Month: February 2022

Snobgirls Strong Force Prowash and Masque-Creme Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 2 Comments

Snobgirls is a Canadian professional line of products specifically for color-treated hair with their “100% free series,” banning over 40 harsh ingredients commonly found in skin care and hair care products. Each product contains their TruColour Guard antifading system.

I purchased the Strong Force shampoo and conditioner set for dry, over-processed, weak and damaged hair, and split ends. The shampoo and conditioner have a super-concentrated formula (92 uses in a 300 mL bottle), claiming to nourish, repair, strengthen and protect the hair. Zero-Snap helps prevent and reverse visible signs of hair breakage while sealing lifted cuticles and improving elasticity, frizz and static.

I have been using the shampoo and conditioner for a few months and recently purchased again. They changed the fragrance from a really nice, sort of flower/fruit perfume-like fragrance to a musky, masculine, cologne-like fragrance that I do not like.

I have an oily scalp and dry, fine hair. I have been blow drying my hair recently rather than letting it air dry; I have read that leaving hair wet is more damaging than heat from a blow dryer (I use medium heat and a protectant). Plus, my hair looks a little crazy air dried (and blow dried as well; I am practicing blowing it out with a round brush) at the length I have now. I last got my hair cut almost 4 months ago, so probably have a some heat/mechanical damage.

Strong Force Prowash:

The shampoo does not contain harsh sulfates (sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate) or silicones. This contains a number of plant extracts and oils, proteins, peptides and ceramide.

Directions: Apply to wet hair. Lather. Rinse well. Repeat. Follow with masque-creme and a bio-serum.

This is a clear shampoo (clear shampoos are good for oily scalp, rather than a cream shampoo). It has a lot of lather and cleans the scalp and hair very well. My hair feels “squeaky clean,” near to that of some clarifying and sulfate shampoos I have used , which I love for my oily scalp. Despite the squeaky clean feeling, my hair and scalp do not feel dried out, perhaps owing to the equally good Masque-Creme (I also like Briogeo’s Scalp Revival Hydration Mask). I am not sure about the 92 uses, but I am able to use half as much per use (I always shampoo my hair twice per wash) than with other shampoos I have used.

Strong Force Masque-Creme:

Behentrimoium chloride is used as the anti-static, emulsifying conditioning agent, as well as containing a number of plant oils, proteins, ceramide and peptides. As far as I can tell, this does not contain silicone.

Directions: After shampooing, apply to wet hair. Leave on for 1 minute. Rinse thoroughly. Follow with a bio-serum.

This conditioner is a lightweight cream, but is rich and seems to coat and emulsify into the hair. It detangles well and on rinsing, the hair feels hydrated and silky. Like the shampoo, I am able to use half as much as with other conditioners.

I cannot really speak to the anti-breakage claims for the shampoo and conditioner, as I have also been using K18 (have used twice I believe since I got my hair cut), but the ends of my hair still look good for having a cut almost 4 months ago.

Snobgirls has a line of bio-serums (hair oil capsules) that are really good for hydration, frizz, styling, and heat/UV protection.

Having used the Snobgirls Prowash and Masque-Creme (I have also used the Hydramend line and the above bio-serums) for a few months, I love how well the shampoo cleanses and the conditioner moisturizes and detangles. While I will continue to review shampoo and conditioners from time to time (my order of the new shampoo, conditioner and scalp serum from The Ordinary should arrive in a couple days), I will for sure return to the Snobgirls line of products.

Thanks for visiting.

O’Keeffe’s Healthy Feet Exfoliating Foot Cream Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 3 Comments

O’Keeffe’s exfoliating foot cream is an exfoliating lotion that claims to moisturize, soften and repair extremely dry, rough, cracked feet for softer feet and 48 hours of hydration in one use.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Urea, Cetyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Lactic Acid, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Ceteareth-20, Sodium Hydroxide, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyquaternium-10, Beeswax, Propylene Glycol, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Laureth-4, Laureth-23, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Diazolidinyl Urea

This contains moisturizing and occlusive ingredients, beeswax, urea and lactic acid (for gentle exfoliating).

Directions: Apply as often as needed to dry, rough skin.

My feet are often dry with callused, rough and cracked heels. I have been using the exfoliating lotion for a few months now. I also use O’Keeffe’s Working Hands hand lotion.

This is a very thick lotion (much different in texture to their hand lotion) that smells like peppermint and provides a cooling sensation to the feet. I apply it in the evening. It rubs in nicely and does not leave a greasy or sticky residue.

As above, after the first application, my heels are much improved, hydrated and softer. With continued use for 2 weeks, the cracked, very dry skin is gone, though a bit of hardened skin remains. Like O’Keeffe’s hand lotion, the foot lotion works very well in softening, moisturizing and repairing the skin. I think Heel Chemistry might work a little better on the tougher calluses, so I alternate the two every few evenings. I will continue purchasing O’Keeffe’s Healthy Feet Exfoliating Foot Cream.

As part of my foot routine, once a week I soak my feet in Epsom salt for 10 to15 minutes, buff with a baked silica glass pumice stone, exfoliate with KP Bump Eraser and leave on for about 10 minutes, then apply O’Keeffe’s foot cream for very soft, smooth and moisturized feet.

Thanks for visiting.