Two of my favorite curly friends, HeatherNicole, and Naturally Leslie, gave Aussie Moist a rave review, and told me to check it out. So, me being the raging PJ I am, purchased a bottle yesterday…despite the fact that I already own 4 family sized bottles of Hello Hydration! The ingredients resemble my beloved Herbal Essence Hello Hydration, even down to the modified cone. In a previous article I discussed what sets amodimethicone and other similar molecules, such as bis-aminopropyl dimethicone, and trimethyl silylamodimethicone, apart from other cones. According to CurlChemist Tonya McKay:
“Amodimethicone and other similarly modified silicone polymers are considered to be among the best high-performance conditioning polymers currently available to the hair-care product formulator. They provide many unique benefits, including the following:
- Provide deep conditioning
- Provide targeted conditioning to areas of particularly damaged hair
- Protect from thermal damage
- Increase color retention
- Resist build up
- Impart gloss and shine
These modified silicones seem to be of particular benefit for those of us with damaged hair, permanently colored hair or those concerned about the buildup of conditioning agent.”
When using Aussie Moist, or Herbal Essence Hello Hydration, you will need to shampoo to completely remove the cone. Luckily, you won’t have to resort to the dreaded lauryl sulfates- shampoos with cocamidopropyl betaine will suffice. Remember, I use Giovanni 50/50 or Tea Tree shampoo from Target or Whole Foods. I shampoo bi-weekly, sometimes less if I’ve used Bentonite.
I put Aussie to the test the same way I’ve done previous ones. I loaded up one side of my head with Hello Hydration, and the other half with Aussie Moist. I let it sit while I handled my shower-time duties, then proceeded to detangle. Both sides felt identical! Aussie Moist, like Hello Hydration, made detangling a breeze. It was super slippery, creamy (a bit creamier/heavier than Hello Hydration”>, and smelled heavenly. I give it two thumbs up and definitely recommend it. I’ve never used Hello Hydration as a leave-in due to it’s nuclear blue color…I don’t know…its just weird to me. The clean white color of Aussie Moist may lead to some leave-in experimentation in the near future. I’ll keep you gals posted.
Bottom Line: If you’re a Hello Hydration girl, this one is worth a try. It smells great, has excellent slip, and is very moisturizing. It’s slightly thicker than Hello Hydration, so I added a bit of water post application to thin it out a bit. All in all, it’s a great, cheap conditioner. A curly can NEVER have too many detangling conditioners.
Ingredients: water, stearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, glutamic acid, fragrance, bis-aminopropyl dimethicone, benzyl alcohol, edta, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, ecklonia radiata (australian sea kelp”> extract, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba”> seed oil, aloe barbadensis leaf juice extract.
Price: $3.69/13.5oz bottle
