Reviewing Garnier Fructis Leave-in Conditioner Cream

Garnier Fructis is making a name in hair products. Their products are about $1-2 less than most of the other brands on the market, but how do they measure up? I purchased the Leave-in Conditioning Cream to see just what kind of quality this brand had to offer. Here are my results.

Obviously the most important point of any product is whether it does what it claims to. This leave in conditioner is meant to be used after you wash your hair and before you style it. A little cream will go a long way, so use it sparingly. When I first used this product I was in a much more humid climate than I am now. Using it under these conditions seems to work fairly well. I used a small amount through my hair, used no other hair styling products, and let it air dry. The results were decent. My hair was not overly frizzy or messy, and maintained a consistent shine. So in these conditions it worked fairly well.

Nevertheless, there are conditions where it doesn't perform. In drier climates, it doesn't tend to keep moisture or shine in as well as in humid ones. If you have very curly hair and use too much of it, it tends to flake like a gel. Although the cream dissolves in your hair and should not be washed off, if it isn't fully scrunched into your wet hair, than it will leave a flaky residue. And if you have straight hair, this may be overkill for you. Even with a small amount worked into your hair it will be very thick and weigh down fine, straight hair. It will also give you an undesirable greasy appearance when the hair dries.

As far as the smell is concerned, it is reminiscent of bananas and mangos mixed together. It isn't intolerable, but it is very strong when you first apply it and can be an out-of-season smell for the winter.

The 10.2 fluid ounce bottle reads that it has "nutritive fruit micro oils." On the listing of ingredients it mentions apricot kernel oil and avocado oil, specifically. These may be healthy for your hair, but don't make it a 'weightless' conditioner by any means. Nevertheless, their claim that it is "long-lasting" is true, as it will sit on your shelf for unused months to come. So unless you have difficult to manage hair and are going to use this under mousse or hair gels, than it likely isn't the product you need.