Tag Archives | hair treatment

Sponsored Post: Tresemme Split Remedy Haircare Review

Tresemme Split Remedy

Over the past couple of weeks I have most definitely become a Tresemme girl thanks to this new line and a few other favorite products. When I first received them, I was extremely skeptical based on what I learned in Can You Get Hooked On Lip Balm? last year. The bottles claim to reduce split ends by up to 80% in three uses and I immediately called shenanigans. There is nothing you can do to repair a split end because hair is dead. You can temporarily keep it stuck together with hair products, but you cannot heal it. The only real solution is to get a trim above where the hair is split and take better care of your tresses in the future!

Despite my initial concerns, I’m glad I gave the products a chance because—for the most part—I really like them.

Shampoo & Conditioner ($5.69 each)

The shampoo is exceedingly gentle and has not aggravated my dandruff-prone scalp the way most shampoos do. It feels very rich, and I love that I don’t have to worry about my hair being squeaky clean—a.k.a. shredded—after washing. The conditioner also feels very rich, yet it isn’t thick  like most deep conditioners. The closest texture I can think of is melted chocolate. It feels physically heavy while remaining a liquid. I liked this a lot, and I didn’t have any issues with it weighing my hair down.

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Update on my Brazilian Keratin Treatment

Background: Two months ago I had a friend help me do a Brazilian keratin treatment at home… you can read all about the process here. While you’re at it, here’s the update I wrote shortly after.

So, here I am, two months later, reflecting on the experience. A lot of things have happened since then with regards to BKTs. Garnier came out with a mini version called the Sleek & Shine Blow Dry Perfector and it’s gotten mixed reviews. Brazilian Blowout (a popular brand for BKT) is being sued for claiming to have a formaldehyde-free product when in fact it contains 6-12% formaldehyde. Why is it such a big deal you ask? Because formaldehyde is a known carcinogen (cancer-causing substance).

Many brands of BKT contain formaldehyde because it’s actually quite good at straightening hair. I didn’t want to take the risk so I did careful research to find a formaldehyde-free version. I ended up with La Brasiliana Zero Keratin Treatment. You can read about test results from some of the most popular brands here.

Aside from the controversy, I wanted to give an update on how my hair is doing, since that’s probably what you care more about. I wrote in my last update that I was using a sulfate-free shampoo as instructed… that didn’t last. My scalp got very pissed off, so I switched back to detergent-laden shampoo.

I’m not sure whether to blame the shampoo change or the treatment, but my results didn’t last very long. My hair felt a lot smoother for about 2 weeks, and then it felt back to normal. Definitely not worth $80.00 in my opinion, especially considering the wretched 3-4 days of no washing right after the treatment.

If you’re interested in using keratin to strengthen your hair, I highly recommend going to Sally Beauty Supply and getting the GVP Hair Reconstructor ($5.49), which is the generic of Joico K-Pak Reconstructor. Basically, you wash your hair, rinse, apply the keratin, let it sit for a few minutes, rinse, and then condition and rinse. Don’t forget to condition last!

Sorry for the wall of text! Leave a comment if you want to know anything else about the BKT.

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Brazilian Keratin Treatment, Part 2

After three long days of no showers, no hair ties, and no tucking my hair behind my ears, I finally got to see the results of my treatment. Here’s my hair after washing and blow drying:

After La Brasiliana Zero Keratin Treatment

Keep in mind that this was not a fancy blowout… I just used my fingers as a comb and kept the air pointing downward. Before the treatment, my hair would have looked like a teased cotton ball after blow drying. The difference is pretty impressive if you ask me!

I will probably still flat iron the ends and a few places in the back where it’s still wavy. Even with that, my hair styling time has been cut in half! I’m hoping that further treatments will make my hair even more straight. Continue Reading →

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Brazilian Keratin Treatment, Part 1

la-brasiliana Last night my lovely friend came over to play hairdresser and help me do my first Brazilian keratin treatment. It’s basically a treatment that’s supposed to relax curls and make hair smoother and shinier without the aid of harsh chemicals. Results should last about three months. Since I straighten my hair, this was music to my ears!

Normally BKTs cost $300-500 in a salon, however I was assured by a hairstylist that it’s basically impossible to ruin your hair by doing this at home, so of course I wanted to try. I did quite a bit of reading over the past few months and determined that La Brasiliana and Rejuvenol were top notch brands. Both have formaldehyde-free formulations (more on that in the final post).

I purchased my 4 oz (125 mL) bottle of La Brasiliana Zero Keratin Treatment from Amazon for $79.90. I had read that 2 oz of product would be sufficient for one application, but in reality my ridiculously thick hair required more like 3 oz.

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