I wrestled with this purchase for a long time. I was curious, but I didn't want to give Soft n' Free my money. Clearly, by virtue of this product review existing, they won. Darn my product junkie tendencies....
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Ceteareth-20, PEG-7, Glyceryl Cocoate, Polyquaternium 46, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Polyglycery-3 Diisostearate, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, DMDM Hydantoin, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynel Butylcarbamate
Ingredient Analysis (first 6):
- Water
- Ceteareth-20: Emulsifier derived from fatty alcohols, used primarily to mix oil/water/alcohols, and help evenly disperse ingredients in a product
- PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate: Synthetic polymer derived from polyethylene glycol and coconut oil fatty acid, used as a conditioning agent, emulsifier, emollient, and surfactant.
- Polyquaternium 46: Polymeric quaternary ammonium salt used as an antistatic agent and hair fixative (for hold)
- Glycerin: Generaly vegetable-based humectant that absorbs and retains moisture from the air.
- Dimethicone: Silicon-based polymer used as a lubricating and conditioning agent
Availability: I purchased the Mold & Hold Wax at Sally Beauty, but I have seen the Nothing But line crop up at major grocery store chains.
Affordability: $7.19 with Sally Beauty Club Card for an 8.8oz jar. With this particular product, a little bit goes a long way -- a pretty good value for a jar of product that will last a long time.
Product Claim/Description:
Your natural hair has a mind of its own. Nothing But Mold & Hold Wax lets your gently twist it with your fingers. Use it daily or after shampooing to maintain twists, locks or knots. Since it is made from nothing but honest ingredients, there is nothing flaky about it either.
Performance/Delivery: Hold and definition city. I used Mold & Hold wax for a twist-out with knotted ends, and my hair was shiny, soft, and super-defined...at first. But as the night wore on, my hair got dry, crunchy...and dry. It had to be a coincidence, but after trying the wax a few more times (without the Beautiful Textures Curl Definer), I had to face the awful truth that the solution to all my hold/definition problems was causing other issues with my hair.
Bonuses: I can't lie, this product can give you amazing results in a short amount of time. I achieved twistout definition that usually takes 6-8hours to achieve, in just one hour. It's also great if you have unruly edges that need a good slickening.
Drawbacks: D-R-Y. As you can see in the ingredient breakdown, there's not a single moisturizing or softening oil in there. Sure, there's tea tree oil (likely included as an antibacterial/antimicrobial agent), but that's not a moisturizing oil.
Bottom Line: This is one of those products that pretty much does what it says. All of the claims were spot on, except for that one about being infused with natural moisture. Unfortunately, tea tree oil and glycerin are not enough to hold up against all the synthetic polymers present in the product. If you're having little luck with hold products, this one might be able to give you that stay-put definition you desire. The definition is epic, but so is the dryness...
Best Practices: If you decide to take the plunge into Mold & Hold Wax, make sure you use an oil or thick butter underneath and on top of the product. I used Beautiful Textures Tangle Taming Leave-In Conditioner underneath, but you couldn't even tell by the end of the night. Surrounding this stuff in moisture is key!
Have you tried any of the Nothing But products? What did you think of them?
0 Comments