The 5 Best Organic Hair Gels for Natural Styling

Hair gel is a versatile product to add to your hair care and style routine.

There are many different looks that hair gel can help achieve, but at what cost?

This guide will explore the different ingredients in hair gel products and feature more sustainable & natural hair gel brands using organic ingredients, so you can make the best choice for healthy hair!

This post does contain some affiliate links which means The Honest Consumer will receive a commission if you decide to purchase, however, at no additional cost to you!

What is hair gel?

When it comes to hair care products, hair gel is one of the most underrated ones.

Whether you are trying to hold your hair in place, or achieve a certain look with your curls, styling gel can handle the job.

Multiple different hair types can benefit from what hair gel can do.

natural hair gel

What are the benefits Of Hair Gel?

More Control: Hair gel gives you a certain amount of styling control over your hair. Whether you are wanting more defined curls, to tame flyaway hairs, or create a more sleek and slick look, this is a great product to do that.

Variety of Hold: Like hairspray, gel has a variety of different hold depending on how long you want your hair to be styled and the texture you want your hair to feel like. You’ve got gel that has a strong hold for those times you need your hairstyle to stay all day long.

Your hair will feel firmer with this type of hold though. Then you have medium hold gel that is a little more flexible. It’s great for people with thick hair who are wanting to add some shine. Lastly you have the option with the most flexible hold. Soft hold gel works great for people that have fine or wavy hair.

Thicker Appearance: Depending on the gel you use, you could see more volume in your hair when adding the styling gel. It’s all in the ingredients that are found in the product you are using. I’ll be going into more detail there later on, so keep reading.

There is also another benefit that I’ll introduce in the next section as we discuss why organic hair gels are the best ones to choose.

organic hair gel

Organic vs. Non-organic Hair Gel

We’ve determined how great hair gel is, but what makes it even better is when you find organic and natural ingredients in the product. In fact, the type of ingredients in your hair products can make a big difference for not just you, but also anyone that has a hand in making that product, and the environment as a whole. Here are the top five reasons why organic hair gel should be added to your shopping list this week.

  1. It Gives Your Hair More Nutrients and Strength: Hair gel has the potential to provide nutrients to your hair. The organic ingredients that you’ll find in natural products are typically healthier for your hair. They do a lot more good for your hair than those traditional gels loaded with harmful chemicals.

  2. It’s Better For Color-Treated Hair: If you’ve colored your hair once, twice, or even twenty times, you’ll appreciate what organic products can do for your hair. Not only do these products help your color last longer, if you used a damaging dye to color your hair it will give your locks a much needed break.

  3. Healthy Scalp, Hair & Body: Your scalp and skin can easily absorb chemicals, which makes it an easy target for irritation if you have sensitive skin, allergic reactions, and even worse. By using a hair gel made with organic ingredients you are avoiding this situation, while also avoiding common hair problems like product build-up, hair loss, and more

  4. Better Quality: Some of the best natural hair gels may be a little steep, but when you consider that their quality is a lot better than your traditional beauty products, it puts it into perspective. Usually with better quality products a little goes a long way so it lasts longer anyways. When you consider those two thoughts, there really is no question on whether or not the natural styling gel is worth it.

  5. It’s Safer For The Environment: Organic hair gel does is better for others and the environment in a couple of ways. First, during production, the people involved with making/growing the ingredients and manufacturing the product aren’t exposed to the harmful ingredients. Then, by choosing natural products, when you wash it out of your hair there aren’t any toxic chemicals going down the drain and into the ocean.

What hair gel ingredients should we be aware of?

Now that you know why you should be buying organic ingredients, here are ingredients that you’ll want to watch out for, as well as the ones you’ll want to make sure you see on the ingredient list. 

woman using organic hair gel

Harmful ingredients to avoid in hair gel products

These are some ingredients you want to avoid when shopping for hair gel!

  • Parabens: Parabens are bad news for women for a variety of reasons. One big one is that it can mimic estrogen, which can cause early puberty in young girls. It’s not quite clear if there are any concerns for pregnant women and their babies, but that doesn’t include all of the other health problems parabens can cause. Breast cancer, weight gain, and neurological disorders are just a few.

  • Artificial Fragrance: The issue with fragrance is that it’s actually a vague term of about 3,000 chemicals. Some of the health problems associated with these chemicals are type 2 diabetes and infertility to name a few. It’s definitely not something you want to take a chance on.

  • Petrolatum, Paraffin (Mineral Oil): A study from 2011 found that mineral oils were the largest contaminant in the human body. To say that is a concerning ingredient found in hair products would be an understatement.

Organic Ingredients to Look for in Hair Gel

Here are some ingredients that are a bit healthier for you hair and can easily be found on ingredient labels as organic.

  • Aloe Vera: Organic aloe vera gel helps restore damaged hair, but it also stimulates your hair follicles to promote hair growth. It’s definitely a great ingredient to have in an organic hair gel.

  • Honey: If you find honey on the ingredient list you can expect to see some healthy shine from your hair gel. Who doesn’t want that?

  • Coconut Oil: This ingredient has a ton of benefits for your hair. One of those is helping you avoid frizzy hair.

  • Shea Butter: Your hair will thank you for choosing a gel that includes shea butter in it because of how it locks in moisture. You won’t have to worry about dry hair and damage when it comes to this star ingredient.

5 Natural Hair Gel Brands Using Organic Ingredients

There are four brands that have some of the best organic hair gel options.

These conscious brands are using clean ingredients and working to make the world a better place!

LOMA Firm Hold Gel Made with Organic Aloe Vera

First up on the list of best hair gels we have the Firm Hold Gel from LOMA. This particular gel is for all hair types and ranges from firm to extreme hold.

Some of the great ingredients to note in this product are organic aloe vera gel, avocado and castor oil, lavender, and fennel seed.

You can purchase the full eight ounce size for $22, or there are also two sample sizes to choose from.

LOMA has been in business for over 27 years now. What started as a drive to create safer products free of parabens, dioxanes, phthalates, hormones, pesticides, etc., for his daughter, has turned into countless stories of people loving their hair again through clean products.

EVOLVh’s DreamGel

The DreamGel Strong Hold Styler from EVOLVh is powered by amino acids to give you an all-day hold.

This do-it-all gel gives you control without stickiness or crunch, solves hair problems like flyaways and frizz, and adds shine.

Did I mention it also doubles as a strengthening treatment? For $24 you can add it to your hair styling product collection.

This product features quite a few organic ingredients such as organic Soy Amino Acids, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Manihot Esculenta (Tapioca) Root Starch, and more.

EVOLVh describes their products as biology-driven, science-based and high-performance.

They have been transforming hair since 2009. They are passionate about both innovation and clean beauty, and have found a way to combine both.

No matter your hair type, they have created products just for you that you can trust.

MIELLE Organics’ Variety of Gels

With our next natural gel brand you have multiple options, depending on your hair concern. MIELLE Organics has multiple lines of products, with some having a styling gel.

Some of the ones you’ll find on their site are the Honey & Ginger Styling Gel, Pomegranate & Honey Coil Sculpting Custard, and many other products which are all great for enhancing curls and nourishing your hair.

MIELLE Organics styling products range from $10-$15. Select products feature organic ingredients such as Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, organic honey, and more!

The power of social media is a big reason why MIELLE Organics is here today. Monique Rodriguez, the founder and CEO, shared her healthy, hair care regimen online with her followers one day.

Shortly after that MIELLE Organics was created - a company that now has 10 different collections and is offered worldwide in major retailers.

In addition to creating amazing products, the company also has set-up a fund called the Mielle Mavens Entrepreneurship Fund that helps support Black women entrepreneurs.

They award 60 women annually from across the U.S., Caribbean and Africa.

Nature’s Brands USDA Certified Organic Hair Gel

This eco-friendly hair-gel is all-natural and a great choice. Nature’s Brands hair gel is USDA Certified Organic.

Its unique formulation includes olive oil, lemongrass oil, patchouli oil, sweet orange oil, sage, green tea, apple cider vinegar and more. All have been responsibly sourced and then prepared through a cold-pressed method.

This ensures maximum preservation of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants.

This organic hair gel can be purchased for $7-$23.

Carina Organics Unscented Styling Hair Gel

The Unscented Alcohol-Free Styling Gel is for everyone that is sensitive to scent.

This certified organic product from Carina Organics has a medium to firm hold and works best when applied to wet hair.

Some noteworthy things about this gel is that it is hypoallergenic, cruelty free, 100% biodegradable, and dye free, to name a few.

You can buy it in a couple of different sizes starting at eight ounces at $11.99.

unscented hair gel made with organic ingredients

Carina Organics began in 1972 and has since become internationally known for their focus on creating products that “replace chemical and synthetic ingredients with natural and organic plant extracts, essences, and oils.” 

Not only do they achieve this with their amazing hair care line, they also have body care, face care, and baby care lines.

Hopefully this guide has helped you learn some tips and tricks for picking out the best gel for your healthy hair!

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