£9 for hair gel? (American Crew Citrus Mint Gel)

Member Name: JJJJ

Product:	American Crew Citrus Mint Gel
Date:	08/01/09 (151 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Smells nice at first

Disadvantages: Poor hold

With a recommended retail price of £8.75, American Crew's 'Citrus Mint Gel' is certainly expensive for a hair product - but is it worth the money? This particular gel has a series of impressive claims associated with it; Firstly, it won't dry out the hair or scalp; secondly, it will provide a strong and lasting hold; and thirdly, it won't flake.

When I first unscrewed the squeezable container, I was impressed by the subtle smell of the gel - both citrussy and minty as its name would suggest. This aroma however, completely changes as the product ages - i've had a tube of American Crew gel for around six months now, and what was a pleasant smell is now rather chemically and bland.

American Crew have a reputation for using a lot of natural ingredients in their products, and from looking at the list below, you'll see that this gel is no exception;

Water, VP/VA Copolymer, PVP Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Wheat Amino Acids, Allantoin, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Extract, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Panthenol (Provitamin B5), Carbomer, Nonoxynol-10, Propylene Glycol, Triethanolamine. Tetrasodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Yellow 10 (CI 47005), Green 3.

There are however a lot of un-natural sounding ingredients also - Nonoxynol-10 and Triethanolamine to name just a couple.

The instructions tell the user to 'Work a small amount of the gel throughout hair and style', and that also the product can be used on wet or dry hair.

In terms of its performance, American Crew Citrus Mint Gel is quite disappointing. The gel itself is thin, and when applied to hair, it doesn't hold in the 'strong and lasting' manner which it claims to. The product also flakes a little when brushed through - which is another thing it isn't supposed to do!

In conclusion, what is essentially a £9 hair gel should be much better. I normally like American Crew products, but this one isn't the best. Stick to the Brylcreems of this world if you want true performance and hold.

Summary: Average Gel