Styling Products I Stay Away From as a Fine Haired Natural

Last updated on October 19th, 2020 at 04:15 pm

When you have fine hair, you have to be careful with the styling products you use. Many styling products weigh our hair down. Let’s take a look at stylers to avoid on fine hair.

What styling product work for one person’s hair may not work for yours…especially if your hair is fine.

One thing you can do is engage in a bit of trial and error when it comes to styling products. That’s because you can have fine hair but if you have lots of density (many strands of hair on your head), your hair can likely tolerate products that are a bit heavier.

Below I offer up what I’ve found works well for my fine natural hair as well as stylers to avoid on fine hair. If you find that your hairstyles could look much better and have more movement perhaps avoid the same types of stylers mentioned below.

Sylers to Avoid in Fine Hair: Butter Based

Most butter based stylers, (including shea butter and mango butter) are too heavy for my fine hair. That is, unless they are whipped and even then, in small amounts.

Related Post: How to Use Shea Butter on Fine hair

Other styling products that are rich in butters also tend to weigh fine hair down. Cream based stylers are a bit lighter on the strands and I can often get away with using them so long as it’s in small amounts.

The absolute ONLY exception to this is Shea Moisture’s Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie, which is rich in Shea Butter.

I don’t know if it’s the whipping of the Shea Butter in the product that makes the difference but I suspect it is (read that related post above if you haven’t already).

The Curl Enhancing Smoothie also contains a number of oils but the end product is a pretty smoothing, moisturizing creamy styler. It’s A-OK for my hair.

Stylers to Avoid in Fine Hair: Level 10 Gels

Gel will always be a staple in my natural hair regimen. My wash and go’s don’t stand a chance of lasting past day two without a gel. Yes, I may be able to achieve bigger hair but I tend to prefer definition over how large my hair can swell.

When hair loses definition, it also loses the ability to be “tamed.” When it starts to expand due to lack of styling products controlling it, it also tends to shrink excessively. The result is tangling and I’m not about that life. (Are you??)

So, the highest level of hold I will go with on for example a gel like EcoStyler, is a level 8. For some, Eco Styler has been found to cause hair loss. I’ve not experienced that so I continue to use their Curl and Wave Gel. I just don’t use it often.

I’m typically using all natural products but gels are the exception. Eventually, I’ll make flaxseed gel on my own but for now, I’m fluctuating between using four gels for styling my fine natural hair.

Preferred Hair Gels for Fine Hair:

• CurlPrep Curl Crush Around the Way Gel – a very lightweight gel. I have slathered globs of this onto my hair and it doesn’t weigh it down. I’ve found it to also pair well with all of my leave in conditioners.
  
• Aunt Jackie’s Curls & Coils Don’t Shrink Flaxseed Elongating Curling Gel – Definitely not like all pure homemade flax seed gel (I actually purchased some once) but it has great hold without weighing the hair down. I found it pairs REALLY well with Shea Moisture’s Curly Enhancing Smoothie (UPDATE: I no longer use this due to the ingredients)
  
• Camille Rose Naturals CurlMaker – Admittedly, I was not very fond of this gel when I first started using it but then I discovered it really depends on what leave in conditioner is paired with it. When used with a very light weight leave in, it works quite well on my fine natural hair. I also really like this gel to create smooth, frizz free twists.
  
• Mielle Organics Honey & Ginger Styling Gel – This gel is very very lightweight. Actually, I don’t find it to have enough hold for me. However, it’s a good back up gel to have for smoothing updo protective hairstyles.

Note: Typically, to keep curls light and flowing jelly based stylers work better over heavy gels

DO USE: Super Creamy Leave-in Conditioners

There’s very few leave in conditioners I can say I love.

Since you’re essentially “leaving them in” they have to be just right.

For my fine hair, it seems leave ins that aren’t excessively creamy work best. The exception is Camille Rose Naturals coconut water leave in. It’s partly creamy but very water based and absorbs quite well into my strands.

Preferred Leave in Conditioners:

Natty Naturals Bohemian Collection Lemongrass Leave in Conditioner

This is by far my FAVORITE leave in conditioner of all time! It’s surprising because the featured ingredient is a butter….Cupuacu Butter (there’s tons of benefits for hair too).

Now, I’ve never used actual Cupuacu Butter so I don’t know how heavy it is but this is truly a very light leave in conditioner. And, while this is on the more expensive side (you do get a lot though), it’s AH-MAZ-ING! Tons of slip, loads of moisture, makes detangling a breeze, smells phenomenal AND it’s super light. What more could a girl ask for?

OH wait, it also comes in a dark amber glass bottle with a pump on it! Aesthetically pleasing and protective of those wonderful ALL natural ingredients. This leave in is also available fragrance free or with other essential oils. It comes in a 16 and a 32 ounce size. You’re not ever going to want to run out! Check it out here.

Camille Rose Naturals Coconut Water Leave in

Water based? Yes! The coconut water is SOOOOO different from coconut oil. It’s not drying to the hair at all. It’s very very moisturizing.

Kinky Curly Knot Today

This is rich in organic stuff and slippery elm which imparts great moisture and tons of slip.

Melanin Haircare Multi-Use Leave In Conditioner (NEW ADDITION)

Unlike their Twist Elongating Cream (which is too heavy for fine hair), the leave in is just right. It’s very moisturizing and also helps you to detangle with ease. Find it here.

Pay attention to your stylers and leave in conditioners. Each of these stylers should be scrutinized before being used to style fine natural hair. Often times the ingredients will tell on themselves and at other times, you need to put them through periods of trial and error.

Once you discover what works best in your fine hair, you’ll be well on your way to effortless styling. I hope sharing the types of stylers to avoid on fine hair helps you.

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