Review of L'Oréal EverSleek Conditioners for Dry Hair Care
L'Oréal EverSleek Conditioners do a good job of smoothing dry or coarse hair; for deeper conditioning, alternate or mix them with a coconut oil hair product
The EverSleek Smoothing System includes shampoo, conditioner, and a leave-in serum to fight frizzy hair. The system's main selling point is that it contains no silicones or sulfates, two greatly maligned hair care ingredients that are not nearly as "bad" as all those Internet rumors tend to indicate. The conditioners in the EverSleek hair care line are very good for dry, coarse, or damaged hair; they make locks smooth and shiny without leaving an unattractive greasy residue.
Plant Oils Smooth and Moisturize Dry and Damaged Hair
Many conditioners contain fairly large quantities of silicones to coat the hair shaft, thereby smoothing down the cuticle and causing it to reflect light beautifully. With overuse, heavier types of silicones (like dimethicone) may gradually build up on hair. If these substances are not properly removed, the hair can end up looking like a limp, greasy mess.
The EverSleek conditioners by L'Oréal use a large amount of sunflower seed oil and a smaller quantity of olive oil to provide softness and shine without using silicones in their formulations. They also contain argan oil, but the tiny amount indicated on the package will provide little benefit (argan oil production is labor-intensive, and including a large amount of it always drives product price up). Lastly, these conditioners contain candelilla wax to prevent moisture loss.
Vegetable oils like sunflower and olive are also called triglycerides. Depending on their individual structure, they either coat the hair surface or penetrate the shaft and enter the cuticle; some even go deep down into the inner portion of the hair (the cortex), where they provide superb conditioning benefits.
Sunflower oil coats the hair nicely, but is easy to rinse; according to the Journal of Cosmetic Science (Keis, et.al.), it may also penetrate the cuticle, meaning the uppermost layers of the hair shaft. Olive oil penetrates into the cuticle and into the cortex as well, so by using the EverSleek conditioners the consumer gets the best of both worlds: a sleek, shiny hair surface, and deeply moisturized hair that should exhibit less frizziness, break less frequently, and be easier to manage during and after styling.
Which plant oil penetrates deepest? Studies indicate that the answer is coconut oil, which sinks deep into the hair, preventing swelling and weakening of the hair shaft. Therefore, in cases of terribly coarse, overprocessed hair, it is an excellent idea to occasionally alternate or even mix the EverSleek conditioners with a product that contains coconut oil. One inexpensive option that not only contains a decent amount of coconut oil but also skips the silicones is Mane 'n Tail Conditioner by Straight Arrow.
Of course, the consumer may purchase a jar of coconut oil at a health food store; but because this oil is actually a solid or semi-solid at room temperature, it is a bit difficult to work with. According to its entry in Ruth Winter's A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, coconut oil may cause allergic rashes, too, so a patch test would certainly be advisable prior to using the pure ingredient all over the hair.
Sulfate-free Hair Care: Are Sulfates Bad for the Hair?
All of the EverSleek products are sulfate-free. As far as the conditioners are concerned, this is more of a nice marketing gimmick than a statement of any substantive value. Sulfates are primarily included in hair care products as detergents and foaming agents, so they are present in many drugstore and salon shampoos rather than in conditioners. In addition, some sulfates are used as emulsifiers to make sure mixtures of oil and water don't separate. Laureth sulfates, also known as lauryl ether sulfates, are slightly larger in size than lauryl sulfates; so consumers concerned about ingredient penetration should choose shampoos with detergents like ammonium laureth sulfate instead of its lauryl "brother."
Natural hair care gurus occasionally claim that sulfates cause cancer, collect in internal organs, and dissolve hair or even cause baldness. Sulfates (especially sodium lauryl sulfate) are indeed drying and irritating, especially if left in contact with skin for at least ten minutes at a time (who leaves shampoo on her hair that long, anyhow?); but they're not nearly the monstrous molecules they're often made out to be. Still, consumers who've experienced even minor problems with itching or redness from the use of sulfates will most likely be pleased with the EverSleek line of products. For that matter, so will hair dye users, since lauryl sulfates in particular seem to fade or strip out hair color.
The Difference Between the L'Oréal EverSleek Conditioners
The EverSleek line markets conditioners for chemically straightened/damaged hair and for frizzy, unruly hair. The damaged hair conditioner uses a different coloring agent and adds another preservative and several extra fragrance ingredients such as citronella, linolool, and limonene. Other than that, the ingredient lists on the two products are exactly the same! Those with sensitive scalps should stick with the conditioner for frizzy/unruly hair, since the added ingredients in the damaged hair version may irritate such skin types, and really don't provide any added conditioning benefits.
Despite the ingredient legerdemain, for consumers who struggle daily with dry and frizzy hair, but wish to avoid silicones, the EverSleek conditioners are highly recommended.
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Subject: Review of L'Oréal EverSleek Conditioners for Dry Hair Care 
Fri Mar 25, 2011 4:28 pm