Part of being a beauty junkie is resisting the urge to become a hoarder, a battle I started losing back in 2001, when I earned my first grown-up check and started capriciously making some hefty purchases on perhaps not the most grown-up things (many items that, to this day, I insist are vital). So, you see, is the mindset of the beauty addict — one that lends itself to stockpiling.
But, as entrenched as I am in my agglomeration-prone ways (we're talking shelves and shelves of hair products alone), there are moments when I try a range of products so stellar, that I actually contemplate doing some long-overdue spring/summer/fall cleaning and tossing all the extraneous miscellany. Do I ever indulge the instinct to minimize? Well, not really. But the mere fact that I entertain the notion — if only for mere minutes — speaks to the efficacy of the products that made me stumble on the idea in the first place.
Such was the power of the Ojon Damage Reverse collection that, after just one use, I contemplated ridding my bathroom of all other hair care products. Designed to help women with extremely dry, frizzy, breakage-prone, and damaged tresses, this all-natural collection relies on the brand's now famous Ojon oil, a lipid-rich substance extracted from the nuts of the Ojon tree found in Central America, as well as on Rouge Oleifera, the reddish pulp inside the Ojon nut. The Rouge Oleifera is a key ingredient in the collection's center piece, the Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Hair Treatment ($19.50 for 1.5 oz. or $33 for 4.1 oz. at Ojon.com), since the substance is rife with antioxidants like beta-carotene, which can be converted to active vitamin A, thereby stimulating cell renewal, boosting the skin's natural immune system, and protecting skin from sunburn and UV damage. It also contains essential lipids like triglycerides, which prevent moisture loss and create an anti-microbial layer that protects the cuticle layer and the scalp.
The new version of Ojon's beloved deep conditioning treatment is even more effective than its predecessors, plus it's available in the original woody fragrance or a lighter, vanilla-tinged scent. To apply the treatment, you have to scoop about 1-2 teaspoons onto your palm, then rub the hands together until the thick, gravely substance becomes a warm, golden oil. You then simply smooth hands over your dry tresses (by which we mean not damp), section by section, combing your mane to make sure the treatment is evenly distributed throughout. After 20-25 minutes, you can wet your hair, apply shampoo, and rinse out the treatment. When you're finished rinsing it out, you'll notice your hair feels markedly softer and smoother. It will also be more manageable and less prone to frizzing up at the slightest sign of humidity.
But perhaps the most ground-breaking products in the collection are the Damage Reverse Restorative Shampoo ($24 for 8.5 fl. oz. or $38 for 16.9 fl. oz. at Ojon.com) and the Damage Reverse Restorative Conditioner ($25 for 8.5 fl. oz. and $40 for 16.9 fl. oz. at Ojon.com). In addition to Ojon oil, the shampoo incorporates such hydrating ingredients as: macadamia oil, a fatty acid-rich substance that easily penetrates the cuticle; palm kernel oil, which softens hair thanks to its high glyceride quotient; conditioning and softening mango seed butter; watercress extract, a natural tonic that cleanses strands while strengthening them; sage extract, believed to be a hair growth agent; and wheat protein, which restores optimal moisture balance while also helping to create a frothy lather.
When you shampoo your hair, you'll notice a very light, airy lather forming that makes the experience feel all the more indulgent. Plus, given all the hydrating plant extracts in the formula, once you rinse the shampoo off, your strands will feel rather plump and thick, as opposed to the stringy effect that so many shampoos have on already damaged strands.
The conditioner, meanwhile, feels absolutely heavenly on damp hair. This creamy substance owes its potency to a mixture of Ojon oil; Buriti oil (which I raved about when I reviewed the Taya Buriti Nut Intensive Repair Mask), a Brazilian nut extract that contains Omega-3, Omega-6, and Omega-9 fatty acids, as well as Vitamin A; Murumuru butter, derived from the seeds of a type of palm tree native to Brazil, which contains such pivotal fatty acids as oleic and linoleic acid, both of which function as natural emollients, and lauric acid, hailed for its ability to penetrate the hair shaft and prevent the protein loss that can lead to breakage. Orange oil, palm kernel oil, bergamot oil, mango seed butter, and meadow foam seed oil complete the nutritious conditioner recipe.
Not only will you see results in the long run (my hair has grown a full two inches in only a month and it feels ofter than it has since I first went blond over a year ago), but you'll benefit from an instant smoothing effect. The first time I used the shampoo and conditioner, I allowed my hair to air dry, and I was stunned by how soft my mane felt, how much body and movement it had, and how healthy it looked overall (even my frayed ends and the kinks around my forehead seemed to behave extraordinarily well).
Right now, this collection is bumping all others from top shelf status — a strong endorsement coming from a self-proclaimed product hoarder.
