Everstrong Hydrate Conditioner, 8.50-Fluid Ounce

I was a classic too-manly-for-hair-care male until I recently resolved (out of either vanity or self-respect, or maybe both) to start attending more carefully to my health/appearance/grooming. Hair is, of course, at the front line of that battle, so I interrogated some professional hair people and did some Internet browsing and learned that hair care is only partly a matter of what products you use. Healthy hair is also the result of things like drinking water and eating right and avoiding excessive sun or heat. Hair is, in fact, the most reliable indicator of whether a person is healthy. (See the Wikipedia page on "hair care," for starters.) And I learned that when it comes to hair products, I should look for ones that say "hydrating." (This as opposed to "moisturizing," which merely gives the appearance of hydration.) That's because hydrated hair is pretty much what healthy hair *is.*I then spent a decent (if not ridiculous) amount of time browsing Amazon's hydrating hair products and reading the reviews, and then I experimented with 5 different, relatively inexpensive products.The bottom line is that none of the 5 products are magical but I have noticed a mild to moderate improvement in shine, darkness, and thickness. (If you have recommendations for a near-magical product, I'm counting on you to let me know.) Given what I've seen from the different products, I will probably settle into a routine of using a small amount of the Frieda shampoo and conditioner daily, and then using an overnight treatment maybe once a month (but probably not the L'Oreal one).That doesn't mean I recommend (or don't) any of these products for you. Another thing I learned while researching hair is that we are all unique little flowers with very different filaments on our noggins that respond differently to different things. So rather than recommending a particular product, I recommend that you do some trials and see what works for you.Below is a detailed review of each product.* L'Oreal EverStrong Conditioner (My rating: 3.2 stars) (Current price: $0.66/ounce) - This seems to have the same effect as the Frieda conditioner (see below), except that it makes my hair even slightly more helmet-y. Also, it has an initially-strong scent that faintly lingers in my hair all day, even when I only use a dime-sized amount. It's a smell that I would describe as endurable but not pleasant.*  John Frieda Frizz-Ease Shampoo  (4.3 stars) ($0.60/ounce) - It works noticeably better than my old shampoo (Aussie Smooth). With this shampoo, my hair stays wet after a shower about 40% longer and it retains a subtle moisture all day. After a shower, when I comb my wet hair, I can hardly even feel it because there is so little resistance against the comb. In other words, my hair becomes a weird combination of wet and airy. The shampoo seems to work best when I leave it in for a minute or two before rinsing. I only need to use about a nickel-sized amount (I have medium-to-shaggy hair). It has a scent that is a little too much like a household cleaning product, but it's a faint smell and goes away after the shower.*  John Frieda Frizz-Ease Conditioner  (3.8 stars) ($0.54/ounce) - If the shampoo does most of the moisturizing "work," then the conditioner seems kind of like the sealant to lock it in and protect it all day, and to make your hair more "manageable." This conditioner does that job well enough but I only use a little bit of it because it makes my hair a little too helmet-y for my liking. Maybe you like that from a conditioner--I don't. I prefer that my hair move in the breeze. This conditioner would probably have a more desirable effect for people with long (at least shoulder-length) hair. As for the scent, I would describe it as "neutral."*  Paul Mitchell leave-in conditioner  (3.0 stars) ($1.03/ounce) - My second-biggest complaint with this product is that it is sort of annoying to apply - after the shower, you have to dab a few blotches of it onto your damp hair and then brush it through. My biggest complaint is that it doesn't seem to be doing anything beyond what the other conditioners do. It works well enough and makes my hair nice and dark and helmet-y but so do the other conditioners. Plus, I don't think it's doing much to make my hair healthier because you only apply it to the end of the hair and not to the scalp. That means it also requires a good amount of the blue gel to work it through all of your hair.*  L'Oreal EverStrong Overnight Treatment  (2.5 stars) ($1.76/ounce) - I have only used it a few times but haven't noticed anything magical. You apply it to dry hair at night, work it through the ends, and then sleep with your hair in a mildly goopy state. I didn't check carefully, but I would be surprised if your hair doesn't leave a mark on your pillowcase. And it takes a lot of goop, even for a guy with reasonably short hair like me. Maybe it would be worth it if it gave my hair a brilliant luster or thickness, but it doesn't seem to do much at all, at least not above what the shampoo and conditioner are already doing. I am unlikely to get it again.---P.S. - Many of these same products are probably available at your local Wal-Mart (or whatever), and probably for a 10-25% lower price.P.P.S. - A couple years ago, I experimented with using no hair products at all... for months. I had read some caveman-y theories about how hair products damage our hair because they crowd out the natural moisturizing chemicals and blah blah. All I can say is that it didn't work for me. It's true that my hair during those months was surprisingly less nappy and gross than I expected, and it's maybe even true that the artificial chemicals we put on our scalps have some serious, unwelcome consequences, but all I can say is that I much prefer how my hair looks and feels after it's been shampooed, to the point that I'm willing to take whatever risks those chemicals may pose.

I bought this based on the Amazon reviews and because I had read that this product is a good Kerastese doup. I actually have to agree that it's not a bad dupe. When I use this on my dry, slightly over-processed hair, it looks great. I recently played hairdresser and I dyed my hair with demi-perm, then threw permanent hair color over it (box dye, mind you), highlighted it with bleach, highlighted it some more with permanant hair color,then I toned it twice. My haircolor still sucks right now (seriously blue based and blue-purple based dyes make my hair copper, but when I shampoo and condition with this stuff and barely comb it and air dry, my waves and curls come out bouncy and defined. I don't know of any other cheap conditioner that still gives moisture to my ends. I actually pair this with Redken's Anti-Snap and seriously, my hair is silky for like, two days.

Has an odd smell that turned me off pretty quickly. I kinda feel like this one is all promotion and no actual use of product. My hair is curly but not unmanageable, and I did not notice any difference at all. To be honest, I did not give this produce a fair try because I didn't use it much. The reason for that is because it left my hair smelling noticeably like the product, and I find the smell to be almost clinical. Would not recommend.

I've been looking for a conditioner that has great feedback and is backed by research. I'm impressed by the results. I didn't feel the difference after the first time I used the shampoo/conditioner but after a week. I also used the L'Oreal Paris Overnight Treatment. I recommend using all three because they really made my hair smooth and manageable. I have naturally dry, wavy and frizzy hair -- and I'm growing out my (Japanese) straight perm. Half my hair is still stick straight from the perm and this 'system' is saving me from wanted to buzz my head. AND it has no sulfates!!!! LOVE that. Would recommend to a friend.

I purchased this product along with the shampoo after reading several reviews on Amazon about how great it was for your hair. It has a very strong distinct smell, was thick and hard to lather. The worst thing about the product however, was that it made my hair fall out by the handful, and that was every time I used it. I could use it Monday and Tuesday and run my fingers through my hair just out of the shower and there would be 25-30 strands of hair in my hand. I could use another product on Wednesday of the same week and have only 2-3 hairs fall out after washing. I am a firm believer that there is something in this product that just was very bad for my hair. I won't ever try it again, nor recommend it to anyone else. My hair has been great since I quit using it.

I bought the matching shampoo and conditioner because they both had very good reviews- but I was not as satisfied as I hoped I would be. The smell was very nice, and reminded me of products from a spa. Ultimately, however, my hair was made more prone to tangling, and painful knots. This wasn't a huge change, but was still annoying.

I was so glad when I first saw this in CVS and read that they use NO animal ingredients and are Vegan to boot! This conditioner and the shampoo leave my hair very soft and silky smooth. Plus getting here on Amazon at this price was a great bonus! I will definitely continue to use this product. Oh and did I mention that the scent is wonderful? Rosemary and mint were a pleasant surprise that keep the hair smelling great all day long!

*Taking a break from midterm studying*I really like shampoo/conditioner combo. I used to use 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioners from Head& Shoulders and Panteen. My hair became dry and there were split ends. I decided I need to spend more money and buy some expensive shampoo and conditioner. Well, this product is not too expensive and although I haven't used it for a long time, I really like the minty smell right now! I am very satisfied as of now.

ok - nothing exciting

very good