Whether it’s the result of too much straightening or overdoing it on the tong front, our precious hair is put through the mill on a day to day basis.
But it’s a problem that celebrities don’t seem to suffer from, judging by the endless glossy pictures of flowing manes sporting practically perfect mirror shine.
In particular, the Duchess of Cambridge is known and admired for her shiny, long lush locks. It’s even been reported that pop princess Cheryl Cole has asked Kate for tips on how she achieves such healthy looking, glowing hair.
Unfortunately for us mere mortals, we don’t have the luxury of every day expensive blow drys or a stylist to hand for that matter.
So what can we do to help us achieve healthy looking, pampered hair?
Experts recommend using an intensive conditioner on our locks at least once a week (more if you have coloured hair), but which one to chose?
This week our HNG Tried and Tested team have been on the case in a bid to let our readers know which conditioners will leave your mane as shiny as a show pony’s.
Green People Intensive Repair Conditioner (2/5)
RRP £10.95, available from www.greenpeople.co.uk
I NORMALLY favour a two in one shampoo and conditioner, as I get up too late in the mornings to really take time over my hair (normally it’s lucky to even get a blow dry) but I got up a little earlier this week to try out this intensive conditioner.
As a first impression, the bottles looked salon professional and I was happy to see they’re organically produced.
As I have long, thick hair, conditioner normally takes ages to wash out, so I was happy it actually rinsed out relatively easily and a slight hint of lavender gave it a much nicer fragrance than the shampoo.
But my hair doesn’t feel revitalised after using this product and instead it’s a bit flat. This was especially noticeable after straightening my hair; it’s lost the silky shine I get after using other products.
I haven’t been using the product long enough to find out if it lives up to it’s claim of strengthening weakened hair, but to be honest I don’t really want to keep using it to find out.
AW
Organic Care Systems Aqua Boost Reconstructor (4/5)
RRP £11.95, available from www.organiccoloursystems.com
I can never ever use enough conditioner as I’m constantly fighting dried and split ends, colour fade and damage. However, many products don’t do the job needed, which is to provide intense moisture, shine and softness. So I was pleasantly surprised by this product, which did all those and restored my hair to become a healthier version of its former self.
I slapped it on after shampooing and rinsing my hair. It smelled lovely and sweet, and was easily applied. It was only when I began dried and styled my hair that the full effects were evident. It really did improve the condition of my hair so this is definitely worth the money.
HB
Evolve Balance and Protect Detangler 200ml (1/5)
RRP £11.99, available from www.evolvebeauty.co.uk and other high street and on-line stores
AFTER continual highlighting sessions at the hairdressers, my locks are often “tuggy” and I can’t run a brush through my hair for love nor money. Detangler is a therefore a regular feature in my bathroom.
Normally I use a spray-in detangler, but this product is different in that you use it between shampooing and conditioning your hair. It boasts being lightweight and ideal to treat normal to oily or fine hair without leaving a build-up. This is great for me as I often suffer greasy hair.
However, I was less than impressed with the results.
Applying the cream to my damp hair, I noted how thinly it went on. I felt I had to use quite a bit to feel like it was actually doing anything.
After drip drying my locks, I attempted to run a brush through my hair, but it was an impossible task! I had to really tug to get it through, and it was actually worse than if I had used no detangler at all. It didn’t work for me at all.
HB
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 75ml (3/5)
RRP £14, available from www.philipkingsley.co.uk
THIS award-winning Elasticizer boasts of being the world’s first pre-shampoo conditioning treatment. So it was with some interest that I tried this, as I am big fan of conditioners in general.
My hair can often lack moisture at the ends, which leaves it dry, split-ended, tired and limp.
However, after using this Elasticizer, that all changed and my locks were rejuvenated. It felt odd using it before I shampooed my hair, but I just smoothed it on about 10 minutes before I jumped in the shower. It rinsed out easily enough, and running my fingers through my wet hair, I could already feel the difference in softness.
After drying, my ends were in much better shape than they had previously been.
This is worth a try.
HB
Label.m Intensive Mask (4/5)
RRP £12.50, available from Tony&Guy and www.labelm.com
THE first time you put on this rich, deep-concentrated conditioner, you can almost hear the hair sooking it up like a milkshake through a straw.
It’s recommended that you apply it once or twice a week, leaving it on for at least three minutes before rinsing off with warm water.
Spend the time repeating out loud the tasty-sounding ingredients that go into the understated little white tub: bran, cottonseeds, shea butter and Amazon Cupuacu fruit (a superfood from the chocolate family, apparently).
It smells yummy in a sweet not sickly way that spells T.R.E.A.T.
And as well as detangling and leaving your hair softer – and less brittle if you’ve got seriously dry hair – it also shields against heat styling damage and UV rays.
And though it’s good to know the pot is recyclable, you won’t want to be getting there too soon.
MC
Awapuhi Wild Ginger Keratin Intensive Treatment (5/5)
RRP £23.95. Stockists can be found on www.paul-mitchell.co.uk or by calling 08456590012.
MY hair is coloured and, as a result, it is very dry. My mane is also put through a daily ritual of blow-drying, followed by straightening. So, intensive conditioners are a must if I want to get a brush through my locks after washing it.
This conditioner delivered what can only be described as divine smoothness and silkiness beyond what I thought possible. Yes, it really is that good. The instructions say use on clean damp hair and leave vast amounts to soak in for five minutes – although I leave for 10 for extra smoothness. Wash out, and da da! Smooth, gorgeous smelling hair. The smell of this intensive conditioner is lush and everything about it screams quality.
I’ve used this once a week for about a month now and I really do notice a difference in the strength and smoothness of my hair. Expensive, but will last because you only need to use it once a week.
I would highly recommend it for coloured or damaged hair.
JM
REF Colour Treatment (4/5)
RRP £12.95 available from www.hairthinking.co.uk
BEING a bottle blonde, I know the importance of keeping coloured hair hydrated and also in the correct shade. Unfortunately, blonde highlights tend to go brassy after a couple of weeks due to incorrect shampoos and conditioners. And I have to admit, I have made the past mistake of grabbing whatever duo is on offer at the supermarket, whether it’s designed for coloured hair or not.
But for women with coloured hair, I really can’t recommend splashing out on this conditioner enough. Use once a week as an intensive mask to target split ends, or like me, use every day as a super smoothing conditioner. Not only did it most definitely leave my locks stronger, amazingly I noticed my highlights brighter after only one use. Again, more expensive than your average conditioner in the supermarket, but if like me you spend a small fortune on highlights, it’s worth it.
JM
