Is Umberto Giannini Curly Girl Friendly? (What You Need To Know)

Umberto Giannini has become an incredibly popular brand with many followers of the Curly Girl method, particularly the infamous Scrunching Jelly which gives you a strong cast and super bouncy curls.

I, therefore, decided to do some research on all of Umberto Giannini’s curly hair products and write this post to help out anyone who is looking to try out some new Curly Girl approved products.

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Is Umberto Giannini Curly Girl friendly? The short answer is that only some are. They do have products that are non-sulfate, silicone, and alcohol-free, but not all of them are.

The reason for this is that most of the brand, (even their curly collection), contain harsh alcohols, waxes or oils which are not natural and will damage the health of your hair.


Umberto Giannini Curly Girl Approved Products

The Umberto Giannini Scrunching Jelly is incredibly popular with the Curly Girl community.

Note: Newer versions of this product contain paraben. Although parabens do not affect your curls, some Curly Girls chose not to use products containing parabens due to health concerns. I recommend you do your own research.

Although on the pricier side, a little goes a long way! You can often find it on Amazon, in drugstores, or on beauty sites.

The gel gives you a great cast but scrunches out completely, leaving soft bouncy curls with minimal frizz.

You can use it daily for a refresh as the formula adds a lot of definition to waves and curls.

Every Curly Girl is different and some use it on dripping wet hair which locks in moisture whilst others prefer to use it after plopping.

I personally like to co-wash, condition, apply mousse to dripping wet hair and then I add the UG jelly.

I then plop for around 5-10 minutes, remove my t-shirt or microfiber towel, and then I scrunch as much water as I can out of my curls.

After adding a bit more UG jelly, I then scrunch and then either air dry or diffuse.

The jelly is vegan, sulfate-free, silicone-free, and cruelty-free.

Tip: Experiment with different CG conditioners as some products don’t play well together and can create white flaky bits, particularly if you use a leave-in conditioner.

Buy the Curl Jelly Vegan Scrunching Jelly on Amazon here.


There’s much debate on whether you should use mousse or gel…or even both! I didn’t use mousse for a long time but I am now 100% converted!

This mousse is lightweight and if you’re not a fan of the crusty cast, this Umberto Giannini Curl Whip Mousse should be a staple in your cupboard!

If used correctly, the Curl Whip mousse can give you light, bouncy and frizz-free curls. This mousse will literally transform your dull, floppy curls into super-defined spirals without any crunchiness or stray hairs.

I use this mousse in two different ways. Firstly, I use it on dripping wet hair right out of the shower.

Also Read: How To Follow The Curly Girl Method On A Budget

I scrunch my curls upside down with a big handful of mousse and then I follow up with a gel and then plop for 5-10 minutes before diffusing.

Secondly, I use the mousse to de-frizz my curls once my hair is 100% dry. I find this adds lots of definition and more bounce.

You can also use the mousse to do a refresh if you have slept on your curls. Simply wet your hair, add mousse and scrunch upside down. 

The Curl Whip Curl Activating Vegan Mousse is vegan and cruelty-free.

Click here to buy on Amazon.

Note: This product contains water soluble silicones .


If you want softer, lazier curls, look no further than the Boho Beach Scrunching Jelly.

Designed to give you the un-done, beachy texture kind of style, this gel banishes frizz and adds shine to your hair with no hard cast or crunchy ends.

The jelly has built-in UV filters which protect against color fade and has a great fragrance of coconut, ylang-ylang, and vanilla.

The gel contains coconut oil which penetrates your hair leaving it feeling soft and gives you bouncier curls.

Many Curly Girls have said that their hair condition has improved after using the Boho Beach Jelly and according to Umberto Giannini’s website, 92% of users agreed that Boho Beach Jelly effectively minimized and tamed their frizz.

Tip: Wash your hair the night before and add Boho Beach Jelly before scrunching and diffusing.

Twist your hair into sections to keep the volume and pin up overnight. Wake up to perfect boho beach wavy hair!

The Boho Beach Jelly is Vegan and cruelty-free.

Click here to buy from Amazon.


Flowerology Orange and Rosemary Vegan Foaming Volume Mousse 150ml

Flowerology Orange and Rosemary Vegan Foaming Volume Mousse 150ml

If you’re looking to go as natural and chemical free as possible, look no further than Umberto Giannini’s Flowerology range.

This mousse is 97% natural and is also vegan, gluten free and cruelty free.

It comes in a planet-friendly, non-aerosol pump and contains wheat protein, cardamon seed oil, rosemary leaf oil, cedarwood oil, orange peel extract and spearmint leaf oil.

I particularly like the added vitamin B5 and vitamin E and the mousse really adds volume and shine to my curls.

Due to its natural components, this mousse also repairs and restructures your hair to provide a much fuller look.

For best use, apply a handful of mousse straight after washing, leave to dry or diffuse and scrunch out the curls when 100% dry.

Alternatively, use in the morning for a refresh after adding a spray of water to your curls and then diffuse.

Buy the Flowerology Orange and Rosemary Vegan Foaming Volume Mousse on Amazon here.


Which Umberto Giannini Products Are NOT CG Friendly?

Non Curly Girl friendly Umberto Giannini Products

The following UG products contain chemicals not recommended when following the Curly Gurl Method and should, therefore, be avoided at all times:

Beach Wash Coconut Oil Vegan Shampoo 

Beach Care Coconut Oil Vegan Conditioner 

Curl Jelly Wash 100% Sulphate Free Vegan Shampoo W Vitamin B5 

Crème De Curl Vegan control Cream

Curl Wash Enhancing Vegan Shampoo

Coily Curls Moisture recovery Vegan Conditioner

Curl Care Enhancing Vegan Conditioner

60 Second Curls 1 Minute Vegan Moisture Mask

Flowerology Violet + Chamomile Flower Vegan Blonde Conditioner

More Than Moisture Vegan Twirling And Styling Definition Cream

Flowerology Violet + Chamomile Flower Vegan Blonde Shampoo

Flowerology Iris + Rose Flower Vegan Brunette Shampoo

Flowerology Iris + Rose Flower Vegan Brunette Conditioner

Curl Jelly Mask Coconut + Shea Vegan Treatment 

Coily Curls Moisture Sulphate Free Gentle Vegan Shampoo

So there it is. Only a handful of Umberto Giannini products are Curly Girl friendly. Literally! The good news is that these products are 100% CG approved and they are really really good.

The brand also carries tonnes of vegan products which I am super excited about!

I hope you have found this list on Umberto Giannini helpful and if you ever want to check if the ingredients in a product are CG friendly, go to www.curlsbot.com and you’ll find the answer!

Is Umberto Giannini Curly Girl Friendly

Disclaimer: This site is not intended to provide professional or medical advice. All of the content on LovedByCurls.com is for informational purposes only. All advice should be followed at your own discretion. Ingredients may change at any time so always check the product label before using. Check our full disclaimer policy here.