Josie Maran Argan Hot Oil Self-Heating Hair Treatment

Josie Maran Argan Hot Oil Self-Heating Hair Treatment (available here) - $36

A self-heating oil for hair that delivers intense moisture and shine in 60 seconds.  This expert treatment repairs and restores hair in just one minute. Its gentle formula is infused with Argan Oil which contains a large amount of vitamin E to reverse damage caused by heat and over-styling, leaving hair smoother, shinier, and healthier. In the shower, the oil warms itself up to the ideal temperature for penetrating strands to effectively seal in moisture.  suitable for all hair types and for color treated hair.

A while back, the only thing I knew about Josie Maran was "Argan Oil" - the much raved about miracle cure for all things that plague your skin and hair, okay well almost all.  While I haven't gotten around to reviewing the original oil itself, I have gone on to try a couple of other Josie Maran argan oil based products.  The one I am reviewing today is the Josie Maran Argan Hot Oil Self-Heating Hair Treatment.  For someone with crazy, frizz-prone hair like mine, anything that promises softer, smoother hair is a boon - well, so long as it delivers on those claims!

The Josie Maran Argan Hot Oil Self-Heating Hair Treatment comes packaged in tubes, a pack of 5 interlinked tubes in each box.  Detach a tube for use and store the rest somewhere away from light so the oils don't get ruined.

Josie Maran Argan Hot Oil Self-Heating Hair Treatment

The quantity in each tube/ampule is sufficient for a very generous single use, though people with finer/shorter hair could get away with half an ampule or less.  The tubes come sealed with a twist-off cap.  The tubes are sort of nonspill - if you leave one lying flat after opening, like I have done in the photos, the oil is not going to leak out - but you can also flip the cap over and use it to keep the tube and any leftover oil sealed and safe.

Josie Maran Argan Hot Oil Self-Heating Hair Treatment

Josie Maran Argan Hot Oil Self-Heating Hair Treatment - How to Use

Josie Maran Argan Hot Oil Self-Heating Hair Treatment - How to Use

I use the oil exactly as described, apply on to shampoo-conditioner'd hair and leave on for about 1 to 2 minutes.  I have used a full ampule/tube on my hair, just piled on the stuff until the tube was completely empty, as well as tried using only about half of the tube for a single use.  The oil itself is colorless and has a slight pleasant smell to it  The self-heating part of it - now I don't know enough chemistry to know which of the ingredients causes it, but what I do know is it reacts with water to cause that heat.  So, if your hands are wet - which they would be if you just washed and conditioned your hair - the warmth is felt in your hands and over by the time the oil reaches the hair.  Pretty pointless and gimmicky is what I felt, but of course I could be wrong.  I am a bit obsessed with getting it to work just right, so I have taken to wiping my hands dry and then getting the oil on to my hair - yes, I actually do that - and the heating effect on my hair lasts an equally short time.

Anyway, enough about the heating/nonheating - does the oil work?  Hmmm...it does sort of soften my hair and make it look a bit healthier, but I get better effects with a nice warm oil treatment before washing my hair.  What this does deliver is the convenience - I need to apply the oil and wait only about a minute or two to get softer hair.  It washes off really easily, and I don't feel any residue left behind on my hair.  That said, I am still unsure about whether or not the effects justify the cost, especially since for my very frizzy hair I find a full ampule works best.  If I had enough time to indulge in pre-wash oil treatments, I would probably skip this all together, but the fact is I don't and at least for now I will continue using the Josie Maran Argan Hot Oil Self-Heating Hair Treatment.  If you are like me and are looking for quick fixes for your stressed locks, you might want to give this a try :)

Josie Maran Argan Hot Oil Self-Heating Hair Treatment - Ingredients

Josie Maran Argan Hot Oil Self-Heating Hair Treatment - Ingredients
I can't help but notice that the oils that the products claims to deliver are listed after
all the other emollients, conditioners, and delivery agents in the product.

Have you tried any hot-oil therapy for your hair? What's your secret haircare indulgence - or a not-so-secret one that does work wonders?  Do share!