Is Biolustre A Bogus Buy?

October

Sarah C’s saga: I emailed you earlier about a product called Biolustre, I would like to know what it really does. I found a list of the ingredients and directions for use (from the Long Hair Community forums).

The Left Brain’s side of the story:
In case everyone’s not familiar with Biolustre, it’s belongs to the Jhirmack division of the Playtex company. (Yes, they make more than just bras and panties.) Here’s the info that Sarah found:

Ingredients: Water, Tert-buryl Acrylate, Methacrylic Acid, Ethylacrylate Copolymer, Hydrolozed Wheat Protein, Aminomethyl Propanol, Dimethicone Copolyol, Propylene Glycol, Diazolidanyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Fragrance, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Sodium Acetate

Directions: Apply liberally to clean dry hair from root to end. Dry with blow dryer until product feels hard on hair. (DO NOT COMB THROUGH). Wash out completely. Style as normal. Enjoy truly healthy, youthful hair.

To be honest, this product is a mystery to me. The first several ingredients are basically hair spray resins. If you put this product on your hair and dry it, I’d expect it to feel very much like a heavy hair spray. But if you wash your hair (like washing a hair spray out) there isn’t much left behind. So it appears to be more of a styling product than it does a conditioner. Weird.

Their claims don’t really make sense to me either. You can read them for yourself on the Biolustre website, but I’ll summarize a few here for your edification and entertainment.

1. Bioluster is the only proven hair repair product…which repairs damaged hair and does it instantly.

It works instantly: yet you have to put it on and then blow dry your hair completely dry. THEN you have to wash it out completely. Then you still have to dry and style your hair! I don’t know about you, but their version of “instantly” would take me about 20 extra minutes!

2. It will actually lay down additional layers of keratin and make the hair thicker.

If the ingredient list is correct, there is no keratin in the formula. There’s wheat protein, but no keratin. So I’d love to know how it lays down more keratin when there IS NONE in the product.

3. Bioluster strengthens hair and increases the tensile strength up to 300%. This allow a no breakage guarantee if used before a Japanese straightening treatment.

Besides the obvious redundancy in this claim, I’m baffled by the “no breakage guarantee.” If I buy a bottle of Biolustre and use it at home and then go to a salon for a Japanese straightening treatment they guarantee I won’t have any breakage? And if I do, what happens? Do they refund the $500 I spent on the Japanese treatment? Or do they just send me a coupon for another bottle of Biolustre? The whole thing doesn’t seem very well thought out to me.

Well, you get the idea. I’m not impressed by this product. There are other options for straightening hair. Have any of our loyal Beauty Brainiacs tried it?

29 Responses to “Is Biolustre A Bogus Buy?”

Erica Says:

i bought this stuff a long time ago, maybe 5 years or so? It does not work, don’t waste your money! I didn’t notice any difference in my hair at all!
melissa Says:

I hate to admit it, I have been very tempted to purchase this product, but always resigned to “if it sounds too good to be true…”. So I thank you for saving me time, money, and frustration.
Raine Says:

Out of curiosity - has anyone from Beauty Brains actually TRIED the product or spoken to people that have ?
I have done this 3 times in the past 4 years - and it does work. It helped me recover from major bleach damage. I did it twice more both before and after coloring my hair. The last one I did today.

It also lasts on your hair - provided you dont do further damage to your hair which even with natural virgin hair would cause damage in the long run.
It is well worth the money. I found my texture much better, blowdrying my hair took less time, and my hair was softer. The only thing it doesn’t help with are split ends. I also have a cousin that owns a hair salon that has just started using their products and there are many people who swear by it.
Perry Dawn Says:

I have also been a user of Biolustre Florida products. I have had great success with their product. It helped me with a ‘hair emergency’ I had about 4 years ago. After just one use, this product did wonders for my hair. I buy a kt from them every month, jsut like Raine, I treat my hair the day before I color it and then I wait and treat it like 4 days afterwards and I have no dammage. So, I say, before you knock something you should try it first, because this stuff works!!
Mary Says:

I have over processed my hair. I have permed it and then colored it. I have major split ends and the frizzies. I would love for this product to do what it says, but I am like many other woman, wanting the luster and bounce and beauty this product claims to do. I will try it to see if it calms my crazy hair.
OCstudent Says:

This is a bogus buy and a bogus company. I have had the worst experience with Biolustre. I ordered the product after I saw it advertised on Extra in January. My credit card was charged for the product weeks ago and I never received it. I have called twice a week for several weeks and they keep telling me they can’t track the orders but they know it was shipped and I should be receiving it soon. They claim that they are just a small company and they received a heavy volume of orders so they can’t handle the orders. This has been a total hassle. I never got to try it but I would never do business with this company again. Buyer beware.
tina curnutt Says:

omg!i also ordered the product in feb,and my card was also charged weeks ago,and i havent received my product yet.i have tried calling them several times a week,and always get an answering system,which no one has ever bothered calling me back.i have repeatedly emailed biolustre and still no response from that bogus company.indeed,buyer beware.i was charged $79.90 for a product that i never received.thats an awful lot of money to just sit back and say forget about it.im contacting the better buisness bureau to see if they can help.
JAC Says:

I have used biolustre and it does work. I don’t think this review is very thorough or accurate. The product is not owned by the Jhirmack division of Playtex. This division performed an independent study of the product and concluded that it does what it advertises. It is a procedure that needs to be executed correctly in order for the product to work, but the important thing is that it does work. I have heard of some ordering difficulties but stick with it because the product is worth it.
Cris Kuba Says:

I waisted too much money on this garbage hoping the commercial was true. Well it wasn’t. I used the biolustre shampoo and conditioner. I have gotten better results from shapoos and conditioners from the dollar store. Biolustre weighed my hair down, making it look lacklustre and did nothing to improve the condition of my hair. I wish I had read the negative reviews before I spent my hard earned money on this worthless garbage.
Elaine Says:

I tried biolustre in desperation after my hair started breaking from Japanese straightening a year ago. It was the ONLY thing that stopped the breakage and saved what was left of my hair. I now use it every couple of months and I use the maintenance shampoo in between. I don’t know what’s in it or why it works. All I know is it’s the wierdest thing I ever put in my hair and my hair is in the best shape ever. Go figure. I’m a believer.
Rachel Says:

OCstudent and Tina - I just ordered it… I REALLY don’t want to cut off my ends… did you guys ever get it?
carriebeary Says:

I just ordered this product off ebay. I went to the website http://www.biolustreflorida.com, then opened ebay and compared the prices and the product to make sure they were the same. I spent 34.99 for the same item (free shipping)that I would have gotten from the original website and no hassle of dealing with thier orders department.
Monica Says:

Actually, I have biolustre in my hair right now, I order a large bottle off of EBAY for the same price as all the shampoo and crap they try to sell you on their site, It works GREAT! I color my hair every 4 weeks, blow dry it, then straighten it about 4 times a week. My hair is full, bouncy, and shiny. Maybe people send in negative reviews because they didn’t use it properly. read the FAQ’s on teh site. I Love it, but it onlt works on truly DAMAGED hair.
Rachel Says:

It did show up. I’m doing the treatment now. I’ve been using the shampoo and conditioner all week. I like them. $80 is not really that much to me because I have fine, curly hair which I HATE and blow out EVERY DAY. I have been using Kerastase which is a lot more than $60 for a kit. However, if it works I will be getting it from eBay in parts. I do not need 16 ounces of exfoliating shampoo whose sole purpose seems to be to use before the treatment. I’ve read all the FAQs on the site - wish me luck.
Heather Says:

I also brought Biolustre from the website Biolustre.com (I think that was it) at the end of January, they charged my credit cards immediately too and I waited and waited. Finally after talking to Mike at the head office, don’t forget all this took me 3 months of trying to talk to someone working at Head office. Mike even called me back after the first time I left a message on the answer machine. I got the product the next day and I live in Canada. Mike had sent it personally from Texas. That delivery was made to me March 26. A very long wait from the January order and charge to my credit card.
This is what I did to receive the product that I had paid for and not received.
I called 210-355-8751 about not receiving the product. I e-mailed too. I found that the 866-246-4247 was only the distribution, which has NO authority in which to help you. They are in Florida (distribution centre) and the office for Biolustre is in Texas. Mike also told me that you have to wash your hair after the treatment more than twice as they stated on the bottle but about 4 to 5 times to get the treatment out. He also told me that you need to use the full bottle for shoulder length hair.
Hope this helps.
Kate Says:

Hi,
I came across biolustre on ebay, did my research n thought what have i got to lose (u can pay a lot more than £50 on a visit to the salon!)?
My hair had been through hell. I had attempted to dye my hair blonde, didnt work, so i bleached it, then i realised i looked ridiculous (it was literally white and yellow) and dyed it back to brown! I shoved loads of conditioning treatments on it and eventually forgot about what i had done.
4 months later i decided to ask a hairdresser to dye my hair blonde- and she ended up using dye and then bleach too! it didnt take and i dyed it back to brown (all with permanent dye).
My hair (obviously) started breaking, i still have loads of flyaways where my hair has broken off about 3inches from the roots-biolustre cant reattach hair thats gone down the plug hole!.
I tried biolustre and the breaking has slowed considerably! Not stopped completely (not surpriding huh? after having just read what i did to my hair?!) but there is only about 5% of the breakage compared to what it was before biolustre!
I honestly believe that it has saved me from being bald, coz thats what would of happened if my hair continued breaking the way it was! I cant get enough of the stuff now! My hair is stronger than it ever has been (i have horribly fine hair). It now feels more like my sister’s- she was always applauded for her gorgeous thick hair! It feels thick, strong, and smooth!!! Yey!
You have nothing to lose from trying it (except maybe £50) but just think of how much u usually spend at a salon b4 u complain about it bein expensive!
Pamela Says:

I used to have extremely thick, coarse hair - always very healthy. Years of coloring, age and highlights have left me with thin, frizzy hair. I was at my wit’s end the first time I tried Biolustre. It REALLY DID repair my hair. Gave me back body, a visibly thicker hair shaft, smoother hair. I love the stuff. I hate the process (it’s a real pain) but I only do it twice a year so I can deal. I also hate the company — so I order off of ebay. They now have a number of sellers carrying it. I’m doing it tonight.
Pamela Says:

I really needed a PS. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT FROM THE COMPANY. The company and their customer service SUCKS. Buy Biolustre on eBay (no, I do not sell on eBay).
Deb Says:

I love the product. It works. I tried biolustre and the breaking has slowed considerably! I have African american hair which is curly, dry, and breaks very easily. I have worn my hair in braids this past year, and have grown my hair from beneath my chin to 4 inches past my shoulders. Removing the braids can be stressful to the hair, especially if you don’t moisturize it daily. When I remove the braids, I have a lot of dead hair, and apparently split ends. I use biolustre.
Gave me back body, a visibly thicker hair shaft, smoother hair. I love the stuff. I hate the process (it’s a real pain) but I only do it a few times a year.
SARAH Says:

this product actually does work. we use it at the salon i work at. the reason why many women feel that it probably does not work, is that if you buy it off the website, you are getting the strength that they sell to the general public, which equals to about a drop of what they use in the salon. i just used it on my hair yesterday so i can attest that it doest work.
it was made by a scientist at goodyear. it was a mistake but they found that this product actually penetrated into the cortex of the hair instead of laying on the cuticle. which means, it doesnt wash out. it is completely organic and you can even drink it-i wouldnt recommend that, but still.
it does work, but i would go to a salon where you can get the full strength version and not the diluted version.
Sienna Says:

This product definitely is a miracle. I don’t know how it works, but it works no question. To the people who said they noticed no difference, they probably didn’t have damaged hair. And to the person who said they didn’t like the shampoo and conditioner, you have to use the REPAIR TREATMENT for it to work!
elena Says:

I love this product because it does wonders for my hair. I have brown hair and I wanted to go bleach blonde for my wedding. I used the product and my stylist made my hair bride perfect. For those who say this product does not work it is because you are not using it right. I have been ordering this product for quite sometime now. I can admit that customer service was rocky in the past but has since been very good. At least to me. This product is great and I recommend it. I also found a hilarious youtube video abouy the product as a spoof for “the hills.” I’ll try to get it up for you guys to see but if I can’t just type in “the hills spoof biolustre”.
lydia Says:

Will it help strengthen hair? Mine gets mushy n hard to brush when wet after I had it bleached n dyed back 2 natural color.
maria Says:

I dyes my hair and then i permed it, i came out with really fired hair. The ends were white and it was really frizzy. I saw this product and i decided to give it a try since im a very gullible person. After this experience i have to say that i learned something. The product did absolutely nothing and it took me seven hours to complete the whole thing. My mother told me it wouldnt work but like usual i didnt listen. Next time ill listen.
jess Says:

IT DOESNT WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!! I bought it yesterday, tries it and washed £60 down the plug hole. Its all in youre head and works no more than a £7 hot oil treatment.
Cindy Says:

This product is not “BIO” at all!!!!!
Look at what it is made out of!! Damaging product. Go organic!!! The “BIO” is misleading all together
Sandy Says:

This product is not “BIO” at all!!!!!
Look at what it is made out of!! Damaging product. Go organic!!! The “BIO” is misleading all together.
alyssa Says:

This product does work. I bleached my hair and my hair was so fried because I had to bleach it twice. This product fixed my hair and made it soft and shiny. You have to read the instructions and remember to blow dry your hair until it is completely hard. NO WET SPOTS. Also make sure you use alot of conditioner and leave it on for at least five minutes. I love this product and I will not color my hair without it.
Colleen Says:

I don’t know how anyone could say this product is a waste of money! If it doesn’t drastically improve your hair, then either A: You have perfect hair that needs no treatment or B: You are using it incorrectly.
My hair’s natural color is dark brown and it’s a little longer than shoulder length. It’s incredibly dry, very thick, wavy, and somewhat coarse. In the past 8 months it’s been hi-lited blonde twice, and I recently colored it reddish brown to get rid of the summer hi-lites. It was starting to look healthy, but several spots still looked like straw - mainly the last 3 inches of my hair all around were dry and fuzzy looking. I ordered Biolustre off Ebay and it only took one day to arrive. I couldn’t wait to try it! The whole process didn’t take too long - about 50 minutes total.
It suggests to use a bonet style hair dryer - but I just used my regular hair dryer and it dried stiff. Just make sure you don’t bend or comb your hair while it’s stiff, or you could cause hair breakage. I was surprised at how sticky my hair felt as I was rinsing out the hardened Rescue Repair Treatment. Don’t expect to be able to run your fingers through your hair after rinsing this out & using the Daily Maintenance Shampoo - hair will remain sticky until you apply a generous amount of Daily Conditioning Selant. After applying the selant, your hair will feel silky soft and have a refreshing minty tingle. I left the Selant on for about half an hour before rinsing out, to make sure the conditioner really soaked in.
After allowing my hair to dry naturally I was AMAZED at how soft and shiny it was! My hair hasn’t looked like this since I was about 15 years old. The next morning I woke up and showered, washing my hair with a little of the Daily Maintenance Shampoo and used the Conditioning Sealant (left in for about 5 minutes). I then applied No Frizz by Living Proof - a leave in treatment for coarse hair, and dried my hair with my ionic dryer. For the first time in years, I was able to just “dry & go” without globbing on a mass of styling products and spending time bending my hair into shape with a straightening iron. It was soft, naturally light & wavy with a nice bounce, super shiny - and felt healthy! I am so impressed with this product. After years of being a product junkie - trying everything out there from 5.00 drug store brands, to 100.00 salon treatments, to 30.00 a bottle conditioners - this is the only thing I’ve ever found that lives up to it’s promises and actually works. I would recommend it to anyone with dry, damaged, chemically processed, or color treated hair. I truly cannot understand how anybody could say this product doesn’t work. It’s a miracle cure for my damaged hair & I will religiously use it every 8 weeks or so.