L'Oréal Professionnel, Solar Sublime After-Sun Nourishing Balm - Product Review

Hi!

I am so sorry I couldn't keep up with my promise of twice-a-week posts but since I am on holidays I have limited computer time and Internet access but by next week I should be home and the posts will be more regular from then on.

But let’s get down to business! Today I am going to talk about my favorite of the moment after-sun hair mask: the L'Oréal Professionnel Solar Sublime After-Sun Nourishing Balm (this is the current name of the product. The mask shown in the pictures is still in the old packaging, but the product remains the same – at least this was what the Lady at the counter told me when I bought it, reason why I was able to get this mask at a discount - which is always nice! J).

This package contains 150ml of product. The new one has 200ml.

About the product itself: I have used it for the past 3 years and still love it. Why? Firstly, it smells amazing – a peachy fragrance that lingers on your hair a whole day after you have washed it but the scent is not overpowering enough to interfere with your perfume of choice.

It reads:
- After-sun hydra-source mask

Besides loving to have my hair smelling like fresh peaches, I real love how it ends up being a multitask product. Every time I’ve brought this product with me on holidays I didn’t use any other conditioner or mask.

It reads:
- Hydra-Source Mask: enriched with active cosmetic and hydrating elements of the scalp. Repairs and nourishes sun, chlorine or sea salt-exposed hair. As a result: your hair recovers its softness and shine.
- Application: Apply to washed and towel-dried hair. Distribute from roots to ends. Leave it 2-3 minutes. Rinse it off.
- Ingredients List

I have very fine hair and as such have to be particularly careful about conditioning products. However, after being assaulted by chlorine, salt and sun my hair is also exceptionally dry. This can be a tricky combination to work with: I need enough hydration to have my hair looking healthy but not too much or it’ll weigh it down. That’s why this product is right up my alley, it achieves that perfect balance – I just need to use it every single day after washing my hair, but in different ways.

I’ll explain: from Monday to Saturday after arriving home from the beach or the pool I wash my hair with an after-sun shampoo (I’m currently using one from the Portuguese brand My Label) and after rinsing I follow with the mask which I use as a conditioner – I apply a little bit solely to the ends of my hair and wash it off right after; on Sundays after washing my hair I towel-dry it and apply the mask to the lengths of my hair up until a little bit above my ears (when I apply masks I don’t worry too much about not getting it too close to the scalp) leave it for about 3-5 minutes and wash it off afterwards.

By doing this my ends are always deeply nourished and tangle free - as such they’re much less prone to get split. Once a week I replenish all my hair leaving the product for longer and applying it to drier/less wet hair which makes my hair look shiny and healthy all throughout summer but never limp. Also, since I’ve started using this product I have never again felt the need to trim the hair after the end of summer because it isn’t damaged at all. As a plus I don’t need to carry as much weight as I would if I needed both a conditioner and a mask.

You can buy this mask at feelunique.com for 16.56 euros (12,43 euros now during the Summer 2013 sale they're running!) or on a hair saloon.

Do I recommend it?

Absolutely! I believe it will work amazingly with all hair types you just have to adjust the way you use it. If you don’t wash your hair everyday during the summer and have very fine hair I would recommend skipping it and choosing a lighter conditioner in the days you don’t go the pool or sea because otherwise your hair may look a bit limp or greasy on the second day. On the other hand if you have thicker or drier hair I would recommend upping the number of days a week you use it as mask until you reach your perfect balance.

Will I repurchase it?

I definitely will. I am curious to try other products of the same type but I think that I will end up going back to this.

Yours,

M