I never used thick or leave-in conditioners because I thought they’d weigh my hair down and flatten my curls…until I discovered Aveda’s conditioner range. Now, I honestly don’t know what I’d do without it. This is why.
I’ve struggled to find the balance between hydration and flat curls. I have really fine hair that goes limp easily if it’s overloaded with conditioner, but also knots easily and takes forever to detangle. During my last cut, the hairdresser said, ‘these ends! I comb them and they instantly turn to knots’. She then suggested sending me home with some leave-in conditioner. I was resistant because my hair does flatten really easily with heavy products, but she convinced me the one she was recommending (Baby Got Bounce, by Evo) was really light but effective.
She was right — it was light and it really did stop my hair from turning into a giant, tangled mess after a couple of days. I was more than surprised.
Life = changed.
Why did I resist this for so long? The downside was that Evo isn’t curly girl-friendly — full of silicones which would eventually leave my hair brittle and dry. I liked the results so much that I kept using it, but resolved to find a decent leave-in that was CG-friendly before too long.
Then I found Aveda — a range of natural, cruelty-free, organic hair products that my hair LOVES.
Aveda Damage Remedy Restructuring Conditioner
After cleansing my scalp with Curlsmith Core Strength Shampoo, I reached for Aveda for the first time. The reviews said it was really hydrating, but that it would weigh hair down if it went too close to the scalp. I never put conditioner near my scalp anyway, but — to me — this meant it was a really heavy product with a tendency to flatten curls. I was hesitant, but the moment I started smoothing it through my hair, I was hooked.
I detangle with my fingers before using a detangling brush to make sure my hair is completely smooth and knot-free. It’s significantly more time-consuming than just going in with a brush, but it stops a lot of breakage because you can feel the resistance with your fingers. If you’re only using a brush, you can’t feel that resistance and will likely brush right through the knot — breaking strands as you go. What I look for in a conditioner is how easily I can detangle the majority of my hair using only my fingers.
Aveda passed the test with flying colours.
It detangled So. Easily.
Totally floored.
What usually takes me 20 very painful minutes in the shower took me 10 — Aveda saved me half the time detangling my unruly tendrils. Pretty sure I almost cried with relief. I used a fair bit, but I didn’t care — I could feel my hair softening as I raked the thick and creamy product through.
I left it in for a few minutes, before rinsing it out.
Aveda botanical repair strengthening leave-in treatment
Once the conditioner was rinsed out, I reached for the leave-in. Again, super resistant because I knew I’d just conditioned with a really thick and hydrating product — surely a leave-in from the same brand would stretch out my curls and leave everything in one flat mess…?
Needless to say, that did not happen.
I used a smaller amount of this one because my hair was already tangle-free — probably the size of a bottle top, used my fingers to rake it through the ends of my hair, before using a detangling brush to make sure it was evening distributed. It felt smooth on my hair and brushed through really easily.
I followed with Sashapure curl cream and a gel, wrapped it in a microfibre towel for about 15 minutes, scrunched it, then let it air dry.
The results
My hair hasn’t felt that hydrated for a really, really long time. The curls are thick, full, and hang really nicely around my shoulders. Normally the ends are a tangle of frizz my day two, but that doesn’t happen with Aveda. My hair holds on to the moisture for days and feels soft for days. It’s incredible. And something I honestly didn’t think was possible.
I’ve been using these two products together for about two months now, and I’ve just bought my second bottle of conditioner.
price
The only downside is the price point is quite high. Both products cost between $48 and $52 each, and they’re not large bottles. I find I need to use a fair bit of the conditioner, which means I go through it really quickly, but it’s honestly worth it for me — I save so much time, and my hair feels so much healthier. But I do think these are luxury products and not everyone will be able to budget for them. If that’s the situation you’re in, check out my Shea Moisture review :)
