Written by: Holly Troupe
My relationship with my coarse and generally insufferable hair has always been antagonistic. Judging by the recent proliferation of products dedicated to producing luxurious, healthy, Pre-Raphaelite curls, I gather there is an entire community of curlies experiencing similar levels of frustration. After watching approximately 500 hours of YouTube videos by exhausted fuzzy-headed girls like myself, I was turned on to what might be the tress Treasure of the Sierra Madre: Kinky Curly Curling Custard.
Kinky Curly Curling Custard isn’t a treatment, conditioner or chemical process; it is a natural styling gel (a somewhat expensive styling gel; between $27 and $30 for a 16oz jar) designed to give frizzy, curly and kinky hair smooth and soft curl definition. The gel gets its jellied properties from extracts of marshmallow root and Aloe Vera, so the texture isn’t quite like the traditional styling gels one might be used to, but is considerably thicker. It is recommended by the manufacturer that it be used in conjunction with the other products in the Kinky Curly line in order to achieve the most favorable effect. In the interest of full disclosure, I will say that I did not use those other products. Before I am chided for wantonly ignoring the product stipulations, I did use a shampoo and a conditioner without oils or silicones, which are the base requirements for Kinky Curly Curling Custard curl optimization.
My hair is waist length, porous and has a spiraly/kinky curl pattern (for those who follow the Andre Walker hair typing system, my hair type is roughly 4a). As per the instructions for coarse/kinky curls, I applied the product to freshly washed, soaking wet hair. I find the consistency of this product to be like a jam suffused with egg white. It is, as I said, very thick so a little does go a long way. I sectioned my hair, applied just enough product to coat and allowed my hair to dry naturally. My observations are as follows:
- The fragrance is very sweet; I have read it described as “vanilla cake batter.” I happen to like it, but I can understand how others might find it cloying or excessively potent.
- The product is very, very slippery, so it is excellent for detangling. However, it is also quite slimy, and it leaves a film on the skin that takes a bit of effort to wash off.
- My hair was slightly elongated. I find this to be a very good thing. This is likely due to the weight of the product.
- My hair took an inordinately long time to dry completely; roughly eight hours. This is due, no doubt, to the thickness of the product.
- Like most styling gels, once it has dried on the hair, the hair takes on a kind of hard, crunchy texture that some might find displeasing. It is recommended that an oil based pomade be smoothed on to the dry hair in order to soften it a bit. I did so, and succeeded in eliminating most of the crunch.
- My curls were very defined and soft. There are potent humectants in this product due to the Aloe Vera and agave nectar, and these facilitate the absorption of water into the hair shaft from the atmosphere, leading to softness and flexibility. However, in a humid climate, one might experience—as I did on one occasion—a surplus of volume, i.e., overly big hair.
Now, even though this product does have some qualities that make it a less-than-perfect styler, there is a saving grace; a major one. After using it consistently for two months, I noticed significantly reduced breakage and an almost alarming length retention—a remarkable achievement for something that is just supposed to be a styler. I can’t conclusively determine what ingredient lead to this happy phenomenon, but I speculate it is due to (1) the humectant properties and (2) the absence of drying agents like silicones or alcohol.
All of the issues that might detract from the overall wonderfulness of the product—extremely long drying time, slimy film, humectant components leading to comically big hair—might just be overshadowed by the length preserving benefits. Kinky Curly Curling Custard is pricey, but the concentrated nature of this product could make it last for several months, depending on the length and thickness of your hair. This is not the best styling product I have ever used, but it is, without question, the best for my hair.