How to Slick Back Natural 4C Hair Without Gel

I personally avoid gels and mousses as much as I can because these products do weigh down on my hair and cause product buildup.

I am also a minimalist and prefer managing with as few products as possible.

Yes, I have curly hair – but believe it or not, I like to make do with water and simple hair cream.

I’ll add an additional product only if necessary.

In this post, I’ll teach you how to slick back natural 4C hair without gel. So, you can either tie a bun or a ponytail, and you’ll get something like this:

And no, I won’t use a natural gel like aloe vera or flaxseed.

I will teach you how to do this with just water and 2 curly hair products.

Let’s begin.

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What you will need:

You’re going to be using only 2 products for this:

African Pride Moisture Miracle Coconut Oil & Baobab Oil Leave-In Hair Cream – I know it’s a mouthful, but I really love the texture and the hold of this product – it’s perfect for 4B and 4C hair. It will smooth down your hair.

Mielle Organics Curl Smoothie with Pomegranate and Honey, Moisturizing Curl Cream for Curly Hair – this will help hold your hair and keep it in place.

That’s it; let’s get started!

How to slick back natural 4c hair without gel

1. Start with clean hair

I always like to work with clean hair.

Begin with freshly washed and conditioned hair – this will make it easier to style, and you’ll get better results.

Or you’ll have to keep spritzing your hair and going in with the product – this kinda takes a little more time.

2. Make sure your hair is detangled

Do not work with knots or tangles in your hair – this will seriously slow you down.

So, please use a leave-in conditioner in your hair after the shower and gently detangle your hair using a wide-tooth comb or your fingers.

I prefer using my hands, and I find it easier to maneuver my hair and I can sense how much pressure to apply without breaking my hair.

3. Section your hair

Divide your hair into sections to make the styling process easier. You can use clips or hair ties to keep the sections separate.

4. Work with the back bottom section first

We are going to be working from front to back. Your hair should already be damp – so if it isn’t damp, please spritz on some water and go in with the cream.

We will first go in with the Moisture Miracle Coconut and Baobab oil leave-in. You’ll notice your curls forming beautifully when you apply this to your hair.

Then go in with the curl smoothie – so the curl smoothie sits on top of the hair cream.

That’s the order hair cream < curl smoothie.

Now your hair should look like this:

This is normal. It’s basically so moisturized that it will hold beautifully, and you’ll get that slick-back you want.

5. Do the middle section and front section

Now when you’re done with the back, tie it in a ponytail.

Now, do the middle section – following the same method.

And lastly, do the front section. You can also add some argan oil if you want to add some shine to your hair – I do this sometimes if I’m feeling fancy.