AT LAST, SOME DECENT REPAIR THERAPY FOR MY HEAD? (Dove Advanced Colour Care Conditioner)

Member Name: totalserenity

Product:	Dove Advanced Colour Care Conditioner
Date:	09/08/09 (140 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: COMES UNDER THE RESPECTED 'DOVE' BANNER PLUS INEXPENSIVE IN PRICE...

Disadvantages: THIN IN SUBSTANCE, UNPLEASANT ODOUR & DOESN'T LIVE UP TO THE MARKETING BLURB.

I have been dying my hair for nigh on 20 years now- ooh now I sound old, Oops!

And during that time I have ploughed through a fair number of different conditioners to try and keep my over-processed tresses looking as healthy and hydrated as possible, given that I put them through a punishing regime of washing, blow drying and then straightening my shoulder length locks every single day...

When you have a routine as vigorous as mine you have to add moisture back into the follicles or your mane can end up looking more mangy than manageable!

When 'Dove' started introducing their 'Colour Care' range for a very reasonable £1.99 per 200ml bottle, I was first in the queue to try their new and much hyped product out.

Manufactured by 'Unilever', Dove is now a very well respected household name that is synonymous with including moisturising agents in all their ranges - thus I unrealistically expected the usual pleasant scent along with a miraculous rehydration I suppose.

Looking back this was a bit unfair on my part, especially for a couple of quid!

Sold in a dusky pink plastic recyclable container, this 'Colour Repair Therapy Conditioner' includes 'repairing Serum' designed to help damaged hair that beforehand has been 'vulnerable to fading' - according to the blurb on the back label.

The usual silhouetted bird emblem is found on the front in delicate silver, along with an amber coloured drop to symbolise the company's new formula of advanced serum...

There are two websites quoted on the back of the bottle in case the purchaser wishes to read up on any of the company's other product ranges, etc, which are www.dove.co.uk and www.unilever.com.

Now as a severe sufferer of Dermatitis I was happy to note this solution is 'Dermatologically Tested', as well as having a mild formula for frequent use.
Perfect for me then along with the promise of being especially formulated for my coloured hair type.

'The Advanced repairing serum in the formulation contains millions of micro particles that help repair the surface damage caused by the colouration process, helping to keep the colour in and the damage out', promising paragraph convinced me to give it a go.

Recently this stuff can often be found on Special Offer in many stores, either on BOGOF of half price.

This latest bottle I am reviewing today cost me 97p from my beloved Wilkos - cost is a consideration for an everyday conditioner which is exactly what this Dove Therapy is!

So to the usage then, folks.

Well as with most wash out conditioners it is best used on wet freshly shampooed locks ( avoiding the eyes as it stings like hell), squeezing a liberal amount from the flip-lidded bottom opening onto the palm of your hand - and then rubbing thoroughly throughout and leaving for at least a minute to do its magic.

The solution itself is white and disappointingly does not have that famous Dove fragrance. Rather this mixture smells quite odorous to be honest, a pungent cheap smell that I found extremely nose curlingly off putting when applying to my damp hair. Containing the usual Linalool and Citronellol essences as many toiletries products do, nevertheless there is a whole chemical concoction listed in the ingredients that sadly does not create a nice finishing aroma.

Luckily this smell does not linger otherwise this product would be unusable for me...

Also the conditioner is a bit too runny for my liking; blink and it's dripped off your hand, so it's a race against time to slap it atop your head before it weakly slithers off through your fingers!

As for protecting my colour, well I don't think it does after regular usage to test the results.

My hair is auburn by choice ('Tango orange' as described by my unkind teenage cookie monster child, tut), and I don't feel despite all the advertising hype that it lives up to the protection claims re preventing my shade from fading.
As a basic conditioner it's fine and worth a pound of most peoples money, but I haven't seen any evidence of any repairing going on.

It does rinse out easily I'm happy to report; but does leave my hair feeling rather lank/limp so am not totally convinced it does not drag the hair strands down like the 'leaving it with a glossy radiant colour that lasts without weighing it down' write up claims...

Soft, supple, moisturised and sleek my ginger mane somewhat does look and feel - so to me this does half a job.

The glossiness again I did not notice after using this Dove colour conditioner for an entire week to test its properties out.

Accordingly I'll leave the intensive treatments, mists and masques to the big boys like 'Elvive', 'Osmo' and 'Pantene' and stick with this rather ordinary liquid for regular applications.

A middle of the road silky - yet unspectacularly pungent - 2 Dooyoo Stars for today's review subject matter...and a vague feeling of unrest of being let down by a normally wonderful brand.


© Written exclusively for Dooyoo.

Summary: NOT FOR ME, THERE ARE OTHER HAIR CARE PRODUCTS OUT THERE TO PUT MY POUND TOWARDS THANK YOU UNILEVER!