Ojon Dry Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner

My last post was about how dry my skin is this winter and now we are going to talk about how dry my hair is too.  I feel like every single winter, my skin and hair just keep getting worse and worse (perhaps Al Gor will have some thoughts on climate change being expressed through the degradation of my appearance!) and I have to enlarge my product collection each month just to get through the cold weather.  I think that I have stumbled upon a great product in the Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil and now I am on to trying to find just as great a hydrator for my hair.  I still color treat my hair so I need a shampoo and conditioner that I can rotate with the Matrix Color Care line.  I will keep buying the products in that line and then change up my other haircare products every few months.  This time around, I will be trying the Dry Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner from Ojon.

I first received samples of these products from Sephora last fall and then I went and purchased the full sizes of both the shampoo and the conditioner.  Before I even saw the results of the use of these products, I was struck by one aspect of the product...the scent!  And not in the way that I am normally struck by the scent of the Ojon products, these two products have a subtle herbal scent and not the strong scent that I have often complained about from the products in this line.  I was expecting the strong, dirt-like fragrance from these two products and I was nearly blown away in the shower when i liked the subtle and herbal scent.

The Sephora website provides both the product information and then why the products function as they do.  "In healthy hydrated hair, the scales of the cuticle lie flat like the shingles on a roof. But when these scales become damaged, they lift and separate and no longer play their protective role. Water evaporates, cuticles become more brittle, more moisture is lost, and hair becomes drier. This simple daily ritual breaks this vicious cycle."  Dry hair normally has scales that lift and then the moisture evaporates normally, chemical treatments and heat styling make the problem even worse and the cycle just continues.  When used together, the Dry Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner have been designed to help combat this problem and to put the needed moisture back into the hair shaft.

"A moisturizing shampoo formulated for dehydrated hair.  Instead of stripping away natural oils like strong action shampoos can do, this gentle coconut-derived cleanser actually preserves them. Ojon oil, nature's golden elixir, helps repair damage in the shower while our Blue Agave Nectar, Macadamia Oil, Jojoba Oil, and Babassu Oil complex helps restore moisture and smooth roughed-up cuticles to keep hydration sealed in. Straw-like strands become soft and smooth as silk.", states the Sephora website when describing the shampoo in the Dry Recovery product line. 

The matching conditioner has the following description.  "A deeply nourishing treatment for dry hair.  This rich, rapid daily moisture-proofing system instantly quenches parched strands and surrounds them in an invisible aura of protection. Formulated with Ojon oil, nature's golden elixir, plus Blue Agave, Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, and Babassu Oil, this cream smoothes down the hair's cuticle, making dull hair brilliantly shiny. Never greasy or heavy, it smoothes static and tames flyaways too."

Clinical test results have also been provided by the Ojon company.  "Used in combination, Dry Recovery™ Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner improved the condition of dry, damaged hair by 52%.   82% said their hair felt smoother.  84% agreed their hair was soft. 78% claimed their hair felt nourished."  The results were made under the condition that the shampoo and conditioner were used together each and every time that the hair was washed and conditioned. 

I have been alternating this shampoo and conditioner formula with the Color Care line from Matrix.  The shampoo doesn't strip my hair of color or moisture, it doesn't add moisture but sets the stage for the conditioner to work its magic.  It produces minimal foam since it doesnt contain the Sulfates that are found in many traditional shampoo formulas and rinses clean from the hair.  I was a bit concerned as to how it would cleanse and rinse, I have used sulfate-free formulas before that cannot do either and make my hair worse than before use of the product.  I don't know that a shampoo can really help repair damage, but the formula can help avoid further damage and get the hair ready to receive the conditioning formula.

The conditioner is very hydrating and my hair is much softer after use of this product.  In addition to increasing the hydration level of my hair, it makes it lie flat and then much smoother and easier to blow dry and straighten.  The oils in the conditioner helps to both hydrate and smooth the hair, the appearance is much improved after using this product several times.  I really love this conditioner and now I want to try the Deep Conditioner in this line and see what kinds of results that it provides. 
The one drawback with this line is that it is not listed as being color safe.  It has not stripped my hair color and so far I have had no issues with it in this line, some products from this company have been known to strip color from the hair.  It helps that the shampoo is sulfate-free, it is gentle and doesn't contain ingredients that aren't recommended for color treated hair.  So far I have been having great luck with this shampoo and conditioner.  I do not use it in the first two weeks after I have colored my hair, I use the Color Care line only in this time and then begin alternating for the next four weeks until I color again. I would love to see some clarification on this topic from the company...

photo courtesy of Sephora