Redken Extreme Shampoo & Climatress Treatment

Introduction

I have used Redken products in the past and liked them. I wanted to try Extreme Shampoo (for damaged hair) and Climatress Treatment (conditioner for dry hair) because my hair tends to be dry if I'm not careful.

These products are made by Redken Laboratories out of New York, and also distributed in Ontario, Canada, and London.

Let's face it--sometimes we just get too busy to take proper care of our hair, and a quick emergency fix is needed.

These two Redken products fit the bill as they are specially designed for damaged or abused hair. They would be ideal for permed and color-treated hair.

I use a lot of gel and hairspray, plus a styling stick on my Bed Head hairdo each day, and the various alcohols in the products can make my hair dry.

Therefore I need a shampoo to give my hair a good hydrating. I also appreciate a good conditioner made expressly to give dry hair the moisture it needs.

Redken Extreme Shampoo

Redken has an exclusive Interbond Conditioning System that "delivers amino acids, proteins and ceramides to help fortify damaged hair."

When I tried it, I'd gone longer than I like to without washing my hair, was a week overdue for a trim and used much more product in it than usual. This was an ideal time to test this shampoo and get the full hydrating effects.

Usage

Apply a generous amount of the shampoo to wet hair, and massage into the scalp. It made quite a lot of silky lather, and the scent was light and fresh with a faint aroma of flowers.

Rinse thoroughly, then follow with Climatress Treatment to condition.

Climatress Treatment

I was glad to see that this conditioner is especially formulated for my type of hair; dry, coarse hair. This treatment also has Redken's Interbond Conditioning System that helps soothe hair with proteins, amino acids, and olive oil extracts.

Redken recommends you use it once every 5 shampoos, or as often as needed for maximum effectiveness.

You can leave the conditioner on in the shower for 5 minutes, or you can towel-dry your hair, apply the conditioner and leave it on for 10 minutes. Rinse out thoroughly.

Usage

After shampooing, squeeze a out a good amount of conditioner and apply it evenly throughout the hair. You can leave it on while you finish your shower, then rinse out.

Packaging and Cost

Both shampoo and conditioner come in Redken's traditional dark blue plastic bottles with white lettering. The cost for the shampoo is about $6.95. The cost for the conditioner is about $9.95.

Fragrance

Redken Extreme Shampoo has an elusive flower-like smell that makes your hair smell fresh after washing.

Climatress Treatment also has the scent of flowers, with an undertone of the olive oil extracts. (Don't worry--it' not strong enough to make you smell like a salad afterwards!)

How I Tested These Products

As I mentioned earlier, I had let my hair go for a few days, and wanted to see if the shampoo would not only clean but restore my hair's luster. I wanted the conditioner to hydrate and moisturize.

I got a lot of lather with the shampoo, and my hair felt a lot less rough when I started to massage it in. It felt as if the individual hairs were not only cleansed but strengthened as well.

After rinsing out the shampoo, I distributed a small amount of the conditioner on my hair and really rubbed it in. I left it on a good 4 minutes, then rinsed it out. My hair felt distinctly better! Even wet, it seemed that all the roughness was gone, and I could easily run my fingers through it.

Shampoo Ingredients

Water, tea-lauryl sulfate, cocomide MIPA, sodium lauryl sulfate, glycol distearate, lecithin, PPG-ceteth-20, oleth-10, disodium cocoamphodipropionate, taurine, arginine, hydrochloride, hydrolyzed soy protein, laureldimonium, hydrolyzed soy protein, wheat amino acids, 2-oleamido-1, 3-octodecanediol, phenoxyethanol, trehalose, methylparaben, disodium edta, ethylparaben, phosphoric acid, sodium citrate, hydroxpropyl methylcellulose, cocomide MEA, laureth-10, citric acid, fragrance, D&C red no. 33 (CI 17200), FD&C red no. 4 (CI 14700).

Conditioner Ingredients

Water, cetearyl alcohol, mineral oil, glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate, stearalkonium chloride, lecithin, PPG-5-ceteth-20, oleth-10, disodium cocoamphodipropionate, hydroxyethyl tallowdimonium chloride, olive oil, taurine, arginine hydrochloride, hydrolyzed soy protein, laureldimonium hydroxpropyl hydrolyzed soy protein, wheat amino acids, trehalose, phenoxyethanol, hydroxyethylcellulose, sodium citrate, methylparaben, disodium EDTA, ethylparaben propylparaben, phosphoric acid, fragrance.

Conclusion

I am still impressed by the Redken products, and my latest experience with the Redken Extreme Shampoo and Climatress Treatment was successful. I got good results with the hydrating formulas in both these products. My hair felt renewed again, and I agree with Redken's recommendation to use the conditioner once every 5 shampoos. It was a great help for my type of hair, and I got a lot of shine and silkiness after using both products.

Jane's Rating**

On my own scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, I give Redken Extreme Shampoo and Climatress Treatment a 9. **All opinions expressed above are entirely that of the author**.

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