Garnier Fructis Curl Control Scrunching Gel

Average rating includes incentivized reviews
Extra-strong curl-defining gel with coconut water shine hold, provides up to 24 hours of shape and shine.

At a Glance

• What it is: Curl-defining styling gel with Coconut Water for shape + shine.
• Who it’s for: Wavy, curly, and coily hair (Types 2A – 4C), fine to thick.
• Hold Level + Finish: Extra Strong 3 / 5 hold; natural shine finish.
• Key Claims: Up to 24 H curl shape & shine control; anti-frizz; no flakes.
• Size / MSRP: 6.8 fl oz – $5.49 (average US MSRP).
• Free-from: No parabens; no drying alcohols.
• Cruelty-Free: Certified Leaping Bunny – Garnier does not test on animals.

size

$5.99 MSRP

Curls need discipline? Curl Control Scrunching Gel, infused with coconut water, creates defined, volume-controlled curls and lasting hold without flyaways and flaky residue. This non-drying formula locks in shape and shine to provide curl control without frizz for up to 24 hours.

Perfect for:
• Curl Patterns: 2A – 4C (waves to coils)
• Hair Density: Thin to thick textures
• Porosity: Low – high porosity (apply less for low; more for high).
• Desired Outcome: Defined shape w/ lasting hold and shine.

Tips:
• For fine hair: use nickel-size on damp hair and air-dry.
• For thick/coarse hair: layer over Leave-In Butter Cream for extra moisture.
• Avoid crunch by scrunching out the cast (SOTC) when hair dries.

No sulfates, no phthalates, and no DMDM hydantoin. All Garnier products, globally, are officially approved by Cruelty Free International under the Leaping Bunny program.

• Defines and holds curls for up to 24 hours without crunch*
• Boosts shine and smoothness for natural-looking finish
• Controls frizz under up to 70% humidity conditions
• Dries clean with zero flake residue
• Lightweight formula suitable for daily styling

*Based on instrumental humidity resistance test (24 h, 70% RH).

• Hold Level: 3 / 5 (Extra Strong)
• Finish: Shiny, smooth curl definition
• Residue: None / No Flaking
• Texture: Clear water-gel with light slip
• Fragrance: Clean fruit-coconut blend with fresh green undertones
• pH Range: 4.0 – 5.0 (maintains curl integrity)
• Color-Safe: Yes; compatible with chemically treated hair.
• Country of Manufacture: USA
• Shelf Life / PAO: 12 M after opening.

Step 1 – Prep: Start with cleansed, conditioned damp hair.

Step 2 – Apply Amount:

• Short / fine hair → nickel-size (~1 g)
• Medium length → quarter-size (~2 g)
• Long / thick hair → half palm (~3 – 4 g)

Step 3 – Technique:

• Type 2 waves: apply via rake-and-shake for soft definition.
• Type 3 curls: use praying hands method then scrunch ends upward.
• Type 4 coils: apply per section using finger coil motions.

Step 4 – Dry Options:

• Air-dry for natural finish (approx. 1 hour).
• Diffuse on low heat for 10–15 minutes to lock shape.

Step 5 – Set & Soften: When fully dry, gently scrunch out the cast to soften hold (SOTC).

Step 6 – Day 2 Refresh: Lightly mist hair with water or Curl Refresher Spray, re-scrunch to reactivate curl memory—no re-application needed.

1031008 F5 Aqua/Water, Pvp, Propylene Glycon, Alcohol Denat., Oleth-20, Phenoxyethanol, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Parfum / Fragrance, Polyquaternium-11, Peg/Ppg-22/24 Dimethicone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentasodium Pentetate, Limonene, Benzophenone-4 Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Peg-70 Mango Glycerides, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Shea Butter, Amyl Cinnamal. F.I.L.# D212276/1.

Shape & Shine Your Curls with Curl Scrunch Gel

Add up to 24 hours of shape & shine for volume-controlled curls. Use this gel on a wash day or after refreshing your curls. Formulated for all wavy, curly, and coily hair.

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Achieve Up To 24 Hours of Shape and Shine

Use the Curl Control Scrunching Gel to create defined and volume-controlled curls with lasting hold without flyaways and flaky residue. The extra-strong hold is designed to tame frizz on all curl types (wavy, curly, and coily hair).

Brunette model smiling at camera holding a bottle of Garnier Fructis Scrunch Controlling Gel.
Graphic of Coconut Water molecule in front of green and purple background. “Technology infused with coconut water” is written on the graphic.

Curl Control Scrunching Gel is infused with Coconut Water to give your curly hair definition with no weigh down.

3 Steps to Shape & Shine
01
APPLY
Apply Curl Scrunching Gel.
02
SCRUNCH
Work into strands.
03
STYLE
Optional: Air dry or diffuse with blow dryer.

Styler Comparison Guide

Styler Comparison Guide
Texture/Finish Texture/Finish
Humidity Resistance Humidity Resistance
High
Medium
Medium
High
Very high
Best Use Case Best Use Case
Defined wash-and-go
Flexible hold, soft texture
Lightweight volume boost
Quick refresh, targeted lift
Longwear or humidity-heavy days

Garnier Commits to Greener Beauty

Reviews

Rating Snapshot

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345 reviews with 5 stars.
290 reviews with 4 stars.
210 reviews with 3 stars.
69 reviews with 2 stars.
52 reviews with 1 star.

Overall Rating

3.8

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Average Customer Ratings

Most Helpful Favorable Review

Love it!!!!

14 years ago
I have thick wavy hair and with this gel I can get my hair to curl or I've also have used it to straighten my hair. I just love it!
35 people found this helpful
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Most Helpful Critical Review

New coconut formula sucks!

3 years ago
I'm so disappointed with this new coconut formula. It has ruined my beautiful curls. The old formula was my go to, now I have to find a new curly hair gel. This product makes my hair stringy and NOT curly. What "curl" gel makes you lose the curls? This crap. I would give this product zero stars if I could. I'm so sad.
12 people found this helpful
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Filter Reviews

1 to 8 of 966 Reviews .
1 – 8 of 966 Reviews
Review 1
Votes 0

Love this product

3 months ago
Holds hair in place without weighing my waves down. Hair feels soft-not crunchy. I've loved this product for years.
Helpful?
NJ
Review 1
Votes 2
Age:35-44
Gender:Female
Hair LengthLong
Hair Type:Curly
Hair Color:Blonde

Makes hair frizzy

a year ago
The older formula was amazing. I recommended it to many ppl bc they would ask if I styled my hair bc it looked good. I simply put a small glob of gel into wet hair abd gave it an upside down scrunch. Lol! The new formula is awful. Doesn't really do anything for my hair except enhance the frizz. Why? Why did you discontinue this one? Before you tell me about knowing how disappointing this is ir something similar, please know, I simply want to know what happened to the original formula.. it was great!

No, I do not recommend this product.

Helpful?
Response from Garnier:
a year ago
garnier
Hi DottyD! Thank you for sharing how you feel about Curl Scrunch Controlling Gel. We are committed to bringing our consumers high-quality, innovative products that meet their needs and expectations. We sincerely appreciate your feedback. It is never easy for us to make the decision to discontinue any of our products knowing that they will be missed by some and we truly regret any inconvenience.
New York NY
Review 1
Vote 1
Age:18-24
Gender:Female
Hair LengthMedium
Hair Type:Frizzy or Thick
Hair Color:Brown

bad

a year ago
if you want a real good gel get combat but don’t get this if you want a slick back
Product Works Well ForCurly Hair, Long Hair, Wavy Hair, Fine Hair, Coily Hair, Thick Hair

No, I do not recommend this product.

Helpful?
Response from Garnier:
a year ago
garnier
Hi there. We're so sorry to hear you're not a fan of our Curl Scrunch Controlling Gel. All feedback is very valuable, and we will be sure to pass yours along to our teams as we are always trying to improve the quality of our products! Thanks for reaching out!
CT
Review 1
Votes 2
Age:65+
Gender:Female
Hair LengthMedium
Hair Type:Split Ends
Hair Color:Brown

Gentle hold

a year ago
I think the overall effect intended is that the gel tamps down the frizziness without looking stiff.
Product Works Well ForWavy Hair

Yes, I recommend this product.

Helpful?
Response from Garnier:
a year ago
garnier
Hello, Thanks for sharing your experience regarding Curl Scrunch Controlling Gel. We appreciate your feedback and we will be passing this along to our team members. Thanks for giving it a try!
Review 1
Votes 9

Does not work at all!!

2 years ago
I used to love this product. It was always part of my daily routine. It has not worked for me for awhile now and I just found out the formula was changed! This was the worst choice. There is 0 hold! My hair looks/feels/behaves as if there is no gel at all. It leaves a greasy feeling and is absolutely horrible.

No, I do not recommend this product.

Helpful?
Response from Garnier:
2 years ago
Consumer Care Center
Hi CurlyGirl15! We are sorry to hear that Curl Scrunch Controlling Gel, does not hold and leaves a greasy feel! Feedback from our customers is important to us when making decisions about our products. We appreciate your feedback and will be sharing it with others in our company.
Redondo Beach
Review 1
Votes 8
Age:55-64
Gender:Female
Hair LengthLong
Hair Type:Curly
Hair Color:Blonde

BRING BACK ORIGINAL

2 years ago
Why does a company go and change things THAT WORK! Bring BACK the original! So ANNOYED!

No, I do not recommend this product.

Helpful?
Response from Garnier:
2 years ago
Consumer Care Center
Hello Js4neece! We regret that you have been disappointed by our decision to change the Curl Scrunch Controlling Gel. As consumers ourselves, we understand how disappointing it can be when an old favorite is no longer available. Our creative teams are hard at work coming up with new and exciting products. We hope that you will find something you love as much as your old favorite soon.
Youngstown, Ohio
Review 1
Votes 3
Age:45-54
Gender:Female
Hair LengthMedium
Hair Type:Fine or Flat
Hair Color:Brown

Works great….smells awful

2 years ago
For some reason this smells great in the tube, however after applying to my freshly washed hair, it takes in a smell of stink bugs!

No, I do not recommend this product.

Helpful?
Response from Garnier:
2 years ago
LeCare
Hi SamS26! We are sorry to hear that Curl Scrunch Controlling Gel takes on a different smell while in your hair! Feedback from our customers is important to us when making decisions about our products. We appreciate your feedback and will be sharing it with others in our company.
Hawthorne, NJ
Review 1
Votes 4
Age:45-54
Gender:Female
Hair Type:Curly
Hair Color:Brown

Awful

2 years ago
This gel is awful. It has zero hold. I don’t have right curls but I practically used a whole bottle. What a waste of money. Bring back the curl treat gel.
Helpful?
1 – 8 of 966 Reviews

Questions

1 - 7 of 7 Questions

Q: Does this gel have silicones?

2 years ago
1 Answer
  • A: Hello SM2007 . There, Thanks for reaching out! Curl Scrunch Controlling Gel , with Coconut oil, provides a supple lather for a gentle cleanse. Ingredients are listed on the bottle. Thank you for your interest in GARNIER!
    2 years ago
    Helpful?

Q: does it make your hair really crunchy?

5 years ago
1 Answer
  • A: Hi there Lia97! The Curl Scrunch Controlling Gel for curly hair creates defined, volume-controlled curls for lasting hold, free of frizz, and with extra strong curl control. For best results take a quarter size amount of product, rub between palms, then apply to slightly damp/dry hair and style. For longer or thicker hair, or simply to get more "definition", increase the amount of product used. For soft curl definition use the Curl Treat Smoothie Defining Leave-in Styler for fine/ thin hair. Or for coarse/thick hair use the Curl Treat Butter Hydrating Leave-in Styler. https://www.garnierusa.com/about-our-brands/fructis-style/curl-treat
    5 years ago
    Helpful?

Q: Is it color safe? 

5 years ago
1 Answer
  • A: Hi there Sarah7863! The Curl Scrunch Controlling Gel, along with all of our styling products, are safe for use on color treated hair.
    5 years ago
    Helpful?

Q: Where is the evaporation date?

7 years ago
1 Answer
  • A: Hi Helia! Thank you for inquiring about Curl Scrunch Gel "Where is the evaporation date?" If your question is "expiration date" Our products have been tested to have at least a 3-year shelf life if unopened and stored at normal room temperature, during which they will retain their integrity and perform as expected. If your product looks and smells the way it normally does, it is good to use. Unless stamped with an expiration date, our products do not expire. We hope this information is helpful.
    7 years ago
    Helpful?

Q: I have used this product for years and am now having problems finding it in the stores I have always bought it from. Amazon is showing Discontinued by Manufacturer. Is this being discontinued? Would really like to know if I should buy in bulk or not.

8 years ago
1 Answer
  • A: This product has not been discontinued. Here is the link on our website: https://www.garnierusa.com/en/about-our-brands/fructis-style/curls/curl-scrunch-controlling-gel Click where to buy, type in your zip code, and a list of stores in your area will pop up!
    4 years ago
    Helpful?

Q: How much product do u get for $$$ how many ounces??? Thanks Lori Leigh

9 years ago
1 Answer
  • A: Hello, Lori! This product is 6.8 fl. oz. and our suggested retail price is $4.29, however the price varies from store to store. We hope this helps!
    9 years ago
    Helpful?

Q: Can I get the number 5 hold?

9 years ago
1 Answer
  • A: Hi! This product is offered in an extra strong hold 3. We appreciate your comments and will be sharing with our team.
    9 years ago
    Helpful?
Alt
6.8 fl.oz