My hair has been through the ringer in the last year. My hair has always been dark, natural and thick, but I had to go blonde for a movie and only had a month to do so!! With-in a month I had my hair bleached 3 times! My hair was fried and was so much thinner because of all the breakage! I wanted to cry, but I think anyone would have done it for the opportunity I was given. My hair felt like straw and was literally impossible to brush through after the shower. No matter how much conditioner I used it was a tangled mess!! I had breakage all the way up halfway to my roots. My stylist suggested I started using a "Sulfate Free" shampoo and conditioner as it should help with the de-tangling. Sulfates (aka Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Ammonium Laureth Sulfate) are agents that help create the lather and suds in our shampoos. They have a huge tendency to dry out hair and strip color. Nowadays so many companies are going for the Sulfate-Free route because of this. I opted for L'oreal Sulfate-Free shampoo line. They have a few different options: Ever-Pure, Ever-Sleek and Ever-Strong. I opted for the Ever Strong Re-Construct system. After the first use I was amazed! My hair was soft and I had no trouble brushing through it. And after it dried it was super soft and shiny!! Woohoo! After I was done shooting, I immediately started the long process of getting my hair back to it's natural color. After about 4 months it was back to normal, as far as color goes, but the damage was irreversible. You could see the breakage and it drove me nuts. I stopped blow-drying my hair all together so I wouldn't be adding anymore damage as my hair desperately tried to grow out. I rarely used heating tools, unless required. I wanted to do everything I could to help my hair along.
I went back to the store looking for deep conditioners and products that would help protect my hair from further damage. So I purchased L'oreal Ever-Strong Overnight Repair Treatment, "It's A 10 Miracle Hair Mask and Miracle Shine Spray. We had used this brand on set and I absolutely loved it, so naturally I was dying to try this mask. Also, I wanted to try Frederic Fekkai Shea Butter Damage Protecting mask. My hair was in dyer need of some major R&R.
So, here are my reviews!!
L'oreal Ever-Strong Re-Construct Shampoo and Conditioner - $6.99 each
- Contains patented Bio-Ceramide Complex
- Gently cleanses to help resist breakage and tame frizz.
- Rich aroma of Rosemary and Juniper awake the senses
This shampoo has a creamy texture, produces an extremely rich lather and never leaves any residue behind. Always rinses clean and I love the scent. It's amazing how small of an amount you need for such a rich lather. The shampoo lasts forever, and I am notorious for squeezing WAAAY too much shampoo into my hand than needed. So the fact that this bottle last more than a month for me is crazy! The conditioner is very moisturizing. I usually leave it on for ten minutes, just to get that extra oompf of moisture for my hair. This also rinses away clean and leaves a fresh, but not over bearing scent behind. With this conditioner I never have to use de-tangler before I brush. My hair is silky and never has tangles! Out of all the Shampoo and Conditioner brands I have tried, even the salon brands, this is by far one of my top faves!! Especially since my hair is soo damaged. I have also recently tried the Ever-Strong Bodify shampoo and loved that as well. For this price you can't find better!!
- Sulfate Free
- Contains patented Bio-Ceramide Complex which strengthens and deeply nourishes hair
- Penetrates hair fiber while you sleep for deeper conditioning
I love this. It smells sooo good and doesn't make your hair feel greasy at all. After I get out of the shower I use 1-2 pumps and run it through my hair twice a week. I then brush through it to help even the application. It absorbs quickly with no residue so you don't have to worry about your clothes or pillow case.. The next morning my hair was soft and smooth and I could definitely see a difference in the condition of my hair; ie - less "fly-aways" and the breakage was less visible. It was awesome. It was very shiny and healthy looking. I use this once a week to help nourish my hair. I would definitely recommend!!
It's A 10 Miracle Hair Mask - $37.50
- De-tangles, restores moisture balance and elasticity
- Adds luminous shine and improves color vibrancy
- Enhances natural body
Boasting 10 instant benefits this is by far my absolute favorite!!It is medium thick white cream that applies effortlessly through the hair, root to tip.I usually just scoop about a third of a handful, but depending on your hair length and thickness you will need a little more. I use it as a weekly treatment so the jar has more than enough to last me a full month. I leave it on for 20 minutes after I shampoo once a week. Making sure I pay special attention to my ends. It has a very fresh, kind of fruity scent. This product has definitely shown the biggest instant and continuous improvement in my hair. Never tangles and is super shiny after it dries. It smooths everything down and my hair looks just as healthy as it was.. well.. when it actually was healthy!! My hair has never felt so soft. Every time i use this I get so many compliments on my hair. I adds vibrancy to each strand and in the sun.... it is sooo glossy and shimmery! That is seriously the best way I can explain it! It is bouncy and has lots of body. Which is a huge factor for me because even though I have tons of hair, it is so fine. I know it's a little pricey but for the results I splurge every month. and I have seen it online for a bit cheaper.
- Acts as an Anti-Oxidant to protect against environmental damage
- Anti-Humidity, minimizes frizz and imparts control and manageability
- Provides weightless shine
- Does not contain oil
- Improves hair's elasticity
- Thermal protection
- Locks in moisture and protects hair
I use this in between my deep conditioners. You can use it on damp hair for de-tangling and thermal protection and on dry hair for an amazing shine. I use it both ways. I love this because unlike other shine sprays, it does not contain any oils. So it doesn't give your hair that dirty greasy feeling. Don't go overboard though, even though there are no oils if you use too much it will leave a residue. The shine it produces is like no other. After I am done styling I spray it all over my hair to set my style and add shine. It smells fantastic and the shine lasts all day or night. This is great for in between your deep conditioning treatments. Love it! I'm sure this is also cheaper online then in store.
Frederic Fekkai Shea Butter Damage Protecting Hair Mask - $23.00
- Fatty Acids extracted from Shea Butter provide extreme moisture
- Intensive Hydration
- Protects hair from styling damage
I was a little skeptical at first when I started applying it after my shampoo.. It didn't really seem creamy. I mean it was very thick and had some sort of tiny seeds that made the experience feel a bit like a scalp massage, which I liked. I felt like I had to use a lot of the product just to get all of my hair saturated. After I worked this thick treatment through my hair, paying special attention to the ends of course, I left it on for 20 minutes. As I washed it out it didn't really feel like it had a made a difference. My hair actually kind of felt dry and course. And in no way has my hair ever been course. It just felt weird to me. I felt like maybe I should have left it in longer. The scent was something very familiar to me but I can't really put my finger on it. But I loove the scent. After towel drying my hair I went to pick through it and it was a tangled mess :( I ended up using my Ever-Strong Overnight Treatment in conjunction just so I didn't have to snag and pull on my already fragile tresses... That did the trick and I could easily comb through it.. But in my head I was so disappointed because you'd think anything Fekkai is going to be phenomenal, but in no way was it even worth the price, especially since I had to use damn near half the tube to saturate my hair. After I blow dried my hair it did feel extra soft and smooth and did still have that fresh, nostalgic scent. I just don't know if that was from the Shea Butter Mask or the Ever-Strong Repair treatment. But, all in all, I don't think I will be purchasing this product again. I still have 2 full tubes left because I like to buy everything in bulk so I don't have to go back. ugh. Maybe next time I will really try to use it without any other product and see what the true end result is. I just feel that if you are spending that much on a product then you shouldn't have to use any other products or de-tanglers in conjunction just so you can comb through your hair!! Definitely would not recommend :(
ELC RD-PLUS w/ DaoPlex Leave in Protein Cream - $39.99
- Intense Reconstructor
- Restores and strengthens the internal hair structure and adds shine
- Infused with silk and keratin proteins
- Reduces breakage
- Provides thermal and UV protection
- Color protection
- Replaces moisture loss from the hair
As soon as I bleached my hair this is the product that my stylist recommended. When your hair is damaged and tangles easily it means that there is severe protein loss in the folicle. The folicle is open and that's why it continuously gets stuck and tangled with the other strands. This is a leave-in protein treatment. During my blonde phase I used this every other day to help restore the moisture and protein back into my hair. You only need a tiny bit. You rub the product together in your hands and work through your hair. I usually skipped the root because of my hairs history os getting greasy extra fast, but I would always pay special attention to the ends of my hair and where I noticed the most damage. Do another comb through after the product has been applied to assure even application. During this time it made my damage disappear totally and also added a thickening feel. My hair was soft and super manageable. This was a total life saver after what my hair had been through.. I still continue to use it about 1-2x a week to give my hair that extra moisture and protein boost. My hair will never be back to normal until all of the breakage grows out from the bleach. So I just have to be patient and take special care of my tresses. I always get a trim every month, and even with seldom use of hot tools and dryers, I still have split ends. At least it means they are growing out and soon my hair will have no trace left of the traumatic damaging bleach it endured.
I hope this was helpful and insightful. I know that my hair will never be back to normal until it fully grows out from where the blonde was. And I can't wait for that day when my gorgeous thick hair returns with no breakage. In the mean-time these are the products I use most and I believe they are helping protect against further damage as my hair grows out. Let me know if you have nay questions! Good Luck!!!
xoxox Miss b
