Like so many women these days I subject my poor hair to a never ending ordeal with heated appliances. I am lucky to have quite strong, thick hair that withstands quite a lot of damage but I feel I should make some effort to protect it. Also because it is thick it does take quite a bit of effort to style as otherwise it has a freaky, sticky-out curly look!

On one of my trips to Boots I purchased the Trevor Sorbie straightening heat protection spray that I usually use. I noticed on the same shelf there were various other products in the range. The product I am now reviewing is called Trevor Sorbie Straightening Addict Smoothing Balm. This is not exactly the same as the pictured product (which I presume is an old one) but is as close as Dooyoo seem to get!

The product is presented in a clear plastic pump dispenser with a securely fitting lid. The majority of the writing and the design on the front is in red to match the rest of the Straightening Addict range. The pump contains 100ml and currently costs £4.88 in Boots (07/09).The clear plastic is useful as you can see exactly how much is left.

The balm claims to calm frizz-prone hair leaving it straight and smooth. It also says that it contains an anti-oxidant complex and a UV filter to protect hair from both heat and environmental damage.

The list of ingredients is frighteningly long and I will not copy it out but I notice that it does contain parabens, perfume and PEG-60 which I know cause allergic reactions in some people.

More information and advice is available at:
www.trevorsorbie.com

The next time I washed my hair I towel dried it and then depressed the pump several times to prime it. The directions suggest using a "generous" amount but since I have reasonably short hair I just used one full squirt of the pump. I worked the clear gel through my hair with my hands and then a wide comb. It spread easily through the hair but it made my hands feel very sticky so I had to wash them before I could carry on. I then went on to blow-dry my hair as usual.

I was immediately impressed. Normally my hair takes a while to "tame" but I found that using this product seemed to make my hair instantly dry how I wanted it to. I used a large brush and it lay straight and flat with very little effort! Once my hair was completely dry it felt soft and silky, as if there was no product on it at all. There was very little fragrance on my hair which I like as I hate being over-powered by hair product smells. My hair held its style pretty well all day even without using any hairspray.

Although my hair was perfectly acceptable with just blow-drying I will use straighteners as well if I am going out. When I used the Trevor Sorbie Straightening Addict Spray in combination with the balm my hair reacted really well. It lay very straight and looked shiny and well conditoned and not at all stiff or sticky.

When I washed my hair again (I tend to wash it every other day) it felt lovely and soft, similar to when I have been to a salon and they have used the expensive products. It washed out easily and even though I have been using it regularly for a while now there seems to be no build-up residue.

As anyone who has read several of my reviews will know I am very partial to sunshine holidays. I spent Easter in the caribbean sunshine and used this product all the time. My highlighted hair stood up to the sea and sun well and I am sure this balm was a contributing factor.


I am definately converted to using this product every time I wash my hair, it seems to be lasting very well so I do not feel it is too uneconomical and it certainly does what it claims to do.