Product Review: Redken Extreme Conditioner

This is the counterpart to the Extreme shampoo, but it really is somewhat different from many of the conditioners that Redken carries. For one thing, there's no silicone...at all. Which is extremely surprising. Instead it's replaced by a high concentration of glycerin which makes hair really easy to detangle in the shower, but unfortunately rinses off rather than continuously conditioning like silicone. They hype the amount of protein in here, but really it's at the end of the ingredient list, which should tell you everything. Most people will still find that their hair feels and looks really repaired, the behentrimonium chloride and cetearyl alcohol provide that, but they provide very little protection against future damage unless the user never heat styles or colors their hair, which is off course, exceedingly rare. This is why the lack of silicones might be detrimental to the health of hair, there are very few people who never heat style.

For those who love to co-wash, don't like using silicones, don't heat style and don't color, well here's your holy grail conditioner. In fact it has the versatility of also being a great leave in (high glycerin content conditioners really help a lot of hair types if they're used as leave ins). The particular reason it would also function well as a co-wash is partially the lack of silicones but also the high concentration of cetearyl alcohol, which functions well as an emollient. The more pertinent function in this case would be the emulsifying function, which means it's a surface active agent which means it helps rinse dirt off the hair shaft. It's the second ingredient on the list which means you can count on hair that feel really clean.

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.

Product Review: Moroccan Oil Intense hydrating mask

For anyone that has been waiting for a new post from me, I apologize for the hiatus. Recent computer troubles curtailed my posting entirely and I've been sad in keeping so many products in the backlog.

Things are back on track again though, so I'm happy to share another review with the world. There is a difference between the intense hydrating mask and the restorative hydrating mask, but I have yet to try the second so here's a review of the first. If you're comparing them side by side in the store and forget which is which, remember that the brown lid one is the more commonly available, popular and the one I'm reviewing. The other one will have an orange lid. 

This has officially become my favorite low-cone mask, for days when I want to alternate. Though I'm always the first to sing the praises of silicones, they can build up and not allow more moisture into the hair unless they're alternated or clarified. Because my thick, coarse, curly hair could not handle a clarifying shampoo without turning into an afro, I prefer to alternate products. There are very few low silicone conditioning products on the market that can detangle hair as bushy as mine without a lot of grunt work, but this one can. Suffice it to say, I'm not fond of the price, but I do find I need less of it to comb through the hair than of most products, so a jar does last me longer. This would work well on anyone that suffers from dry/damaged/curly/colored/chemically treated/heat abused hair, but if you have a fear of weighing the hair down, apply this only to the midshaft and ends. An additional tip for all my fellow curlies: I am a 3b/3c mix but anyone up from a 3a can use this as a leave in also. The high concentration of glycerin mixed with the high concentration of argan oil makes it great to use on humid days, while the addition of cetearyl alcohol enhances comb slip. Try it that way and see what you think.