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Some personal hair facts before I go further with this post:
I've got ridiculously thick hair. It's also got a medium/coarse texture. It has some natural wave to it, if I keep my hair shorter (bra-strap length and shorter) I can scrunch it with a misting of conditioner and water and it will almost be curly. (This wavy/curly texture is often called "wurly" - it's more wavy than you tend to think of waves, but not quite curly either, it's between the two.) When it's longer though the weight of it pulls the waves down looser for soft, gentle waves. At the moment my hair is just a bit past hip length. I have what is known as "virgin hair". All that means is that it's not been chemically treated in any way - no hair dye, no perming or relaxing treatments etc. I very rarely heat style my hair - once or twice every couple months at most. I do NOT shampoo my hair every day; I shampoo 2-3 times a week. (Unless I do something that results in a need to wash it more, of course.) On the 'between days' I use waterless/dry shampoo as needed. I use conditioner every time I wash my hair, and sometimes on between days I will condition it, if it needs it. (All hair needs to be conditioned, and the longer it gets the more it needs moisture!) I use a wide-toothed comb to carefully comb tangles out. Once the tangles are gone I use a paddle brush to brush it. I wear my hair up in some manner on most days, or at the very least in a braid/french braid. It's rarely left down - though I do occasionally let it loose just to enjoy it.
SO. All that said, let's get on to my experience with these new products from TRESemmé, shall we? I wanted to be sure you all know my hair care routine/hair habits before going into this post further because the way you treat your hair has a huge impact on how effective certain products might be for you - someone (like me) who doesn't heat style much is probably going to notice faster/better results from certain products than someone who heat styles on a daily basis for example. I think knowing how I usually handle my hair can help in understanding my results from the hair care products I use.
TRESemmé has two new lines of products out right now: Nourishing Rituals and Split Remedy.
What TRESemmé says about the Nourishing Rituals line (from their web site):
Uniquely formulated with advanced nourishing ingredients, this full line of products leaves your hair healthy-looking and shiny. Take a moment to treat your hair and yourself to the indulgent and intensive conditioning experience you are used to finding in salon, at home.
Each formula with natural ingredients nourishes hair: Protein Crème, with soy protein, for improved strength*, Rejuvenating Mask, with wild-flower honey, for silkier hair** and Hydrating Serum, with coconut and argan oils, for smoother results**.
*less breakage when combing vs. non-conditioning shampoo
**vs. non-conditioning shampoo alone
Nourishing Rituals contains four products: Cashmere Touch Hydrating Serum, Rejuvenating Mud Masque, Protein Renewal Creme and Liquid Gold Shine Therapy. When I saw this line at the store recently, I picked up the Cashmere Touch Hydrating Serum and the Rejuvenating Mud Masque. I intend to get the Protein Renewal Creme and Liquid Gold Shine Therapy as well. (Though I have not seen the Liquid Gold yet, there's no place for it on the shelf where I usually shop, I will have to check out some other stores to try to find it!)
First we'll talk about the Rejuvenating Mud Masque! Think of this like a deep conditioner. It's got a very rich, thick texture. After shampooing, apply this all over and let it sit for 3-5 minutes before rinsing out. With such long thick hair I do need to use a pretty generous amount to cover all my hair, but it spreads easily and (considering how much hair I have) I don't need to use a lot to coat all my hair well with it. I very gently coil my hair into a bun and secure it with a hair stick or two while it's doing it's thing and I finish up with shaving etc. before rinsing it out.
I've taken to using this once a week instead of my usual conditioner - you can use it however often your hair needs it. This leaves my hair very soft and tangle free. An excellent deep conditioner without any extra fuss over what the usual shower routine entails.
(I just realized I forgot to take a picture of this by itself. Had to crop this from the picture with both products. oops. haha.Sorry!)
And the Cashmere Touch Hydrating Serum... I admit, I was really sucked in to buying this for the name. Who could resist a hair care product with a name like Cashmere Touch?! Not me, that's for sure! I love the simple design. This has a nice pump dispenser, which makes getting the proper amount of product easy.
I have got to say... I LOVE THIS PRODUCT! You can apply this to damp or dry hair. I've done it both ways - equal results either way of course, it's simply a matter of personal preference when you apply it. It says to dispense 3-4 pumps or amount needed for your hair type. When I apply this, I divide my hair down the middle and put each half over my shoulders. I dispense 3 pumps into my hand, rub my hands together and apply to one half of my hair. Then I dispense 3 more pumps, rub my hands together and apply to the other half of my hair. Then I comb my hair to make sure it's evenly distributed through out all my hair. I think for shorter/thinner hair 2-3 pumps would suffice ("shorter" meaning about bra strap length) and if your hair is really short (shoulder length or shorter) even just one pump could do it, depending on how thick your hair is.
This stuff is seriously amazing - it leaves my hair SO soft, silky and shiny! I cannot get over it... the results are comparable to Biosilk Silk Therapy but I like Cashmere Touch a LOT more than Silk Therapy. For one thing, it's much cheaper. (Always a huge bonus with awesome products!) But also, the consistency of Cashmere Touch is thinner than Silk Therapy, which I feel makes it easier to distribute through your hair. It seems to soak in a lot better/faster than Silk Therapy, too. I feel like Silk Therapy tends to sit ON the hair more than sinking IN to the hair, and if you are not careful it can leave your hair looking and feeling greasy. Cashmere Touch soaks in after just a couple minutes, and leaves your hair so amazingly silky. I honestly do not ever want to be without Cashmere Touch... I love it so much!
I would definitely recommend either of these products based on my experience with them, but if you only intend to get one of them make it the Cashmere Touch Hydrating Serum!
Get more details on this collection at http://www.tresemme.com/Products/Nourishing-Rituals/.
(PS - I also picked up one of the items from the new Split Remedy line, but I have not used it yet. Look for that review some time in the next couple weeks!)
