Not only have I had the opportunity to try a wealth of different haircare products over the last four weeks, but I have been very strict with the amount of heat treatment and damage it has endured too – resulting in my locks feeling far healthier than they have in months (dare I even say, years). Although I haven’t noticed a dramatic sprouting of new hair (Rapunzel locks are still a way off yet), not using the hair dryer and making sure I always condition it thoroughly, has certainly done the world of good. This week has been no different, with a variety of sprays, leave in treatments and serums to trial.
Uniqu Coconut All In One Hair Treatment
Claiming to be a miracle ‘all in one’ treatment, solving pretty much every hair dilemma under the sun, I was half expecting this product to do my University coursework as well. With a delicious, sweet coconut scent and a non sticky texture, it’s first impressions were certainly very promising and the soft, shiny and easy to brush texture it left backed this up. My normally very flat hair definitely had more lift and body after a quick spritz and the ends looked neater and less fly-away. I think the main factor of this product would be its ease as the spray nozzle is perfect for quick, morning rush haircare, so I can definitely vouch for it being an ideal ‘all in one’.
Glo Essentials Reparative Keratin Leave-In Treatment
This was much runnier in substance than I thought it would be, making it a little sticky on application – however once it got to work, I soon forgave it! Sulfate and paraben free, this product is suitable for sensitive scalps and acts as both UV protection and heat protection (making it ideal for holiday use, as well as a ‘pick me up’ all year round). It has a lovely fresh, yet sweet scent and is applied to towel dried hair (with focus on the ends) for an extra boost of hydration. With extracts of keratin (this is the science-y bit), it infuses extra protein into the hair cuticles, fortifying and re-building it. Essentially making it stronger, whilst sealing it for heat protection. It adds shine, detangles hair and defrizzes. If you’re looking for a great product for the summer months (and to take away with you), this is it.
Naked Style Little Miracle Leave-In Conditioner
Naked are a great brand if you despise the ‘product build up’ that you often get from using heavily fragranced, weighty solutions. Quick and easy to apply, you simply use sparingly (but not at the roots) paying attention to the ends, before styling as normal. The shea butter and argan oil ingredients give it a lovely fresh, sweet scent and the consistency of the product itself (very thin, but not overly watery) mean that it sinks into the hair quickly and doesn’t leave any sticky residue. A great product if you’re in a hurry and/or have thin hair which you can’t afford to ‘weigh down’ or flatten by over-styling.
Yarok Feed Your Youth Hair & Scalp Serum
After trialing a scalp serum a few weeks back (see Healthy Hair: Part 2 for further details), I have officially been converted and (oddly) actually look forward to applying a few droplets onto my scalp each morning – since the influence it has on a ‘good hair day’ or a ‘bad hair day’ seems to be unrivalled. This product, I’m pleased to say was no different (and it smells AMAZING – possibly thanks to the avocado oils). With a much thicker, oily consistency it seeps into hair cuticles and really makes the roots shine! I use it in the morning, 10 minutes before a shower for the best results.
Orofluido Super Shine Light Spray
Orofluido is one of my all time favourite hair care brands, however despite being number one advocate for their masques, I’m disappointed to say I hadn’t previously tried anything else in the range. I love how luxurious (but affordable) their products are and how each item has the distinct sweet scent which lingers for hours (and you’ll never get sick of it, I promise). The Super Shine Light spray is essentially just a non sticky ‘boost’ of hydration and shine for the roots and mid-lengths of the hair. With many products of the same sort, you can end up getting a little overzealous with the spritzing, leaving your (once) freshly washed hair a greasy, sticky mess. In the name of blogging, I decided to go a tad overboard – however I was pleased to say that the usual consequences didn’t occur. A few brushes and the spray simply gave my hair more of a shine than before, without any of the grease. A win win.
Another keratin infused product, this claims to nurture and repair hair for ease, smoothness and shine. Initially, I didn’t notice much of a difference, aside from the fact it is quite strong and reacted with my scalp making it a little flaky, however after 2 days these factors subsided and my hair was much easier to brush after each wash – and felt much thicker and softer to the touch. I usually give credit to the conditioner whenever my hair feels wholly stronger/softer, but since I wasn’t trialing a specific conditioner this week (and was using my normal one), this definitely deserves all the recognition. If you do suffer from a sensitive scalp, I would recommend using this every other wash, with head & shoulders for sensitive scalps in between (to get rid of any flaky bits). It definitely does everything it says on the tin (well, bottle) but it does have quite a harsh scent.
