Redken Hair Cleansing Cream & Kerastase Sublimateur Jour

I have a confession to make. I have never, ever used a clarifying shampoo before. There I said it. I don't know how I managed all these years without clarifying somehow I just did. Thinking about all the product buildup is just horrifying to say the least. Thankfully, I have now seen the light and am using Redken's clarifying shampoo. The Hair Cleansing Cream left my hair squeaky clean. Which is great I suppose but it also left my hair very dry. I followed up with my Shiseido Tsubaki conditioner as usual but that didn't cut it. So it was a perfect time to try out the leave-in conditioner by Kerastase.

The leave-in itself has a very light, non-greasy consistency. It actually looks and smells like a light lotion, except that it's lotion for your hair. Sublimateur Jour uses hydrolized wheat protein that forms a protective layer around the hair fiber. While UV filters protect the hair fiber from oxidation and silicone eliminates dryness and frizz. Now I've been hearing nothing but raves for SJ so I was expecting something miraculous to happen. I was expecting super soft and glossy, hair-from-shampoo-commercials hair. With all that hype I should've known that it wouldn't live up to expectations. Which is exactly what happened...at first.

I put SJ in my slightly damp hair and left it in while I air dried. I woke up the next day and.... nothing. In fact, my hair was still feeling a little straw-like from clarifying the night before. Soo... I put in some more SJ (and wondering if I had just wasted 40 bucks) in my dry hair and went about my day. Strangely enough, as the day went on my hair became more and more soft. By the end of the day, my hair was soft and glossy and definitely didn't feel like straw. Now I don't know what to think about SJ. I don't have hair like the girls in shampoo commercials, but it is soft and shiny and overall looks healthy. The only problem is that it took half a day for SJ to work! One thing I will say is that the effect lasts for a long time. It is now the next day and my hair still feels and looks great.