Review (5/5): Amazing product to keep long beautiful hair
I've been using this ( I mix half of this with half baby face pure protein)or a few years and have very long thick color treated blonde hair. This is the prettiest, longest and thickest that I've had my hair. I've used everything to try and stop breakage and split end. This is amazing as long as you know how it works. It restores lost hair protein due to processing (coloring bleaching)and styling. Let me go over the basics.
This doesn't work alone you need to mix with the best conditioner you can(crappy conditioner will give you crappy results). Sulphates strip out protein so change to sulphate free shampoo if you want this to work. Do not just put this on your hair with nothing mixed in it. Oils mixed with it, without any conditioner, don't increase the effectiveness. Do not use the whole bottle. Do not use every week unless you're at a place where all of your hair is breaking off.
So here's how to use it. Use a sulphate clarifying shampoo (suave clarifying is fine) to strip hair from styling products and excess protein from this treatment if you've used it before. Next towel dry your hair and mix a cap of protein into the best conditioner you have. Put the mix in your hair making sure to comb through (if your hair is short, for longer hair just massage into all your hair)to ensure all is covered. I leave it about 30 minutes. Rinse out after that(don't wash). The protein can make the hair a wee bit sticky when wet after treating. I find this happens less with baby face brand than with Protein RX but this gives you that gorgeous shine, baby face gives no shine. I find protein RX makes it a bit tacky (it can make you think it's damaged, especially if there's a weak area it's helping to strengthen) but don't cut off hair thinking it's damaged. The protein just needs to cure. So blow dry your hair until dry or close, no tugging or running a brush through while wet. I use a pick to comb through. You can slightly dry and let air dry if you want. When your hair is bone dry (never use hot tools on damp hair) harden the protein more by using your styling tool. Flat iron all your hair if you flat iron. Curl all your hair if you're into curling. Use your normal heat setting, do not crank it up to 450 thinking that will work better. Leave it 48 hours before washing in sulphate free shampoo and conditioner. You are letting the protein harden during the 48 hours.
I use it every 4 weeks. If it's been two weeks and I'm getting my hair bleached/colored I use it directly after. It works better after a process than before.
You are wasting your money if you put this in and then use sulphate shampoo. The sulphate filled shampoo is fine when clarifying and reapplying. Use it with a quality deep conditioner. Do not just mix this with defrizzing products and wonder why it doesn't work. Do not just apply a bottle of this to your head and wonder why it's sticky but doesn't help. This is not the expensive salon keratin straightener that leaches formaldehyde and is hard on your hair, it's better and safer. It is a great safe product to give you amazing hair but it will leave the wave or curl that is naturally in your hair. It does make your hair healthier.
It will not make your hair grow that is up to your body. It will not fix split end, they need to be cut off. It does prevent breakage and split end. It's essential if you color, perm or style your hair constantly. If you don't like how it feels (you've used too much and hair feels sticky) it's easily removable by a few sulphate shampoo and add baking soda while shampooing. Once you've used it took be hooked on how great it is and how great your hair looks. I make sure I've used this at least 3 weeks before a process and immediately after to avoid damage.
Answering a few questions:
what's the difference between this and babyface protein? Babyface is just protein but no added aminos or such that help the hair. Babyface will not add shine. I mix half and half.
Does the quality of conditioner and shampoo matter? For clarifying before treating a cheap sulphate shampoo is fine. For the conditioner, it completely matters so something good from Amazon, tjmaxx or marshals (if you're on a budget there are some great discount buys Dermorganics, bed head and such) is a great option. Sulphate shampoo will strip this out faster. I highly recommend a sulphate free shampoo to use on a regular basis.
Should I just use on the ends of my hair? No, treat all your hair.
The bottle seems small is it worth it? Yes, by default use a cap mixed with conditioner. Really short hair then half a cap. Long thick hair 1-1 1/2 to 2 caps for really long thick hair. At 1 cap you should get at least 6 treatments. If you treat every month that's 6 months worth. This is better than many salon deep conditioning treatments, you would spend more than 20 for those.
Shampoo and conditioner recommedations: reasonable sulphate free bed head epic volume shampoo (some other types of bed head but smell at a store because some smell like bubble gum), bed head moisture maniac conditioner (my fab fav for use with this treatment), dermorganic sulphate free daily shampoo (love for day to day use), dermorganic intensive masque (some feel this isn't real moisturizing because there's no silicone in it) Expensive: Alterna Bamboo Shampoo and conditioner. There are others but those are my primary.