K-PAK Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil Review

Hello! Is it me or did this week just FLY by?! Well in any case, I'm glad the weekend is here! =) Today I'm reviewing Joico K-PAK Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil. This (along with a shampoo and conditioner) is Joico's answer to Moroccanoil, though some people who have used it claim Joico's is better. I've never actually tried Moroccanoil, so I can't make that comparison, but I'm a huge fan of this product and it's definitely going to be a staple in my product collection! This oil is effective as a leave-in treatment and as a styling product, and I use it as both!

So here are the main ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Argan Oil, Mongongo Oil, Kukui Seed Oil, etc. Ahh my favorite ingredient cyclopentasiloxane is first on the list. This is a fabulous ingredient that conditions hair and protects against damage. I've talked about dimethicone before; it's a fairly common silicone derivative. C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is an emollient/thickening agent. The last 3 need a bit more explaining...

Now here's what all the hype is about: Argan oil. Argan oil has been around for hundreds of years, mostly to use it for cooking. Lately, the oil (by solvent-extraction versus traditional/press-extraction) has been used in treatments for skin and hair, and it's especially useful for treating psoriasis. It's rich in vitamin E, essential fatty acids, phenols, carotenes, and squalene. There's plenty to read about Argan oil out there, so if you wanna know more, look it up!

Schinziophyton rautanenii, otherwise known as mongongo oil, is a pretty uncommon ingredient in haircare, so I had to dig a little deeper to get some info. Here's what phytotradeafrica.com had to say:

[...] In addition the kernel is rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, and has extraordinarily high concentrations (around 560mg per 100 grams of kernel) of vitamin E (almost entirely as g-tocopherol). The large proportion of this essential linoleic acid (EFA), as well as the conjugated trienoic acid (α Eleostearic) mean that the oil is of huge importance for skin protection, both for hydration but also for the restructuring and regeneration of the epidermis. In particular the α Eleostearic acid reacts rapidly with UV light producing polymerisation and providing a protective layer. The very high g-tocopherol content also provides the oil with enhanced stability, this is proven in the African heat where the oil does not become rancid.

I don't know about you, but I'm going to look for more products with mongongo oil!

And then there's Aleurites moluccans, or Kukui seed oil. Kukui seed oil is from Hawaii, and it's a fantastic moisturizer, because it penetrates deep into skin and hair really fast! It's great for people with dry skin, dry hair/scalp, eczema, burns, psoriasis, scars, etc. because it will almost instantly relieve any symptoms you have. It also contains vitamins A, C, and E. I'm gonna need some of this stuff stat! =)

Whew! Sorry if that ran on too long, but I just wanted you all to know a little something about those three ingredients. Anyways, here's how I use it: As a leave-in, I use about 3 pumps in wet hair, long hair may need more. Or you could need less if your hair is finer, play around with it. When I use it on dry hair, one pump is all I need for shiny, healthy looking hair. It's not heavy at all, so just experiment and find out what works best for you!

Joico K-PAK Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil comes in a 3.4 fl oz. bottle and retails for around $16-$18 depending on where you shop. If you try this, or have tried it, or wanna try it, comment and let me know! Whether you love it or hate it, I'd love to know! n_n

By the way, I know I haven't done a haul in a while, but I'm slowly putting together a BIG one for you guys, and I'm gonna let you all decide which products I should review first! And if you have any product requests, comment and tell me what you'd like to me to review and I'll see what I can do. ;-) I'm also doing another mirrored review with my pal Recessionista over at Nouveau Cheap, so expect that very soon. Take care of your hair everyone!

...read more ⇒

Joico K-PAK Reconstruct Review

Hello hello! Review time! Today I'm reviewing Joico K-PAK Reconstruct Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor. This is a sort of "mirrored" review. My friend Recessionista over at Nouveau Cheap reviewed the Generic Value Product equivalent, and I'm doing the real thing. I just love her! ♥

K-PAK Reconstruct's label says: "Joico's original intensive protein reconstructor for dry and damabged hair rebuilds and improves the structure of hair. pH 4.5 to 5.5. Contains OUADRAMINE COMPLEX, an exclusive blend of low moleucluar weight and size proteins. This balance of 19 essential amino acids (the building blocks of hair) adheres quickly and effectively to ensure maximum protection and reconstruction from the cuticle to the cortex. Color-Safe." Hmm... promises, promises. Let's see if K-PAK keeps them.

Now, since Recessionista found out the hard way, I feel the need to say this: K-PAK is NOT a deep conditioner it is a protein treatment. Much like Redken CAT--although the two are very different, they work similarly. So make sure you use it sparingly, once or twice a week depending on how damaged your hair is, and follow up with your normal conditioner!

Check out the ingredients: Water, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Mineral Oil, Glycol Stearate, PEG-8 Distearate, etc. Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine is a very mild detergent, probably used to help K-PAK grab onto your hair. Mineral Oil is a petroleum by-product. In cosmetics it's used as an emollient and in K-PAK it's the base of the whole product (I can tell by the texture). Glycol Stearate is a humectant and an emollient, and it makes a product easier to spread. PEG-8 Distearate is an emulsifier. Here's what CosmeticsInfo.org has to say about it:

The PEG Stearates are produced from stearic acid, a naturally occurring fatty acid. The numerical value of each PEG Stearate corresponds to the average number of ethylene oxide monomers in the polyethylene chain. Polyethylene glycol ingredients may also be named with a number that indicates molecular weight, for example polyethylene glycol (400) stearate is another name for PEG-8 Stearate.

Interesting, eh? Overall it's a pretty decent product, thought I think you're paying more for the Joico name than the product. Although I always say if a product works, it's worth the cost.

What you wanna do with K-PAK is:

• Shampoo your hair (I suggest using a clarifying shampoo).
• Rinse and apply K-PAK through the middle of your hair to the ends.
• Leave in for 5 minutes only! Too much protein is bad for your hair.
• Rinse and follow with conditioner.
• For normal/mechanically damaged hair I suggest using this once a week.
• For dry/chemically damaged hair I suggest using it twice a week.

Bottom line: I love it, and I'll definitely buy it again. If you've got the money I do suggest using the real product, but if you're on a budget try the GVP version. I highly recommend this to all of you who can't help but damage your hair. I know I can't. ;-)

Joico K-PAK Reconstruct comes in 5 oz., 11 oz. (the one I have), and 33 oz. sizes. Depending on what size you want K-PAK retails for around $15-$40 Don't forget to check out Recessionista's review at Nouveau Cheap and take care of your hair!

...read more ⇒