Anonymous Asks:
I was curious about what you thought of the Ojon products, specifically their restorative hair treatment. Is this any better than other products, and how would it work to improve your hair?
The Right Brain Responds:
Ojon’s oil treatment consists of palm oil, fragrance, and a few extracts. It’s particularly interesting because recent research has shown that only SOME oils will actually penetrate the hair. Mineral oil and sunflower oil, for example, will not penetrate. But coconut oil (which is essentially the same as palm oil) will filter deep into the cortex because it is so similar to hair’s natural lipids.
Why is that a big deal? Because the natural oils in your hair help make it flexible and waterproof. Washing your hair removes some of these natural oils. So it is possible that applying coconut oil to your hair can fight some of the effects of this oil loss. Once inside the hair, the oil serves as a re-fatting agent.
However, this type of conditioning won’t have much effect on the cuticle, the outer layer of hair, so you’ll still need to use a good conditioner to smooth the hair and make it easier to comb.
Is it a good value? Well, that’s another question. Any other coconut oil based product should do about the same job and should be much cheaper. Off hand we can’t recommend any specific brands, but look for products that feature coconut oil as the first ingredient. (If anyone has any recommendations we’d be glad to review them. Just let us know.)
Is there anything to their rain forest hype? Well, their rain forest story seems well intentioned but this ingredient isn’t proven to work any better or any differently than non-rain forest ingredients. Coconut trees only grow in tropical climates, but there’s nothing special about trees from the rain forest. So, if you like Ojon’s products and you want to support their cause AND you can afford the $55 for this product, then by all means buy it. But don’t buy the product just because they tell you their rain forest extract is better.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
We haven’t tested this product but based on recent scientific research, the palm oil used by Ojon should penetrate the hair. Therefore it could protect your hair from over-washing. However, at $55, it’s a bit pricey so shop around for other coconut oil products because you may be able to get the same effect for less money.