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Design Essentials

Coconut & Monoi Curl Defining Gelée

Styler / Gel, light-hold

  • Styler
  • gel
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size12 oz
Price$9.99 Good valueseen at one store · 12 oz
Price / oz$0.85/ozat 12 oz
Where to buy5 stores · 2 sizes

Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.

Scent:

Reviewers describe it as coconut.

Manufacturer page: designessentials.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Complete the consultation to see how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 6,000+ products in our library, we can match you to the right ones.

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$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates

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Lower cost than most gels

$0.85/oz at 12 oz, less than 85% of the 267 gels , which mostly run $1.13–3.78/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Maybe skip if

this product has a scent
Styles that must holdthe brand states a light hold at most
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you

Whether this hold suits you depends on your density, porosity and how long your style needs to last. The consultation works that out.

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.

Hold (as stated) Light

A light hold, as stated by the brand.

Hold system Synthetic polymer

Synthetic hold polymers, the firmest kind of hold.

Cast risk Unlikely

Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely.

Weight on the hair Medium

Middle of the range: noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Oil absorption None

No absorbent powders or starches.

Oils and butters Present, high in the list

Oils sit high in the list: a softening, coating formula.

Fast-drying alcohol None

No fast-drying alcohol in the list.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Fragrance Present

Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.

from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.

Ingredients that matter

The ingredients that change a decision

The workhorse ingredients, plus anything lower down that changes a decision. The chips name what an ingredient does. They are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
WaterDeionized Water solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Glycerin humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Polyquaternium-37 conditioning agent Conditions and softens so hair combs through Detangles
Methyl Gluceth-10 humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Polyquaternium-11 film former Lays down the film that holds a shape Detangles
Polysorbate 20Polysorbate-20 solubilizer Keeps oils dissolved in water Stabilizes
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil oil Softens the film so it does not set hard Softens
Ethylhexylglycerin preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Softens
Caprylyl Glycol preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Moisturizes
Phenoxyethanol preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Stabilizes
Gardenia botanical extract A trace plant extract Fragrance
Fragrance fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. Contains fragrance.
Full ingredient list (13)

In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.

  • 1 Water · Deionized Water
    General function

    The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    • solvent
  • 2 Glycerin
    General function

    Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.

    Role in this product type

    In styling gel, glycerin helps retain moisture as the product dries, supporting a softer, more flexible finish. The hold itself comes from the formula's film-forming polymers.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    May suit hair that benefits from added water retention and a softer, more flexible gel finish.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

    DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    Consider the climate and the complete formula: prominent humectants can behave differently in very dry air and on frizz-prone hair in high humidity.

    Cosmetic Ingredient Review
    • humectant
  • 3 Polyquaternium-37
    General function

    A thickening polymer that gives creams and curl products their bounce and helps them cling to the strand.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    Cationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.

    • conditioning agent
    • film former
    • polymer
    • thickener
  • 4 Methyl Gluceth-10
    General function

    A sugar-derived humectant that also helps a formula stay blended.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

    DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A humectant moves water in whichever direction the air allows: it holds moisture in humid conditions and can pull it back out of hair in very dry ones.

    • humectant
    • emulsifier
  • 5 Polyquaternium-11
    General function

    A styling and conditioning polymer that adds light hold and shine, common in mousses and setting sprays.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    Cationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.

    • film former
    • polymer
    • conditioning agent
  • 6 Polysorbate 20 · Polysorbate-20
    General function

    Keeps fragrance and oils dissolved in a watery formula so it stays clear.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    • solubilizer
    • emulsifier
  • 7 Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
    General function

    A light, widely used oil that softens without much weight.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

    May not suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • oil
    • emollient
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
  • 8 Ethylhexylglycerin
    General function

    A preservative booster that also adds a little softness. Almost always paired with phenoxyethanol.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

    PubChem
    • preservative
    • emollient
  • 9 Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract
    • botanical extract
  • 10 Caprylyl Glycol
    General function

    A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Humectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.

    DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

    PubChem
    • preservative
    • humectant
  • 11 Phenoxyethanol
    • preservative
  • 12 Gardenia
    • botanical extract
    • fragrance
  • 13 Fragrance
    General function

    An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

    Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

    • fragrance
    • declared fragrance

What the whole list adds up to

  • 3 humectants
  • 3 preservatives
  • 2 conditioning agents
  • 2 film formers
  • 2 polymers
  • 2 emulsifiers
  • 2 emollients
  • 2 botanical extracts
  • 2 fragrances
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 thickener
  • 1 solubilizer
  • 1 oil
  • 1 declared fragrance

Ingredient list captured 2026-10-17. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 12 oz

Seen at $9.99 lowest of 2 stores · checked Oct 17
Good value under $14 Under $1.20/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $14 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $33 at this size.

Sizes

8 oz
$12.99
$1.62/oz
12 ozusual store size
$9.99
$0.85/oz

The 12 oz costs 48% less per ounce than the 8 oz.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it5 listings · 5 stores

12 ozusual store sizeBest per ounce

8 oz

  • JCPenney
    $12.99
    8 oz · $1.62/oz
    Oct 17Lowest per oz

Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.

How we work this out
  1. 12 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
  2. Seen at $9.99 is the price we have observed for the 12 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $14 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.20/oz; at 12 oz that is $14. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
  5. About $33 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 12 oz.

Formula

Formula score
10 of 10

This formula covers the systems a gel is built around, and it costs less per ounce than most of the gels we have researched.

How the score is counted
  • 1 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs less per ounce than 85% of the 267 gels we’ve priced
  • Covers 6 of the 6 things a gel should do
  • Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
  • A hold systemThe polymer, gum, or wax that holds the shape.3 pts
  • Softeners alongside the holdWhat keeps a film flexible instead of brittle.2 pts
  • No drying alcohol in the first threeFast drying without leading on alcohol.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
  • A humidity claim with a mechanismThe claim has a film former or silicone behind it.1 pt
  • Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt

The formula score measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job, for less

Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.

African PrideLowest cost per oz Moisture Miracle Rose Water & Argan Oil Curl Mousse $0.55/oz $0.30/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
  • Silicone-free
· Close function
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
Also
  • 8.5 oz bottle
  • Sold online
Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find the one that fits your hair, routine and budget

Built for wavy to coily hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits
Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein who want a protein-free formula and real detangling slip

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, styles that have to hold all day, or very dry or very humid climates

Best alternative if not

Consider African Pride Moisture Miracle Rose Water & Argan Oil Curl Mousse, for similar results at a lower price

We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.

Claims check

What the brand says, and what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.

4
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
curl enhancement

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

frizz control

Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.

  • Polyquaternium-37
  • Polyquaternium-11
  • Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
Supported

Smoother strands, less frizz.

adds shine

The formula carries a recognised shine system — silicone, oil, or light ester.

  • Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
Supported

Reflects light for visible shine.

paraben-free

No parabens appear in the ingredient list.

—

Supported

Preserved without parabens.

soft hold without crunch or buildup

Softening ingredients sit alongside the hold polymers, which is what keeps a film flexible.

  • Polyquaternium-37
  • Polyquaternium-11
  • Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
Supported

Natural movement without stiffness.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula, not at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

Themes that come up again and again in sourced reviews, written by our researchers in their own words. We don’t store or scrape star ratings.

Many reviewers say it defines curls and twists with a soft, flexible hold and little frizz while staying lightweight.

natural, wavy and curly wearers, including stylists

Reviewers report it keeps hair moisturized and shiny with no buildup or residue and a pleasant coconut scent.

daily-use and long-term buyers

Several lower-rating reviewers find it sticky, crunchy or flaky the next day, leaving residue on hands and pillowcases.

reviewers rating three stars and under, plus some four-star notes

More from Design Essentials

How this page was made

  • Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one product.
  • The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
  • Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
  • The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
  • 4 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 2 editorial), last checked 2026-10-17.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 4 of 8 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
  • We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
  • Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
  • Formula readings: derivation v23. Record last updated 2026-10-17.

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