Hola! Damas Bellas! Today I going to review or at least give you my initial thoughts on L’oreal Paris Advanced Haircare’s New Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing (Ceramide) Balm with Ceramide (US$6.99). I was in CVS last week (gotta love those Extra Care Bucks) and saw several L’Oreals New Advanced Haircare Line displays (they also happened were on sale 2 for $6). It seems L’Oreal recently released 5 new hair care formulations; Power Moisture line, Triple Resist line, Color Vibrancy line, Smooth Intense line, along with the Total Repair 5 line. I immediately gravitated towards both the Damage-Erasing Balm with Ceramide and the Multi-Restorative Dry Oil with Ceramide both a part of the Total Repair 5 line (a review at a later time as I am still toying with this oil) and Power Moisture Moisture Rush Mask with Hyaloronic lines (also reviewing later). I’m a big deep conditioner and mask fan so I immediately grabbed the masks from both L’Oreal lines. I did not grab any shampoos as I believe any decent shampoo will do it’s job which is to clean the scalp so no love lost there.
What L’Oreal Advanced Haircare Says about their Total Repair 5 line?…
Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm and Multi-Restorative Dry Oil (Ceramide)
REPAIRS UP TO 1 YEAR OF DAMAGE IN 1 USE DEEPLY REPAIRS AND RECONSTRUCTS – DRY, CHEMICALLY TREATED HAIR ADVANCED TREATMENT WITH CERAMIDE ~ OUR SYSTEM HELPS SEAL BROKEN FIBERS Specially formulated for damaged, over-processed and chemically treated hair. This intense Luxurious reconstructing balm instantly repairs, the 5 signs of damage.5 PROBLEMS ONE SOLUTION
- REBUILDS FIBERS
- STRENGTH
- VITALITY
- SILKINESS
- SHINE
Quantity: 8.5 fl oz tube/jar
Ingredients:
Balm at the top and Dry Oil at the bottom
The idea behind using ceramides I do appreciate, so just for that fact alone I decided I would give this line a chance. For those interested L’Oreal Science did released a study (I believe in 2009 don’t quote me) on the effects of ceramides and ethnic hair (relaxed hair if I am not mistaken). So I am happy to share my thoughts with you, but if you would like to check out the L’Oreal Science results click the links here and here.
My Initial Experience:
Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm with Ceramides
This product’s consistency (pictured above) is super thick and creamy however has mega slip. The product is thick in texture but be careful when handling the jar without first rinsing your hands well (I dropped my jar and had to scope the mask up from my floor!) I will go so far as to say the slip is not the silicones so much as it is those ceramides at work. I found that because of this products consistency you don’t need much. If you have an oily scalp use very little; focusing mid-shaft to ends, and then rinse thoroughly. If you have dry, thick, or damaged strands; be generous but rinse thoroughly as not to weigh your hair down. I did not detangle with a comb or brush just my fingers but I would encourage this since the mask is packed with ceramides and if you don’t mind them… cones helping to temporarily bind to weakened strands and seal the hair.
My initial thoughts on this balm …well it does lend to the illusion of strengthening and hydrated hair. As I have stated in an earlier post masks are not deep conditioners therefore they a designed to coat the hair shaft helping seal in any moisture for a longer period and this does just that. I usually have to reapply a moisturizer and then seal with an oil or cream after about the third day after wash day I am glad to say I am on Day 3 and so far so good.
The most important question that I can answer is on this claim “Repairs up to 1 year of damage in 1 use”
To be fair, I did not buy the entire Total Repair 5 line and that claim has a caveat stating “reverses damage to hair’s smoothness with daily use, when using the system of shampoo & balm.”
However that statement gets a complete and utter side-eye…a pair of scissors/shears will repair up to a year of damage…this product was designed to do nothing more…. than mask!
What I liked:
- Affordable and readily available on the ground ~ if you are heavy-handed no worries you can catch it on sale
- Lightly strengthens the hair
- helps aid in detangling
- packaging
- temporarily imparts a shine/sheen to the hair
- Rinsed clean (albeit I am currently wearing a weave, I will re-exam this at another time.
What I didn’t like:
- The scent ~ very over-powering and obnoxiously strong ~ it’s an artificial flowery scent. I could not even begin to tell the flower but it is a scent that can and will compete with any perfume or body-scent you are wearing.
The Moisture Mask (green mask), as you can see by the picture above has a consistency that is far from thick and creamy. It is fairly runny and light so-to-speak but don’t let this deceive you. I would compare it to the likes of DevaCurl Heaven in Hair or Karen’s Body Beautiful Luscious Locks Hair Mask, in that because it’s so thin in texture you would assume it will not moisturizer the hair affectively. That’s not the case with this mask either in all fairness I left this mask on a lot longer than suggested (3 to 5 minutes) but my hair indeed felt soften and hydrated ~ me likey!
I will do a complete and fair review of the Power Moisture Moisture Rush Mask and the Total Repair 5 Multi-Restorative Dry Oil shortly.
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