Aussie is an international cosmetics brand. Its products are focused solely on hair care, such as shampoos, conditioners, hair serums, gels and sprays. Its logo is a kangaroo, and, similarly, its slogan is "Add some Roo to Your Do!". However, the brand is in fact manufactured by Procter & Gamble, an American company, which bought the brand in 2003. Aussie manufactures hair product collections for straight, wavy and curly hairto fix problems such as frizz, dryness, flat hair, and damaged hair. The product was sold in Australia prior to 1990, but was phased out during the 1990s and the product has been focused on the British and American markets.
History
In 1979, Aussie was founded by Tom Redmond, an American businessman. Prior to this, he had more than 20 years of experience in the professional salon industry. When visiting Australia, Redmond realised that a wide variety of various ingredients such as Blue Gum Leaves, Australian Custard Apple, Quandong, Mint Balm, Wild Cherry Bark and Jojoba Seed Oil could be used to produce hair products. Accordingly, Redmond was inspired to develop the first of the Aussie products: Australian 3 Minute Miracle.
Controversy
The Natural Skincare Authority and Livestrong have criticized Aussie for its use of controversial chemicals in its manufacturing process. The Natural Skincare Authority has rated Aussie Shampoo a 1.1/10, characterizing the hair care product as "highly toxic" in the shampoo category of the Natural Hair Care Product Review. The Natural Skincare Authority has also stated that "The Aussie Mega Shampoo does not meet any natural ingredient parameter." Some Aussie products contain sodium lauryl sulphate, an alkaline ingredient that helps penetrate dirt and oil on hair. The manufacturing process of this chemical may leave traces of dioxane, a probable human carcinogen. Many Aussie products also contain a variety of parabens such as propylparaben and methylparaben, which have been linked to breast cancer in women. Although this remains unproven, it is also believed there is a link between Aussie products and cancer due to the ingredient Cocamidopropyl Betaine, as seen in animal tests. Aussie Mega Shampoo also contains chemicals that have not been certified or assessed for safety by The Cosmetic Ingredient Review. Additionally, the brand has been frowned upon for testing on animals when its products have not been certified organic and use synthetic chemicals. The very fact that the product is not certified organic causes many to believe that the product contains genetically modified organisms and pesticides.
