Snoe Hair Heroes Intense Argan Oil

Hello lovelies! A beautiful hair day to all of us :)

Please read on if this seemingly "heroic" bottle piques your interest.

The label says: Morrocan Liquid Gold to save you from a bad hair day

Size: 250 mL

Where bought: The Landmark Makati, Ayala Center, Makati City

Price: Php 499

Main ingredients: Argan oil, wheat protein, milk protein, moringa extract, indian senna and cucumber extract

The shell:  First off, you will notice that my bottle's top is not the pump type. If you have been curiously peering over the Snoe counters (they are usually located in Landmark and Cinderella stores, or you can always order online), you will remember that their Hair Heroes bottle come in pump forms.

No, this is not the new packaging. I changed my bottle's top because the pump does not work properly with the rich conditioner cream. I personally think that a bigger pump is necessary for a conditioner of such rich and creamy nature to be consistently pumped up and out in the desired amount. I used the cap of my Human Heart Nature shampoo which fitted well and served its purpose for this conditioner (I can squeeze to control the amount I need vs. using the pump). I hope Snoe will improve on this part of the packaging.

The label's graphics and font styles are fun and catchy, reminiscent of vintage Superman and Batman movie titles (the ones I used to watch on free TV). It's also a good thing that the label's material can withstand the expected prolonged exposure to water which makes it look perfectly put together as it was on the day of purchase.

Before: Original packaging (Shopinas)

After: Replaced with the Human Heart Nature cap

The smell: Smells a lot like shea butter or cocoa. Although these are not in the ingredients list, these are the closest that came to mind. I guess we can attribute that to the nutty elements of the argan oil.

The claim: Zero sulfates. Personally, I think that conditioners really do not need sulfates since they are not expected to be foamy. Methinks that the zero-sulfate claim is a plus-point but not necessarily an advantage in the conditioner line.

The promise: Morrocan liquid gold (a.k.a. argan oil) is supposed to cleanse hair without stripping it of its natural oils. The oil is only widely available in Morroco and the process of extracting the oil from the argan tree involves an arduous process. While there have been efforts to improve the traditional process, cracking the argan nut by hand to derive the argan kernels remains a time-consuming labor-intensive process. Thus, making this oil indeed a precious commodity like gold.

The science: In cosmetics, argan oil is advocated as a moisturizing oil used for juvenile acne, skin flaking and nourishing the hair. This oil claims to also have medicinal uses against rheumatism and the healing of burns. Externally, argan oil is used for hair as brilliantine and fortifier, as well as in the treatment of wrinkled or scaly dry skin (Credits: El Babili, Fatiha; Bouajila, Jalloul; Fouraste, Isabelle; Valentin, Alexis; Mauret, Severine; Moulis, Claude (2010). "Chemical study, antimalarial and antioxidant activities, and cytotoxicity to human breast cancer cells (MCF7) of Argania spinosa". Phytomedicine).

My case: I have thin, fine and limp hair --- so much to be improved on my crowning glory eh. Plus I have the bad habit of twisting my hair up (when wet) and securing them with a clamp. Thus, the ugly wavy clamp lines when my hair dries. I have been avoiding my tools - flat iron and blow dryer to help my hair "rest" from all the damage of heat styling. 

Learning curve: On the first few days of use, my hair felt weighed down and that's when I realized that I needed to adjust the amount of application. Practice, trial, practice :)

Usage and Complements: I've been using this conditioner for more than a month (starting April 24, 2013), MWS (Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays) along with my Dove shampoo. I checked my bottle and I've consumed only about 1/3 of the 250-mL bottle. On other non-Hair-Heroes days, I use my Organix Lavender Soymilk conditioner.

Efficacy: On MWS days, my hair is tamed and it looks like it has gone through proper flat iron and blow drying: no frizz or flyaways. On non-Hair-Heroes days, my hair is actually bouncier and manageable. I think the cleansing promise of this conditioner helped in making my other shampoo and conditioner products work better.

I rarely post my selfie pictures (I'm a really shy person) 

but I'm doing this for Hair Heroes :)

To try: I'd like to have a full Hair Heroes experience (shampoo + conditioner) when my hair products run out. Now, I'm looking at:

• Invisible Wonder shampoo - a concoction of macadamia and avocado oils promising "super strength restoration of fiber hair integrity" 
• Drunken Master Creme Wash - with another cleansing promise created from a curious case of beer hops, apple cider vinegar, barley and egg whites (will this result in happy hair hours?)
• Amplify conditioner - will help "thinning, shedding, breaking and slow-growing hair" achieve the dream of a full crowning glory. 

I am proud of this Filipino line, Snoe, for thinking "out of the box" and coming up with these interesting finds. I will keep on advocating Philippine brands if they are this promising. Let's buy Filipino!

Disclaimer: I am not a beauty blogger. I do not recommend or rate products per se. I only share my experiences while using them and the whole thought process behind getting, using, falling in love or hating the product. I leave the beauty blogging to the experts; in fact, I go back to their reviews from time to time though I may not necessarily agree with all of these --- What's good for her may not be necessarily good for me. I am a confessed novice in every way --- I only try to view each experience with "new eyes" and reflect some more on how beauty can be a gift that should be experienced rather than seen. So don't take my word for it --- What works for me may not necessarily work for you --- but go ahead and take that adventure! The risks we take do make our lives interesting. =)