My hair is dry.  Very, very dry.  To the point that I must add extra moisture to it or my hair will be frizzy, coarse, and completely unmanageable.  Unaided, my hair has no shine, no softness, definitely not the kind of hair one would want to run fingers through. 

Luckily I have a huge array of options when it comes to adding moisture.  Still, I'm always trying new products, trying to find the perfect one.  My latest attempt is Optimum Oil Therapy Shine Booster, part of the Optimum line from Softsheen-Carson. 

The company makes products designed specifically for African American hair, but I find these are the products that work best for me, too.  I have enjoyed their shampoos, conditioners, and relaxers, but this is my first experience with a leave-in oil enhancing product.

What's In It?

The list of ingredients is huge but the first one is mineral oil.  We also have olive oil, jojoba seed oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil.  A whole fruit-salad's worth of oil!  Of course, there's also fragrance, and a whole bunch of scary-sounding stuff that I won't list here, but can be checked on their website, if you need the specifics.

For my purposes, I know that there's a ton of oil in this product.

How does it look, feel, smell, and taste?

Fooled you!  I'm not going to tell you how it tastes!

But I can tell you that this is a clear liquid, with a thick consistency, but not as thick as some of those "anti frizz" products I've seen that are so thick they take forever to drip into your hand.  This is a more like a vegetable oil consistency - it's easy to squeeze a little out from the flip-top cap.

I like the smell - it's a little bit fruity.  Definitely nothing that should offend anyone.  This is important since this is a leave-in product.

How do you use it, and how does it work?

Using it is simple.  Squeeze a small amount into the palm of your hand, then rub your hands together, then apply evenly throughout your dry hair.  Let me emphasize... Squeeze a small amount.  I made the mistake, in the beginning, of using as much of this product as I do with the "anti-frizz" products. That is to say, I glopped it on with a "more is better" attitude.  That is not the case with this product.  This is an oil.  It will leave your hair looking greasy and limp if you use too much.  So for my hair which is long and fairly thick, I need to use less than a dime-sized portion.  If you have short hair, or fine hair, I would think that just a few drops would be all that's needed.

The end result is hair that's shiny, soft, and not at all frizzy.  I know the product is in there, because my hair is smooth, nice to the touch.  Yet when I shampoo it, the product comes out, without any hassle.  What a pleasure!  For those of us with such dry hair, this product is a real blessing. 

Final Thoughts

This line of products works for me, even though I don't look like any of the pictures on their products.  I have no idea how it works in the African American community, for whom the products are designed.  But for me, with my ridiculously dry hair, these products just work, and I'm happy I discovered them.  Obviously, if your hair is normal to oily, this is the last product you should be using.  But if your hair is dry, you might want to give it a try. 

Softsheen-Carson Optimum Care No Lye Relaxer


See www.softsheen-carson.com for more information.

Recommended: Yes