Review: Suave Keratin Infusion Heat Defense Leave-In Conditioner

I'm kind of the queen of leave-in conditioners, and I'm not saying that to brag (is that really something worth bragging about?). What I mean is that I've been using leave-ins for decades, due to the nature of my hair, so I have quite a bit of experience with this type of product.

I have long hair that's fine in texture but I have a lot of it. I also have naturally wavy hair that tends to get frizzy, with lots of flyaways, if I don't use something after I wash and condition. Smoothing oils are a new love of mine, but a good leave-in is like a broken-in pair of sweatpants for me. Nothing feels quite as comfortable or reliable for my hair type as a leave-in conditioner, so when I was sent the new Suave Keratin Infusions Heat Defense Leave-In a while back, I couldn't wait to start testing it. Now that I've been using it for over a month, I'd love to share my thoughts with you:

Suave Keratin Infusion Heat Defense Leave-In Conditioner

(retail: around $3.50, 5.1 oz)

From the Suave website:

This dual-action lightweight formula, enriched with KERALOCK TECHNOLOGY, both infuses keratin inside the hair fiber for ultimate moisturization and helps protect hair while heat styling.

Infuses keratin & seals cuticles for:

• Advanced protection from heat damage
• Frizz control for up to 48 hours
• Smooth & manageable hair, easy styling

DIRECTIONS:
Apply a dime-sized amount to damp or dry hair from mid-shaft to ends. Comb through to distribute evenly. Style as desired.

Ingredients:

Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconeol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glycerin, Fragrance, Behentrimonium Chloride, Dipropylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, Lactic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Petrolatum, DMDM Hydantoin, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Disodium EDTA, TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Butylene Glycol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491)

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I thought I'd show you what my hair looked like when I used this product on just one side of my hair:

Left side: WITH

Right side: WITHOUT

For this experiment, I applied Suave Keratin Infusion Leave-In Conditioner to just one side of my hair and then straightened my (naturally wavy) hair using a paddle brush and a hair dryer.

Note: I don't like using a flat iron (in fact, I don't even own one) because I don't like my hair stick-straight. I have a natural wave that provides some nice bounce when I use a paddle brush to straighten it, so I prefer that method so that my long layers give my hair some "swing".

Looking at the pic above, I think you can see that Suave Keratin Infusion Leave-In gives my hair a sleek look, and it really enhances my layers. I think it makes my hair soft, but not too soft, and it gives it just the perfect amount of body and texture. Looking at the other side of my hair, you can see that my hair looks flat, lifeless and also frizzy.

Some more pics:

WITHOUT

WITH

See how much SMOOTHER this product makes my hair? It's kind of incredible, the way that it helps straighten my hair, yet manages to keep the volume and body.

WITHOUT

WITH

In all honesty, I don't really like to straighten my hair. I find it to be a chore, and I usually prefer to let my hair air-dry and rock my natural waves. But this product has made me fall in love with straightening my hair again--the results have been incredible for me.

The fragrance of this product is quite pleasant. It's got a fresh, clean, slightly floral scent to it that I like very much. The texture of the product is sort of a cross between a cream and a gel. It's what I would call a lightweight cream--very easy to work into the hair; not too thick and not too watery.

I REALLY love the fact that, even though I have oily hair, this product doesn't make my hair greasy by the end of the day. In fact, I can skip a day of washing and my hair still looks pretty good (a small miracle). I'd say the only thing I don't like (and this is a minor complaint) is that this product decreases the natural shine of my hair a tiny bit. It's not dramatic, though--maybe a decrease of about 20%--and I think it's a fair trade-off for the smooth, sleek look that I'm able to achieve whenever I use this product.

FINAL VERDICT: If you straighten your hair and you're interested in trying a super-affordable product that will make your hair softer and smoother, Suave Keratin Infusion Leave-In Conditioner might be just the ticket. I don't know what this product will be like if you use a flat iron (again, I don't own one so I couldn't tell you), but if you use a paddle brush and hair dryer to style your hair, I think you might be very pleased with the results. For me, it provides just the perfect amount of control and moisture, without making my hair feel weighed down or greasy. The proof is really in the photos--this product works so well for me that I can tell you I'll reach for it every single time I decide to straighten my hair.

For more information on the Suave Keratin Infusion line, click here. For my review of the Suave Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo, click here.

Do you own any Suave Keratin Infusion products? If so, I'd love to hear what you think of them!

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.