If suds are your thing, you’ll still get a nice lather out of this product, even without the sulfates, an ingredient you won’t find in any of the Cécred formulas, in addition to artificial dyes, BPA, BHA, BHT, DEA, formaldehyde, microbeads, mineral oil, phthalates, PEGs, and silicones.
Cruel: The hydrating shampoo really lathers. While I was at the shampoo bowl in the salon, Ms. Tina Knowles and hairstylist Neal Farinah mentioned that Beyoncé loves slip in her products — she wants fingers to glide easily through the hair — and you get a lot of slip with this one, though it’s technically a cleansing step. There definitely wasn’t a squeaky clean feeling, which is a good thing.
Stables: There’s something to be said for an impressive lather, and this shampoo delivers with a very lush foam (as in commercial-worthy, from the way it felt). As it started to suds up, I appreciated the subtle smell of sandalwood and oud that caught my nose’s attention without becoming overwhelming. My fine, wavy hair felt clean but not at all stripped.
Gutierrez: In truth, there’s nothing more annoying than discovering scrub debris on your scalp long after you’ve sloughed. Fortunately, this exfoliator rinsed out easily before I fully cleansed with this shampoo. The shampoo lathered easily (a feat when working with my thick head of hair), leaving behind a subtle, warm floral scent (sandalwood and jasmine). My hair can easily get knotted after most shampoo sessions, but not so much this time.
Reconstructing Treatment Mask, $42
What It Is: While it may look like a deep conditioner, this “mask” is not in the business of hydrating. Instead, it has been designed to “reduce damage, increase visible strength, and improve shine after one use,” with the brand’s proprietary, patent-pending “bioactive keratin ferment.” This ingredient blend combines bioactive keratin from natural wool protein, lactobacillus ferment, and honey, and it is said to “replace depleted proteins in hair and has a molecular weight small enough to penetrate the cortex to visibly strengthen weak, damaged, or highly manipulated hair.” According to clinical lab data provided by Cécred, this bioactive keratin ferment reduces breakage twice as much.
But does it? Yes and no. According to Romanowski, “If you removed the bioactive keratin ferment from the formula, it is my professional opinion that there would be no performance difference noticed by consumers.” He says it’s the other conditioning ingredients, such as cetrimonium chloride and stearalkonium chloride, in the formula that play a big part in product performance — the bioactive keratin ferment is almost an afterthought on the ingredient label; hair will be strengthened with or without it included.