Aveda's Botanical Repair Collection Saved My Dry, Damaged Strands

If I had to sum up my experience as a nine-year bottled blonde, I’d liken it to that of Goldilocks: You’re always going to be looking for at-home products that are just right.

Of course, this means I have tried tons of color-safe shampoos and conditioners, purple-tinted masques, plus every leave-in-conditioner under the sun. After all, for all the work (and money) I’ve put into it over the years, I definitely want to make sure my color lasts.

However, lately, I have been looking to trade in my current stash of products for those that cut down on dryness and improve strength. Hair oils (looking at you argan!) work great and all, but to be completely honest, I’ve been yearning for essentials that provide long-lasting hydration from root to tip, and of course, also cut down on breakage.

Alas, since I am a bit of a brand loyalist (team Aveda FTW!), I was definitely intrigued by the new Aveda Botanical Repair Collection for two major reasons. The first is that the brand has never let me down before in the past (Shampure, I love you). And the second is the brand's plant-based formula, which is supposedly bond-building and break-through.

If you are curious as to how the science behind these products actually works, a press release provided by the brand suggests that Aveda’s team of experts created a formula that contains three plant-powered technologies (such as sacha inchi, avocado, and green tea) to treat and deep repair three key layers of hair. These include the cortex, the cuticle, and the F-layer.

The result is a 93 percent naturally-derived collection (shampoo ($35), conditioner ($37), masque ($59), and leave-in ($37)), that is suitable for all hair types and textures to use. Overall, the brand makes big claims about this line—and I have to admit I was pretty skeptical.

But to my surprise, the results of consistently using each product for a few months now have been pretty awesome. Just using the shampoo and conditioner alone makes my brittle strands feel like I’ve left on a masque for hours, which is something I’ve never experienced with a color-preserving cleansing and conditioning duo before.

Add the leave-in-conditioner, and strengthening masque on top of that, and the moisture is so impressive, it’s almost like having virgin hair all over again. My hair has never felt this silky, full, and healthy, even when heat styling it.

The only hang-up? My hair now gets oily pretty quickly after a few days because of the products’ rich moisture content.

Similarly, since all products leave your hair feeling buttery-smooth, they also give it a lot more slip, so my scrunchies now like to slide right out of my hair no matter how tight I tie them. Since I do put my hair through a lot, I figure the minor side effects of the extra moisture are completely worth it. 

In short, the Aveda Botanical Repair Collection is worth checking out if your hair needs some extra TLC, especially if you chemically-treat it or heat style it a lot. Plus, since the line has a one-size-all approach, all hair types (fine, coarse, thick) can benefit from using it. We all could use a bit more moisture this winter anyways.