“Gorgeous hair is the best revenge” – Ivana Trump
Hi friends,
It’s me again, back with another product review after a stint of writing about various style and beauty topics! I was in the mall a few weeks back and whilst searching for a day cream, stumbled upon a hair product by the well-known brand Vichy called the Vichy Dercos Technique Nourishing Reparative Cream Conditioner targeted towards dry and damaged hair. Two things stood out when I found this product glaring at me in the face: 1. it’s aimed at dry and damaged hair and 2. It’s paraben and colourant free.
I would hate to admit that my tresses are damaged, but can I deny the fact that they are dry at the ends and thirsty for hydration and nourishment? No. Although, you would know from my earlier posts, that I now ensure my hair steers away from heating tools and all that jazz and I do quite a bit of home DIY every now and then, but I also needed something ready to use especially on those days when I have to wash and be out of the door with little to less time. I can’t afford the relaxing DIY hair care routines always when time is at stake, so this conditioner was purchased to solve that concern. I reiterate that chemicals in a bottle are great but moderation is key!
Price:
1250/- for 150 ml (may seem a little pricey but 150 ml is a handsome quantity and you don’t need that much so goes a long way).
Product Description:
So what does the product claim? Well for starters, it says it’s a nourishing reparative cream conditioner containing Keratino complex + 3 oils of natural plant origin. It intensely nourishes hair fibres leaving your hair soft and silky with a healthy shine and detangles hair without weighing it down. It has no Parabens which is fabulous! It also has a hypoallergenic formula with UV protection. Not bad I’d say!
When I read the ingredients, as I was curious to know which 3 oils they had incorporated, I found the contents of Carthamus Tinctorius oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis oil and Rosa Canina Fruit oil. Errrrr…come again? Sounds Latin to me! So basically, Carthamus Tinctorius, also known as Safflower (related to sunflower), is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like plant and the seeds are used to extract its oil. Safflower oil contains Oleic and Linoleic acid, which are essential fatty acids proposing many benefits for skin as well as hair and it also provides a softening effect in conditioners. The richness of polyunsaturated fatty acids makes it absolutely ideal for dry, damaged, or color-treated tresses.
Next, is the Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis, otherwise known to us as sweet almond and we all know the super nutrients included in this oil such as polyunsaturated and mono fatty acids as well as vitamins E, D, B1, B2, B6 and A. These are all beneficial nutrients that allow your hair to grow stronger and healthier.
The final oil, i.e. the Rosa Canina Fruit oil is popularly termed as Rosehip oil and is widely used especially in the America by many hair and skin care fanatics. I had heard about this oil from some US vloggers and they swear by it. It is an emollient oil and rich in unsaturated, essential fatty acids, particularly Oleic, Linoleic, and Linolenic. As our bodies are unable to product these oils, rosehip oil provides the perfect substitute. It is said to significantly recover the appearance and texture of hair which has been damaged by harsh climate, heated appliances and other factors….that’s me!
Sorry if I indulged in too much info, but I thought it would be a good insight to share exactly what goes in our products and I’m sure there are some curious-as-me people out there who want to be enlightened and rest assured that they’re using the good stuff!
Packaging:
This sturdy 150 ml tube comes in a white box with gold and silver branding. I love Vichy packaging as it’s crisp and clean and looks great on your shelf. The tube has a flip cap that opens easily and you can squeeze out a small amount to rub into the ends and lengths of your hair. The cardboard box has more details on it than the actual tube, so don’t throw the box away immediately after buying as I know I sometimes do. Of course being a French company, and a no. 1 cosmetics company in Europe, it has details inscribed in various languages all over it, but yes there’s also English!
My Experience with Vichy Dercos Technique Nourishing Reparative Cream Conditioner:
It has a nice light creamy and slippery consistency which I like and it doesn’t feel heavy and clumpy. Due to its parfum content, it smells divine too. So on the box, it says to shampoo hair first (preferably with their cream shampoo of the same range), but I don’t have that, so I use my normal shampoos. Then squeeze out excess moisture and apply a few dabs of this cream conditioner and leave for a minute. Here’s what I did – I shampooed my hair and with a soft old t-shirt, dried the extra water from my hair and then gently massaged a few dabs of this cream onto the lengths as well as the ends. I wanted to work it through the lengths too as I have long hair, but it’s up to you if you want to restrict yourself to the ends only.
As opposed to one minute, I left it on for 2-3 minutes (not more as I don’t want limp hair) and then rinsed it off first with lukewarm water and then gave my hair a blast of cold water to seal in the open cuticles.
Again with a dry old t-shirt (t-shirt cloth is super for drying hair as it’s smooth and does not cause friction like some towels do and hence won’t ruin your hair more), I wrap it around my head in a turban and let it dry for a couple of minutes and then leave the rest to air dry.
Now, since I have an oily scalp, I never use conditioner on my scalp. However, this product claims to be suitable for sensitive scalps and this is their “Dercos commitment.” Since the 3 oils are great for skin too, you can massage this on your head if you like. That’s your discretion!
I am pleased to say, that I love this conditioner as, as soon as my hair dried completely, I found it to be really soft to the touch and tangle free. I no more felt that “coarse after-wash feeling” and I just love it. I couldn’t stop running my fingers through my hair and it leaves behind a salon-washed fragrance which is not overpowering!
The frizziness was there to some extent and this doesn’t claim to remove frizziness, but most air-dried hair will be a bit frizzy, so I’m completely okay with this. My aim was to ensure that my hair does not feel brittle and boy does it not! I did see my hair looking somewhat healthier, but with use overtime, I will be able to tell the stark difference. I have been using this at least once-twice a week (not more) and so far my hair feels manageable, soft and has its natural sheen back. It’s not super glossy, but I don’t believe in miracles overnight. As it has chemicals like most products, I will use this sparingly and I’m glad there’s no parabens – yay!
A trick you can try and I have learnt is that when you apply any conditioner on your hair (be it oils or a cream-based one like this from a tube or bottle), is to take a towel soaked in hot water and squeeze out the excess water and then wrap it over your hair with the conditioner in it; much like the hot towel therapy. The steam from the hot towel/cloth will help the nutrients get absorbed better in your hair. But as heat opens cuticles and follicles, you must cold blast your hair at the end to close them. Just like you rub ice over your face post a facial to close the open pores.
Pros of Vichy Dercos Technique Nourishing Reparative Cream Conditioner:
- Free of parabens.
- Free of colourants.
- Contains Keratino-Complex (keratins and lipids are essential for healthy hair).
- Contains 3 super duper oils that nourish hair and the scalp if you want to use on the skin.
- Hypoallergenic formula that is enriched with UV filters for extra protection.
- Detangles hair.
- Leaves hair soft, manageable and silky smooth.
- Retains hairs natural shine.
- Repairs damage over time and removes brittleness.
- Does not weigh down hair like some conditioners.
- Smells pleasant and fragrance lingers on once the hair is dry (contains parfum).
- Suitable for sensitive scalps, so hopefully would not trigger any itchiness etc. for those who have sensitive skin.
- Value for money as a few dabs go a long way.
Cons of Vichy Dercos Technique Nourishing Reparative Cream Conditioner:
- Smell may appear a bit on the strong side when it immediately leaves the bottle but does fade away and become milder.
- Does not eradicate frizziness completely (but it doesn’t claim to either, so go figure!)
- If you use a lot at once, may weigh your hair down as it is heavy in terms of oil content and emollients etc., so use sparingly.
Would I Repurchase Vichy Dercos Technique Nourishing Reparative Cream Conditioner?
Yes, I surely will as this is now my HG of deep conditioning on days my hair screams for some quick TLC!
IMBB Rating:
4.5/5
Conclusion:
So my friends, as I’m a firm believer that miracles don’t happen overnight and when it comes to hair care or skin care for that matter, one needs to be diligent and avoid the don’ts at all costs. I would be silly to expect my dry hair to be completely repaired with this product as I will continue to do my own DIYS etc. but a deep conditioning treatment once a week is a must and I love this genie in a tube. As for the frizz, well I guess that will calm down with time once my hair is devoid of any dry hair fibres and that takes time.
Loads of love…
Au revoir!
xoxo
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Wow really well reviewed Mimosa 😀