Sunday 24 August 2014

Old Wives Tail Melado Organic Hair Growth Oil Treatment

RRP: £13.99 for 100ml
Stockist: http://www.oldwivestail.com/ 

--What does the promo say?--
"A unique blend of 100% organic oils that will give the kiss of life to even the most dry and damaged hair. Rich in natural vitamins, antioxidants and proteins just one sacred drop of Melado will do wonders for your hair and scalp. The natural vitamins and omegas in Melado restores shine and deeply moisturises the hair back to health. When massaged into the scalp this oil will stimulate and encourage healthy hair growth by penetrating deep into the roots and strengthening each hair follicle."

--Packaging--
I love that the clear jar lets you see exactly how much is left at all times; it's also securely packaged, with the lid being easy to close to ensure that you don't lose any. The design (font etc) seems quite amateurish, but hopefully this is something that will improve as Old Wives Tail grows and the business has more money to plough into a more professional-looking package. The jar is also not a good idea: while when securely closed you won't lose a drop, and the jar means you should be able to scrape out every last drop with your fingers, it's very very difficult to get out the exact amount you need without spilling any. In this respect a pump-action canister would be more user-friendly. 

--Usage--
OWT recommends massaging this into into damp hair once or twice weekly "to stimulate long, healthy, nourished hair growth." You should leave it on for a minimum of an hour, or overnight, before rinsing with fresh water and shampoo (I found that shampooing and rinsing twice was best to be sure that the product was out). They say that you can use conditioner on the ends of your hair only afterwards, before styling as normal, but I didn't feel this was necessary; hair already felt sufficiently nourished. I also tended to just go for the overnight treatment rather than the hour's treatment: I might have time to strut around my flat in the morning with a towel on my head for an hour before having to get back in the shower to rinse it off in the holidays or at the weekends, but that's not going to fly during a normal working week. Wrapping your oiled-up hair in a towel overnight sounds like a hassle, but really isn't, so I'd definitely recommend doing this so that your hair gets the most possible out of the treatment. OWT also says you can use the product to tame flyaways, frizz, and split ends, just by using a drop of oil after blow drying, but I found I could never get the amount right to stop my hair turning from volumized and luminous loveliness back to oil slick - and as frizz is already reduced by using this product anyway, it seemed a tad unnecessary.

--Appearance--
A golden oil that gives a really luxurious impression.

--Scent--
A gorgeous aroma of lavender that's pleasant and natural without being overpowering. 

--Texture and consistency--
Despite being an oil, it doesn't feel sticky or greasy in the hands, and it slicks through the hair easily without leaving too much excess on your hands (and even if you are left with some, just rub it into the backs of your hands - oils are terrific for anti-ageing too). It also washes out after two shampoos - so again, if using a hair oil seems like too much hassle, it's certainly no more faff than washing out any other hair styling (say, backcombing!).

--Effects on the hair--
First of all, it really seems to clean the hair, which makes the product a great ambassador for the "co-washing" trend that's currently sweeping the world of beauty. Hair is left feeling smooth, cleansed, and strokeable, which also indicates the effect that it has on the way your hair feels. Rather than your hair being weighed down by pollution and commercial hair products, hair feels lighter and unencumbered. Furthermore, it feels cleaner for longer - I found I could go a whole day longer without washing my hair once I'd used this. Being able to wash your hair only twice a week rather than three or four times doesn't sound like a big difference, but it is. The process of styling the hair is also improved, as the oil seems to help significantly with detangling, and once you've styled your hair, frizz is reduced, with hair looking lighter and more volumised. Longer-term, the oils that compose the product will help to protect your hair from the damage caused by heat styling products (such as straighteners and hair dryers), and I do notice that my hair is looking lovely and long - another incentive to keep using the product, as my hair typically grows slowly and I would like it to be longer. Overall an excellent result.

--Value for money--
Although I was sent mine for free by OWT, I think £13.99 for a jar represents superior value for money, not just given how little you have to use each time, but also given the undeniable results that are achieved. These products definitely deserve to become better-known and more widely-used, meaning I would definitely purchase this product and others from the range in future (especially as the company's worldwide delivery charges are so reasonable too!). Highly recommended :)

perfect partners
Melado Organic Hair Growth Mask, £14.99
Melado & SOS Duo Organic Mask, £24.99
Melado & SOS Duo Organic Oil Treatment, £21.99
Scalp Massaging Hair Brush, £8.99
Wide Tooth Comb, £3.99  

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