To be honest, I’m kind of grossed out by the thought of snot. So Gorilla Snot is not my favorite name for a product. However, there are positive reviews regarding the use of the Gorilla Snot gel for curly hair.
So I sought to find out more regarding this product that has proved to be quite a hit with some members of the natural hair community.
Who knows, I might become one of its regular users soon.
What is Gorilla Snot? Is it good for my hair?
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What is Gorilla Snot?
Gorilla Snot is a line of products from Moco De Gorila, a Mexican hair product company.
It is designed to be an extreme hold styling gel ‘for punk rockers’, and comes in three flavors.
Galan Squizz, which comes in a green bottle has a hold factor of 8; Rockero Squizz, which comes in a green bottle, has a hold factor of 9; and finally, Punk Squizz, has a hold factor of 10.
The bottle styling is very masculine, so much so that on the frequently asked questions page of Moco De Gorila’s home site “Can Moco De Gorila be used by women?” is the fourth entry down.
The answer is yes, it can and is used by many women.
It is a high hold gel, so if you are going for an extreme look, like a mohawk, this product might fit the bill.
For those of us that don’t rock a ‘hawk’, the product has other uses.
How to use Gorilla Snot gel for curly hair
If you have curly natural hair, it can be used to hold down edges or can be used throughout your hair to keep a style.
Just keep in mind that this product is very thick, sticky, and difficult to remove.
It’s important to use only however much you need, and only reapply after washing out the old product.
And remember not to leave it in your hair for too long – a day at the most.
If you have thin hair or soft curls and you’re not going for an extreme look, then maybe finding a different, milder styling gel might be the right move for you.
How to remove Gorilla Snot from hair
Oh no you’ve already put it in your hair, haven’t you?
Don’t worry. First, don’t try to peel it off.
Warm water and a mild shampoo will be your best friends.
You’ll want to take your time to remove all of it and deep condition to restore moisture to your hair and counteract the drying effects of Gorilla Snot.
That’s one of its cons, so next, we should look at the pros and cons.
Pros and cons of Gorilla Snot
There is a bit of an imbalance here, so I’ll start with the shorter list.
Pros
Gorilla Snot gel has some advantages that are quite appealing to its users.
Has a superior hold
This product lives up to its promise of lasting hold.
It has fantastic edge control, and will keep the baby hairs flat for a long time.
It’s formed differently from most other gels – it doesn’t feel wet; it really feels sticky like snot.
If water-based gels aren’t working for you, this product can probably lay your hair well.
It also lasts, you could keep a style for a long time with this gel, especially if used on portions of your hair that you want to hold, rather than your whole head.
It’s cheap
The other big pro is that this gel is cheap.
For a seven USD price tag on the website, you get a 12 oz bottle, which isn’t bad compared to some styling gels that can cost double for half as much.
Easy to find
The Gorilla Snot gel is also easy to find, I’ve seen it in most stores.
You can also find it at most online retailers such as Amazon.
Cons
The following are some of the cons I found:
Drying effect
Buckle up, high hold comes at a price. I’m not talking $7 either.
First up is the drying effect. One of the primary ingredients in Gorilla Snot is alcohol.
Alcohol dries your hair, and this product will too.
If you have dry hair already, this can cause a very bad situation.
Even with normal hair, you will want to use other products to counteract the drying effect of the alcohol in this product.
Forms residue
This product is non-flaking, which is great, but that doesn’t mean it has no residue.
Many users of this gel report that it can come off in rubbery pieces, like dried glue.
This is not a problem you’d want to experience.
Coloring
The product also has a coloring in it that some users have said was visible in their hair.
People with light or platinum blonde bleached hair especially have reported a yellow tint from the Punk line of Gorilla Snot.
Effect on the skin
Next is the effect on your skin.
Not only is this product drying for your hair, but also for your skin.
Some people have even reported having itching or rashes from the product.
This also might not just be from the alcohol.
Gorilla Snot is not a natural product.
It contains a laundry list of chemicals like Methylchloroisothiazolinone (I had a hard time typing it, please don’t try to make me pronounce it).
Not all chemicals are bad, and most products have man-made ingredients.
However, it can be harder to tell whether those products are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for you, or to even know what they do.
The one above helps combat mold and bacteria, but I wouldn’t have known that unless I researched it.
Environmental impact
Lastly, the environmental impact.
Usually, it’s hairspray or other aerosol propellant products that get a bad rap for harming the environment, but today it’s gel as well.
A US inspection found the product to contain products that produce smog, more than what’s legally allowed anyways.
The board that investigated the product determined that it contributed almost 24 tons of pollutants to the air in California alone.
This investigation happened a while ago, back in 2010, so it’s assumed that the company has changed its formula to comply.
However, the fact that the company crossed this line, to begin with, leaves a lot to be desired.
Conclusion
If you are desperate for hold (and aren’t very concerned about the environment), then this might be the gel for you.
Outside of that, you might want to try one of the alternatives.
You may want to look at alternative edge control products that have a strong hold and don’t leave behind any residue.
You may also be interested in finding the best gel for slicking back hair for perfect styling.
Just know that you always have alternatives.
If you are a Gorilla Snot diehard fan, remember not to leave it in your hair for more than a day.
Don’t peel it off at the end of the day – wash it out using some warm water and mild shampoo.
I found a similar product at Dollar Tree called Hair Gunk which first ingredient is water. This gel is a lot runnier and doesn’t gunk up in your hair and I have very long and curly hair and I absolutely love it.