Saffron Smoothing Treatment - Formaldehyde Free (8 oz)

I was initially attracted to the Saffron Smoothing Treatment because you don't have to wash your hair before you use it. I really hate the whole deep cleansing without conditioner thing. It makes me feel like all of my hair is going to break off.That said, this stuff was pretty unpleasant to use. It's got the consistency of the liquid egg whites you can buy in a carton. And it's stick like putting egg whites in your hair, too. I was able to comb it through my hair, but there were some knots that were a little scary for a while.The fumes when drying and flat ironing really weren't that bad at all. The smell is pretty strong and I could still smell it in my hair the morning after, even after washing it out, but it's not unpleasant.The results are really nice, and that's what counts. My hair has the heavy, smooth, almost greasy feel that I love. It seems to tangle and break less (earlier this year I bleached it twice, then did a relaxer and then it started falling out by that handful, so this is huge). It really stripped the remaining dye from my hair, so that's something to watch out for. It also seemed to dry really fast, which is amazing, because my hair normally takes 5 hours to air dry and I've never had the patience to blow it dry 100%.I've only done the initial washout and I haven't washed it again, so things could definitely change, but I'm liking the current results.

I wrote a review on the whole Saffron Secret line while reviewing the conditioner. I am now 2 1/2 months into my treatment and the product is almost completely out of my hair. My frizz is back and the sleek, shiny look I had in the beginning is totally gone. Two and a half months might seem like a decent amount of time for this product to last but because of the dryness of my hair I only shampoo twice a week. For someone who washes their hair every day or even every other day the treatment wouldn't last very long, and would be very expensive. I am a retired stylist and have done many of this type of treatment so I applied the product exactly as the directions said it should be applied. I also used the whole system on my hair. I most certainly did like the results I got. I could wash my hair style it smooth and that is how it stayed no matter what the weather was, until my next shampoo. Because I only shampoo twice a week I would purchase again but if I were an everyday shampooer it would be far to expensive to use.

I read reviews but generally do not write them. I felt so strongly about warning people about this product I wrote this 6 months after using it. Not only did this product make my hair dry and brittle, very "straw like", it radically changed the color of my hair (which is normally a dark blond). I followed the directions very carefully and had not colored my hair for close to 2 months before using this product. My hair turned the brassiest orange color. It took coloring it two more times, a seriously deep conditioner, and a color toner to get the brassy color out of my hair. In addition to that, it broke so many ends of my hair, which I'm still dealing with after 3 haircuts. And sadly, to make it all worse, it didn't work as a smoothing treatment. I threw the rest of it away. Definitely would not recommend.

I bought this because it said Formaldehyde free, and because the reviews sounded good. I had had at least 7 keratin treatments in the salon. I also read in one review that the solution is best fresh so order the smallest bottle. This bottle says it works for for 2-3 treatments which contradicts the short shelf life idea but I was willing to try it. What I found was first, the smell from the chemical fumes was very powerful, my eyes watered a lot. It was much like I experienced in the salon only there they make sure to use big fans. The result of my first go was nice, it was smooth, and had a moistured look. I was happy. The lush look wore off after a couple washes with non-harsh shampoo but the straightening effect lasted about 2.5 months. I capped my bottle adding a layer of cling film to protect the product. The second time I did the treatment was different. There was no harsh smell. The result was muted, not glossy like the first time. I still have a third of it left and I guess I will use it. Upshot: I do not think the chemicals in these things keep multiple uses.