Splurge vs Save: Hair Treatment Oils

The splurge versus save features have always been one of my favourite magazine reads. Whilst it doesn't mean to say that both items are identical, it's nice to see the different options available depending on your budget.

Here we have two hair treatment oils from opposite ends of the price spectrum. VO5 Miracle Concentrate (£4.99) and Ojon Damage Reverse (£22) Both are designed to smooth and repair damaged hair. There are some obvious similarities: they're both packaged with a dropper to dispense the product and you are advised to apply a couple of drop to wet hair before drying.

I've written about the VO5 Miracle Concentrate before and I still like it very much. It does an excellent job of making my hair feel soft and smooth. It's perfumed and I believe the fragrance is similar to Chanel Chance. I wanted to compare the ingredients in the VO5 to the Ojon Damage Repair. The first thing you will notice is that the VO5 ingredients is rather small compared to the Ojon, not that this is particular indication of how good a product is. It contains Argan oil and silicones as it's functional ingredients. I'd probably describe it as being more synthetic than the Ojon Damage Repair (although the Ojon also contain silicones) but I find the upside to this is that the product transfers to my hair and I don't experience any oily residue on my hands.

Miracle Concentrate

The Ojon Damage Reverse contains 50ml of product like the VO5. As you can see from the long ingredients list, it contains a number of natural oils. Including sweet almond oil, olive oil, palm oil, jojoba oil and sunflower seed oil. The natural oils give this a beautiful smells, it's a rather hippy scent rather than a perfume like the VO5. As well as the oils it also contains silicones and wheat germ extract, which will help to smooth the hair. The Ojon feels quite rich so I have to be careful not to be heavy handed and concentrate on the lower lengths, as otherwise it can weigh down my fine hair. It gives my hair a lovely shine once dry and I find the scent lingers on my hair for most of the day.

Damage Repair

I am a bit of a grouch when it comes to believing that treatments like this can repair hair. In my brutal scientist mind hair is inert and once damage is done it is permanent, unless we're talking about a keratin type of treatment. However, I am happy to concede that you can make the hair look better at a cosmetic level and both of these products do this very well. 

I like both of these hair oils and I think which you choose will depend on your budget and probably your hair type. Those with fine hair might get on better with the VO5 Miracle Conentrate but if you like the idea of a more natural fragrance, I would recommend the Ojon Damage Repair.

Disclosure: PR Samples

John Frieda Frizz Ease 3-Days Straight

John Frieda's Frizz Ease 3-Days Straight is an a home treatment designed to be used on wet hair before blow drying. It's also designed for use on curly hair and I obviously don't have curly hair but my hair is a little wayward and frizzy so I thought this might keep it looking a bit tidier.

For some reason I had expected this to be a single use product so I was pleasantly surprised to realise it is a spray that will provide many applications. The directions are to apply to freshly washed damp or wet hair (7-15 spritzes), comb through, blow dry hair straight and then finish using hair straighteners. It seems to take very little effort to get a nice smooth blow dry when I use this just using a paddle brush. I also find that it seems to give my hair extra body which is great as my hair can look a limp. This extra body lasts even when I use the straighteners.

The first time I used this I attempted to leave my hair three days before washing. It looked great on the second day and was still straight on the third but by then it really needed washing. On the packaging it does say three days or until you would next wash your hair. So, in my case this gives two good days.

My hair feels nice and soft when I use this with no sign of product residue. It costs £6.99 which I think is good value considering the multiple uses. I'm very pleased with my frizz-less barnet and I intend to get my curly haired friends to give it a try too.



Disclosure: PR sample

Kebelo System Hair Treatmemt

When I was invited along to Four London to try out the new Kebelo System smoothing treatment last week, it would fair to say that I jumped at the chance. After my recent disastrous haircut, I thought this could be the perfect disguise for 'the mushroom' whilst I grow out the layers.

The 'mushroom'

One of the things that really interested me about the Kebelo system is that it doesn't contain formaldehyde or keratin unlike many other smoothing treatments, instead the formula is rich in botanical proteins and amino acids. I am aware that the use of formaldehydes in these treatments is becoming a bit of a contentious issue especially as the percentages seems to vary wildly between brands and it doesn't appear to be properly regulated. When proper safety precautions aren't adhered to (such as ensuring a room is properly ventilated) this puts both clients and hairdressers at risk.

THE TREATMENT

Before the treatment there is an initial consultation where your hair type is assessed and you are able to discuss what you hope to achieve from the treatment. I had the great pleasure of having my treatment done my Aeron Beckett, Technical Director and Stylist for Kebelo. Aeron discussed the different stages of the treatment including how long each would take. There was also a visual breakdown of the stages (which you can see behind my head in the picture below) so that you know what to expect. The treatment takes around two and half hours altogether depending on your hair type. 

BEFORE

The first stage in the process is preparing the hair for treatment. The Kebelo Clarifying shampoo was lovely, it cleansed and prepared the hair without tangling. A relief if, like me, your hair breaks easily when knotted. After my hair was washed, it was rough dried, sectioned and the treatment applied to my hair in small sections. The treatment comes in individual tubes for each client. I am told they can be kept so that you could return to have a particularly stubborn area 'topped up'. Once the treatment had been applied, my hair was rough dried, sectioned and the treatment heat sealed with straighteners. Unlike many other smoothing treatments, this doesn't need to be left on the hair for three days. Once it has been heat sealed, the hair is ready to wash and blow dry. I was particularly impressed with this as it means that you can enjoy the benefits immediately.

I was amazed at how shiny and smooth my hair looked as Aeron was blow-drying. It worked wonders on the awful layers and got rid of the mushrooming effect. The treatment can lift the hair colour a bit so it is recommended that you wait for a week or two afterwards to colour. The lifting actually helped remove a bit more of the dark dye that remained in my hair and was a welcome side-effect. I love the way that Aeron styled my hair on the day and he very kindly evened up the 'step' in the layers across my face.

AFTER

I left the salon with gorgeous, glossy hair and a box with my prescribed aftercare products. There are two different aftercare sets, Revitalising and Enriching. I received the Enriching system as my hair and scalp has tendency to dryness. Both sets include a shampoo, conditioner and weekly masque (they're all SLS free). I haven't used the masque yet but I can report that the shampoo and conditioner are really lovely to use.

Of course, we reach the crucial bit. How did I find it once I washed my hair at home? Again, this is where the Kebelo system differs to the keratin treatment I had previously. My hair is not poker straight, it's smooth and shiny but it still has body. It's mostly frizz free though I still find it can get a little tangled up at the ends where my hair was most dry. It's made styling easier and reduced the bulkiness caused by the layers. Although my hair is smoother than it is naturally when left to air dry, I do prefer how it looks when I blow dry it. My hair feels really healthy which is amazing considering the abuse it has taken of late.

Several washes after initial treatment

THE BOTTOM LINE

This is a smoothing rather than a straightening treatment. It's not going to give a look of permanently straightened hair but it will give you smooth, healthy looking hair that still has body and can be styled in a variety of ways. I think it's an excellent alternative to keratin treatments that contain formaldehyde, especially as I expect tighter regulations to be imposed on the use of formaldehyde in hair treatments in the not too distant future. I also salute the fact that the Kebelo team knows what is in their products and why and that they have full data safety sheets in their training manuals.

It isn't cheap, at just under £200 per treatment but I feel it's competitively priced compared to other smoothing systems plus the large bottle of shampoo and conditioner required for maintenance are included in the price. Also, you can be safe in the knowledge that all stylists have been thoroughly trained to use the treatment. Believe me, I read the training manual!

Four is one of a couple of salons that currently offer the treatment but Kebelo are in the process of training (Worldwide not just the UK) so the treatment will be available in other salons very soon. You can find out more information about the treatment on their website www.kebelo.com which has an excellent FAQ section. Images of my treatment in the salon were taken from the Kebelo Facebook page and www.twitter.com/KebeloSystem where you can also find out more information about the treatment and where it is available.


Disclosure: The treatment was provided without cost for the purpose of review.

Chocolate Keratin Hair Treatment

I was very privileged to be invited back to Eleven Hair to have the Brazilian Chocolate Keratin Straightening treatment that I'd been considering after my last visit. Having read more about the Brazilian blow dries and heard raves from friends I was very excited to see how I'd get on.
 
It was lovely to go back to the Salon and Becky gave me such a warm welcome. I was there just after lunch on Friday and there was a great atmosphere. To get things started, as it can take a couple of hours from beginning to end, I was taken to the basins for the pre-cleansing wash. This shampoo has an amazing menthol scent and strips the hair completely of build up and conditioners which might interfere with the treatment. I don't think I've ever heard my hair squeak so much!

Next, my hair was brushed through with a tangle teaser. As you can appreciate after the cleansing shampoo my hair was a little knotty, I was really impressed with how well the tangle teaser handled it. I've often suffered with hair breakage from trying to brush it through when wet (yes, I know, such a silly thing to do) and I think I might be investing in one of these very soon.

Once my hair was fully prepped, the Chocolate Keratin solution was applied. The ingredients in the treatment include keratin, cocoa extracts, vitamins, collagen, poliquaternio and silicon. The solution is painted on to the hair in sections, leaving the hair immediately at the root bare. It is not necessary to apply to the roots as the hair is already quite smooth and application here can make the hair brittle and prone to breakage. When the hair is thoroughly coated with treatment, it is roughly dried with a hair dryer and paddle brush. Some people may find this stage a bit fume-y and a towel is provided if you feel you need to cover your face, I didn't experience this at all though I have to admit.

The final stage of the treatment involved ironing the hair with straighteners. Each section is ironed four times over and this seals the keratin into the hair cuticle. I was offered another tea and given a stack magazines to look so that I wouldn't be bored. Not that that was likely, Becky and I had good fun giggling at the some of the ridiculous pictures and articles in the celebrity tattle magazines. No details of course but I will just say, not everybody ought to do the Demi Moore naked bump shoots. If the styling is Rubenesque, this is a less than subtle way of telling you that you're more cherub than sylph! Anyway, I digress....

As I mentioned, the whole process can take around 2 - 2.5 hours obviously depending on your hair type and length. It also depends on the skill and experience of the stylist. Becky has done this treatment many times so I was finished in about an hour and half and she very kindly gave my hair a little snip to sharpen up the ends. My hair looked fabulous when she had finished, very smooth and shiny, even my rogue greys had been tamed!

The journey doesn't end at the salon with this treatment and there are a few crucial points to follow to get the best out of the process. To let the Chocolate Keratin solution take effect you must leave your hair untouched for 2-3 days. No washing, no styling and no tucking it behind your ears as this will cause kinks. This is a little tricky, especially for a serial tucker like me, but it's worth it for the end results. You should also switch to SLS free shampoo and conditioners to avoid stripping the keratin from the hair.

It was with much excitement and a little bit of trepidation that I washed my hair on Monday morning. I could feel the difference though as soon as I stepped out of the shower. My hair felt very smooth even when wet. I roughly dried with a hair dryer, no brush was necessary and this is how it looked...

It's incredible. My hair looked like I had "Just stepped out of the salon". It fell beautifully into place, no kinks or frizz and I think you can see how smooth and shiny it is from these pictures. I've since left it to dry naturally after washing and the results are just as impressive. With absolutely zero effort on my part my hair looks styled, just a quick brush and I'm ready to go. My hair feels so silky too, even Mr MB has commented on how amazing it looks. This is the perfect hair treatment for the lazy short on time, I look groomed and styled when in actual fact I've done nothing. Even better news is that the treatment lasts around 3 months, so I'll be enjoying beautiful hair for some weeks to come! I've seen the future my friend and the future is Brazilian Chocolate Keratin blow dries!

If you're interested in the treatment you can find out more details on Eleven's website here. Eleven Hair is on 11 Blenheim Street, just off Oxford Street, London. I'd like to say a big Thank you to Becky for making my hair look amazing. I'm going to be the talk of the school run next week and will be swishing like a good 'un!



Disclosure: I received this treatment without charge for review purposes.