This is the ultimate silicone free hair care system! The Redken Diamond Oil collection has made a tremendous difference in the look & feel of my hair. The minute I found out that a high-end brand had come out with silicone free products, I raced to get my hands on them.
Redken Diamond Oil Review
My hair history / type: Shoulder length brunette, thick & wavy with blond highlights. Dry, damaged, chemically processed, somewhat coarse.
During the past year, my hair suffered quite a bit of chemical damage. I made the mistake of attempting my own highlights, but only used a 30 volume developer which did not work on my dark hair. The hair faded to a light red instead of the blond I was hoping for. A month later, I tried again, but with 40 volume and the blond highlights turned out a bit better. By this time, my hair was somewhat fried, so I used the brazilian keratin treatment to straighten it out and increase shine. About 6 months later, I went to a salon to get a trim and have more blond highlights added.
Since I’d spent much time outside in the sun, and the BKT was pretty much worn away, my hair was looking more straw-like than ever. I began searching for top quality conditioners and leave-in conditioning sprays. It was nearly impossible to find any products that did not contain silicone (dimethicone). Months prior, I learned that silicone coats the hair shaft (which makes hair look shiny), preventing actual moisture from absorbing into the strands – so I absolutely did not want to use silicone. Click here to read my post on why silicone is bad for the hair.
After what seemed like endless research, I found this brand new Redken line. Hoepfully other companies will follow suit and create similar items, now that people are aware how damaging silicones can be. Here’s a break-down of each Redken Diamond Oil product:
Redken Diamond Oil Shampoo
Redken Diamond Oil Shampoo forms a spectacular lather & is great for the removal of styling product build-up. However, it does contain sulfates, which can be very drying, so I’ve decided to use it only 3x per week. On the other days, I use a sulfate-free shampoo such as L’Oreal Everstrong or Biolage Delicate Care to cleanse while preventing further damage.
Redken Diamond Oil Conditioner
Redken Diamond Oil Conditioner is a terrific every day formula.
You can literally feel the natural oils of coriander, camelina, and apricot melting into your damaged strands. I left it on for about 5 minutes, then rinsed. After drying, it leaves hair is soft, flowy and shiny. Costs $22 at salons.
Redken Diamond Oil Deep Facets
Redken Diamond Oil Deep Facets Hair Mask I haven’t been able to figure out a big difference between the regular conditioner and this hair mask, as the same active ingredients are listed on the Redken website. I’m guessing that it just contains even more of these effective oils for super-conditioning. I left it on under a self heating conditioning cap (about $4 at Sally’s) for 15 minutes. After rinsing and drying, my hair felt silkier than ever. I’ve never found a non-silicone conditioner that made my hair this shiny!
Redken Diamond Oil
Redken Diamond Oil Shatterproof Shine & Shine Intense
Finally, a shine enhancing leave-in product that doesn’t contain silicone! This comes in two different formulas 1) Shatterproof Shine for regular hair (gold bottle) and 2) Shatterproof Shine Intense for coarse hair (black bottle). Costs $44 at salons, but I found a great deal on Ebay & nabbed it for $24!
My hair is super thick, wavy, chemically damaged and somewhat coarse, so I purchased the Shine Intense. I applied 4 drops after towel-drying my hair and then let it air dry. Holy WOW! I thought the shampoo & conditioner alone gave good results. The Shine Intense was a complete game-changer for my hair. Normally, after it dries, the ends of my hair look straw-like and fried. After using this, the ends were soft and had natural movement, rather than looking like a dry clump of straw.
My only complaint is the container it comes in. The packaging is a very heavy glass bottle, with an eye-drop style dispenser. The bottle gets SO darn slippery, I have nightmares of dropping it and spilling this crazy expensive oil all over my bathroom floor. Many essential oils do need to be packaged in a dark colored glass bottle to preserve quality, but I do wish it came with a squirt top dispenser instead this clumsy top that you have to unscrew for every use.
How does the Diamond Oil Shine work?
The Shatterproof Shine Oil contains an impressive blend of natural humectants including coriander, camelina, apricot, olive, jojoba, coconut & sunflower seed oils. It can be used in many various ways to improve hair health, depending on the level of conditioning needed:
Slightly Damaged / Frizzy Hair
How Diamond Oil Works
Leave In Shine Treatment. Apply 2-3 drops concentrating on mid-lengths and ends.
Coarse / Damaged/ Frizzy Hair
Addition to Conditioner. Mix 3 drops into conditioner for added damage repair.
Chemically Processed / Dry Hair
Pre-Shampoo Treatment. Apply 4-5 drops before shampooing. Leave on for 20 minutes & then shampoo/condition as usual.
Severely Damaged / Broken Hair
Overnight Treatment. Leave on overnight & then shampoo/condition as usual.
Other Uses
This oil can even be used on the scalp and skin to alleviate dryness! Apply a few drops to rough areas and massage into skin.
Before & After
I didn’t think to take a picture before I started using the Diamond Oil product line, because I honestly didn’t expect it to make THIS big of a difference. I found 2 images online, which are very accurate as to how my hair looked before and after. Since I started using this system over a week ago, I haven’t been able to stop touching my hair. It’s incredible that I can run my fingers through it, without them getting tangled up half way through.
Who should use Redken Diamond Oil Products?
People with at least one of these hair types:
- Coarse & Frizzy Hair
- Severely Dry, Brittle Hair
- Damaged from Heat Styling
- Damaged from Sun Exposure
- Damaged from Over Styling
- Damaged from Chemical Processing
- Damaged from Coloring / Bleaching
Who should NOT use Redken Diamond Oil Shine & Shine Intense?
(Using Shine Oil on these hair types could cause hair to look overly oily.
However, the Shampoo & Conditioner are suitable for any hair type)
- Oily Scalp and Greasy Hair
- Thin, Limp Hair without Volume
- Virgin Hair in Perfect Condition (Never Colored/Processed)
This Diamond Oil line is just an awesome hair care line! It has been a true savior for my uber dry hair. I’m really hoping that more companies follow suit & start using natural oils, instead of sticky glue-like silicones.
Love It? Hate It? Application Tips? Let us know in the comments!
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