REVIEW: Garnier Oil in Cream

New Garnier Fructis Oil in Cream

Oil replacement cream with coconut, almond and olive oil.

Triple Nutrition

The goodness of hair oil in a light cream texture.

The next generation of hair oils
Get the nourishment of hair oils in  a non sticky hair format
Nourishes and hair feels stronger
Zero stickiness and mess
Pleasant long lasting fragrance

The cream texture instantly melts away without leaving sticky residue and does not weigh the hair down. Hair looks bouncy and full of life. Can use it just like oil before or after washing hair or overnight for deeper conditioning.

Hair cream 1160096

Review:

Hair creams have been around in India for a while and the first one was probably the Brylcreem. Back in the day it was used as a hair styling product for men and later on they became part of hair care routine. Not many people understand that cream is basically an amalgamation of water and oil. So fast-forward to 2015 when Garnier launched their oil in cream it seemed like a revolution to the common people.

The cream is very light and looks and feels exactly like a conditioner. Even more so because it comes in a tube package that resembles a conditioner. It comes in a yellow tube. Although it is from the Garnier Fructis range, the fragrance is not the typical fruity, trademark Fructis one. It is more sweeter, kind of floral fragrance. Ugh, I am so bad at describing fragrances. The product is white in colour and being heavily water based, it is light and non sticky and you can almost feel the water residue on your fingers. It is not too thick, but quite runny which is good because it helps the product spread easily. As it is not even sticky or greasy, it compels to use more of the product on the hair. But with this baby less is more.

I use about 2 - 3 dollops of the product along the lengths of my hair and let it sink in, usually overnight. Within a couple of minutes, the product completely gets absorbed into the hair. It claims to leave hair bouncy but on the contrary I found that it actually makes the hair look and feel sticky. It is not too sticky so to say but kind of tacky and definitely not the most attractive look. If I were to walk out of my house with this product in my hair, I would either braid it or tie it up in a bun. There is no point in letting hair loose because it steals its bounce and shape. It looks flat and somewhat unkempt. That is how it is different from a leave in conditioner. I can't imagine how it would work after shampoo because as long as it is there in the hair, it doesn't look good.

I used it overnight and that works best for my hair. It is much easier than applying oil in the hair and because it is not as greasy as a hair oil, I don't worry about staining my pillow cover. If you have read my blogs on hair oils, you will already know that my oiling routine takes no less than a half hour. Sometimes it really bogs me down just by thinking that it is time to oil my hair. With this oil in cream, it is less than a 5 minutes job. So easy and effortless. Saves me so much time. But yeah, I massage my scalp after oiling which I don't do with this one just because there is not enough lubrication. There is no point also because massage basically helps the oil penetrate better in to the hair but this guy would have already disappeared in to the hair by the time that I even get the idea about massaging.

I am a staunch believer in deep conditioning and that is why I leave it overnight. But if I have a sudden programme to go out and I need to wash my hair, I will still apply it quickly and let it work while the water is still heating up in the geyser. Even in those 5 - 10 minutes, it does a better job vs non oiling before shampoo.

Hair feels good after shampoo. It is noticeably softer vs non oiled, shampooed hair. Most of us don't like oil just because it is so messy and so miss out on the goodness of oiling the hair. Nowadays we are so busy with our day and don't have the energy or time to oil hair. This is a boon in disguise for such people. Of course it doesn't stand a chance next to oil conditioning, but will save your hair if you just don't oil.

Now is a good time to go through the list of ingredients used in this product to see what makes it tick.

Ingredients
Water - base
Cetearyl alcohol - It supports the main emulsion system and gives thickness to the product.

Mineral oil - By product of petroleum, it coats the hair and does not let anything penetrate into the hair. Non nutritional but non sticky as well.

Niacinamide - A form of B vitamin which is very important for healthy hair.

Sugar cane extract - It helps in promoting good hair growth and preventing hair fall. But it is also sticky and weighs the hair down.

Coconut oil - It is used regularly by south Indian women and it is the only known oil that can penetrate into the deepest layer of the hair and nourish it with vitamins and minerals.

Sodium benzoate - Preservative.

Stearamidopropyl dimethylamine - Acts like a silicone by smoothening the hair.

Olive fruit oil - Rich in vitamin B and makes hair extremely soft.

PEG-45M - It helps in emulsion of the product and also thickens it.

Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate - It helps the product to absorb into the hair.

Behentrimonium chloride - Anti static

Chlorhexidine digluconate - Antiseptic

Tea leaf extract - Conditioner

Benzyl salicylate - Fragrance

Linalool - Fragrance

Benzyl alcohol - Fragrance

Benzyl cinnamate - Fragrance

Fragrance 

Apple extract - Promotes hair growth.

Pyridoxine Hcl - It is a type of vitamin B6 dietary supplement which is known to be beneficial for healthy hair.

Cetyl dimethicone - Gives a silky feeling.

Cetrimonium chloride - Antiseptic.

Citric acid - pH regulator.

Citrenellol - Fragrance.

Lemon peel extract - Gives a silky texture.

Sweet almond oil - Conditions the hair and is a rich source of vitamin E.

Hexyl cinnamal - Fragrance

Glycerin - Humectant

So, as you can see, there are so many unique hair conditioning ingredients in this product that I never knew that they could be incorporated into hair care before. For example, sugar cane extract. I loooooove love love sugar cane juice. It is my favourite of all drinks. I knew that it is rich in iron and also helps the body cool down in the summer. It is a refreshing drink, but I never knew that it helped the hair grow better! And apple extract! Now this is one fruit that I am not too fond of. But it seems to have made its way in here because it strengthens the hair. Tea leaf extract. Now I do have an idea that it is a conditioner as it is used as a decoction in some henna preparations for a hair mask. I am glad that it is an ingredient in this product because I can vouch that it does lend a wonderful sheen to the hair. Then there is the all important Vitamin B in the form of niacinamide and pyridoxine hydrochloride. Vitamin B is the vitamin that helps skin and hair maintain their health. Healthy hair is beautiful hair.

Apart from that, there are the three well known oils that help to nourish hair from deep within to make it grow stronger and more soft and beautiful. These are the coconut oil, olive oil, and sweet almond oil. These ingredients are also highlighted on the packaging and in the commercials for marketing the product. Well, it is good that these ingredients are here to do the job, but I feel the unique ingredients that are used in this formulation are not given the attention they deserve. It could be used in the product's promotions as they can help the product stand out!

It does have mineral oil, which does not really nourish hair, but if you are looking for a non sticky, non greasy oil, then this is the one for you. But, if it does not nourish the hair, then this product would have been useless. That is why they have used another chemical (read above) to help the product absorb into the hair better, so that the nourishing ingredients can do their part.

So, that is my experience with this product. It is helpful on busy, lazy days to give my hair that little something - some sort of alternative to regular oil. For girls who cannot stand the messy oils, this one will come close to mimicking the action of oil on hair. It did not get rid of dandruff. It did not stop hair fall. It did not make my hair any thicker. It did not make my hair any bouncier, while the product was still in my hair. But just like you can see the effect of oil on hair after a wash, so can you see that this product indeed makes the hair soft and cute. It tames hair a bit. It does add a little more shine to the hair. For glamorous hair, this is a great shortcut! For healthy hair from the inside, I, the oil loyalist will turn to my oil.

Verdict on the results after shampoo based on my experience:

Shine: 2/5

Softness: 4/5

Volume: Nil

Bounce: 2/5

Manageability: 4/5

Verdict on the product itself based on my experience:

Fragrance: 4/5 (-1 for it is quite strong)

Ease of use: 5/5

Non sticky: 5/5 on the hands, 2/5 on the hair

Non greasy: 5/5 on the hands, 1/5 on the hair

Thanks for reading my post! Do share your experience with Garnier Oil in Cream through your comments.