Question and Answer
Q: Is the botanical repair treatment available for at-home use?
A: Our botanical repair treatment is an in-salon service, only. However, Aveda does have a botanical repair line that features: Shampoo, Conditioner, Leave-in conditioner, overnight repair serum and two variations of masques. The retail products are a good way to maintain your in-salon treatment. The product line is ideal for guests who (1) color or chemically treat their hair (2) have finer, thinner, lighter ends (3) hair is prone to breakage.
Q: What is the F-layer?
A: Each hair strand is comprised of three parts: the medulla, cortex and cuticle. The medulla is the core or center of the hair strand, and its function is unknown. The cortex is the thick, interior layer of the hair strand and is responsible for many of the characteristics of any given head of hair, including texture, strength and color. The cuticle is made up of 6–8 layers of flattened, overlapping cells that are sealed in by an invisible layer, scientists call the F-layer. The F-layer acts as a natural conditioner, keeping hair smooth, shiny and silky. It reflects light and limits friction between hair strands. It also protects hair by preventing it from absorbing too much water from the environment. If the F-layer is damaged, hair strands can become tangled with and stuck to one another. Once the F-layer is damaged beyond repair, there is no getting it back. Botanical Repair™ features a plant-based complex that mimics the benefits of the hair’s outermost F-layer to help protect hair from humidity and water that can make hair more fragile
Q: Do the Botanical Repair products contain organic ingredients?
A: Yes. Botanical Repair™ Intensive Strengthening Masques: Light and Rich and Botanical Repair™ Professional Bond Activators: Light and Rich contain organic coconut oil, shea butter and sunflower seed oil. Botanical Repair™ Strengthening Leave-In Treatment also contains organic sunflower seed oil
Q: How do the Botanical Repair™ products help reinforce the hair structure?
A: Botanical Repair’s™ bond-multiplying ingredient is small, which allows it to penetrate the cortex to work within and across the cortex to create a network of bond-multiplying molecules that interlock with the hair’s structure for stronger hair from the inside out. It also contains multiple bonding sites per molecule, resulting in the formation of many bonds in the cortex. The bond-multiplying molecules interlock—like clasped hands—with the hair’s innermost structure. Because there are so many connection points per molecule, the network of hydrogen bonds created is amazingly strong.
Q: What is the difference between the Botanical Repair™ Intensive Strengthening Masques (retail) and the Botanical Repair™ Professional Bond Activators (professional)?
A: The Botanical Repair™ Professional Bond Activators contain 50% more bond-strengthening ingredients than the retail Botanical Repair™ Intensive Strengthening Masques. We recommend kickstarting a powerful repair process with the appropriate professional Botanical Repair™ treatment and using the retail Botanical Repair™ products to maintain the results until the next salon visit. Bond repair from using Botanical Repair™ is not permanent; hydrogen bonds are formed deep in the cortex, but can be displaced by water, heat or other mechanisms. How long the bonds created by Botanical Repair™ will remain intact is unknown, and hair is constantly being damaged by heat styling, coloring, etc. A combination of professional treatments and consistent home care will help maintain strong hair
Q: What does the Botanical Repair™ aroma smell like?
A: The Botanical Repair™ aroma is naturally derived and features a fresh, floral, herbal aroma featuring certified organic ylang ylang, rose and marjoram essential oils, so hair smells as indulgent as it looks and feels.