Moroccanoil to the rescue

By Melissa Stephans

Since moving to L.A., I’ve visited numerous salons and beauty supply stores that have waxed poetic about Moroccanoil (yes, it is spelled correctly). I figured the excitement over this line was just the result of overzealous salespeople, and since I bolt at the first sign of a sales pitch, I’ve ignored much of the hype — that is, until now.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and thanks to my last dye job, now is one of those times. But before I decided to try anything new on my hair, I asked my friend Tiffany — who is notoriously difficult to please when it comes to haircare — if she has heard of the line. In the 13 years I’ve known Tiff, she has repeatedly shot down any products I’ve brought up, saying that nothing works to calm her dry, course hair. So naturally, I was stunned that she formed the exact same twinkle in her eyes as all of those overzealous salespeople. According to Tiff — who raves about Moroccanoil’s Intense Curl Cream — the product gives hair enough moisture to deliver a “soft, and natural feel,” but is light enough so the curl isn’t weighed down or straightened.

After witnessing her excitement, I decided to give the line a go. I experimented with both of their masks–the Intense Hydrating Mask and the Restorative Hair Mask–and I found that, for my current dry hair situation, the Intense Hydrating Mask is exactly what I need. It has a thick and creamy texture, but washes away without leaving an oily residue. The secret to this line is probably the quality of ingredients–which features Shy’s beloved argan oil. You can always tell when a company uses high or low quality ingredients, because with poor quality, your hair ends up having a dull, waxy film on it. With Moroccanoil’s products, I found that everything–from the Moisture Repair Shampoo to the Hydrating Styling Cream–absorbed and left my hair with a soft, pretty sheen.

The brand is most celebrated for its easily absorbed treatment oil, but I worked my way through a lot of their other argan oil-infused products and here’s what I found:

The treatment oil can actually be mixed with any of the styling products to amp up shine or calm down frizz. The Restorative Hair Mask will be the perfect conditioner for my hair when it is healthy, but dry; for now, the Intense Hydrating Mask is exactly what my dead, lifeless hair needs to look healthy. The Glimmer Shine Spray, like the rest of Moroccanoil’s products, smells sweet and yummy. Plus, it delivers a lightweight shimmer along with daily UV protection to prevent further damage.

I now get why so many people rant and rave about Moroccanoil’s products. I’ve also learned how to distinguish a sales pitch from genuine product obsession…it’s either in the twinkle of the eye or the sheen of the hair.

For more on Moroccanoil products, visit their website at www.moroccanoil.com.