If you’re following the Curly Girl Method, you know that finding the best products for curly hair is super important. From sulfate-free shampoo to curly hair gel, the right products can set you up for success. I’d heard a lot of curly girls rave about Aussie Instant Freeze Gel, so I was excited to try it for myself.
Here’s my honest review of Aussie Instant Freeze Gel.
What are the ingredients in the Aussie Instant Freeze Gel?
Here is the list of ingredients from the packaging.
Water/Eau, Laureth-23, Polyquaternium-4, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Benzyl Alcohol, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Dmdm Hydantoin, Fragrance/Parfum, Acrylates Copolymer, Disodium Edta, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Ecklonia Radiata Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil.
As always, the ingredients at the beginning of the list are present in high concentrations. This gel is water-based, and that’s a good sign! And the ingredients at the end are present in very tiny amounts. Although there is a little bit of jojoba seed oil and aloe vera extract, there’s not really enough to affect your hair.
According to Curly Girl: The Handbook, curly girls should avoid alcohols, silicone, paragons, and phthalates in gel. Some alcohols will cause hair to dry out and become frizzy.
This gel does contain benzyl alcohol in a fairly large amount. However, it’s a non-volatile alcohol that acts as a preservative. According to Naturally Curly, “It should not impact the texture or feel of your hair.”
Aussie Instant Freeze Gel also contains aminomethyl propanol, a short-chain alcohol which can cause your hair to feel dry and frizzy. However, this gel may still work well for your hair. It depends on the person.
CG Friendly: Yes
Texture: Thick and sticky
Smell: Light watermelon scent
Packaging: Plastic tube
Does this gel provide a strong, medium, or light hold?
The Aussie Instant Freeze gel provides a very strong hold which can last for several days between washes. I found it to be much stronger than the Deva Curl Ultra Defining Gel.
If you’re looking for distinct, well defined curls, you’ll probably love this gel! It creates fantastic definition and works very well for curl clumping.
However, if you like a softer “beach waves” look, I would recommend a lighter hold gel such as the Zotos Biotera Gel. Or you could even try a mousse, like the Pantene Pro-V Curl Mousse.
Does the Aussie Instant Freeze gel tame frizz?
Personally, I didn’t notice a difference in frizz as compared to my regular gel. However, gel is not really a solution for frizz.
To get the most out of this gel, you need to ensure that your hair is well moisturized before applying it. I usually just leave in some of my curly girl approved conditioner. However, if my hair feels dry, I apply some Cantu Shea Butter Curl Activator Cream before applying this gel.
Takeaway: If you have frizzy hair, this gel won’t fix the frizz. You need to moisturize your hair to banish frizz. As Lorraine Massey says, “Frizz is a curl waiting to happen.”
Will this gel weigh my hair down?
For my 2c low porosity hair, I actually found that the Aussie Instant Freeze Gel made my hair bouncy and voluminous. Although it’s a hard hold gel, it doesn’t have heavy moisturizers that could weigh your hair down. My hair tends to look bouncy and full when I use this gel.
What hair types does the Aussie Instant Freeze gel work best with?
Although I haven’t tried it with every curl type, I think it would work well for almost any curly girl! These curly girls—who all have different curl types—love it!
MaryAnn, who has 2b waves, loves this gel.
Jackie, who has 2c-3a curls, calls this gel her Holy Grail.
Karen, who has tight 3b curls, also loves this gel.
Because it’s a drugstore gel, it’s not a huge investment like some gels are. If you’re on the fence, just go for it!
Buy on Amazon.
How should I use this curly girl gel?
After washing and conditioning your hair as usual, apply your usual leave-in conditioner. (I just squish to rinse and leave in some of my regular conditioner.) Next, flip your head upside down and squish out as much water as you can with a soft t-shirt. If you use a curl cream or butter, add that in.
With your head still upside down, squirt a gumball-sized amount of gel into your hand. Coat both palms with it. Gently graze your palms over a small section of hair. Then, squish the gel upward into your curls. Your hair should make a little squelch! sound and release any excess product. (I do this over a bath towel or sink.) Continue adding gel, one section at a time.
When you’ve coated all the sections with gel, flip your head to one side and scrunch upward. Flip to the other side and keep scrunching. Then, gently bring your head upward. Clip a few sections at the top of your head to create volume.
Next, you can either 1) air dry your curls OR 2) allow them to air dry until 50% dry and diffuse with a blow-dryer. Option #2 will produce a more defined curl.
After your curls are completely dry, scrunch out the crunch with your hands. Voila- you have soft, defined, touchable curls!
Let’s Chat:
Have you ever tried the Aussie Instant Freeze Gel? What’s your favourite curly girl approved gel right now? I’d love to hear in the comments!
p.s. Some of the items in this post are affiliate links. I only post about products that I love + think you’ll probably love, too! As an Amazon Associate or affiliate for other programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. When you purchase through my link, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Thank you SO much for your support!
I will have to try this! I also recommend you try tressame sea kelp foam!! It’s my new go to!
Very cool! I hope you like this gel! Is it a Curly Girl mousse? I’ve never heard of it! 🙂 Thanks for the recommendation!
God bless,
Claudine
Not a mousse it’s liquid that turns into a foam! Superstore carries it. 🙂
Thank you, Shannon! I’ll have to look for it!
I’ll have to keep an eye out for this gel, I have like never used gel before, so I guess I’ve a lot to learn! I do tend to struggle with frizz (sometimes it depends on what I wash my hair with) but you’ve described it all so clearly! Thanks for the hair tips Claudine 🙂
<3 Kate
Hi Kate,
When I first started Curly Girl, I used mousse instead of gel. But, because my hair is low porosity and tends to be dry naturally, I found that gel worked better. It took me a while to get used to the sticky feeling on my fingers, but it was totally worth it to get better results. Girls with straight or wavy hair often use gel because it gives them more control. The trick is to scrunch your hair upward when it’s fully dry. This will release the “gel cast” and leave you with soft, well defined hair. 🙂
Happy experimenting!
God bless,
Claudine
Thanks for the tips Claudine! 😀
I think your naturally curly hair is so pretty, Claudine!
Thank you SO much, Elizabeth! You’re the sweetest!
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