Pardon me for being all high maintenance but when you have hair that’s as prone to unruliness as mine – think fine, frizzy, the unholy duality of dry ends and oily scalp, genetically predisposed to breakage – one tends to start investing in some kickass treatments. The latest in these have been Pantene Pro-V’s Intense Rescue Shots, which were only available in Brazil till now.
Nobody has been able to tell me why they were restricted to that one country – as if Brazilian women are not gorgeous enough on their own that we need to arm them with more exclusives 🙄
Anyway, back to the Intense Rescue Shots… they are actually quite lovely. Lighter in texture than a hair mask and thicker than a conditioner, they are easy to rinse out – which is much appreciated. Meant to replace your normal conditioner once a week, all they take is one minute to work.
And a single-dose tube is actually enough for two washes, given my fine, medium-length hair. So that’s basically 90 cents a wash, which is quite decent.
The first and second time I tried them, my hair emerged all soft and shiny. The dryer bits definitely looked silkier and less parched, while the oily roots did not appear greasy at all. It was almost as if the molecules hunted out the damaged parts and mended them one-by-one.
But then, of course, I had to overdo it! So happy did my hair look that I went and used them three times in a row. And after the third time, my hair did not appear quite as glossy. In fact, it seemed a little coarse.
Now, I realise, that’s because of the fatty alcohols (cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol) and dimethicones, which are great at smoothing the hair in small doses but can create buildup over time. Once that happens, you really need to bring out a clarifying shampoo to remove the residue (hello, Christophe Robin’s Cleansing Volumizing Paste). Silicones are difficult to remove from the hair shaft, so a sulfate-free shampoo is not going to cut it in this case.
Now that I am back to using them as per instructions, my hair is again happy and swishy. Lesson learnt.
Will I use the Pantene Pro-V Intense Rescue Shots again? Definitely, though less frequently. And will be rotating a clarifying shampoo in between.
Have you tried them yet? What’s your experience been like?
Pantene Pro-V Intense Rescue Shots: The Pros
– Definitely leave hair feeling smoother, stronger and silkier (when you don’t overdose!)
– Perfectly portable little ampoules that are now a permanent part of my travel case
– Decently priced, especially if you can get two uses out of one ampoule, like me
– Rinse out far more easily than most other hair masks
– Do not add another step to your hair ritual… just use in place of your normal conditioner
– All it takes is one minute!
Pantene Pro-V Intense Rescue Shots: The Cons
– Can cause product buildup, which will make hair appear dull and dry in the long term. So, use as instructed.
– Can get pricey if you have really thick or long hair
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