Wednesday 24 August 2011

Product Review: Redken Color Extend Conditioner


It's good that they have liters available of this stuff, because I could definitely see myself using it as a daily co-wash (you know, when I win the lottery). For those with curls looking to co-wash, this is a great option due to a moderate amount of silicones, a high amount and variety of emulsifiers (which usually aid in better rinsing) and a fabulous detangling ability. For those who hate any film left on the hair, well sorry but this ain't it. It definitely adds a soft, substantive conditioned feel to hair (ends in particular) which increases touchability and shine. In terms of its color protecting abilities, well silicones are the best color preservers and they are here but in lower concentrations than in most products. Depending on what the rest of the routine is like (color would still be well preserved if you were using a high-cone styling routine) this would still be ok. It's real value is in detangling and defrizzing hair.

Girls with fine hair might like it, due to the moderate silicone content and higher quat conditioning agent concentration. However, there's still a heavy amount of thickening ingredients in here, which don't thicken hair but they do thicken the product's viscosity, which depending on how fine the hair is and how much of it is used, might be problematic to some. If you do have fine hair and are considering using this, I have the same reccomendation as I do with trying any conditioners: put the most near the ends, negligible amounts near the roots and start with less, so you can build to more if necessary. This particular product really works well with the start with less philosophy, even a small amounts slips through hair incredibly well. This can help you preserve volume and precious dollar bills (Redken might not be the most expensive salon brand, but if you're using a lot, it can still feel that way to the pocket book). As for the scent? Same as the accompanying shampoo, much more appealing than most Redken products, due to the semi fruity light floral feel.


Ingredients:

  1. Aqua/Water: To ensure the product isn't solid
  2. Cetearyl alcohol: Fatty acid used as a thickening, emulsifying and emollient base. The reason it's so commonly seen in haircare and skin care is the superior and substantive feel it leaves on hair and skin. Gives that luxurious buttery feeling.
  3. Behentrimonium chloride: The most powerful quat conditioning agent (quat: quaternary ammonium compound, anti-static agents that help temporarily mend split ends and dryness due to their particular affinity for damaged areas of the hair)
  4. Propylene Glycol Ceteth-3 acetate: Emollient, wetting agent and viscosity adjuster
  5. Dimethicone: Well hello lover! My devotion to dimethicone in hair products is an epic one. Thick, long, tangly hair should never be without it
  6. Hydroxyethylcellulose: Thickening and gelling polymer.
  7. Amodimethicone: Similar to quats, amine functionalized cones also target the most damaged areas of the hair shaft via electrostatic attractions and are most substantive in those zones. In addition they also resist buildup.
  8. Phenoxyethanol: Preservative
  9. Parfum/Fragrance: Off course, no hair product can be formulated without! How would they sell it. 
  10. Trideceth-5: Surface active and emulsifier
  11. Methylparaben: Bless you paraben gods
  12. Ethylparaben: More of the best preservatives on the planet
  13. Sodium citrate: Chelating agent and pH adjuster
  14. Taurine: It's just fluff in here, but if you eat it, it's a valuable amino acid. Some recent studies have implicated it as a potential hair growth maximizer, which is probably why it was added here for label appeal.
  15. Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate: Sunscreen agent commonly used in color preserving hair products. Theoretically a great idea, but there is no compelling evidence showing it actually stays on the hair shaft to protect from sun exposure.
  16. Laureth-4: Solubilizer (meaning it helps oil and water mixtures stay in tact)
  17. Trideceth-10: Emulsifier
  18. Laureth-23: Surfactant, emulsifier and cleansing agent
  19. Butylphenyl methylpropional: SCENT!
  20. Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry seed) oil: Fluffy marketing story
  21. Disodium EDTA: Preservative and chelating agent
  22. Hexyl Cinnamal: More fragrance
  23. Hydroxypropyltrimonium hydrolyzed wheat protein: In higher concentrations this adds value as a strengthening agent, but unfortunately this is next to nothing, so here it has a distinctly fluffy function
  24. Linalool: Scents, scents, scents....
  25. PPG-5-Ceteth-20: Non-greasy feel emollient
  26. Citronellol: More scent
  27. Benzyl alcohol: Solvent, preservative
  28. Wheat amino acids: More fluff
  29. Hydrolyzed soy protein: Take a wild guess at the puffery and fluffery concentration here?
  30. Geraniol: More scent
  31. 2-Oleamido-1 3-Octadecanediol: A synthetic ceramide which increases absorption of phospholipids, the question is does it do the same thing for hair that it does for skin? And how much concentration is needed?
  32. Oleth-10: Emollient that helps clean skin and hair
  33. Coumarin: Scent
  34. Disodium cocoamphodipropionate: Cleansing agent...you ask why is a surfactant in a conditioner? Because surfactants don't just produce dense foams in shampoos, under the right conditions they also work as emulsifiers in conditioners.
  35. Lecithin: Conditioning and emulsifying agent
  36. Citric acid: pH adjuster

No comments:

Post a Comment