I rarely use hair styling products nowadays. It's the result of using the most moisturizing shampoos, conditioners and hair masks I can find (L'Occitane and Kiehl's). But occasionally I still need some extra help in the fight against frizz, especially when the weather is not cooperating. That's what hair serums and leave-in treatments come into play.
I'm ambivalent about Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum but not because it doesn't perform. It does: a few drops and my hair looks slicker and shinier, the curls and waves are open and stay in place, tangles are smoothed- what else can one ask?
The answer? Honesty about what makes it work. Yes, we all know that argan oil is great, as are the other co-stars of the ingredient list: camellia, jojoba, avocado and grape seed oils. However, the truly effective and active agents in Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum? various silicones. Here's the ingredient list:
Cyclomethicone (and) Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Organic Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Geranium Maculatum (Geranium) Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol (and) Phenoxyethanol (and) Hexylene Glycol.I'm not anti-silicone in any way. They're effective, feel nice on skin and hair and are an important part of many favorite cosmetics. My scalp is sensitive to them (go figure. I can cover my face with the stuff but one drop on my head and it's the Itchy & Scratchy Show) but other than that my hair responds wonderfully to dimethicone and friends. Just don't tell me it's the argan oil that does the magic, OK?
Bottom Line: Good products as long as I keep the serum from touching my scalp.
Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum ($30, 2oz) is available from Sephora online and in-store.
Art: The Toilette by John William Godward, 1900
