Update: Garnier Fructis Blow Dry Perfector

It's been a week since I first used this product and I've washed my hair probably 5 times. Time to check in!

Over the course of the week, I noticed that the product kept my hair less frizzy during humid weather and relaxed the wave in my hair. That wavy texture was still there, but it was more controllable. Letting my hair dry naturally allowed me to see that the wave and curls were still evident, but they were smoother in texture and did not get frizzy outside.

When I blow dried my hair, I didn't have to spend extra time on face-framing areas that I usually do. Baby hairs were tamed easier and didn't require a flat iron.

When I flat ironed my hair, I noticed that a fair amount of static electricity occurred when I brushed through my hair afterwards. I found that by using John Frieda's Secret Weapon finishing cream helped tame any static. I don't recommend using a silicon based product such as a shine spray or the Frizz Eaze hair serum because that actually just helps increase the static and doesn't actually provide a moisturizing base to the hair. Flat ironing took less time and one swipe usually got the job done. I don't use a special flat iron- I use a Zoe black and white polka dot 1" flat iron that I grabbed at ULTA after my Revlon one died.

So here's the low down:

Cons:

-Smell is less than fabulous for the 20 minute relaxer

-Time increase doesn't actually help relax the hair more, it may just be causing more damage

-Static issues when flat ironing

-You must use heat to get the full extent of this product

Pros:

-Hair is more manageable

-Leave in cream smells good

-Blow drying time is cut short (not by half, however)

-Smoothes hair surface temporarily to reduce frizz

Overall Grade: B-

(Good product, wish it reduced the amount of heat required to style my hair)

Would I purchase this again? Maybe during hurricane season to make sure my blow-outs stay smooth without adding extra product. I would not use this in winter time (due to static issues) and would not use this repeatedly for long term maintenance. This product would probably work best for people with very curly hair who live in humid climates who like to vary their hairstyle from their natural curls to having the option of wearing it straight. I would not recommend this for color treated, damaged, or very fine hair. You also cannot use this product if you previously used a relaxer or product containing lye.

The Basics- Cleaning Your Face

We've all seen commercials for different facial cleansers. A model with perfectly clear skin and highlights and contours in all the right places. The model is almost always in her early twenties, has her hair pulled back, and elegantly washes her face with the cleanser and washes clean with a perfect spray of water. Realistically, this is completely opposite of us average people. Cleaning your face is something that you need to do frequently, and it's hardly ever elegant. Plus we're all dealing with different issues with our face- a wrinkle here and there, a zit that is coming to a head, a spot where the acne is gone but the mark remains, a scar from a fight with a dog when we were 5, etc. Here I give you the low down on how to really wash your face. This isn't a commercial, so feel free to get a little messy.

Prep: Make sure if you have long hair to pull it back away from your face. Your hair contain oils as well as product (usually) and if you get it wet, it can transfer to your face. A lot of us have had the issue of acne or clogged pores along our hair line- this is usually caused by transfer of product or conditioner from our hair to our face. Plus if you just meticulously flat ironed your hair, the last thing you want to do is ruin your hard work by getting it wet. Usually a high ponytail can get all of your hair in if it's long. If you have shorter hair, or bangs, feel free to use clips or bobby pins to set it back.

If you are washing your face with a cleanser containing benzoyl peroxide (usually listed as the active ingredient on the front or on the back of the bottle), make sure you are wearing a white top or old t-shirt. Benzoyl peroxide bleaches almost all fabrics that come in contact. Common products that have benzoyl peroxide are the Proactiv system, most Clean and Clear products, and other acne cleansers. If it contains salicylic acid, it won't bleach your fabrics but I still recommend an older t-shirt as it can affect the fibers in your clothes.

Choosing a cleanser: Most teenagers and women in their twenties go through many different cleansers. In my opinion, the younger you are, the more likely you are going to pick a harsher cleanser because they are actively trying to banish oil and clear acne. This is actually counter productive because harsher cleansers affect the oil and ph balance of your skin. By zapping oil, your skin actively tries to produce more oil to replace what you got rid of. Oil serves a purpose on our skin- it protects us from natural environmental elements, it protects the outer layer of cells from damage, and it traps dirt and bacteria before it can enter our system. No matter what your skin type is, choose a cleanser that doesn't leave your skin feeling tight afterwards. You may need to wash your face twice if you have super oily skin.

If you are older or have dry skin, choose a cream or lotion cleanser as they don't typically contain harsher cleansers such as sodium lauryl sulfate or glycerine. If you have dry skin and are trying to combat acne, you often have to choose between an acne face wash or gentle face wash. Choose the gentle face wash instead to combat dryness and apply an acne treatment lotion afterwards only on spots that need treatment.

Wetting your face: Make sure your water temperature is warm- not hot! If you could see yourself sinking into a tub of this warm water, it's probably warm enough. Spend about 30 seconds thoroughly splashing your face with warm water- this will help open the pores and help remove surface oils. Then massage your skin for about 30 seconds. This helps increase blood circulation to your face and also can manually help open pores. Particularly focus on your T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) and areas that you have spotting and discoloration.

Increasing blood circulation on your face can help with many things. First of all, as blood begins to move through your system, it picks up the left-over impurities metabolized by cells. It also carries oxygen to your cells allowing them to do their work. Blood also carries heat and helps open the pores further. This is also good for those of us combating wrinkles because it helps maintain nerve function and essentially becomes a workout for the muscles of our face.

Cleaning: Apply cleanser to the pads of your fingers and work the product in your hands first. This helps warm the product and begins to create a lather (some products will not lather, especially lotions and creams). Massage the product into the skin of your face. A lot of people only wash their face until they see lather. Think of it this way- you spend $10 on a cleanser, and because you're stopping at the half-way mark, you essentially are washing most of the product down the drain without it doing its complete job. Take about a minute or two really massaging the product into your skin. This helps the product get into the pores, kill bacteria and treat whatever acne is secretly lying beneath or that is present on the surface of your skin. Make sure you spend time on your hairline, near your ears, along your jaw (as well as beneath), and down towards your neck. Commercials never show the model going this far but this is essential real estate to your face. Rinse your face with warm water for thirty seconds to a minute. You can then switch to cold water to close the pores, or if you are going to apply a face mask afterwards you can simply pat the skin dry and go to town with a mask. If you are doing an extraction, you should find that pores are able to be extracted easier. In any case, if you are done with cleaning, make sure you pat the skin dry. Rubbing with a towel can cause the cotton fibers to become imbedded in the skin and is usually too harsh on the skin.

That's it! Enjoy your clean face!

Garnier Fructis Blow Dry Perfector- A Review

I have to admit: I'm addicted to smooth, straight hair. Unfortunately for me, since I am blessed with naturally wavy hair and those oh-so-cute-when-your-five Shirley Temple curls right around my temples, I have been forced into a life of wash, blow dry, flat iron, repeat. I blow dry my hair probably 4 or 5 times a week, which is A WHOLE LOT.

I've always gone to the precaution to put on heat protectants and make sure I only blow dry when my hair is 80% dry, but with the frequency that I blow dry, damage is still being done. So when I saw Garnier Fructis' Sleek and Shine Blow Dry Perfector, I was intrigued. Keeps your hair smooth through 7 shampoos? That would be awesome! It would definitely reduce the amount of heat I'm applying to my hair.

My hair is about mid-back now, so it's quite long. I cut my own hair about every 6 weeks to get rid of split ends. The longer your hair is, the more you have to baby it. My current routine involves Joico's Moisture Renewal shampoo and conditioner, Argan oil on my ends when its wet. I change products around for styling, so a few things are always in rotation: Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship split end mender, Neutrogena's Triple Moisture leave in cream and split end mender, Pantene Pro-V's Combing Cream for Extra Straight hair (which they don't even make anymore since Pantene has repackaged most of their items), and Bumble and Bumble's Styling Lotion. I blow dry frequently, but only flat iron maybe once a week. Most of the wave of my hair can be worked out in a blow dry, so flat ironing is only when I want super straight hair, or want my wave to stay at bay during a concert or while outside.

First impressions: The package comes with two tubes, one which is a clear serum that smells like Drano. No kidding! This stuff smells like rotten eggs, which means it has some sulfur to it. It probably qualifies as a low-grade relaxer. So if you're used to coloring your hair, this probably won't be as noxious as those fumes tend to be, but still be careful. The second tube is the smoothing creme that you use after you wash the serum out, which smells familiar to all of the Garnier products- fruity! You also get directions and gloves (much like a hair dye kit).

Directions:First you shampoo your hair, and then apply the serum to your hair while wearing the gloves. You can comb the serum through to make sure your hair is coated. With my length hair, I probably only used one-quarter of the amount of the serum you get in the package. Let the product go to work for about 20 minutes, wash out, and then towel dry your hair. Apply the smoothing creme and then blow dry your hair. You really need to use blow dryers or flat irons with this product because it is heat activated.

During the process: My hair felt like it had been coated in hair gel while it was damp. I kept it off my shoulders with a banana clip, applied a face mask, checked my email while it was going to town. The smell didn't really travel with me, so it dissipates after application. When I went to wash my hair, my hair felt like it was hanging really straight and heavy. It didn't exactly feel sleek because I associate that more with silicon products, along with the softness you usually get. I washed my hair for probably two or three minutes straight to make sure there wasn't any of that stuff left.

I towel dried my hair, applied about a quarter size of the smoothing creme, applied a dime size of Argan oil on the ends, and then set about combing it. It feels smooth and silky after I applied the creme and definitely smells pleasant. It reminds me of how my hair feels after a nice deep conditioning treatment. I did notice that I got two knots in my hair, but I combed through them. I usually don't get knots, so I associate this with the chemical process and its nature to slightly dry out the ends. Again I let my hair dry a good bit before I applied heat. I blow dried my hair on medium using a large paddle brush, focusing on the hair that frames my face as this is the area that I typically get the most curl action and where I have to frequently apply the most product to tame.

The after: My hair is smooth, and despite a few areas that I would touch up with a flat iron, the one place I don't need to touch is the hair around my temples! The wave is definitely gone, and there are fewer flyaways. My ends don't feel dry, but I attribute this to my use of Argan oil in addition- frankly, if this didn't work with the oil, I wouldn't use it.

The next part of this test is to see how it withstands shampoos. Like all chemical products that are to be used for long-term (or in this case, short term) on hair, using shampoos and conditioners that include sulfates as their primary ingredient can strip the effects of the chemicals used, so I'm going to switch to my MOP (Modern Organic Products) C-Straight shampoo and conditioner, which are both sulfate and fragrance free, for a week. This is the true test as to whether I would buy this product again. I'll check in a week and tell you how it's going (I doubt I'll get to 7 shampoos, but we'll see where I get to!)