WILD CHERRY BARK
The Bodyguard. ‘Zips up’ the hair surface to block out humidity and...
The Bodyguard. ‘Zips up’ the hair surface to block out humidity and pollution.
Strong Hold Gel
Strong Hold Gel
Your all day curl companion.
Regular price
$29.00
Sale price
$29.00
Regular price
Quantity
Key Ingredients
BAMBOO BARK
The Strengthener. Creates a flexible ‘armor’ to prevent breakage while adding a...
The Strengthener. Creates a flexible ‘armor’ to prevent breakage while adding a high-gloss finish.
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Styling Essentials Kit
Regular price
$77.00
Sale price
$77.00
Regular price
$86.00
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Style without limits.
Pairs Well With
Elixir Oil
Regular price
$49.00
Sale price
$49.00
Regular price
Add moisture, softness, and shine to your hair, skin, and nails with this velvety, non-greasy oil. Powered by 7 pure premium oils and Vitamin E.
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WILD CHERRY BARK
The Bodyguard. ‘Zips up’ the hair surface to block out humidity and...
The Bodyguard. ‘Zips up’ the hair surface to block out humidity and pollution.
BAMBOO BARK
The Strengthener. Creates a flexible ‘armor’ to prevent breakage while adding a...
The Strengthener. Creates a flexible ‘armor’ to prevent breakage while adding a high-gloss finish.
Formulated Without
Sulfates
Parabens
Synthetic Dyes
DEA
Mineral Oil
Phthalates
Silicones
Gluten
Glycols
Paraffin
Will I get a cast from the Strong Hold Gel?
What is the scent of the formula?
How to get the best results
Apply to soaking wet hair
The Strong Hold Gel works best on very wet hair. Water helps spread the product evenly and locks in moisture before the cast sets.
Layer for moisture
Because strong-hold gels focus on locking in your style, they pair beautifully with a moisturizing base. Apply the Curl Defining Lotion or your favourite leave-in for hydration, before applying the gel to lock it in.
Work in sections
Apply the gel section by section. This guarantees even coverage and prevents certain areas from being weighed down while others are left frizzy.
Try different styling methods
Praying hands
Smooth the gel down the hair using flat palms to tame frizz and elongate curls.
Rake-and-scrunch
Rake the gel through with your fingers for distribution, then scrunch upward for definition.
Finger-coil
Twirl stubborn strands around your finger with a bit of gel to force definition.
Don't touch while drying
The golden rule. Let hair dry completely. Touching will break the cast prematurely and introduce frizz.
Scrunch out the crunch
Once your hair is 100% dry, gently scrunch your curls to break the stiff gel cast and reveal soft, bouncy, defined hair. Pro tip: Rub a few drops of hair oil (like our Elixir Oil) onto your palms, or use a satin scarf/T-shirt to do this—it minimizes friction and adds incredible shine.
Refresh with water
On days 2 and 3, reactivate the gel simply by spritzing your hair with water and gently scrunching.
How To
Ingredients
WILD CHERRY BARK
The Bodyguard. ‘Zips up’ the hair surface to block out humidity and...
The Bodyguard. ‘Zips up’ the hair surface to block out humidity and pollution.
BAMBOO BARK
The Strengthener. Creates a flexible ‘armor’ to prevent breakage while adding a...
The Strengthener. Creates a flexible ‘armor’ to prevent breakage while adding a high-gloss finish.
Formulated Without
Sulfates
Parabens
Synthetic Dyes
DEA
Mineral Oil
Phthalates
Silicones
Gluten
Glycols
ParaffinFAQs
Will I get a cast from the Strong Hold Gel?
What is the scent of the formula?
Tips & Tricks
How to get the best results
Apply to soaking wet hair
The Strong Hold Gel works best on very wet hair. Water helps spread the product evenly and locks in moisture before the cast sets.
Layer for moisture
Because strong-hold gels focus on locking in your style, they pair beautifully with a moisturizing base. Apply the Curl Defining Lotion or your favourite leave-in for hydration, before applying the gel to lock it in.
Work in sections
Apply the gel section by section. This guarantees even coverage and prevents certain areas from being weighed down while others are left frizzy.
Try different styling methods
Praying hands
Smooth the gel down the hair using flat palms to tame frizz and elongate curls.
Rake-and-scrunch
Rake the gel through with your fingers for distribution, then scrunch upward for definition.
Finger-coil
Twirl stubborn strands around your finger with a bit of gel to force definition.
Don't touch while drying
The golden rule. Let hair dry completely. Touching will break the cast prematurely and introduce frizz.
Scrunch out the crunch
Once your hair is 100% dry, gently scrunch your curls to break the stiff gel cast and reveal soft, bouncy, defined hair. Pro tip: Rub a few drops of hair oil (like our Elixir Oil) onto your palms, or use a satin scarf/T-shirt to do this—it minimizes friction and adds incredible shine.
Refresh with water
On days 2 and 3, reactivate the gel simply by spritzing your hair with water and gently scrunching.
Overall rating: 4.5128207 / 5 from 78 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
Summary topics
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Review highlights
Reviews
Works on my 2B hair!
"A time and product saver! I've been using LUS for 2 years now and I liked the medium hold gel but the hold never lasted that long for me. With this gel, it's changed! It's all I need. This is my hair on wash day. I don't even need the curl cream and hairspray anymore. I also just use water for refresh days, while in the past, Ive had to reapply some curl cream, gel and hairspray. Pleaaaase have this in a bigger container 😍"
Awesome gel
"This gel is truly one of the best I've used in recent years. The cast it gives is amazing and holds up to air drying, which can take almost all day for my very thick 3A/B hair. Once the cast has set a bit, I feel like my curls are completely protected as they dry. I've gone and done errands, walked my dog, and other normal activities and my hair dries in the cast with very little frizz. I typically don't shake out the gel cast, other than shaking out my roots a bit once my hair is dry. I let the cast break up on its own over time and I find that gives me the best long-lasting results. My curls are super shiny and soft to touch. All I could ask for at this point is to be able to buy the gel in a larger quantity!"
Not a true strong hold gel
"Looks great on wash day. By day two the hold is gone. The frizz control lasts a couple days, but the curls fall. It leaves hair feeling conditioned and shiny, just about a medium hold, though."
It’s a hard no
"Unfortunately I don’t think this product is best for Afro-ethnic, low porosity, 3c + hair types. Initially is applied really well, smelled good but did not have any lasting hold on day 2. My hair was incredibly dry, frizzy and lacked a significant amount of definition. This product may work better on 2a-3b hair but anything beyond that I would not recommend this styler."
Makes my hair poofy :(
"I already love the Irish Moss gel and thought a stronger hold would be great for summer. It has great slip and goes in like a dream, but my hair started to get poofy about 5 minutes after breaking the cast. The next morning, my curls looked like cotton candy. I’m not sure what is happening. Trying it again with a liquid gel on top to seal it in tonight. The scent is quite strong and lingers even after my hair is dry."
Not strong enough
"This gel applies well and encourages my curls. It forms a nice cast, but when broken, my curls lose their definition and get fluffy. I prefer a stiffer, well-defined curl. In order to keep using, I'll have to mix it with another hard gel."
Take all my money!!!!
"Magic in a bottle! I have been using LUS for 6 years now I started back when all they had was the 3 step system and I’ve been hooked ever since. I love the Irish Sea moss gel but this one… oh baby this one can have all my money. I have 3b on the softer side medium texture curls and this gel works perfectly for me. I used the 3 step system in wavy with the strong hold gel and my curls are defined, shiny and the cast breaks so easily and leave my curls soft and bouncy. Before I even put the strong hold gel in my hair the smell alone had me hooked literally the best smelling hair product I’ve ever used. Amazing amazing amazing!!"
What is this magic in a bottle?
"I went into this already familiar with the Irish Sea Moss Gel, so I had certain expectations for how a “strong hold” gel would perform—mainly stiff, crunchy, or sticky curls like most products in that category. But this one completely surprised me. The hold is genuinely strong, yet my curls stay soft, defined, and touchable—no crunch, no stickiness. It keeps everything in place while dramatically reducing frizz, which is exactly what I’ve been looking for. I haven’t fully tested the 48-hour claim yet, but I can say it works beautifully for refreshing second- or even third-day curls. It’s a quick and easy way to bring life back to my hair without weighing it down. Overall, this gel really exceeded my expectations and delivers strong hold without the typical downsides."
My teen loves this gel
"My daughter’s curls stay pretty much most of the week. . She’s 13 and fun-loving so her hair is flipping and tossing everywhere. She loves her hair big And fluffy so she’s more of a 3rd-day-wash girl. Her curls look healthy and hydrated and do not frizz out. And the smell! So good!!"
Excellent hold without stiffness.
"I have gotten 7 days of amazing curl definition with this product. Even after being out in rain a couple of times. . No heaviness or stiffness. Just bouncy defined curls. I was a huge fan of the original gel but this has taken it to a whole new level."
