Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly Review: I Recreated My 2021 Wash Day to See If It Still Works
There is a very specific kind of wash day that lives rent-free in your head forever. The one where you somehow did everything right, the curls were juicy, the hold was real, and you have a photo to prove it. For me, that wash day happened in 2021 (pictured above) with the Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly Scrunching Jelly. And then, like the shiny-object-syndrome girlie I am, I put the product down and did not pick it back up for years.
No reason. No logic. Just a new product on my shelf and a short attention span.
So I did what any curl-obsessed person would do: I pulled up the original 2021 video, watched it step by step, and tried to recreate that exact routine five years later. Same product. Same technique. Different hair, different length, slightly wiser person doing it.
Here is my full, honest Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly review, plus exactly how I applied it, what I would do differently now, and who I think this product is actually for based on my Hair Finish method. 👇
What Even Is the Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly?
If you have spent any time in the curl world in the last decade, you have seen this product. The Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly Scrunching Jelly is a UK-based brand's bestselling product, and it has a cult following for a reason. It is the number one selling curl jelly in the UK, vegan, cruelty-free, silicone-free, and sulfate-free.
The formula is a clear, lightweight gel with a light to medium hold. The key working ingredients include xanthan gum for that jelly-like consistency, glycerin and propylene glycol as humectants to pull moisture into the hair, an acrylates copolymer that creates the flexible film hold and helps with frizz, and polyquaternium-11 for conditioning. There are no silicones weighing things down, no drying alcohols stripping things out. The ingredient list is short and functional.
What makes it different from a lot of gels out there is the texture itself. It is not a thick cream gel or a stiff holding gel. It is literally a jelly, which means it distributes easily, has a nice slip to it while you are styling, and does not feel like you are cementing your hair in place. That is probably why the girlies have been loyal to this product for over 20 years.
Why Did I Stop Using It in the First Place?
Honestly? Shiny object syndrome. I am a curl educator who is constantly testing new products, which means that sometimes the cult classics get pushed to the back of the shelf while I am chasing whatever just landed in my mail. This is a very real occupational hazard.
The Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly was not a bad product. I did not switch because it failed me. I switched because something new showed up and I am genuinely just like that. Which is also exactly why I built Intuitive Curl Care as part of the Barbie Delle Method, because chasing new products is the thing that keeps most curly girls stuck. When you understand what your hair actually needs at any given time, you stop randomly swapping things out and you start making smarter choices.
The 2021 wash day photo is genuinely one of my favorites. I went viral trying to recreate it in 2023. And I am back again in 2026, which should tell you something about how good those results were.
The Exact Routine I Used to Recreate My 2021 Wash Day
I watched my original 2021 video step by step and copied it as closely as I could. Here is what that looked like 💛
1. Made sure my hair was soaking wet. Like genuinely drenched. In 2021, I was a big believer in dripping wet hair before styling. Now I typically style on just wet hair, but for this recreation, I went back to that method.
2. Applied the Umberto Giannini Banana Butter leave-in conditioner by raking it through my hair. Back in 2021, this was step one for moisture.
3. Sectioned my hair into sections and rewet each section before applying product.
4. Took what felt like an alarming amount of the Curl Jelly (I was not kidding in the video, it was a lot), raked it through each section, and then used my Denman brush technique to really define and ribbon each curl.
5. Scrunched each section. Pinned it away. Repeated on all sections.
6. Scrunched in more Curl Jelly at the end for extra hold.
7. Micro-plopped lightly, then diffused.
The old school Denman technique I used here was a big part of what made that 2021 wash day so special. I would put the Denman brush in, turn it all the way around, put some pressure at the end, and pull down to create that ribbon effect. It creates these long, defined curl ribbons that are genuinely juicy in a way that just scrunching alone cannot replicate.
I honestly had forgotten how much I loved that technique. You do not really see it done anymore. Which makes me want to bring it back.
What My Hair Finish Has to Do With Why This Product Works for Me
My Hair Finish is medium to rough, which means I am not as medium as some medium people, and not as rough as some rough people. For my Hair Finish, I need hold without being weighed down, and I need something that actually forms a gel cast so I can scrunch it out once my hair is fully dry.
The Curl Jelly does something interesting: sometimes you get a really good gel cast, and sometimes you get a softer hold with barely any crunch at all. I have heard a lot of girlies say this too. And you know what? I do not think that is a problem with the product. I think it is a variable of how much product you use, how wet your hair is, and how your hair happens to be responding that day. Which is exactly why Intuitive Curl Care exists -- so you are not thrown off when results vary slightly. 💛
This is a product that I consider pretty universal across Hair Finishes. It leans soft to medium in terms of how moisturizing and lightweight it is, but the hold is real enough that medium to rough finishes can absolutely use it, especially when applied with the raking and Denman technique like I did here. The more product you use and the more defined your application technique, the more structured the result.
Did the Results Hold Up Five Years Later?
Yes. Genuinely, yes.
The curls came out juicy. I got more volume than I expected. The ribbony, defined look from 2021 was absolutely back. My hair is longer now, which meant I needed more product than I did back then, but the results matched the original pretty closely and I have the photos to prove it.
The one thing I would change? The drying time. Because I used a significant amount of gel, the diffusing process took forever. Start to finish, this wash day was two hours and twenty minutes, which is not going to work for everyday life. Next time I would either use slightly less product, or I would diffuse until my hair is about 50% dry and let it air dry the rest of the way. That alone would probably cut 40 minutes off the process.
One more thing I want to note: I did a light micro-plop before diffusing, even though my 2021 self may not have. I still think that step helps. You just do not need to wring the life out of your hair -- a gentle scrunch with a microfiber towel is enough to remove the excess water before you hit the diffuser.
Who Is the Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly Actually For?
Based on my Hair Finish method and my actual experience using this product, here is how I break it down:
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Soft Hair Finish: This could work really well for you. The lightweight hold and the way this gel behaves on the hair leans toward giving you a softer, shinier result rather than a stiff one. Just know you will want to cup diffuse and let it air dry to get the most volume out of it.
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Medium Hair Finish: This is where I think the Curl Jelly shines the most. Medium hold that does not feel heavy, decent cast, good frizz control. Pair it with a leave-in conditioner and you are set.
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Rough Hair Finish: You can absolutely use this, but you may need to use more product than you think and lean into a stronger application technique like the Denman ribbon method I used here. If you need a really firm hold, this one on its own might feel a little light. You could layer it over a curl cream to give it more grip.
The brand markets this for all hair types 2A through 4C and that is not wrong. It is a genuinely universal product. Just adjust how much you use based on your thickness and your desired result. More product for more hold and definition. Less for a more natural, soft wave look. ✨
Where to Try It (The Best News of This Entire Blog)
If you have been on the fence about trying the Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly, here is your sign. Curls Monthly subscribers are getting the full-size Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly Scrunching Jelly inside the May 2026 box, plus four other Umberto Giannini products as part of a complete Umberto Giannini takeover box. Five products, starting at $28.
That is the kind of thing I love about Curls Monthly. You do not have to go down a product rabbit hole or spend $60 testing whether a gel works for your hair. You just open your box, follow the education we give you with each product, and actually find out. No guessing, no returns, no wasted money.
If your curls deserve a tried-and-true cult classic and four other products alongside it -- this month is it. Join Curls Monthly and your May box will have everything you need to try this routine yourself. 🌀
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly good for fine or thin curly hair?
Yes, it can be. Because the formula is lightweight and silicone-free, it tends to behave well on thinner hair without making it feel heavy or greasy. The key is to use less product than you think you need -- start with a small amount, rake it through, and build from there. The same products work for all Hair Finishes, you just adjust the amount.
Do you get a gel cast with the Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly?
Sometimes yes, sometimes it is softer. This depends on how much product you use, how wet your hair is when you apply it, and your Hair Finish. Rough and medium finishes using a generous amount tend to get more cast. Do not stress if yours does not feel crunchy -- your wash day result is not determined by how much gel cast you get. Once your hair is 100% dry, you can scrunch and fluff it out regardless.
Can I use the Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly on straight hair?
This product is specifically formulated for waves, curls, and coils. It is not designed for straight hair and the hold and definition benefits really only show up when you have natural texture to work with. If you have straight hair with some natural wave, you might get a nice enhanced wave result using a scrunch technique.
What should I use before the Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly?
That depends on your Hair Finish. If you have a rough finish, start with a curl cream underneath it on soaking wet hair, then layer the Curl Jelly on top per section. If you have a medium finish, a spray leave-in conditioner works great underneath it. If you have a soft finish, you may only need the Curl Jelly on its own or a very light leave-in spray. The stock routines inside the Barbie Delle Method cover this in detail for each finish.
Is the Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly worth the hype in 2026?
After three attempts at this routine across five years, I would say yes. The reason a product becomes a cult classic is because it consistently delivers. The Curl Jelly gives you defined, glossy, frizz-controlled curls without a complicated formula or a heavy feel. It is not the most advanced curl product on the market, but that is honestly part of why it works for so many people.
Ready to try the Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly for yourself?
Curls Monthly subscribers are getting the full Umberto Giannini takeover box in May 2026 -- that is five full-size products starting at $28. This is the exact product I have been using and talking about for five years, and you get to try it alongside four other UG products, with the curl education to actually know how to use them.
If you want real products and real education every single month without hunting Amazon for hours, that is exactly what Curls Monthly is. [Join here] 💛