Customer Reviews

Organix Shea Butter Smoothing Treatment 6 oz.

5 star:		(107)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(58)

 

 

Tried this, very mixed feelings and will review in two parts to fully explain. Gave it three stars because it DOES work as advertised, but not without risks. For results only, skip to part II. If you are new to Brazilian Keratin Treatments and the risks involved, PLEASE read part I.

Part I:

I have been getting Brazilian Keratin Treatments (BKTs) in the salon for several yrs. and have done extensive research on them. FYI, BKT is an umbrella term, like relaxer. There are many brands/makers of BKT (e.g. Brazilian Blowout, Copolla, Global Keratin, La Brasiliana, Marcia Teixiera). The active ingredient in ALL of them is either formaldehyde or a chemical "cousin" of it. The brands with the "cousin" compound (like this product) call their product formaldehyde-free. Free of irritation or risk? No.

**What you must know is that these "cousin" compounds work because they react with the hair in the SAME manner as formaldehyde, thereby subjecting users to a level of risk.**

The active ingredient in this product is Oxoacetamide. I suggest you google it. According to the Material Data Safety Sheet (MSDS) on this compound, potential health effects include:

Eye: Causes eye irritation.
Skin: Causes skin irritation. May be harmful if absorbed through the skin.
Ingestion: Harmful if swallowed. May cause irritation of the digestive tract.
Inhalation: Causes respiratory tract irritation. May be harmful if inhaled.
Chronic: No information found.

Another chemical near the bottom of the ingredient list is methylisothiazolinone, a preservative, and very potent allergen. Suggest you google it too.

The bottom line: Don't let the name Organix fool you, this is not an "all natural" treatment by any means. Proceed with caution.

Part II: Application/results

The application process is very tedious, much like at the salon, but YOU get the joy of applying it. (On the upside, you save big money applying it yourself.)

The directions are in teeny tiny print on the label. Summary: apply in sections to damp hair, let sit for 30 minutes, blow dry with solution in hair, set flat iron to 450 degrees, iron hair in sections going over each section about 7 passes. Leave in hair 48 hours. Do not tuck behind ears, use ponytail holder or do anything that might leave a kink or dent in hair. Do not get hair wet.

I used my Sedu iron to apply because the temp is adjustable. The high temps are key to set the product, so you can't scrimp on this. The goop of the product will protect your hair from the high temps. If you have any flyaways, the hot iron will make them stand on end. It's really annoying, but unavoidable. Happens at salon too. You're not really supposed to put gel or anything on them to keep them down during the waiting period, but I do. This time, I used a dab of Kerastase Elixir Ultime. It didn't affect the results.

About my hair: past my shoulders, naturally very curly but not particularly thick, Caucasian, naturally dark brown, but highlighted ash blonde (well it WAS, until this treatment turned my hair disgustingly brassy -- will explain in more detail below). For me, the whole process took about two hours.

Application PROS:

--None. It's a pain.

Application CONS:

--You must wear gloves. My box was missing gloves. I emailed the company to ask if I should be concerned and they responded it was probably an oversight on the part of quality control. Lovely.
--Instructions do not say how much solution to apply. I didn't use the whole bottle, but I probably could have used less. When I was done with the application, my hair was very greasy and heavy, more than BKTs done in the salon. I was careful to coat every section, guess that was wrong? Still not sure.
--Solution STINKS. All BKTs stink, but the stench of this one is horrendous.
--Emits noxious fumes/smoke when blow drying and flat ironing. Instructions say to use in well-ventilated area. Heed them and open a window. I gagged and coughed from the fumes that emerged after the first pass of the flat iron. Safe ingredients don't make you gag. But I knew the risks.
--Solution irritated my scalp. For me, it was the same irritation as bleach, not enough to totally freak me out (but I was a little freaked out). My scalp is still itching a bit too as I type this.

Post-application notes:

--Made blonde EXTREMELY BRASSY. I knew this was a risk, because some salon BKT formulas discolor blonde hair -- namely Coppola. When I wrote to the company about the gloves, I also asked if it would discolor the hair and the rep said no, that she had blonde hair and hers was fine after using. She suggested doing a strand test, and waiting at least two weeks after I colored my hair to apply. I did both. But what I saw on the strand wasn't really a great representation of what I would see on my whole head.
--I ONLY LEFT ON FOR 24 HOURS. The reason I rinsed it out is because of these red flags: the horrible discoloration of my hair, the unbearable stench, the visible lifelessness and greasiness of my hair, which far exceeded that of any salon BKT I had ever had.

Results:

--My hair is VERY straight and soft. So the product does do what it says it does. Ends look a little more frazzled than pre-treatment. The straightness is comparable to the salon BKTs I have had with the highest concentrations of formaldehyde, which confirms FOR ME that this product contains high concentrations of the cousin compound (note: This is pure speculation based on my experience, take it however you want it. I am not a scientist). The reason I am not thrilled about the result is that I FEAR what would have happened if I left this in 48 hours. It's about as straight as any BKT has gotten it -- and pretty flat.
--My blonde hair is now yellow and brassy --- have to have hairdresser fix it with a toner this week. I used large amounts of toning shampoo and conditioner on my hair after the treatment, with little improvement. I DO NOT recommend this product if you have blonde hair.
--STINKS -- the previous reviewer who gave the product one star is spot on. This stuff stinks. In fact, it smells worse when you rinse it out. The only good thing about the mass amounts of toning shampoo and conditioner I used is that it helped get rid of most of the smell. But it still lingers.

OVERALL: USE with EXTREME caution. Follow directions. And when in doubt, RINSE IT OUT.
If your hair is dark or ethnic, this product is probably better-suited to you. That said, if your goal is to defrizz and soften the curl or achieve waves -- not straighten -- you may not want to leave it in 48 hours. You can always apply more -- for $15, it's not really a big deal IMO. If your hair is blonde, have toner ready. If you feel it's worth it to save $200-$350 (what BKTs generally cost at the salon) and maybe have to pay for a toner after it's done, then go ahead. I certainly felt it was worth a try.

Will I use it again? Not sure. Based on the initial results, I feel the straightening aspect of this product is comparable to salon BKT brands. The smell of this product and effect on color-treated hair, however, are definitely inferior.

I will update in the coming weeks re: staying power.

I apologize for the length of this, but I really felt it was my obligation to share my experience and research. Again, I'm not an expert. I really hope this helps you decide whether or not to try this -- and good luck either way.

*Update -- it's been about three weeks since I tried the treatment and my hair is still very straight and frizz-free. To date, I'd say the "straightness" has worn off only about 15% since my first wash and blow dry with the treatment -- and that's even AFTER I've had it toned professionally the week after and re-highlighted and toned two weeks after. The straightening results have definitely been comparable to salon treatments.*

I have never in my life written a review for a product, so that tells you something right there. I'm biracial, black and white, with hair more like my mother's who is white, but my hair is drier and a lot more curly. I had it dyed to a dark brown with highlights, but I dyed it back to black. This stuff WILL lighten your hair, so be careful. My hair is now a really dark brown with thin streaks (it looks great and it only cost me fifteen bucks)of a tannish-brown that turns red in the sun.

I picked this product up about a week ago a my local drugstore. I was apprehensive about buying it because I was worried that it would destroy my hair. Before I bought it, I ran home to read reviews on this product to make sure I wasn't in for a lot of heartache and lost money. The reviews were seemingly all right so I ran back to the store and purchased this product.

I got home, pre-washed my hair with the packet of cleanser that comes with it. I let my hair air dry then I applied the solution. In the directions it states, "Do not oversaturate hair." Well, the problem with this idea is that they tell you absolutely nothing about how MUCH to apply. I was still kind of worried so I applied just enough to make my hair wet. I let it dry for 30 minutes and blow dried the rest (it says to do this in the instructions). Then, I flat ironed my hair in small sections.

My hair was really waxy, but it had a nice, shiny glow. I was still on the fence about how much I applied. I decided to wait two days and if I saw no change, I would reapply the rest I had in the bottle and do it over again. I washed it after two days. I felt my hair getting curly again as I washed it with the matching shampoo and conditioner, only the curls were not as tight. I decided right then to do it over again. My hair was still curly and this system said it can make your hair straighter by up to 95%, and I waned my results!

This past Tuesday, after "oversaturating" my hair while repeating this whole entire process again (it takes hours!), I washed my hair after another 48 hours. In the shower, while washing again with my matching shampoo, I noticed something - my hair wasn't curly. What? I shook my hair around (it's only to my shoulders so it's kind of short), but it was too dark in my shower to see anything. I got out and went right over to the mirror. Finally, RESULTS I CAN LIVE WITH!

My hair is still wavy but it air dries to perfection. The best part of it all - not one, ONE freaking SIGN of frizz popping up anywhere when it dried. I usually would have an afro if I DARED to let it dry without some moisturizer first! Even then my hair would be a disaster. I can't wait to go the beach (frizz central) and see if my hair poofs up when I walk on the boardwalk. It usually does, but with this - I'll bet my life on it that I won't have trouble with frizz anymore. My hair shines like a mirror. I find myself touching it and wanting to look at it all the time. When it's straightened, oh my goodness, it's even more amazing. My friends have given me compliments and they NEVER, EVER (NEVER!) compliment me on my hair. Even my guy friend, along with my boyfriend noticed!

Try this. It's a rare gem and I will definitely be buying a LOT more of this product. However, despite how happy this has made me feel about my hair, It has only been DAYS since I applied this. I have no idea about how damaging this product might be or anything, so in this case, I will have to update my review. I am also going to start taking vitamins for my hair in the event that something happens. At least I'll already be on the road to recovery.

UPDATE 3/22/2011: The staying power of this formula isn't one of the best. I have had it in my hair a little bit over three weeks and it's just about gone. The only thing I have left is the shine. This doesn't really bother me because one bottle can be used twice. They give you plenty of formula to work with for a 30-day treatment. In fact, I've been meaning to apply this formula to my hair once again, but I was too worried about damage to go through with it.

This leads me to the "meat" of the review - damage. When I first applied this product and flat-ironed my hair, I had a few flyaways, but nothing major. My hair was so straight that it almost felt kind of thin. This worried me because I wasn't used to having my hair THAT straight. I also thought I may have lost a lot of hair during this treatment. However, since I was patient enough to wait this long, my hair is becoming thicker and curlier like it used to be. I can now "see" my hair a little bit better without the product on. As far as damage goes, for me, it was very minimal. I actually haven't lost any hair. I could use a trim (maybe a 1/4"), but that's about it. All-in-all, I'm happy with this product. I'm sorry to see that it isn't working for everyone.

-Note that the box looks different now and is sold in Walgreens, Walmart. CVS, etc--

I have coarse, curly african american hair which was being relaxed (last one was over 4 months ago)--I was trying to transition out of this because of the damage that the chemicals in relaxers have put on my locks, but still wanted straight hair! Last year I started using WEN products (which I love~ my hair was much more manageable with WEN cleansing conditioners which are free of sulfates and more nourishing to your hair.) While I love how the WEN products softened my hair (movement, body more shine) it was making my hair grow --and then came the new growth! The Wen works wonders for putting moisture back in but will not tame or address the curl pattern of your hair if you want it to be straight~ I was *yearning* for something to tame this but did not want to put another relaxer in my hair! I heard about the Keratin treatments and was intrigued, but did not want to ever do it because of the formaldehyde~

I picked this Organix Brazilliam Keratin Treatment last week at Ulta~ "NO formaldehyde"--safe for all hair types~ and thought "what the heck"--Don't be discouraged by the fact that the ingredients don't list raw keratin--there are keratin protiens in this product (amino acids)
Instead of taking the good things OUT of your hair (relaxers) to straighten it, you are putting IN and sealing to the hair good things to change the curl pattern---ummmmmmmm--let me tell you people this stuff is CRAZY!! (good)!! My hair feels AMAZING and is sleek and straight~ has never been so straight--not even with a relaxer! My expectations were low~ but I have been so completely (and plesantly surprised) My hair feels like SILK!! My hair is 2" past my shoulders and I only used 1/2 the bottle (did not want to over do it because the instructions say "Do not saturate the hair") I've read some of the other reviews of people saying their hair felt "waxy" for the 2 day waiting period and it may be becuase too much of the treatment was put on the hair.
The 2 day waiting period *bites* but with these results, I would do it again in a heartbeat!

**TIP** Be in a well ventilated area when you blow dry and flat iron your hair~ sit by an open window with a fan going if possible--it doesn't "stink" in a foul way--but it does produce a "smoke" as the treatment is being sealed into your hair cuticles.~more so with the flat iron than the blow dryer.
I have a VERRRY sensitive nose --& the smell only bothered me when flat ironing it in... I used my WEN to wash it out after the 2 days instead of the Organix brand shampoo (it is sulfate free and I am a Wen fan so I used it) and the results are SPECTACULAR--I am so happy with the results, I cannot stop touching my hair! I am shocked at how well it worked! Even though I didn't use the Organix Shampoo/Conditioner, I did get the Organix Coconut Milk Split End mender and Coconut Milk Serum and now my hair smells *divine*!! (The only thing I dislike about WEN products is the smell--I can't use them as styling products because I can smell them all day~so it has been a pleasant switch to smell Coconut instead of mentholy cough syrup-LOL!
I can't say you will have the same results as me, but if you follow the directions (I think the key is to not over saturate the hair) you should have a positive result! LOVE!!

****UPDATE**** 4/24/11****** The "lasting power" for this product is pretty much just as advertised-The 1st treatment lasted me longer than the 30 days--it was about 45-ish--which is fine with me because I used to relax every 6-8 weeks. I have applied the other 1/2 of the bottle as a 2nd treatment and the results were just as good the 2nd time as the 1st. This stuff is *ahhh-maze** and reacts very well to my hair texture--I'm sorry to see that others are having not-so-good results--but this product (for me) is fantastic~it has not only made my hair stronger and silkier--but the "fried & dried" frizzy look that Southern Texas Humidity can give your hair has virtually gone away for me ~I could not be more happy with this product! The only down side to this product is the 2 day waiting period after applying it--(imho)-I am still using my Wen cleansing products with it and I honestly think that this is what helped the "staying power" of this product last me a few extra days.
I would not recommend it for color treated hair based on some other reviews~ I have highlights and it did make them lighter when the product is applied~but nothing dramatic or "shocking"--again, this was just on my hair...With any product there are bound to be varied results on different types of hair--as seen in the wide range of "love it/hate it" reviews for this product--but for me, it is a keeper & I will use again.

This was the best product I have EVER used on my hair. i have relaxed african american hair and relaxed hair tends to break easily and feel like straw. I usually wash my hair using aphogee shampoo and then I used the reconstructor then I apply this coconut oil after towel drying my hair. I blow dry my hair on low heat and viola! soft, slky, non straw-like hair. I then flat iron my hair just to infuse shine. my hair has movement, body, shine and its soft. TRUST ME! it works!!

I'd gotten highlights, and when I do, my hair feels like straw for a while afterwards. A couple days later, I picked this up and tried it. I could not believe the difference - my hair felt silkier than it had even before my highlights! The thing is, I've spent a small fortune on very pricey products that promise the same results and none have worked nearly as well as this product has, at a fraction of the price. This will definitely be a staple in my house.

I ordered this with low expectaions because I have tried every hair serum I have ever come accross to no avail. I have long thick hair that becomes poofy when I allow it to air dry. Everytime I have tried a serum it either has not worked at all or it made my hair super oily, but that is simply not the case with this serum. I can comb it into my hair, then allow it to air dry or I can use a blow dryer & it ALWAYS turns out great :-) It also smells AWESOME! I have received soooo many compliments about how good my hair smells ever since I started to use this stuff! BUY it! You won't be dissapointed!

I am a African American woman. I have natural hair. No relaxers or other chemicals are in my hair. I have made of vow to have healthy hair this year. I started by buying the Wen conditioning cleansing shampoo, which I love. Its great for African American hair. Its not like other shampoos that dry out your hair. I have been look for a product that would actually smooth
my hair so I could wear it straight. Without breaking the bond of my hair. I could not believe how great this product work. I have never in my life had my hair this straight. And the shine and body was Fabo!!. I did a lot of research on this product before trying it. No claims of hair loss or anything damaging. Just some complaints about the odor. The only odor I experience was a coco smell. This product seems to make my hair look about 80% healthier. The directions are kind of vague. There are a couple of videos on youtube on how exactly to apply. You just want to make sure you enter organix hair treatment. I love that this product only last 30 days. I love my natural hair. And it was so happy to find a product that would not change the structure of my hair. I can not say enough great things about this product. If your trying to go from relaxers to your natural hair. But you want to keen that bone straight look with body and shine. Grab this product. Here are some better instructions on applying this product.

1. Wash hair with the shampoo that provided.
2. let hair air dry to about 80%. I dried my hair with a blow dryer on cool.
3. Apply the product. Apply the organix as if you were applying dye to your hair. I section
off my hair into 4 sections. Make sure to apply the product from the beginning of the hair
shaft to the end. The product will comb threw the hair easily,
4. let the product sit on the hair for 30 min. Then blow dry with high heat.
5. Your hair may be a little waxy after this. Do not worry. When you flat iron your hair all
the wax will disappear. Rinse off your brushes and combs with warm water to remove the wax
build up.
6. Flat iron your hair in small sections. Instructions say to use a flat iron at 450 degrees,
My Chi got up to 420 and that was fine. I used my pressing comb to get the edges. You want
to go over the hair 7 to 10 time.
7. Wait at least 48hrs before washing out the product. Make sure to apply the organix in a
well ventilated area.

*. style as usual and go.

For the money, this product is the best I have used. I have tried all kinds of straightening products and this by far works the best. I have really curly hair and made my hair much more manageable. No frizz, and the curl is turned into nice waves. Also it lasts for the full 30 days too.

I decided to wait about a month after using this product to review it. I am black with type 4 hair so very kinky and coily with a lot of shrinkage. I used the product on my hair and was at first pleased with the results. It loosened my curls a lot and it was easier to blow dry and flat iron. I made sure to keep my hair moisturized but it began to fall out. most of the hair on my edges and sides have broken off. The back of my hair is now very thin. The rest of my hair is also thinning out. If you have weak or thin hair I would suggest thinking twice before using this product.

I had been on the lookout for a good hair oil for sometime and came across this one at CVS. Smells absolutely divine and it nourishes and moisturizes the scalp beautifully as well. Also makes a wonderful pre-shampoo treatment for dry ends, you can leave it in or wash out and voila, wonderfully soft and silky looking and feeling hair. What an awesome find!