Trying out Hair Treatments from HBC

My forever favorite is Opal’s 1 minute treatment conditioner primarily because it performs as good as its Kerastase counterpart. I am partial towards Opal.  I love Kerastase as well but it is just too much on the pocket.  I would rather spend my extras on gadgets when I know there’s a brand that’s really good without hurting my pocket book as much. Because I needed to find out for myself what works best, especially so that my favorite Opal conditioner is not anymore available in the same store I usually buy my supply from, I needed to get my damaged hair the fix that it badly needs.  I checked out our local HBC and just browsed through its aisles of hair conditioner and here’s the first that I found.

Hortaleza Hair Spa, P99 (approx. $2.00)

After getting my hair rebonded the second time after 10 years, I was told by the attendant that it is ideal for rebonded hair.  I used it twice or thrice but I was not so satisfied.  It has a menthol feel on the head and my hair was conditioned enough right after, but it just did not impress me so much.  It did not last the second wash.  I think this should be a benchmark for a good hair conditioner.  It comes for cheap, less than a hundred bucks.  I think it’s a good thrice a week treatment but I don’t think I would buy another jar in the future.

Body Recipe’s Pure Coco Oil Hair treatment Cream, P99 (approx. $2) 

Bought also from HBC is Body Recipe’s Pure Coco Oil Hair treatment Cream with Gugo and Henna.  Coconut and gugo sometimes are over glorified to some extent that capitalists just include them to every hair treatment just so to sell the product, regardless how minute the amount of coconut and gugo extract are actually in the product.  But that’s just me and my first impression of everything that goes with coconut or gugo.  So, I just had to try this for myself.  It didn’t have the same menthol feel on the head.  I’m not buying this jar again for the simple reason that the conditioned feel does not last the second wash, atleast for me.  A benchmark is a benchmark and I’m pretty convinced about it being a non-negotiable.  If I can be satisfied with Opal and Kerastase, I was pretty confident that my quest to finding a local product that will deliver as well will be answered.

Hortaleza Professional Protein Treatment, P450 (approx.$10)

Needless to say, I wasn’t so satisfied with my first two hauls from HBC. Both of the times I bought the first two, the attendants were insisting on this Hortaleza Protein Treatment, I just had to politely turn them down both times. I still had half of my Opal tube full. Not because it’s pricier will I tell you that it is better, but just going right back to my benchmark, it lasted my the second wash! Finally!  It is still nothing like Opal or Kerastase but the best of the three hair treatments from HBC, to say the least.  For some reason, this protein treatmentjust won’t go through strands unlike Opal and Kerastase would.  Which is pretty frustrating because I know how the good ones perform during and after.

For the record, all three conditioners from HBC did not give me allergies (I can be sensitive to hair products esp. those with sulfur) nor dandruff (some conditioners are downright notorious to leave flakes after a while).  And as I’ve reiterated in my posts, while some brands might work and not work for me, it does not follow it will be the same for you. We all have different standards and for this specific topic, hair types.