Curly Hair Society
A

Gel · Aunt Jackie’s

Don’t Shrink Flaxseed Elongating Curling Gel

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3.9

Good

13 opinions from 13 people

Positive
9
Mixed
1
Negative
3
How is the Curl Score calculated?

We read 3 public Reddit discussions and logged each person's opinion of each product as positive, mixed or negative, and members add theirs when they review a product here. The Curl Score puts those on a scale of 1 to 5: every opinion positive would be 5, every one negative 1, and an even split 3, with a mixed opinion counting as half positive. Passing mentions aren't opinions, so they don't count, and each person counts once per product. Every brand is scored the same way, but these are comments, not verified purchases or a survey. Sources and method

The verdict

A cheap, long-lasting gel that rivals pricier ones for many, though gummy, sticky or drying for some.

The full verdict

Reviewers call it a holy grail and their first choice among cheaper gels: one compares it with Kinky-Curly’s Curling Custard and says it’s better, another gets very similar results with a thinner texture, and it costs about $7 for 18oz. It keeps hair frizz-free on wet hair, and one reviewer with coarse, low-porosity 3B hair gets a good cast and curls that last up to a week. A minority had the opposite: it added only weight and left hair stringy, felt gummy on fine hair, or was drying used alone.

Best for
A budget gel for medium to coarse curls
Skip it if
Your hair is fine and turns gummy under gel

Reviewer experiences

A representative mix, good and bad, from the commenters.

See all 14 reviews

  1. PositiveReddit comment

    It's great; 18oz for $7 at my local Walmart.

    u/Pitiful-Struggle-890r/curlyhair, 2026Original comment

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    Aunt Jackie's 'don't shrink' flaxseed curl gel is great. 18 ozs for $7 at my local Walmart

  2. MixedReddit comment

    My go-to for years: cheap, very good, and no strong scent. My hair texture has since changed (ageing and hormones), and I now get better results from lighter products, such as The Doux.

    u/HallucinogenicFishr/curlyhair, 2026Original comment

  3. NegativeReddit comment

    The only one I don't care for: layered over the leave-in or alone, it makes my hair feel gummy and gross on sopping wet hair.

    u/ImportantProduct2638Fine; 3A/3B; bleach-damaged endsr/curlyhair, 2026Original comment

  4. PositiveReddit comment

    My first choice among the alternatives.

    u/capriolibr/curlyhair, 2026Original comment

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    Aunt Jackie's don't shrink flaxseed gel in first place. Wet line Xtreme close second.

  5. PositiveReddit comment

    I love their flaxseed gel; it has a similar texture to KC but is better.

    u/capriolibr/curlyhair, 2026Original comment

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    I love their flaxseed gel which has similar texture to this, but better. [Note: brand assumed to be Aunt Jackie's from parent comment]

  6. PositiveReddit comment

    Results very similar to KC, though the texture isn't as thick; it's on the same Target shelf.

    u/DeliciousFlow8675309r/curlyhair, 2026Original comment

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    Miss Jackie's flax seed gel is very similar results wise. The texture is not as thick though. Its also sold on the same shelf in Target. [Note: 'Miss Jackie's' assumed to be Aunt Jackie's]

  7. PositiveReddit comment

    My favourite; it leaves my hair soft yet still defined, and it's great for refresh days.

    u/vpandjr/curlyhair, 2026Original comment

  8. PositiveReddit comment

    My holy grail.

    u/christine_714r/curlyhair, 2026Original comment

  9. PositiveReddit comment

    With the Transform leave-in, it's the only product my hair needs.

    u/luluxluluxr/curlyhair, 2026Original comment

  10. PositiveReddit comment

    My hair loves it: I use only the gel after a wash and deep conditioner for a good cast, and my curls last up to a week once the cast is broken.

    u/msReDDifyourenasty3B coarse; low porosity; medium density; mid-back lengthr/curlyhair, 2026Original comment

  11. NegativeReddit comment

    I found it drying on its own.

    u/Fun-Put-5839Similar to above (3B coarse; low porosity)r/curlyhair, 2026Original comment

  12. PositiveReddit comment

    Keeps my hair frizz-free when applied on wet hair.

    u/Acceptable_General_2r/curlyhair, 2023Original comment

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    Have you ever tried the aunt Jackie flaxseed, I really like it and wanted so see if anyone else does. It keeps my hair frizz free I apply it while it’s still wet.

  13. PositiveReddit comment

    One of my go-to products.

    u/apologeticmooser/curlyhair, 2023Original comment

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    The Aunt Jackie Flaxseed is one of my go tos!

  14. NegativeReddit comment

    Adds only weight; my hair can look stringy, and I need extra conditioner to compensate.

    u/honeymeloncoolerr/curlyhair, 2023Original comment

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    I use the aunt Jackie flaxseed but sort of hate it bc it doesn’t add anything but weight to my hair so it can be a little stringy sometimes. I need to overcompensate with conditioner

What reviewers say

  • Very cheap for 18oz
  • Results close to pricier gels
  • Gummy or sticky on fine hair
  • Drying used alone, for one reviewer

More from Aunt Jackie’s

The brand review
  1. Curl La La Defining Curl CustardBest likedStyling cream13 positive·1 mixed·1 negative

Best liked: rated by at least 4 people, more than half of them positive.

How we collated these reviews

Drawn from 14 comments in 3 Reddit discussions below. We read every comment in each, logged each product a commenter had an opinion on, and classified each opinion as positive, mixed or negative. This is public commentary, not verified purchases or customer ratings. Our full method

Sources