Month: November 2019

Christophe Robin Regenerating Hair Ritual Travel Kit Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ Leave a comment

The Regenerating Hair Ritual line from Christophe Robin is a 3-piece kit containing, in a storage bag, shampoo, hair mask and balm that claims to moisturize, restore, repair and protect the hair from further damage while giving shine and color protection to the hair. All three products contain prickly pear seed oil, containing proteins, vitamin E and fatty acids for softness, protection and shine to the hair.

My fine, wavy hair is bleached, colored, dry and damaged and I’ve been looking for a product to smooth, moisturize and soften the hair. I wash my hair about once a week. Previous to this, I was using Briogeo’s Don’t Despair, Repair line, and I’ll use this as a sort of comparison throughout the review, as it is also SLS- and silicone-free claiming to provide similar benefit.

Regenerating Shampoo with Prickly Pear Oil:

This shampoo has a creamy formula made for daily use and all hair types. This is said to gently cleanse, nourish, smooth and restore shine to the hair.

Directions state to apply on damp hair, gently massage the scalp, lather well and rinse thoroughly.

Ingredients: Sodium Myreth Sulfate, Peg-18 Glyceryl Oleate/ Cocoate, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Opuntia Ficus Indica Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Fragrance, Glycol Distearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Laureth-4, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Geraniol, Linalool, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Coumarin, Caramel.

The shampoo is silicone-, SLS- and paraben-free. It has a heavy, fruity, baby powder scent. It lathers well. I got 12 uses with this bottle (6 washes; I always shampoo my hair twice in one wash). My hair does not get as tangled or dry-feeling while washing as with other shampoos (Briogeo’s Super Moisture shampoo) and it rinses well, but by the end of my 6 washes I felt like I wanted the deeper cleanse of the Briogeo shampoo.

Regenerating Mask with Rare Prickly Pear Seed Oil:

Ingredients: Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Cetrimonium Chloride, Inula Crithmoide Leaf/Flower Extract, Opuntia Ficus Indica Seed Oil, Behenyl/Stearyl Aminopropanediol Esters, Opuntia Ficus Indica Fruit Extract, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Fragrance, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Hydroxycitronellal, Coumarin, Limonene, Caramel, Tocopherol, Evernia Prunastri (Oakmoss) Extract, Linalool, Geraniol.

This is a conditioning mask, also silicone-, SLS- and paraben-free. This claims to repair, smooth and protect the hair.

It has a thick, rich, creamy texture and has a heavy, flowery, baby powder scent.

Directions state to apply a small amount after shampooing, massaging from scalp to ends, add water to lather the product and rinse thoroughly.

I got 7 uses from the jar. It detangles well. I need to apply more than the “small amount” as stated. Comparing this to Briogeo’s deep conditioning mask, the hair feels smoother and softer while rinsing, but as I work it into the hair, doesn’t seem to coat each strand as I’ve found with Briogeo. This doesn’t weigh the hair down and leaves no residue on drying.

Intense Regenerating Balm with Rare Prickly Pear Oil:

Ingredients: Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Opuntia Ficus Indica Seed Oil, Opuntia Ficus Indica Fruit Extract, Inula Crithmoide Leaf/Flower Extract, Lecithin, Fragrance, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Linalool, Geraniol, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Coumarin, Amyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, Benzyl Salicylate.

The Intense Regenerating Balm contains a number of butters and oils for a multi-use product for hair and body. This claims to be a non-sticky formula to nourish, protect, repair and soften skin and hair. This also has the powdery, flowery scent.

This can be used on damp or dry hair as a styling aid for a messy look or tousled waves, can tame fly-aways, define curls, and can be used on dry areas of the body; knees, elbows, lips and cuticles.

This balm is quite heavy on the hair, especially my fine hair. A little goes a long way. I scrunch a bit through the hair for some texture and definition and it feels like a sticky oil – this provides a similar result and feel on the hair as the John Masters Organics Bourbon Vanilla and Tangerine Hair Texturizer (which I also don’t like the feeling of). The Christophe Robin balm works well for protecting the ends of the hair and is likely a good preventative for split ends. For curl and definition, I’d stick with Briogeo’s Curl Charisma Custard. For fly-aways, I like Olaplex No. 7, but a small amount of any other oil would work as well. I prefer to use the balm on my feet and hands, particularly the cuticles. It is not sticky or greasy on the skin (it needs a minute to absorb) and provides moisture, softness and protection, especially when used over a lotion.

Above are the results of using the Christophe Robin Regenerating Hair Ritual travel kit after about 2 months. My hair is air dried with no product. I don’t see any difference in the photos. It doesn’t look shinier or the color more vibrant. I don’t really feel a significant difference to my hair either; it was perhaps a bit softer.

I generally like this line of products, though probably not enough to justify the expense. Of the three, I like the mask the most. My hair felt really smooth and silky on rinsing, probably the closest feeling to a mask containing silicone, but once the hair is dry, there is not much difference to how my hair felt previously. I like the richness of the texture. While I don’t think it out-performs similar hair masks, it would likely help prevent damage. The shampoo was not drying, but not super cleansing. The balm was too heavy and sticky for the hair, but I like using it on dry areas of the skin.

The heavy baby powder scent of the products leaves much to be desired. It doesn’t bother me too much (though I’m not sure I actually want to smell like baby powder). It does linger until the next wash, and it is noticeable to other people. If sensitive to smells, I can imagine this could cause headaches. If using other scented styling products, the scents might interfere with each other.

Since the “star” of this line is prickly pear seed oil, one could purchase the pure oil and add to any other shampoo or conditioner, or add a few drops to the hair when damp or dry.

Perhaps once damage is done to the hair, there’s not much one can do to repair it, with the hair being dead once it grows out of the scalp. I have since gotten my hair cut to above my shoulders to get rid of the damage and start growing my hair out healthy again.

Thank you for reading.

Sevich Hairline Powder Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 4 Comments

Sevich hair powder comes in seven colors and claims to be a sweat-proof formula that temporarily covers grey hair and disguises thinning hair. According to the description on Amazon (where I purchased from), this is paraben, sulfate and peroxide free. It contains 4 grams of powder.

Directions state to dip the puff in the powder and tap onto grey roots and along the hairline.

Ingredients: C10-18 triglycerides, ozokerite, beeswax, hydrogenated vegetable oil, polyethylene, caprylic/capric triglyceride, ethylhexyl palmitate, bismuth oxychloride, Cl 77499, Cl 77510, tocopherol, polyparaben

The ingredients are not listed on the website, and I threw away my box before writing down the ingredients; the above is taken from a photo of a customer’s box on Amazon. Ozokerite is a wax. This has polyparaben, though claims to be paraben free.

This comes in portable-type packaging for touch ups on the go with a mirror on the top and a puff on the bottom for easy application. My hair is colored dark brown/dark auburn (naturally dark, dark brown that is about 30% grey) and is thinning.

I got the dark brown color hair powder to cover grey between salon visits and to disguise my thinning hair.

In the top photo, I had to use quite a bit of powder to cover the grey; some still shows through and it gives quite a matte finish. The powder does a good job filling in sparse hair. I could have put more powder for the bottom after photo.

The puff it comes with is good for large areas and grey coverage. For more precise application, a stiff makeup brush could be used.

There is transfer on running my fingers or a comb/brush through my hair. I went to the gym with the powder on and it is sweat proof (not water proof), though I imagine if there is a lot of sweat along the edges of the hair, the powder might run. It washes out easily with shampoo. This product could probably be used as an eyebrow powder as well, but since it transfers, it likely wouldn’t stay put all day.

At the end of the day I didn’t see any powder on my face, but swept a cotton round on the skin; the cotton round was covered in the hair powder, likely from my forehead mostly from sweeping my bangs off my face; so apparently I touch my hair and face a lot; something to be aware of.

I apply in the morning and it lasts all day. Into the next day, the powder stayed better on the top of my head and not so much on the edges, with some powder on my pillow the next morning. I generally wear a silk bonnet to sleep and this helps the powder stay put.

My hair gets oily a couple days after washing and because the product provides a matte finish, my hair doesn’t look as oily throughout the day.

While the greys are not completely covered and it gives a matte look to the hair, the Sevich hair powder does a good job of subduing the grey and from a distance the grey hair isn’t noticeable. This disguises sparse hair quite well and it is not really noticeable that it is a powder. I feel so much better about wearing my hair up with the thinning edges covered. I will definitely repurchase.

Thank you for reading.

Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish UV Protection Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 2 Comments

Sunprise Mild Airy Finish mineral sunscreen from Etude House has an SPF of 50 and claims to have a nonsticky, nongreasy, milk formula that offers long-lasting UV protection safe and is for sensitive skin.

Directions state to shake well and apply to sun-exposed areas of the face and body, layering if exposed to the sun throughout the day.

Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Zinc Oxide, Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Dipropylene Glycol, Titanium Dioxide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract, Carex Humillis Root Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Malpighia Emarginata (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Methicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Octyldodecanol, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Butylene Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Cellulose Gum

Alcohol is the third ingredient (when listed as “alcohol,” implies denatured alcohol) that gives formulas a quick dry, weightless feel on the skin. This contains 20 different vegetable ingredients to enhance sun protection. This has citrus oils of lemon, orange, bergamot and lime; depending on how these oils are processed, they can be irritating and photosensitive. Looking at a segment on the Mad Hippie website, if citrus oils are steam distilled, it should not be a worry.

Sunprise is a thin lotion that smells like it would be irritating to the skin; like a lemon-flavored alcoholic drink. On application, it goes on smoothly, it is not sticky, heavy or greasy and doesn’t require much dry-down time. It doesn’t feel heavy on the skin; I can’t feel it on my face, but can feel a light layer to the touch – this feeling lasts all day. I’ve been using Retin-A for the last few months and when applied, my skin feels slightly warm for a couple seconds, but does not sting or get more red. It is very slightly mattifying on my oily skin, so my face doesn’t look as shiny. This sunscreen does not feel drying. It is not irritating around the eyes.

It doesn’t leave much, if any, white cast; my skin tone looks slightly more pale in the mirror, but hardly noticeable.

The sunscreen enhances the dry patches by my mouth and chin.

I’ve been using this for about 2 months and have not gotten any unusual breakouts. I usually apply a second layer to my cheek bones where I get hyperpigmentation from the sun. As a sunscreen, this seems to work; I got no other redness and did not seem to get more tanned.

I wanted to see how foundation performs over the sunscreen; I use a natural-looking, satin finish foundation that I applied about 5 minutes after the sunscreen. The sunscreen seemed to mix with the foundation and made me look quite pale. It did dry down to a more normal color after about 10 minutes. Next time I waited about 20 minutes between sunscreen application and foundation and it also mixed together. I was able to use The Ordinary sun care as a primer; the Sunprise would need a primer over top if putting on a more liquid foundation.

To remove, I use an oil based cleanser followed by a gel cleanser or two cleanses with a gel cleanser.

I would repurchase the Sunprise Mild Airy Finish mineral sunscreen. It is not heavy or greasy and leaves minimal, if any, white cast. It does, however, enhance dry patches and mixes with liquid foundations that have a thin formula.

Thank you for reading.