Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Densifying Leave-In Root Treatment Review

February 9, 2020October 14, 2020 ~ Michele Raiyne ~ Leave a comment

This root treatment by Alterna Haircare is a daily leave-in scalp spray for thinning, fine and fragile hair. This product claims to stimulate the scalp and create a natural defense against DHT build-up and excess sebum, allowing healthy, thicker-looking hair to grow.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Paullinia Cupana Seed Extract, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Oleth-20, Polysorbate 20, Rice Amino Acids, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Taurine, Hexyl Cinnamal, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Menthol, Limonene, Azelaic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Calphostin C, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Magnesium Salicylate, n-Carboxyethyl Butyric Acid, Niacin, Ornithine Decarboxylase, Phosphorus, Retinyl Palmitate, Threonine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Zinc Gluconate, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Linalool, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cinchona Succirubra Bark Extract, Coptis Japonica Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract, Gastrodia Elata Root Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract, Polygonum Multiflorum Extract, Robinia Pseudacacia Flower Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Methylisothiazolinone, Geraniol, Dextran, Citral, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glycerin, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract, Panthenol, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Apigenin, Oleanolic Acid, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Keratin Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Algae Extract, Polysilicone-15, Wasabia Japonica Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Pikea Robusta Extract, Polyquaternium-10, Silanetriol Melaninate, Superoxide Dismutase, Bromelain, Glycine Max (Soybean) Symbiosome Extract, Papain, Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Adenosine Triphosphate, Hexapeptide-11, Niacinamide/Yeast Polypeptide, Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment, Caviar Extract, Phospholipids, Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide, Pantothenic Acid/Yeast Polypeptide, Soy Amino Acids, Fragrance.

The third ingredient, serenoa serrulata fruit extract, also known as saw palmetto, is believed to block the conversion of testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone) which can bind to receptors in the hair follicles and cause them to shrink, weaken and eventually die, causing hair loss. The fourth ingredient, paullinia cupana (guarana) seed extract contains caffeine, which is also said to suppress DHT. This spray contains castor oil, amino acids, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Mint leaf extract and menthol can stimulate and soothe the scalp. Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate is a form of vitamin C. Red clover growth complex is said to help improve blood circulation, soothe irritated skin and eliminate buildup of DHT on the scalp, encouraging thicker, fuller hair that looks and feels denser. Fragrance is the last ingredient.

Directions state to spray on scalp in sections on clean, towel-dried hair and massage in twice daily. Do not rinse.

I have had thinning hair for a years now. My hair type is fine and wavy (though I had a keratin straightening treatment a few months ago). My scalp gets oily rather quickly. About a year ago I finished using The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density with some results, and wanted to try something else in hopes to increase growth and thickness of the hair, particularly at the edges.

Alterna Haircare’s leave-in root spray has a fresh, clean scent that fades once it dries. I used the root spray twice a day, not always on damp hair, as I wash my hair twice a week or so. I parted my hair into four sections, spraying directly on the scalp and massaging in, concentrating towards the front and edges of the scalp, as this is where my hair is thinning. It has a concentrated spray nozzle that doesn’t spread too much; good for getting the spray right on the scalp. One bottle lasted about 2 months; I got two bottles. This doesn’t leave a residue on the hair nor weigh the hair down. It doesn’t leave the hair feeling dry or textured.

Above is the center part and middle of the scalp. After 4 months, I do not see or feel any difference in thickness or growth of the hair.

This is the front hairline, also no change.

The above photo shows a before and after of the edges of my hair that shows no change.

The root spray didn’t increase the thickness, growth or density of the hair, nor did the hair feel any healthier or softer. I have a generally oily scalp that can get itchy and this helped with soothing a bit of the itchiness, but didn’t seem to help with elimination of oil buildup.

The Caviar Anti-Aging Densifying Leave-In Root Treatment has good ingredients, but gave no results in terms of thicker or stronger hair, and I would not repurchase. At this point, I’ll be focusing on the health of the scalp.

Thank you for reading.

Olaplex No 7 Bonding Oil Review

September 15, 2019April 13, 2021 ~ Michele Raiyne ~ 14 Comments

The No. 7 Bonding Oil is the newest addition to the Olaplex line. This is a lightweight, concentrated oil that claims to increase softness, shine and manageability, repairs damaged hair, strengthens and protects hair structure and improves color vibrancy while minimizing frizz. It also provides heat protection up to 450 degrees.

Ingredients: Dimethicone, Isohexadecane, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Coco-Caprylate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, Propanediol, Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Beta-Carotene, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Water (Aqua), Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Powder, Fragrance (Parfum), Hexyl Cinnamal, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Limonene, Tocopherol, Citral, Linalool, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Citronellol, Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed (Green Tea) Oil Ferment Extract Filtrate.

The first ingredient is dimethicone which, from what I’ve read on different sites, is a cheaper silicone that is not water soluble and is hard to remove. However, Olaplex says they use a high quality, low molecular weight, water soluble dimethicone that easily washes away and does not build up in the hair. I was surprised to see corn oil listed, as this is not an oil I think of for use on hair, but corn oil prevents dryness by locking in the hair’s moisture. It contains vitamins K and E and omegas 3, 6 and 9. In addition to other oils, this has propandiol, a conditioning humectant. The Bonding Oil also contains Olaplex’s bond builder that helps repair disulfide bonds that are broken down during a chemical service.

Directions state to tip the bottle upside down and tap on the bottom to dispense a few drops to damp or dry hair. This can be mixed into the No. 6 styling cream (or leave-in conditioner or other styling aid) and/or applied after using Olaplex’s new No. 8 moisture mask.

As a side note, I’ve been using silicone-free products in my fine hair for about a year mainly because, if I use a silicone-containing conditioner, the silicone seals moisture in the hair, but doesn’t allow other treatments to penetrate the silicone (apparently), so anything I put on my hair after using that conditioner would be useless I gather. Over the last few months my hair has gotten so dry and looks quite damaged despite my best efforts (though I do need a haircut; I haven’t gotten anything done with my hair for about 8 months). I’ve also had breakage. I’ve been thinking about adding silicone back to my hair and thought this bonding oil would be a good place to start.

The oil is easy to get out of the bottle. It has a light scent that doesn’t really linger. This feels like a dry oil that is not heavy. Above, I rubbed it on my arm for a couple seconds and it doesn’t leave an oily residue, but leaves a smooth-feeling sheen.

Above, in the before photo, I air dried my hair and combed through it a bit, then added about 8 drops for the after photo. There is an immediate smooth feeling to the hair (due to the dimethicone) and it looks a bit less frizzy and less poofy with a bit of shine.

The before photo above was after using a clarifying shampoo and moisturizing treatment and after, 8 drops of the Olaplex oil. Again, the hair feels smoother in the after photo. It’s harder to see results on this curlier hair.

I’ve used the oil on towel dried hair as well to see if the hair detangles with a wide tooth comb and the Bonding Oil on it own. It’s better than combing with wet hair and no product, but using a leave-in conditioner detangles and combs through better.

My flat iron glides through the hair much nicer and with less friction with the application of the oil.

I wash my hair about every 5 to 6 days and can use the Bonding Oil morning and night with no buildup or heaviness on the hair between wash days.

Again, my hair is quite dry, damaged and poofy and my hair seems to absorb this quite fast, so there aren’t really amazing visible results in the photos (of course, I haven’t been using this for long). I can only assume that the hair is getting repaired from the inside due to the bond repair technology. My 4-inch grown out hair with no color feels better than my colored hair with the Olaplex use.

I’ve used the oil for about 3 weeks, morning and evening, and my hair is softer and more manageable. I apply after using a leave-in conditioner and/or heavier hair oils on towel dried hair to seal in moisture. I’ve been getting breakage at the back, underside layers of my hair when I wash it and I think, with the use of the Olaplex, there is less breakage.

I’ll try and update the photos here after I get my hair cut and colored in a couple weeks to see if there is a more visible difference using the No. 7 oil after I get a few of those dry, damaged inches off my hair.

Update (October 26, 2019):

The above photos are a couple weeks after a color, cut and keratin straightening treatment. For the first photo I blow dried my hair and applied Olaplex No. 7 after. The second and third photos are air dried hair with the after photos showing application of the hair oil. The hair looks smoother with less fly-aways and a more “finished” look.

I like that the Olaplex No. 7 Bonding Oil creates an immediate smoothness and softness on the hair and I can feel results rather than see a dramatic difference at this point. My hair might be too dry and damaged and this product is so light, I feel like I could use a lot of this oil before my hair would actually feel moisturized. I’ll likely continue to purchase for the bonding technology, heat protection and smooth feeling on the hair as a nice last step in my hair routine to seal moisture in. Time will tell if there is long term improvement.

Thank you for reading.

Six Month Results – The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density

December 27, 2018October 14, 2020 ~ Michele Raiyne ~ 8 Comments

I’ve been using the Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density from Deciem’s The Ordinary for 6 months now. I first noticed thinning hair toward the front of my head probably about 4 or 5 years ago and used the system from Stemm, (shampoo, conditioner and hair serum) when they launched, I believe, in 2016. Stemm was discontinued and “replaced” with The Ordinary hair serum. Please read my first impressions, product claims, my use and information about The Ordinary’s hair serum here, and my 3-month results here.

Below are photos from before, 3 months and 6 months of use of The Ordinary hair serum.

Below are before and 6 months of use.

A couple of other photos after 6 months.

I saw some initial improvement in the 3-month photos and it looks like more improvement in hair density at the center part of my hair, but as far as the edges of the hair, general thickness and growth especially at the front of my head, I hoped for more improvement.

Here is a photo before and after using Stemm for comparison (which is why I had higher hopes for The Ordinary hair serum).

The above is the only photo I have of my Stemm use, but didn’t post a review as it was being discontinued. I wish I took photos from other angles as well. I think the results are quite good especially for only 3 months of use.

The time lapse between my use of Stemm and The Ordinary hair serum was about 2 years, and I can only assume that the cause of my thinning hair is the same as it was 2 years ago (though I am not sure what that is), so I would also assume that I would have gotten similar, if not better, results when using The Ordinary. If the cause of the thinning hair is hormonal or autoimmune, a hair serum may not work. I should also take into consideration the fact that I had been getting my hair bleached and then colored while using The Ordinary hair serum and perhaps that is why it may not have worked as well as it could.

I had been using the serum on my eyebrows to 3 months and forgot to continue use (apologies). I didn’t notice any results on my eyebrows in my 3-month update, and actually haven’t gotten results on my eyebrows with lash and brow growth serums thus far either.

While I can’t say for sure, I should also add that this hair serum may have stained my bleached hair a bit yellow. Here are a couple photos of my newly bleached and toned hair after one week’s use of the hair serum. While this is a scalp treatment, it is unavoidable to get some on the hair as it is massaged in.

As it stands now (while I got some result), I don’t think I would repurchase The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density, however, I got another bottle during their 50% off sale and will finish that. If I find that there are significant improvements in hair thickness and density, I will post an update.

I was able to disguise my thinning hair a bit by getting an ombre balayage with dark brown roots fading to blonde ends and got bangs/a fringe so now my hair is not parted in the center where the thinning is noticeable.

Thank you for reading.

Three Month Results – The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density

September 9, 2018October 14, 2020 ~ Michele Raiyne ~ 10 Comments

I’ve been using The Ordinary Hair Density serum for thicker, fuller, healthier hair (and eyebrows) for 3 months. Over the summer I got my hair colored blonde and while I like to change as few variables as possible while reviewing products (I had been using the hair serum for 3 weeks before going blonde), I also wanted to see how my hair grows and let my roots grow in a bit so it is easier to see the results. You can read about the hair serum ingredients and use in this post. I’ve used about half the bottle so far and will post the 6-month after photos in the coming months.

I kept forgetting to apply the serum to my eyebrows, so I probably used about every second evening. I don’t think there is much difference in growth or thickness.

Looking at the front of my hair, I think I can see a bit less of my scalp in the after photo. Toward my forehead in the next photo there is definite hair growth.

The edges of my hair have shown some growth and thickening as well. Looking at the root grow out, the edges and front of my hair seem to grow slower than more towards the back (or there is just such thin hair the grow out is not seen as well).

I was surprised to see that I got results with hair growth after 3 months, as I definitely did not notice any results in the mirror. I will continue for another 3 months and write an update at that time, so keep an eye out in December for those photos. Click here for the 6-month results.

Thank you for reading.

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density

June 13, 2018October 14, 2020 ~ Michele Raiyne ~ 4 Comments

Deciem’s recently launched hair care from The Ordinary, Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density, replaces Deciem’s discontinued Stemm product (which I also used likely about 2 years ago now). This is a concentrated serum that claims to make hair look thicker, denser, healthier and fuller. This is more of a first impression post (this product has not been on the market long enough for anyone to see results of the claims). I wanted to post some before photos of my hair and invite you to follow/check back, I expect in about 3 to 6 months, when I hope to see some results.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caffeine, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Pisum Sativum Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Glycine Soja Germ Extract, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Apigenin, Oleanolic Acid, Arginine, Glycine, Calcium Gluconate, Zinc Chloride, Lactic Acid, Gluconolactone, Dextran, Maltodextrin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan gum, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Polysorbate 20, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

The serum is thin and slightly yellow. It contains 1% caffeine by weight, and with a quick search I found an article citing the Journal of Dermatology that says “topical treatment with caffeine resulted in the increase in average growth of hair follicles by around 46%. It also extended its life cycle by 33%” and an article saying “hair products that contain caffeine are not able to reach the hair follicle and therefore can’t promote growth” though this was from a hair clinic. This contains the complexes Redensyl, Procapil, Capixyl, Baicapil and AnaGain. Redensyl is a complex that apparently gives better results than hair transplantation in 84 days with visible hair growth. Procapil apparently strengthens hair and prevents hair loss. Capixyl is a peptide from the extract of red clover that reduces the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that causes thinning of the hair follicles which causes hair loss. Baicapil is an active of three plants that stimulates hair growth, increases hair density and reduces hair loss. AnaGain apparently reactivates hair growth, contributing to thicker, fuller hair. Deciem says that the above technologies make up 21.15% concentration by weight. Hydrogenated castor oil is toward the end of the ingredient list.

The ingredients sound promising, and I’m looking forward to seeing if this product works. For reference, I’m 37 years of age, my hair is fine (but I have a lot of it, other than the thinning front area of the head), I have some graying, I get my hair colored about twice a year and I have had thinning hair likely for a couple years now, more toward the front and sides of my head. I’m using the Multi-Peptide Serum on my eyebrows as well, as they are thinning and some hair follicles are likely dead due to over-tweezing in my early 20s.

I’ve used The Ordinary hair serum for about 4 days now. Putting a drop on my fingers, it has a slightly oily feeling for a few seconds, then a bit sticky for a few seconds and absorbs quite quickly into the skin. There is not really a smell to the serum.

Directions say to apply a few drops to clean, dry scalp ideally at bedtime and massage into scalp. This is a leave-on treatment. The first couple uses I parted my hair in a few areas and put a drop in each parted area toward the front of my hair and one drop on each side of my head (edges of the hair) and massaged into the scalp. This left a bit of an oily look and feel to the hair that lasted about 30 to 45 minutes until it absorbed and/or dried, so using before bedtime is ideal. I also tried putting a couple drops on my fingers then massaging into the scalp that way, but I’m not sure that applied product evenly to all areas. In the morning, my hair looked and felt normal with no greasy feeling or residue.

Update: September 2, 2018 – Three-month after photos coming soon; follow for a new Hair Density Serum post on September 8 or 9. Click here for 3-month after results and here for 6-month results.

Before photos: