HygieneLab Men's Hair Gel - EWG Verified, Strong Hold, Matte Finish, Weightless Texture, Sandalwood Scent, Non-Toxic Clean Formula, Suitable for All Hair Types

As a guy with curly hair, finding the right styling gel has always felt like a frustrating game of trial and error. Either the gel has great hold but leaves your hair feeling stiff and crunchy, or it’s lightweight and moisturizing but can’t keep curls defined past midday. Even worse, most gels are packed with questionable ingredients—alcohols that dry out curls, synthetic fragrances, and preservatives that make you wonder what you’re actually putting on your scalp. That’s why discovering Hygiene Lab Hair Gel was such a refreshing change. I was looking for a product with a clean label—something that skips the harsh chemicals but still actually performs. Hygiene Lab really nailed it. Let’s talk ingredients. This gel is free of sulfates, parabens, drying alcohols, and synthetic dyes. Instead, it’s packed with plant-based ingredients and natural humectants that keep your hair hydrated and healthy. As someone who’s trying to be more conscious about what goes into my grooming routine, this was a huge selling point. There’s something reassuring about reading the label and actually understanding every ingredient listed. Performance-wise, this gel punches way above its weight. It goes on smooth, not sticky or tacky like some gels can be, and it spreads easily through damp hair. I usually apply it right after my leave-in conditioner, scrunch it in, and let my hair air dry. The result? Defined, soft curls with just the right amount of hold. There’s no crunchy cast, no weird flaking, and absolutely zero residue. My curls stay intact throughout the day—bouncy, controlled, and natural-looking. No helmet-head here. One thing I really appreciate is that it doesn’t dry out my hair or scalp. So many gels leave my curls feeling brittle by the end of the day, especially when I refresh with water the next morning. But with Hygiene Lab, my hair feels just as soft and hydrated the next day. In fact, this gel has helped me cut down on how often I need to restyle or wash, because it just holds up that well. Another bonus? The scent. It’s subtle, clean, and not overpowering—just a fresh, barely-there scent that feels masculine without being too cologne-y. Great for daily use and doesn’t clash with any other grooming products I use. Packaging-wise, the bottle is sleek and minimal, which I like. Nothing flashy, just clean design that matches the clean product inside. And the consistency of the gel itself is perfect—neither too watery nor too thick. It’s easy to control how much you use, which helps avoid build-up or overapplication. Final thoughts: Hygiene Lab Hair Gel is now a permanent part of my curly hair routine. It checks every box—clean ingredients, solid hold, zero crunch, and it actually cares for your hair instead of just masking it. If you’re a guy with curly hair who’s tired of compromising between health and style, I honestly can’t recommend this gel enough. Hats off to Hygiene Lab for making a product that finally gets it right

Works well. I think the fragrance is more of teatime oil or similar (than sandalwood). It holds well the whole day. I love it. I hope the ingredients are what mentioned on the box/label and nothing more.

I was looking for a non-toxic styling product. Ive tried others but this one is the best. Holds perfectly throughout the day, smells nice. Doesn't leave my hair greasy.

Loved the hold, hated the smell. Granted, I am a woman, but I generally don’t mind manly smelling things as long as they are natural/EO based fragrances. In theory, I like the smell of sandalwood just fine, but this was really strong and overpowering for me. After two uses, I passed it to my hubby. That said, it had fabulous hold for my naturally curly bixie. So ladies should give it a try if the sandalwood smell doesn’t bother you.

We're switching many of our household products to cleaner options. So I got this hair gel for my husband. He says that the hold is a little bit less than his normal Wal mart choice, but it looked nice when he used it. Softer hold. The reason he will not continue using it is because it smells very heavily almost like a patchouli smell. If you like natural smelling then you'll be fine with it, but it is very pungent. It is pretty pricey for a small/ medium container and I'm now looking for someone to give it away to. Again, if you don't mind natural smelling, Very pungent hair gel for a little pricey, but you're getting a very clean product, this is for you.

Nice quality product

I was looking for an alcohol-free gel and decided to try this one. It works great and smells great! Give it a try!

My husband was looking for a hair pomade with cleaner ingredients and he landed on this one. He LOVES it. He told me he hardly has to use any compared to the brand he used to use. We both like the way it smells, it's not too overpowering. And the hold is awesome. He works inside and outside in Florida and through sweating and humidity, it stays.