Redken Body Full Conditioner

...the second part of my Redken adventure. Part 1 described how and why I arrived in Redken land, including some details of the company and its history together with an outline of my experiences testing the Body Full Shampoo without the use of conditioner or any "artificial" aids! I reached the conclusion that, although my hair appeared slightly thicker and more voluminous, with quite a nice sheen, I wasn't sure the results were startling ...
...Conditioner.

REDKEN BODY FULL CONDITIONER

At a recommended retail price of £11.25 for 250 mls, this is even more expensive than the shampoo. I bought it for £10.15 at feelunique.com which, according to Kelkoo, wasn't a bad deal; prices there range from £9.86 to £14.45.

The opaque plastic bottle is without frills and almost clinical in appearance with a flip top lid. The shampoo comes in a bottle of ... more

PREFACE

It's been a busy week trialing the hair conditioner which is the second part of my Redken adventure. Part 1 described how and why I arrived in Redken land, including some details of the company and its history together with an outline of my experiences testing the Body Full Shampoo without the use of conditioner or any "artificial" aids! I reached the conclusion that, although my hair appeared slightly thicker and more voluminous, with quite a nice sheen, I wasn't sure the results were startling enough to justify the colossal £8.85 I paid for it. And so the stage is set for the second act - the test drive of the Body Full Conditioner.

REDKEN BODY FULL CONDITIONER

At a recommended retail price of £11.25 for 250 mls, this is even more expensive than the shampoo. I bought it for £10.15 at feelunique.com which, according to Kelkoo, wasn't a bad deal; prices there range from £9.86 to £14.45.

The opaque plastic bottle is without frills and almost clinical in appearance with a flip top lid. The shampoo comes in a bottle of a similar shade but is transparent making the two clearly distinguishable from each other and this is handy when ferreting in the shower for the correct potion!

The white print informs me that this is a conditioner giving "antigravity volume for normal/fine hair". Again I am amused but also slightly irritated by the term "antigravity" being used in this context and make a mental note that I must try to keep my feet on the ground! This may be a lesson which has come a little late in the day when I have already spent such an excessive amount on a bottle of hair conditioner.

As with the shampoo the small print gives, what I assume to be, the same information in half a dozen languages. The English section, which I squint to read, proclaims that this "detangles" and "provides weightless volume to normal/fine hair". This is encouraging because my hair is so fine it tangles easily. However I am still puzzled as to how a hair product can make my hair weightless. If only this wonder lotion could do the same for my body! The blurb adds that the conditioner gives the hair "long-lasting volume, movement and style".

The ingredients are in the same small print and are far too many to list but on the website the key ones are listed as polymers for style retention, carbohydrates for body and thickness and protein for internal strength and support.

Over the course of the week I used the conditioner three times, once with the Aussie Full Volume Shampoo which I have reviewed elsewhere and which I know has no significant effect on my hair in terms of adding thickness or volume and twice with the Redken Full Body Shampoo.

The conditioner is a white liquid, neither very thick nor runny, with a slightly pearlised appearance. The scent is difficult to describe as it's slightly pine like with a suggestion of citrus too. In fact I thought it smelled more like my Duck Fresh toilet cleaner than a luxury hair preparation! But it's not unpleasant and does not linger long after the application.

Instructions for use are brief merely stating that the conditioner should be applied after shampooing, distributed through the hair and rinsed. There is not any indication as to the quantity to be used. My hair is very prone to tangling even after a good cut and, although I always comb it through before washing, it still knots during the shampooing process. I found that although a couple of squirts was sufficient to cover my hair, it needed more than double this quantity before my fingers could detect any detangling effect and then I still had to work it in for several minutes. I was rather disappointed. Not only did it not smell particularly outstanding, it also didn't feel at all luxurious. Thre are many other cheaper conditioners that are far more creamy, giving a nice indulgent sensation as you massage it through and even leaving your hands feeling softer. There was no such effect with this product. However the advantage of this consistency was that it all washed out quite easily.

The hair was still quite tangled when I came to comb it through. I have used other cheaper conditioners which work much better in this respect; even some which leave it completely tangle free so this was a real disappointment. However it was less tangled than when I used the shampoo alone. Once the hair was sufficiently de-knotted for the rake to proceed unhindered, I stuck to my normal drying method, piling all of my chin length hair up on top until it has nearly dried naturally, then combing down into place and tonging the ends under into a more recognisable bob!

On the occasion when I used the Aussie shampoo I could detect very little difference in the normal rather lank appearance of my hair - maybe a little more volume and shine but certainly nothing startling! I have had better results using cheaper preparations with the addition of a little volumising mousse at the styling stage.

However when I used the Redken shampoo and conditioner together there certainly was an almost unbelievable improvement far better than the results when I used the shampoo alone. My hair easily fell into shape with very little coaxing and looked so much thicker and bulkier. It had healthy looking sheen and a natural movement when I preened, waving my head from side to side in the mirror just to take a satisfying look!, It was just as the hype claimed! There was no significant greasiness the next day and it only needed a tweak or two with the tong to look reasonably acceptable. It would not have gone a third day as it then started to appear greasy again but this is the norm for me!

Despite my delight at the results, I still cannot wholeheartedly recommend either of these products because I feel the prices are just too exorbitant. Even though the shampoo can be used quite sparingly which makes it a slightly more economical proposition, my hair needs quite hefty dosages of the conditioner which is not going to go anywhere near as far. The results are impressive but I have managed to achieve similar success using cheaper preparations together with Tigi Small Talk (reviewed elsewhere) and/or a volumising mousse. There is nothing luxurious in the presentation of these products or in the feel of them when applied and I find it extremely difficult to understand how Redken can justify such prices. I doubt that I will ever buy them again unless prices are severely pruned.

However I still have to add the Body Full Carbo-Bodifier into the equation. It's waiting in the wings to play its role in Part 3 of my adventures in Redken land!

For further information visit http://www.redken.co.uk/

 

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