Today, we’re digging into Mielle’s Hawaiian Ginger Leave-in conditioner and gel!
ICYMI, I mentioned in my recent review of Kinky Curly’s Knot Today and Curling Custard that I’ve been having a hard time finding the Knot Today leave-in lately.
As a result, I’ve been experimenting with some new leave-in conditioners. And while I was at it, I figured I might as well give some new gels a shot too and turn it all into a review.
(I’ve also recently tried Curls Blueberry Bliss Leave-in and Gel too. You can check that review out here.)
Here are my thoughts on Mielle’s Moisture Rx Hawaiian Ginger Leave-in conditioner and gel!
Keep in mind, I can only speak from my experience with my 3a/3b hair. My hope is that this review will be a good guide for all the curly girls out there, but your results may be very different from mine.
Side note: This page does contain affiliate links, which means if you purchase something using the product links on this page, I may get a small commission. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps keep this site running. Thank you!
Also, I follow the simplified version of the Curly Girl Method most directly derived from the Curly Girl Handbook. This means the only ingredients I look to avoid are sulfates, silicones, and drying alcohols. If you have more ingredients that you look to avoid, it would be a good idea to check the ingredients for yourself before making a purchase.
Mielle’s Hawaiian Ginger Leave-in Conditioner
Pros
Scent
I love the scent of this product! It’s mostly citrus with just a hint of spice (which I believe is the ginger).
I found it light and refreshing without being overpowering.
If you’ve read any of my previous reviews, you may notice I pretty much always list scent as either a pro or a con.
This is largely because I think a bad or overpowering scent can really impact my likelihood to continue using a product.
Moisture
This product did a solid job hydrating my hair. My wash day hair looked consistently awesome, which is typically a sign of an effective product for me.
Similar to the Curly Blueberry Bliss, I had to remove more excess moisture out of my hair than I did when I use the Kinky Curly Knot Today.
Packaging
This product has a pump, which I’m always a big fan of.
It can make it harder to get to all the product when it starts to run low, but generally, I find it a lot easier to use the pump.
I find it makes it easier to get the product right into my hair without trying to juggle the bottle once I’ve dispensed it.
Price
I paid about $10 for this 12 oz. And if you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know my high water mark for a product is $15 (unless it’s a really good product).
This price point hits the mark for me, especially when you factor in how much you get and the effectiveness.
Cons
Weight
Overall, this product is pretty lightweight.
But for me, it seemed like it wasn’t as light as the Kinky Curly Knot Today but it also wasn’t as heavy as the Curls Blueberry Bliss (which I’d also consider to be a relatively lightweight conditioner).
So, it’s not so much that the weight is really bad. It’s just that I found it to be a weird in-between compared to other leave-in conditioners I’ve used.
Because of this, I really struggled to find the right moisture level for my hair compared to other products.
I mentioned in the moisture section that my wash day hair looked great, which is true. That’s why I feel like I can say it did a good job moisturizing.
However, my refreshes were more dependent on getting the right initial amount.
I still don’t think I’ve gotten it quite right, but I’ve had enough success with it so far to believe I’ll get there eventually.
But with all that said, this could be a problem that’s more unique to me.
Bottom line
I liked this leave in a lot. Once I get the amount figured out for my hair, I think this could easily be my new everyday leave-in conditioner.
Mielle’s Hawaiian Ginger Gel
Pros
Scent
The scent is consistent across this product line. You’ll get the same citrus ginger scent, which is light enough to be refreshing without overpowering.
Curl Definition
I really liked the curl definition I got here.
My hair ended up with a little bit of a fluffier, looser curl, which I was a fan of!
Hold
I found this had pretty decent hold, especially on wash day and day 2 curls.
It’s a little bit of a harder hold gel, but it didn’t have an impossibly hard-to-break cast like some other hard hold gels I’ve used, which is a big plus for me!
Price
I paid about $7 for a 12 oz tub, which is once again in the ballpark of what I like to spend on products.
Cons
Build up
I found this gel built up pretty easily.
It had also been a while since I clarified, so that might have played a role. However, I’d also used my Biotera gel in between trials of this gel and didn’t seem to have the same build up issue with that gel.
Longevity
I found this gel gave me great wash and second day curls, but the longer I tried to stretch my washes, the less my hair seemed to hold up.
I typically wash every 5ish days, but when I used this gel, I had to wash every 4, and sometimes that felt like a stretch. (The pic above was my day 3 hair, which is typically less frizzy.)
Bottom line
Despite the cons, I actually really like how my hair looked and felt when I used this gel. I think it’s one I’ll keep and play around with a little more to see if I can minimize the build up and extend my washes.
I’m not sure I like it more than my Biotera gel, but I think it has the potential to be pretty comparable, and the fact that it gives my hair a slightly different look and feel is a bonus.
It’s also worth noting that these aren’t the first Mielle’s products I’ve been a fan of.
I’ve been using their Babassu oil and Mint protein deep conditioner for quite some time and it’s one of my staple products.
I’ll be doing a full review of that next, but if you don’t want to wait, you can find it here.
Looking for more guidance on your curly hair journey?
For beginners
If you’re new to curly hair care and looking for some help, you should check out the No-Stress Guide to Curly Hair Care!
After spending two years learning and caring for my curly hair, I wanted to create my own, in-depth guide to help fellow curlies create incredible curls in the easiest way possible.
It took me a while, but I eventually found an approach that helped me create a curly hair routine that fits into my life in the simplest way possible. And now I want to help you do the same!
For more intermediate/advanced guidance
If you’ve been on your curly hair journey for a while but still have some struggles, check out Curly Hair Problems!
After spending hours scouring the internet looking for solutions to my own curly hair problems, I found myself wishing for an easier, more comprehensive guide to the most common problems.
So that’s what I created!
Curly Hair Problems offers you 78 total solutions to the five most common curly hair care problems, including frizz, curl clumps, limp curls, product issues, and scalp issues.
Sound off: Have you tried Mielle’s Hawaiian Ginger leave-in conditioner or gel? Tell us about your experience! Be sure to tell us a little about your hair type too!
Hi, could you please review the Maui Moisture Lightweight Hydration Hibiscus Water line, thank you
I’ll definitely check it out! Thanks for the suggestion!