The Very Best Hair Gels for Easy Slick Backs (2024)

Our Top Picks

Active Ingredients: Blue agave nectar and citrus oil | Hair type: All | Size: 16.9 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: No

What's the best hair gel of today? You're looking at it. Biolage's Styling Gelée is an all-purpose, pro-level product formulated to deliver not just control but also body, shine, and nourishment. The lightweight, slightly creamy concoction adds volume, tames flyaways, smooths, and leaves your hair with a truly gorgeous finish. Enriched with blue agave nectar, citrus oil, and other botanicals, it shapes and sculpts without crunchiness or a sticky residue.

Active Ingredients: Fruit protein, and vitamins B3 and B6 | Hair Type: All | Size: 6.8 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Thanks to Garnier, you can get the good stuff without shelling out a bunch of cash. Containing an impressive 98% naturally derived ingredients, the brand's Pure Clean Styling Gel offers a strong yet weightless finish without any flakes.

Active Ingredients: Australian jojoba oil and sea kelp | Hair Type: All, especially unmanageable hair | Size: 7 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Aussie is a go-to for drugstore haircare, so it's no surprise the brand makes a standout gel. Infused with sea kelp and jojoba oil, Instant Freeze offers maximum hold and a refreshing scent—no flakes, no stickiness, no residue.

Active Ingredients: Murumuru, mango, and cocoa seed butters | Hair Type: Curly, coils, medium to thick | Size: 8.5 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Feeling fancy? Treat yourself to a tub of Curl Gelée. It's got Oribe's signature plant-derived complex of lychee, watermelon, and edelweiss flower extracts, plus nourishing natural butter and oils—namely murumuru, mango, and cocoa butter—to hydrate and add bounce.

Active Ingredients: Aloe vera, coconut oil, and cacay oil | Hair Type: Curly, coils, textured hair | Size: 9.8 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: Yes

With braids, twists, and coils in mind, Pattern Beauty's take on hair gel is this sizable tube containing an au natural blend of nutrient-rich ingredients. We're talking cacay oil, coconut oil, and aloe vera, plus a slightly sweet aroma of rose, neroli, and patchouli.

Active Ingredients: Marshmallow, ginger root, aloe vera, and shea butter | Hair Type: Type 3 and 4 curls, coils | Size: 8 oz | Formula: Cream | Cruelty-Free: Yes

For the curly-haired camp, we recommend Twisted Definition, a creamy gel that simultaneously moisturizes and defines. Drawing from marshmallow root, ginger, shea, and aloe, it pulls out all the stops for spirals, coils, and kinks.

Active Ingredients: Rice amino acids, quinoa extract, and tomato fruit ferment | Hair Type: Wavy, curly, coils, fine to thick | Size: 5.5 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you're working with waves, reach for Briogeo's Curl Charisma. The 90% naturally derived formula is chock-full of healthy hair ingredients like quinoa extract, rice amino acids, and tomato fruit ferment extract, which give your hair a flexible hold and a nourishment boost.

Active Ingredients: Coconut oil, agave nectar, flax seed oil, and shea butter | Hair Type: Thick, curly, coils | Size: 12 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: Yes

SheaMoisture's Gel Soufflé is amazing for those with thick hair and short cuts. The natural formula adds definition and hold, but since it doesn't contain silicone or polymers, there won't be any sticky buildup. Just keep in mind that the consistency might not hold up in hot weather, as coconut oil tends to melt.

Active Ingredients: Amino acids and fruit extracts | Hair Type: All | Size: 8.5 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Fine hair? Size up with Big Volumizing Gel, which contains fortifying hydrolyzed wheat protein and soothing aloe vera. Apply it to damp hair, then blow-dry, and watch as it plumps up your hair with body, strength, and a soft bounce.

Active Ingredients: Glycerin and castor oil | Hair Type: All | Size: 4.22 oz | Formula: Cream-like gel | Cruelty-Free: No

Need something that'll stay put for longer than a few hours? Go with Davines. As its name suggests, this no-nonsense, strong-hold gel isn't messing around. It dries quickly, adds texture, and preserves your 'do without clumping.

Active Ingredients: Coconut oil, sunflower seed extract, and keratin | Hair Type: All | Size: 5 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: Yes

For a piecey look that's not as hard as a rock, your best bet is R+Co Motorcycle. Despite its tough-sounding name, a dollop of this clear gel will leave your hair feeling soft and hydrated with just the right amount of texture.

Active Ingredients: Sericin and wheat protein | Hair Type: Curly | Size: 8.5 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: Yes

High humidity got you down? Ouidad's Advanced Climate Control Gel is formulated to smooth, define, and keep flyaways in check while delivering a reliable hold and an enhanced texture for curls, coils, spirals, kinks, and waves.

Active Ingredients: Argan oil | Hair Type: All | Size: 6 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Moroccanoil's styling gel combines the power of its famous argan oil with an alcohol-free formula for a hydrating, long-lasting, and strong hold. Tousle your hair with a squeeze of this gel, and behold your newfound brilliant texture.

Active Ingredients: Coconut and tea tree oil | Hair Type: Curly, coils | Size: 8 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If it's definition you're after, pick up a tub of Curl Cloud. With neem, tea tree, castor, and pimento oils, this antioxidant-rich hair gel accentuates coily and kinky hair and creates a soft hold for loose curls, twist-outs, and braid-outs.

Active Ingredients: Beeswax and kaolin clay | Hair Type: All | Size: 1.7 oz | Formula: Pomade | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This pomade smells addicting, just like the rest of Ouai's products, and works just as well to slick the hair, too. Because of its lightweight texture, the pomade is easy to work with and manage through various hair types. Expect nothing but a long-lasting hold and a healthy matte finish.

Active Ingredients: Castor seed oil | Hair Type: All | Size: 6 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: No

In the description, this hair gel states that it can accommodate “vertical hairstyles,” so if you’ve been wanting to take your hair to new heights, this is the product for you. For zero movement and long-lasting looks, the Ultra Glued hair gel won’t let you (or your hair) down. Squeeze a small amount into your palm and distribute evenly through damp hair.

Active Ingredients: Grapefruit peel oil | Hair Type: All | Size: 8.5 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: No

Break out this sculpting Redken hair gel if you want to attempt a style that goes beyond your basic bun or ponytail. This formula provides flake-free shape memory and even adds shine to your hair when styling.

Active Ingredients: Replenicore-5 complex, bamboo sap water | Hair Type: All | Size: 7 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Feeling hair envy? Don’t be the jelly type—get The Gelly Type. Rihanna’s beauty empire now includes a haircare category, and this strong hold gel is here to hold your hair with no trace. Thanks to its invisible finish, you won’t even know it’s there. With added benefits like split-end repair and frizz control, you’ll find yourself reaching for this one time and time again.

Active Ingredients: Jojoba milk and Tsubaki seed oil | Hair Type: Straight, wavy and curly hair | Size: 4.1 oz | Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: Yes

When it comes to hair, the finishing touch often makes all the difference. Don’t leave the house without a bit of Crown Affair’s Flexible Hold Finishing Hair Gel. This gel extends your style by holding it in place, taming flyaways, and even adding shine to your hair. This gel works best for fine and medium hair textures for long-lasting looks and won’t leave you with stiff strands.

FAQ

• How do you apply hair gel?

  With a dime-to-nickel-sized dollop in the palm of your hand, massage the gel into your hair, evenly coating each strand. Use your fingers to add texture, scrunch your curls, or tousle your hair to create the look you're going for.

• Can you put hair gel in wet hair?

  To prevent drying out your hair or getting that crunchy feeling, gel will typically perform better if applied to wet or damp hair. This way the gel will glide through strands more easily and the product will also lock in the moisture that’s already in your hair.

• Does gel damage your hair?

  If a hair gel is high-quality and combined with the right ingredients, it can shut the cuticle and create shine, Murphy explains. However, products with poor-quality ingredients and high alcohol content can create dry, brittle hair and dry out your scalp.
  

• Does hair gel expire?

  "Everything has a use-by date," says Murphy. "Most brands have a shelf life of two years or more, then they either discolor or the suspension drops, and they become watery."
  

Meet the Experts

Kevin Murphy is a celebrity hairstylist and founder of the eponymous brand, Kevin Murphy.

This roundup was researched and written by Theresa Holland, a freelance commerce writer covering fitness, skincare, makeup, and haircare. She has been contributing to Byrdie since 2020, with other stories appearing on The Spruce and MyDomaine.

Austen Tosone is a beauty writer and content creator based in NYC. She tests dozens of beauty products for work and is always on the hunt to uncover the latest and greatest ones to share with Byrdie readers. In between hair wash days, there are few things she appreciates more than a slicked-back bun or ponytail.