John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon: Hair Product Review

Finding hair products for my dry, coarse, curly hair is often a challenge, especially considering that I habitually straighten it with a flat iron. Often (particularly in the winter) my hair looks dull, lifeless, and dry. Recently I purchased John Frieda's Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon, a "finishing crème" which promises to "instantly camouflage imperfections, and leave dull, dry hair shiny, soft and supple." I've now used the product several times.

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon: Application Process

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon is supposed to be applied to dry hair, and I've applied it to my hair before straightening and after. When I apply the crème before using a flat iron, my hair tends to look greasy, so I don't recommend using it this way.

The product suggests using a "small amount," but doesn't specify how much that entails. It also suggests concentrating on the drier sections of your hair, which makes sense. I apply a little more than a quarter-sized dollop of the crème to my hair, but I have extremely thick hair, so most people could get away with less. The product goes on smoothly, smells pleasant and clean, and doesn't leave any residue that I can see.

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon: Pros

Unlike most smoothing crèmes, John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon doesn't cause hair to look greasy or dirty in any way. This may not be true if your hair isn't dry to begin with, but since the product is advertised for dry hair specifically, this shouldn't be a problem.

After applying the crème, my hair is noticeably smoother and softer, as advertised.

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon also does a great job of minimizing flyaways and hiding the occasional split end. The price is affordable as well, coming in at just over $5 at my local drug store for a four oz. tube.

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon: Cons

While John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon does control flyaways and leave my hair soft, it still doesn't create a shine.

Another problem with the crème is that it, when used in excess, can cause recently-straightened hair to begin to curl or puff up a little bit. It's difficult to know how much product will cause this, so I tend to not use as much as I could. If you are wearing your hair wavy or curly, this probably won't be an issue, but for many people it will be.

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon: Conclusions

As for the claims made by the finishing crème, my hair does end up noticeably less-dry, but I wouldn't necessarily call it "shiny." My hair looks sleeker and more put-together, but lacks the kind of gloss that other products can provide. However, those products often make hair look greasy, so it seems like an even trade-off.

For the money, there aren't many products that can do what John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon can. It won't work miracles on your hair, but it will help with dryness and may make you look a little smoother.