Ampro's Shine 'n Jam Hair Gel Is My New Fave

SHINE ONAmpro's Shine n' Jam Hair Gel Is My New Controversial FaveI went to the drugstore, I fell in love with a product, I spoke to a cosmetic chemist about it, I found out that it contains ingredients some folks might not love. But, spoiler, I couldn't care less.

By Jihan Forbes

May 31, 2022

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The airline had one job: Get me and my checked bag from New York City's LaGuardia Airport to Boston's Logan International airport in one go. The good news? We arrived 40 minutes early. The bad news? We arrived without my luggage. 

Not great! I was only there for a day, and I had two important events that required cute outfits, both of which were in that bag. You know what else was in that bag? All my skin- and hair-care products. I didn't panic — I just groaned (a lot) and made a trip to Saks Off Fifth for some clothes, before moving on to CVS to grab a hair gel. I wanted to slick down the frizzy-fuzzy situation my hair was in at the time.

I've been pulling my hair back a lot these days. I typically embrace a cloud hair moment, but I've found myself reaching for edge control more often over the last few months. I use it to smooth the base of my puffs and buns as opposed to sculpting my baby hair.  I start by spraying my hair with water to make it more malleable and scooping out a bit of my favorite Creme of Nature edge control. I like to warm the product between my fingers — it's rather stiff when it's out of the jar. Then, I apply it, working it in with a boar-bristle brush before securing with an elastic. If I have the time, I'll wrap a silk or satin scarf around my head to lock everything into place, removing it before I head out the door. 

But I didn't have my beloved product with me. And neither did the nearest CVS — they were fresh out of it. I had only an hour to get ready and I needed some kind of gel for my hair ASAP. My eyes scanned the section of the aisle reserved for Afro-textured hair. There were a few giant tubs of hair gel, which I wasn't too keen on packing in my luggage. Then, I saw a row of little yellow jars tucked on the bottom-most shelf: Ampro's Shine 'n Jam Conditioning Gel Extra Hold ($4). It was neatly housed in a four-ounce jar. I grabbed it and checked out.

Courtesy of brand

Ampro Shine N' Jam Conditioning Gel Extra Hold$4

Once it was time to finesse my hair, I started as I usually do, wetting it with water. Then, I opened up the jar. Inside I found a clear gel that was equal parts soft and firm, like some kind of lovely tofu. It's not as stiff as the Creme of Nature, but not so runny that it comes come sliding out if you turn the jar over without its lid. I scooped some out using the back of my nail, then warmed it up a bit in my hands before going forward with the rest of my routine.

I was shocked at how soft my hair felt after using it. It was neither stiff nor crunchy, but still stayed in place. The base of my puff was smooth and shiny, but it didn't look as if it was shellacked to my head. Which is why I was happy to see that after sitting for hours outside in the 80-plus degree weather we were blessed with that weekend, my hair still looked just as good as when the bristles of my brush first kissed my gel-coated strands. And still, no stiff, gel feeling — just super soft hair I couldn't stop touching. The gel is infused with honey extract, which cosmetic chemist Ginger King mentions is there as a moisturizing agent. 

One thing King did point out, which I would be remiss to omit, is that the formula includes some ingredients that are "not so cool" these days for people looking for a "clean" (whatever that means!) product. Now, Ampro isn't claiming to have a "clean" formula, but for those who may care, King mentions the inclusion of lanolin and mineral oil, the latter of which she says has "pore-clogging potential." 

"Clean" beauty can be a loaded term, as we know, and many ingredients that have been deemed "bad" aren't as harmful as they're hyped up to be. Sulfates, for example, get an extremely bad wrap when in reality, in most cases they're really not that terrible for your hair.

As for mineral oil, though some people try to avoid it because untreated or lightly-treated mineral oil is a carcinogen, and could be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane. However, there isn't evidence that the amounts present in the ultra-refined mineral oil used in beauty products is particularly harmful. "The biggest unknown is: What level of 1,4-dioxane is safe?," Ni'Kita Wilson, a cosmetic chemist based in the New York City area previously told Allure. "The studies so far have involved giving the raw material to animals; that's not the same as applying a diluted version to the skin." Some beauty consumers still choose to steer clear of it, though. 

King also noted the inclusion of DMDM hydantoin, a formaldehyde-releasing preservative. It's there to keep the product fresh — formaldehyde also occurs naturally in some foods, like apples and pears — but it can potentially be irritating to the skin. The amount of formaldehyde released by DMDM hydantoin is small, roughly equivalent to a pear. As cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos previously told Allure, "The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel of expert physicians and toxicologists concluded that free formaldehyde in cosmetics should not exceed 0.2 percent." She adds that DMDM hydantoin is usually "used at concentrations of less than half a percent total, which means it's unlikely cosmetics contain [formaldehyde] levels above that recommendation." 

With this information, you can make a decision as to whether or not this is a product you'd want to use. As for me, I can guarantee you that some of the ingredients folks on social media call "clean" today may very well turn out to be icky years from now. So, I'm not terribly concerned about ingredients that may be potentially irritating — especially when I haven't had any problems using the product.

The point is, the stuff works. And the way my skin is set up, it's been more irritated by the pollen swirling around New York City than anything else as of late. I'm not worried about a rash. In short: I'm good, my hair is smooth, and hours after I ran some of this gunk in my hair, it was still slicked down.

Ampro's Shine 'n Jam Conditioning Gel Extra Hold is about $4 at your local drugstore or Sally Beauty.

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Jihan Forbes is a staff editor for Allure.com. A Bronx-born fashion and beauty journalist with over 10 years of experience, Jihan previously held roles at Yahoo! Style and The Fashion Spot, and her work exploring style and beauty has been published by outlets like Fashionista and Elle. When she's... Read moreStaff Editor, Allure.com

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