Review: Marc Anthony Oil of Morrocco Sulfate Free Conditioner

250 mL/8.4 fl oz

Ulta: $7.99

http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod4180927

 

Found on MarcAnthony.com

This conditioner is formulated with Keratin, Grape Seed Oil and Argan Oil to “nourish, strengthen and infuse moisture into your hair” as well as “fortify, add high luster and improve manageability… [and] protect from damage and color fade”. It is a very thick consistency and has a strange, almost nutty smell. The smell does not stay in the hair after the conditioner is washed out.

Ingredients:

Water, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Esters, Stearyl Alcohol, Amodimethicone, Trideceth-12, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasyloxane, Behentrimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Propylene Glycol, Parfum (Fragrance), Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Helianthus Anuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Keratin, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arigine, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Pheynlalanine, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Disodium EDTA

This conditioner did make my hair soft and shiny while I was using it, but I think it wasn’t so much from the nourishing keratin and argan oil as the two silicones listed above the “key” ingredients in the ingredients list. After discontinuing the conditioner, my hair was not any less dry than it was than before using the conditioner. In essence, it had no long term reparative benefits.

If you’re ok with silicones I guess this is a good product for you, but honestly I’m looking for more than surface benefits: I did not find this conditioner to “nourish” or “strengthen” jack, and it most certainly didn’t “infuse” any kind of moisture into my hair.

Rating: C

Review: Hydrating Moroccan Argan Oil Creamy Oil Body Lotion

13 fl. oz./385 mL

Ulta: $6.99

http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod4190131

Found on OrganixHair.com

This “lavish creamy oil body lotion” is described as having “an exclusive moisture lock system” made up of Moroccan argan oil (“to restore skin’s elasticity”), sugar cane and willow bark (“to soften, giving a radiant glow” and “promote cellular turnover” ), and finally rice milk and bamboo extract (“to make skin supple and touchable all over”). The “moisture lock system” uses a PCA complex (whatever that is- a quick Google search did not clarify anything) that apparently draws moisture in, and a ceramide complex (stuff that resembles the natural lipid barrier of the skin) to lock in the moisture. The argan oil is supposed to be a dry oil, meaning that it sinks in quickly and doesn’t leave a greasy residue.

Ingredients

Water, Disodium Laureth Sulfocuccinate, Socium C14-16 Olefine Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide DEA, Glycerin, Clycol Distearate, Acrylates Copolymer, Saccarum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Cocamide MEA, Laureth-10, Polyquaternium-11, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Milk, Hydrolyzed Collagen (Collagen Peptides), Paullinia Cupana (Cuarana) Extract, PCA, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Ceramide 3, Argania Spinoza (Argan) Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Extract, Paullinia Cupana (Guarana) Extract, Lycium Barbarum (Goji Berry) Extract, Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexlglycerin, Parfum.

This stuff is amazing. It lives up to basically every claim that was thrown my way. Moisturizing? Very. Makes skin supple? Yup. Sinks in quickly? Yeah, pretty much. Gives skin a radiant glow? Actually, yes.

So yeah this lotion was moisturizing, but that doesn’t necessarily set it apart from the other good moisturizers out there. What does stand out, though, is that one bit about glowing skin. It sounds gimmicky, but to my astonishment it proved to be actually true. What happens is you apply the product, and it sinks in fairly quickly, but leaves this sheen on your skin. I think it might be the combination of the ceramide complex and the argan oil, but damn it is great. It doesn’t necessarily hide imperfections like say a tinted product might, but it certainly does minimize the appearance of discoloration and cellulite. So as it is winter right now, my legs are very pasty and more than a little bit infested with cellulite. This lotion makes them look so so much better. I cannot wait to see what this does when I have a tan! This doesn’t to my knowledge reduce cellulite necessarily, though- just diminishes appearance. I don’t know how they do it but I absolutely love it.

The sheen is a layer of moisture and definitely feels it, but it isn’t like those products where it takes forever to sink in and you feel sticky. It doesn’t bother me at all, it doesn’t stick to my clothes or anything, but I might see some people that are really sensitive to that sort of thing not loving it.

Something that the description doesn’t mention, though, is the scent. I personally love the smell, it’s sort of sweet and floral (it’s the same smell from the conditioner– it’s probably standard for the line), but it is pretty strong so again this might be a turn off for some people.

Overall, though, this is an outstanding product if the slight sheen and the smell don’t bother you. I will definitely be repurchasing this when it finishes and cannot wait to use it in summer!

Rating: A+

Review: Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner

385 ml/13 fl. oz.

Drugstore.com/Ulta.com: $7.99

Boots.com: ₤6.99

http://www.drugstore.com/organix-conditioner-renewing-moroccan-argan-oil/qxp336539

http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod2690025

http://www.boots.com/en/Organix-Morocon-Oil-Conditioner-385ml_1222258/

Picture found on Drugstore.com

 

 

This conditioner is described as “unique precious blend of Moroccan argan oil” that “instantly penetrates the hair shaft” to strengthen the hair and “restore shine and softness”. It contains no parabens or sulfates, and is apparently safe for color-treated hair. It also claims to protect against styling heat and UV damage.

 

Ingredients:

Water Cetyl alcohol Behentrimonium chloride Cetearyl alcohol Ceteareth-20 Glycerin Dimethicone Glycol stearate Parfum PANTHENOL-DL Persea gratissima oil Theobroma cacao extract Cocos Nucifera Aloe Barbadensis Argania Spinosa Oil Tetrasodium EDTA Dmdm hydantoin Methylisothiazolinone and Methylchloroisothiazolinone, in combination

 

This conditioner did leave my hair sufficiently soft and shiny, and was no less strengthening than any other relatively good conditioner. It also smelled quite good. However, I didn’t notice any particular differences between this conditioner and any other conditioner without argan oil. And the fact that there is “argan oil” written on the label probably made this product more expensive by at least a couple of dollars.

This conditioner is my no means a bad product, it was a thoroughly acceptable, solid conditioner, I was just expecting something a little more from a product containing argan oil. I suspect that this product doesn’t actually contain that much argan oil, as it is only listed as 11^th on the ingredients list. So basically what I am trying to say is that you shouldn’t get too excited about the argan element of this product, I don’t think there is much of one.

Honestly $8 is not too bad for a conditioner, and I might purchase this product again at some point, but I wasn’t overly stunned by its performance. I had quite high hopes for this, as argan oil is really great (as you have probably heard) and this product didn’t do anything exceptional.

 

Overall

A good, solid conditioner- works relatively well, smells nice, but fails to really wow. Being made from the holy fad oil that has hit the market (or containing it, I should say, there doesn’t seem to be that much of it in there) gave this product a standard it fell short of fulfilling.

 

Rating: A-