a cast and will need to do a lot to refresh your hair.

Some examples of products that do not provide much hold are:

Alternatives:

​

✅ What to look for:

  • Multiple “polyquaternium” ingredients towards the top of the ingredients list
  • Use my shop page filters for “strong hold”

❌ What to avoid:

  • Gels that ONLY have plant-based holding ingredients like aloe, flaxseed, sea moss
  • Labels that say
    • No crunch or Crunch free
    • Soft hold or Soft curls
    • Touchable hold
    • Flexible hold*
  • High concentration of oils or fatty alcohols (cetearyl alcohol) at the top

Problem: Stylers that are strong hold but don’t last

If your styler is strong but the hold does not last then you will have a strong cast but still see frizz, even after scrunching out the cast. By the end of the day you will have a lot of frizz and the curls fall. Your hair may also require a lot of effort to refresh, and cannot withstand humidity.

Some examples of these non-lasting stylers:

Alternatives:

Strong Hold

Medium Hold

✅ What to look for:

  • Multiple “polyquaternium” ingredients towards the top of the ingredients list
  • PVP, VP/VA Copolymer
  • Use my shop page filters for “strong hold” OR “medium hold,” AND “contains polyquats”

❌ What to avoid:

  • Gels that ONLY have plant-based holding ingredients like Sucrose, aloe, flaxseed, sea moss
  • Labels that say
    • “No crunch” or “Crunch free”
    • “Soft hold” or “Soft curls”
    • “Touchable hold”
    • “Flexible hold”

Anti-humidity ingredients checklist

If you are dealing with humidity and want a full list of ingredients to look for, download the free chart below.

​Anti-Humidity Ingredients Checklist​

Still stuck?

If you’ve tried these alternative products, and your curls are still not turning out, then I recommend meeting with me in a curl coaching session so we can walk through every step of your routine and pin point what’s going wrong.

Sometimes it’s not the product that’s the problem, it’s how you’re using it. Most of the time, you all have products in your stash that you can use so you don’t have to buy new ones.

You can reach out to me by sending me a message on IG or Facebook with the word “coaching” or email info@genamarie.co to discuss if you’re a fit and which package you need.

Shop & filter products

Use the shop page filters on my blog to narrow down your product search. You can find filters for formula weight, hold level, and more.

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This lightweight oil won't weigh down your hair and is perfect for pre-shampoo oiling (absorbs fast), scrunching out your cast, locking in moisture, and adding shine. Bonus points for being fragrance-free!

Gena Marie

Curly hair, simplified.

Helping you better understand your naturally curly hair through easy-to-follow tutorials, science-based haircare tips, and problem-solving.

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