Hey all! It's time for another review with my favorite beauty blogger Recessionista! If you're new to my blog, we've actually done this before. See our reviews on Sebastian Potion 9, and Joico K-PAK Reconstruct. I love doing stuff like this, it's so much fun! The product I'm doing this time is Rusk Pro Elements Keratin Smoothing Treatment and she's reviewing One 'n Only Brazilian Tech Keratin Smoothing Treatment, which is basically the knock off of this product. And I think it's brazenly obvious that this is a knock off considering the packaging is almost exactly the same...but whatevs! Anyway, check out her review, and YOU decide which one is for you!
This smoothing treatment is "a deep-penetrating treatment formulated with natural keratin, vitamins and proteins to help improve the strength of hair. Formulated for chemically or color-treated hair. Helps protect hair against heat during thermal styling. Keeps hair smooth and shiny." Interesting fact: both bottles say exactly the same thing. Even in the same font. Well anyway, that's mostly a bunch of nice words, but it is actually a great product. It smooths hair without leaving it feeling heavy or dirty. Let's take a look at the ingredients:
Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Fragrance, Propylene Glycol, Quaternium-91, Cetrimonium Methosulfate, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Keratin, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Wheat Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Shea Butter, Grape Seed Oil, Macadamia Seed Oil, Honey, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol.
Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Propylene Glycol, Quaternium-91, Cetrimonium Methosulfate, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Keratin, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Honey.Before I say anything, let me just say I'm in looooove with how this smells. It's a coconut lovers heaven! Plus the scent lasts throughout the day without being obnoxious, I love that! :D
Okay so, basically what we have is some excellent conditioning silicones, emollients, and humectants. I've talked about a lot of these already, so I'll discuss some of the more uncommon ingredients. Behentrimonium Methosulfate is an emulsifier used to combine (emulsify) water and oil. Quaternium-91 is another excellent conditioning agent that softens hair and protects color. Keratin and Hydrolyzed Keratin are hair proteins that act like the same kind of protein found in human hair. There is some debate on whether or not they actually work, but they certainly don't hurt a product. And then there's honey. Not only is honey the only food in the world that doesn't spoil, it also has a myriad of uses - it's used in cooking, skin care, haircare, and more. In haircare, it's a humectant used as a moisturizing and conditioning agent, and as a thickener.
Who would I recommend this to? I think all hair types can benefit from this product, especially if you have a problem with smoothing and frizz control. Also, Recessionista pointed out that if you're having problems finding a leave-in smoothing product, try this! It rinses out of your hair and works just as well as a leave-in product! She also pointed out that the directions are extremely vague: "Apply to clean, damp hair. Massage in thoroughly. Leave in 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse and style." Yeah, THAT'S helpful. Well, if you want my opinion, I'd use this as a deep conditioner maybe every other time you shampoo your hair. You don't want to use it too much because it might over-condition your hair. I'd say when you use it, apply it in place of or after your normal conditioner and leave it in for the full 3 minutes (or more if you'd like). Personally I leave my conditioner in for the remainder of my shower, but that's just me.
Rusk Pro Elements Keratin Smoothing Treatment comes in a 150 g / 5.3 oz bottle and retails for around $16. Again, check out Recessionista's review and compare them for yourself. I'd say we both had similar experiences! How about you? Have you tried either the Rusk or the One 'n Only? Comment and let me know your experience!
Also, don't forget to enter my contest to win a Pink Hana Flat Iron! It's open for three more weeks, so tell all your friends! And take care of your hair everyone!