No GEL cast?

A good gel cast is a desirable feature to protect curls from frizz and external factors such as humidity, wind, heat, etc. during drying. Cast doesn't determine how well a gel will last, so if your results are good even without a cast, there's no reason to worry.

Here are 8 reasons why you might not get a gel cast

1. Your gel does not have enough film-forming ingredients. Film-forming ingredients such as polymers and humectants do just that - form a film/cast around the hair.
2. You have applied a very oily product under the gel . Gels adhere best to clean hair.
3. You have applied too much of a product under the gel. Gels adhere best to clean hair.
4. Your hair moves a lot while drying . For example, by rubbing your couch or pillow. Or you step out into a windy day with wet hair. Cast can only be formed if the hair is left undisturbed. Diffusing instead of air drying helps. But if you don't have time to diffuse until it's completely dry, the easiest way is to diffuse until a cast has formed and let the rest air dry.
5. Your hair has build-up or is over-conditioned . Gels adhere best to clean hair (same principle as points 2 and 3). Clarify with a good purifying shampoo.
6. You are not using enough gel. A bit obvious I think.
7. You're popping too long. Popping for too long can also absorb some of the gel in addition to the water. About 20 minutes of plopping works best, depending on your hair type.
8. Your hair is soaking wet while you apply gel . I mentioned this point last because styling on soaking wet hair provides the best frizz control. So I would only consider this if you are skilled at styling your hair and know how to experiment with it. Simply squeeze a little water from your hair before applying the gel.