Here I am going to review a product that has been sold by the body shop for the last few years. It is the Body shops Macadamia straightening spray.

I have become obsessed with my hair straighteners over the last six years and I am never ever known to leave the house with out my hair sleek and straight. I really don't know what I did before straighteners were invented, I do know I actually ironed it with a house hold iron a few times.

As my hair has become overstressed over the past few years, I always like products that help protect my hair. I have tried many straightening and heat protector sprays over the years and this is one that really stands out for me.

THE PRODUCT

This macadamia straightening balm is designed to fight against humidity and protect your hair against any heat damage from the use of hair dryers and straighteners.

It is unlike any heat protection product I have ever used before, as it is a light weight cream balm and not is a spray mist form. This I found very strange as I usually had a product that you applied after you hair has been blow dried, but this is applied while wet and not right before straightening.

The first thing that struck me was the fact that you only need a small 5p peace size amount, and the smell is amazing it has a very nutty smell with it smelling sweet at the same time.

After this was used on my hair I got a silky smooth finish that didn't kink up and fuzz up.

I tested this for a night out and to my surprise, my hair stayed straight which has never happened before. Usually after I have had a few too many and at two in the morning my hair was frizzy and fluffy looking. Since trying this I always use it on a night out to keep my hellish hair poker straight.

APPLICATION

This applied differently to any other straightening spray I have ever used, firstly you have to shampoo and condition your hair and then apply a small amount to your hairs mid length and ends.

You can also apply to the root area, but in my past experience your hair will go greasy very quickly, so I would just apply it to your hairs length.

After you have applied the product and combed it through, you blowdry your hair and then straighten it off with your straightening irons.

PACKAGING
The packaging is very basic and comes in a cream coloured, 150ml plastic bottle. It has a pump action lid that allows a small amount of product to escape with one pump.

I feel that one pump is not enough product to do the job, so two pumps will give you the results you want.

As this is plastic it can be fully recycled, so I am also helping the environment.

PRICE

The first bottle I had of this I got free for spending over 25.00 on the body shop website, but as I have been very impressed by this I have since been a got more and it has cost me 8.00.

You can get this from www.bodyshop.com but the UK website is not currently offering it, although it is still stocked in any body shop store.

I have also had a bottle of this from amazon.co.uk for 8.00 but postage costs did apply so I paid over the top for it, I now buy in store as I don't have shipping fees to pay.

INGRIDIENTS

The key ingredient is Babassu Oil part of the community trade program, this is a non oily moisturiser that is extracted from palm tress in South America and Brazil

UV protector is added to protect you hair from heat and the sun, which can really damage your hair. Wheat proteins are also added to hydrate, add gloss and shine to your locks.

Other ingredients include Aqua (Water) (Solvent/Diluent), Cetyl Alcohol (Emulsifier), Cyclopentasiloxane (Skin-Conditioning Agent/Emollient), Propylene Glycol (Humectant), Glyceryl Stearate (Emulsifier), PEG-100 Stearate (Surfactant), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Tocopheryl Acetate (Antioxidant), Cetyl Esters (Emollient), Dimethicone (Skin Conditioning Agent), Octyl Methoxycinnamate (Sunscreen), Sodium Polyacrylate (Film Former/Viscosity Increasing Agent), Hydrogenated Polydecene (Skin Conditioning Agent), Hydrolysed Wheat Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol (Hair & Skin Conditioning Agent), Macadamia ternifolia (Macadamia Nut Oil) (Emollient), Orbignya oleifera (Babassu Oil) (Emollient), Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolysed Maize Starch (Hair Conditioning Agent), Parfum (Fragrance), Methylparaben (Preservative), Cetrimonium Chloride (Hair Conditioner), Butylparaben (Preservative), Ethylparaben (Preservative), PPG-5 Laureth-5 (Skin Conditioning Agent), Laureth-4 (Emulsifier/Surfactant), Isobutylparaben (Preservative), Propylparaben (Preservative), Laureth-23 (Emulsifier), Benzyl Benzoate (Solvent), Limonene (Fragrance Ingredient), Linalool (Fragrance Ingredient), Geraniol (Fragrance Ingredient), Anisyl Alcohol (Fragrance Ingredient), Benzyl Salicylate (Fragrance Ingredient), Benzyl Alcohol (Preservative), Citral (Fragrance Ingredient), Citronellol (Fragrance Ingredient).

COMMUNITY TRADE PROGRAMMES

As with all of the body shop products and cosmetics, this straightening balm helps towards one of many community trade programmes, which the body shop support.

The trade program associated with this macadamia straightening balm, is called Coppalj which is located in Brazil.

Babassu Oil being the ingredient in question, the body shop buys this oil and return local women are paid a fair wage, in which they deserve as they have fought against massive landowners for the past 30 years to win rights to extract the babassu nuts that are used in this macadamia nut product.

These women are now allowed to earn a fair living, thanks to the body shop buying these nuts from them.

MY OPINION

My hair is hideous in humid wet weather, so this product has been a god send to me. If I didn't have it I would be devastated. Thanks to this my frizzy days are now over.

The application was a bit strange at first I was forgetting to put on the product when my hair was wet, but after a few times it became very normal to me and saves my spraying each individual hair strand that I want to straighten.

This is for curly wavy hair, I do have a slight wave to it but I feel this would work for anyone who went fuzzy with damp weather, and I think there are many of us that do.

As usual this body shop product is not tested on animals so it is suitable for vegetarians, which is another big bonus.

Some may think that 8.00 is expensive, but one bottle of this has lasted me up to four months and that is for my mid length hair, using this product everyday. Before this I would use protector sprays and these would only last six weeks and I would pay the same for them, so I am making a huge saving.

I have also been known to put a small amount on to my dry ends once my hair has been straightened, this acted as a serum and helped me out until I got a much needed hair cut to remove the dead ends.