What Non-gel Products Do You Use To Sleek Down Your Buns?

[Alma Petra]

So far gel is the only product that has the ability to smooth my cuticles and lay my frizzies down. I would like to wear a bun for most of the week but as my natural roots grow in, my hair becomes coarser, more frizzy and much more difficult to lay down. I can achieve a sleek look using gel, but I would like to refresh my bun with water every morning and I dislike the crunchiness of the gel cast that gets reproduced when I re-wet or add more gel. I also have sort of a phobia from the gel crunch; I feel that there will come a time after a few days of refreshing with more gel that the crunch will not be completely removed by scrunching, or that someone will touch my hair as it's drying and before I get the chance to SOTC.

So what other products (or techniques) do you guys use to sleek down your buns that are NOT gel or at least are not crunchy?

 

[Libra08]

I have to wear a bun every day for work, and I've been using castor oil for the past few years. I didn't trust gel to not break my hair off eventually. Castor oil is thick so it works great for me. It's not going to be gel smooth, and frizz free, but I get compliments all the time on how nice my bun is. I usually use a leave in with water as the first ingredient to smooth my hair first before I apply castor oil and brush it back into a bun. I tie it down with a satin scarf for a few minutes then I head out to work.

 

[Alma Petra]

I have to wear a bun every day for work, and I've been using castor oil for the past few years. I didn't trust gel to not break my hair off eventually. Castor oil is thick so it works great for me. It's not going to be gel smooth, and frizz free, but I get compliments all the time on how nice my bun is. I usually use a leave in with water as the first ingredient to smooth my hair first before I apply castor oil and brush it back into a bun. I tie it down with a satin scarf for a few minutes then I head out to work.

Never thought of castor oil. I have recently bought a bottle of this oil to use in an oil-rinsing mix. I think that I'm going to try this next.

How much oil do you use to sleek the bun? Does it at all leave any greasiness behind?

And is your hair natural or relaxed? Would you say that it is naturally coarse or more on the silky side?

Thank you very much for your response!

 

[Libra08]

Never thought of castor oil. I have recently bought a bottle of this oil to use in an oil-rinsing mix. I think that I'm going to try this next.

How much oil do you use to sleek the bun? Does it at all leave any greasiness behind?

And is your hair natural or relaxed? Would you say that it is naturally coarse or more on the silky side?

Thank you very much for your response!

I use about a quarter sized amount I believe. I have very thick natural hair, and it's on the coarse side. I also use a hair growth oil at night so I don't know if the castor oil by itself would make it greasy. I only notice when my ends are greasy tbh, and I have to wear a bun every day to work so it's no big deal to me because I only wear freshly washed hair out out on the weekends.

I've been experimenting with avocado oil as well this past week for sleek buns, and it works just as well as castor oil, and is much lighter. When I take off my satin scarf it kinda feels like it has a "gel cast." You can kinda feel the avocado oil's hold. I tried experimenting with grapeseed oil and thought it would be a clear winner because of the high ceramide content, but it did not perform as well as the castor oil and avocado oil. Hope this helps!

 

[Alma Petra]

I use about a quarter sized amount I believe. I have very thick natural hair, and it's on the coarse side. I also use a hair growth oil at night so I don't know if the castor oil by itself would make it greasy. I only notice when my ends are greasy tbh, and I have to wear a bun every day to work so it's no big deal to me because I only wear freshly washed hair out out on the weekends.

I've been experimenting with avocado oil as well this past week for sleek buns, and it works just as well as castor oil, and is much lighter. When I take off my satin scarf it kinda feels like it has a "gel cast." You can kinda feel the avocado oil's hold. I tried experimenting with grapeseed oil and thought it would be a clear winner because of the high ceramide content, but it did not perform as well as the castor oil and avocado oil. Hope this helps!

That's definitely of great help. Thank you so much!
It's interesting to hear about "oil cast". Does castor oil leave a cast similar to that of the avocado oil?

 

[Libra08]

That's definitely of great help. Thank you so much!
It's interesting to hear about "oil cast". Does castor oil leave a cast similar to that of the avocado oil?

No problem! I haven't noticed it with castor oil.

 

[Alma Petra]

No problem! I haven't noticed it with castor oil.

Many thanks, dear

 

[Anaisin]

Conditioner


Mousse


I never tried the mousse but the conditioner works. You just have to tie it down.

 

[shiney_sapphire]

I use castro oil and conditioner then tie it down.

 

[mzteaze]

Water works well for me. Just dampen my hair enough to use a stiff boars head brush to smooth hairs into place.

 

[Alma Petra]

Thank you so much ladies!

I'm afraid my hair is too coarse for some of these ideas though. My usual leave-in conditioners do not help at all with this. I might try using my rinse-out herbal essences conditioner for this, just because the girl in the video used the hello hydration one. But I'm not very optimistic.

@Anaisin, do you have any idea if mousse is a crunch-type product as well or not?

 

[Anaisin]

Thank you so much ladies!

I'm afraid my hair is too coarse for some of these ideas though. My usual leave-in conditioners do not help at all with this. I might try using my rinse-out herbal essences conditioner for this, just because the girl in the video used the hello hydration one. But I'm not very optimistic.

@Anaisin, do you have any idea if mousse is a crunch-type product as well or not?

No idea. Never used mousse in my life. That video just has been sitting in my favorites because I want to try it

 

[Alma Petra]

No idea. Never used mousse in my life. That video just has been sitting in my favorites because I want to try it

Hmmm maybe we should try it!!

Does anybody know if the mousse in the video is a good one? Do you have other suggestions for mousse? And does mousse cause crunch?

TIA

 

[Napp]

I like sedal rizos obedientes

 

[Evolving78]

Hawaiian Silky Activator. It's in a gel form, so it's easy to scoop out and use, but it is water and glycerin based, so you can get rewet your hair with no dry cast.

 

[douglala]

What about edge control. It's not sticky and hard like gel.

My favorite brand is Hicks but it's not sold everywhere. Amazon has it though.

I layer that with castor oil and it's a winner for me.

 

[shiney_sapphire]

Hmmm maybe we should try it!!

Does anybody know if the mousse in the video is a good one? Do you have other suggestions for mousse? And does mousse cause crunch?

TIA

@alma_petra

I use mouse. It reallydepends on which one if it dries crunchy or not. I used Wella mousse and it did good for me and Essations foaming something (I forgot) but it was just like mousse.

 

[Alma Petra]

Thank you guys for all the suggestions. Totally appreciated. I am definitely going to give mousse a try. I might try the Creme of Nature one.

Curl activator (glycerin-based) products cause too much moisture and frizzing in my hair which is sad because I would definitely love to have that extra moisture sans the frizz.

I'll have a look into edge control as well. @douglala , is edge control not crunchy then? TIA.

 

[Anaisin]

Thank you guys for all the suggestions. Totally appreciated. I am definitely going to give mousse a try. I might try the Creme of Nature one.

Curl activator (glycerin-based) products cause too much moisture and frizzing in my hair which is sad because I would definitely love to have that extra moisture sans the frizz.

I'll have a look into edge control as well. @douglala , is edge control not crunchy then? TIA.

I just got the mousse with my $5 gift card so it was only 29 cents. I'm actually planning on braiding my hair and have been stretching it with braids for 2 days (didn't want to use heat) but I might get rained on today. If so I'll try the mousse for a bun

 

[Rocky91]

Thank you guys for all the suggestions. Totally appreciated. I am definitely going to give mousse a try. I might try the Creme of Nature one.

Curl activator (glycerin-based) products cause too much moisture and frizzing in my hair which is sad because I would definitely love to have that extra moisture sans the frizz.

I'll have a look into edge control as well. @douglala , is edge control not crunchy then? TIA.

I know you didn't ask me, but no, it's not going to be crunchy. And Hick's in particular, your hair will stay laid.

 

[krissyhair]

I've been using African Royale super gro.

It's doing a good job of holding my edges and keeping them styled since I used up the last of my gel

 

[crlsweetie912]

Curls passionfruit control paste.

 

[halee_J]

Mango butter. Ive been using this for about a month now. I have coarse hair, and a former gel junkie. I dampen my edges, then apply followed by a scarf. My edges are laid.

 

[uofmpanther]

Oyin Burnt Sugar pomade. I dampen my hair first, then smooth the pomade on and tie a scarf. It doesn't last as long as gel, but it lasts hours and it isn't a heavy pomade. It has castor oil in it, so I wonder if that is what makes it work.

 

[momi]

I have to wear a bun every day for work, and I've been using castor oil for the past few years. I didn't trust gel to not break my hair off eventually. Castor oil is thick so it works great for me. It's not going to be gel smooth, and frizz free, but I get compliments all the time on how nice my bun is. I usually use a leave in with water as the first ingredient to smooth my hair first before I apply castor oil and brush it back into a bun. I tie it down with a satin scarf for a few minutes then I head out to work.

I wonder how I can make castor oil work for my edges only? My cut is tapered but not short enough for me to tie down the sides.... experimenting is in order because I have been overusing the Eco-Styler.

 

[Smiley79]

When I had enough hair to bun....it was:

Immediately followed by a headscarf!