Damaged Hot Oil Treatment
I’m going to start off stating that this is not my first time trying Damaged but it’s my second time. The first time, probably around two years ago, I was super excited to give a hot oil treatment a try because lord did my hair need it! It was dry and damaged (ba dum tss) and really needed some extra TLC.
However, the old formula was a complete NIGHTMARE to melt down into the mixture. Not only that, but it gunked itself up in my hair and it had taken me shampooing three times to remove these gelatinous chunks out of my still dry and sad hair. I’m pretty sure I actually swore I would never try these damned things again.
Guess what! After reading for almost a year about the new formulas and how amazing they were I decided that I in fact WAS going to try these damned things again. So here we are!
So, for those of you who don’t know, aren’t sure, or have an idea but want to just read this little part because you’re procrastinating something superrrr important, Hot Oil Treatments are solid forms of treatments for your hair. They do things such as heal damaged (second ba dum tss) hair, give your hair an extreme dose of moisture, and give bounce and life back to your hair. They’re basically a superfood for your hair if that makes any sense. So, if your hair needs a little lovin’, it may be worth giving these little guys a shot, or sniff, whatever you want!
These Hot Oil Treatments come in a solid form (yay minimal packaging!) so what you need to do is obviously break it down into a form of custard or lotion. Think Mr. Dandy’s Hair Candy or Sleepy lotion consistency. I’m not going to lie, it can be very intimidating because the only instructions you get on the actual product are pictured above. I got a lot of anxiety from it because it sent me back to the nightmares of building IKEA furniture. I wish I measured the actual amount of water I added but I honestly took a giant risk lazily dumped a bunch of super hot water into the bowl, stirred, and prayed a little lot. I low key didn’t even heat the water in a pot like the instructions clearly depict in their creepily-similar-to-the-ikea-man instructions. I literally put a mug full of water in the microwave for three minutes. Because that’s how all great projects start; a microwave.
Once I stirred the correct (?) amount of water into this lovely mug with this super schnazy treatment on a stick and the consistency was that of a lotion but a tad thicker (see image below), the instructions say to let it cool. Now, I know we all like to play god sometimes, but trust me, let it cool. I burnt my fingers twice touching this stuff because I thought the instructions were stupid. Trust me. THEY’RE NOT. This stuff is thick, goopy, and hot. Don’t play with it. It will win.
Once the mixture’s cooled, you’re going to liberally apply it onto your hair. I don’t honestly know if it matters if your hair is dry or damp, but I did it dry. I soaked my hair with it, focusing on my ends. Once your hair is saturated, I left mine on for thirty minutes but I’ve read people leaving them on anywhere from thirty minutes to overnight. I suggest the longer the better for the best results.
Once your time is up and your hair is ready to be rinsed, give it a thorough rinse and shampoo as well. You’re going to want to shampoo to make sure any gunk is out. I conditioned afterwards, even though I feel like you might not have to but just to be safe! You’re going to feel how soft your hair is even when you’re shampooing it after. I was actually really shocked.
Even though I went into this treatment with a closed mind and preconceived notions because of the first time I tried it, I have to say I truly enjoyed it. I’d have to give it a four out of five bath bombs just because my hair really was softer and a lot less frizzy. It seemed to calm down the volume in my hair that was WAY too poofy before too which is awesome. The only reason I can’t give it five out of five bath bombs is because it’s been about five days and my hair has seemed to get oily quicker which I’m not a fan of at all. I may have used too much product.
Overall I’d suggest giving this a try if your hair is overly poofy, dry, damaged (last time I promise) or just could use an extra dose of moisture. It’s a great re-formulation for sure and I’ll be trying others in the future! Also, fun fact, if you have shoulder length hair like me you probably can get away with half the product. Just put the leftovers in the fridge in a closed container! They can apparently last up to three months! Just reheat and apply!
