From a Wow to Total Disappointment - My Hair Went from Silky Smooth to a Frosty Mess

I was thrilled to finally get my hands on the Indola Innova repair shampoo and its matching mask, and I couldn't wait to put them to the test!

I'd seen some amazing before-and-after photos of this product in a thread here, and I just had to give it a shot.

Price: around 350 rubles.

Volume: 300 ml.

Place of purchase: Hitek store.

●• Packaging •●

The packaging is a long, cylindrical bottle with a disc-top cap. To be honest, I'm not a fan of this type of cap, but it's what they've chosen.

The design is a nice green color, which is often used for restorative shampoos. It's a color that immediately catches your eye.

All the information on the packaging is in English, with a small sticker containing the necessary information in Russian.

The sticker is made of paper, so it starts to peel off when it gets wet, so it's best to study the information before use.

●• Fragrance •●

The shampoo has a salon-style, cosmetic fragrance that's slightly sweet. It lasts on the hair until the next wash, especially when paired with the matching mask from the same series. At first, I really liked the scent, but it started to get on my nerves after a while.

​●• Consistency and color •●

The consistency of the shampoo is just right – not too runny and not too thick. It's really easy to apply, and the color of the shampoo is a lovely pearlescent shade that shimmers beautifully in the light.

●• Composition •●

The composition is only listed in English, with no Russian translation.

I was really impressed by the abundance of beneficial hair ingredients in this product, so I wanted to take a closer look at the formula.

Citric Acid - that's just lemon acid. It regulates the pH balance.

Polyquaternium 10 - in simple terms, it's a completely safe, water-rich cellulose molecule. Its property is to moisturize hair. It creates a protective, moisturizing 'blanket' on the hair, making it easier to comb and restoring damaged areas.

Hydrogenated Castor Oil - it's made from castor oil through hydrogenation, used as a reservoir for active ingredients. It improves consistency, increases storage stability. It softens, restores the natural moisture balance.

Panthenol is one of the forms of vitamin B. It helps to nourish the hair with moisture, giving it a shine.

Propylene Glycol Oleate - in hair care products, it's used up to 5% as a moisturizer and emulsifier. It's a humectant.

Glycerin - its main property is to restore hair, fill it with moisture. Glycerin is a moisturizer, humectant, and solvent. It can absorb up to 40% moisture from the air. It penetrates deep into the epidermis, and in high concentrations, has a bactericidal effect.

Mica - it's mica, which gives hair a silky feel and a subtle reflective effect.

Lactic Acid - it restores damaged hair cuticles. It intensely nourishes and protects hair fibers from aggressive environmental effects. It strengthens hair roots and returns strength to damaged hair.

Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Keratin - it's used in hair care products to strengthen hair, prevent shedding, improve growth, and appearance.

Arginine - it helps to improve blood circulation to hair follicles and allows them to receive the maximum amount of nutrients needed for nourishment and growth.

Hydrolyzed soy protein - it's partially broken-down soy protein, obtained from defatted soy flour. As hydrolyzed protein molecules, they can penetrate hair and skin, exerting a strong conditioning effect.

I didn't break down the entire formula, but I focused on the beneficial hair ingredients.

●• From the manufacturer •●

Damaged hair needs a gentle touch when it comes to cleaning. Getting back to its natural beauty and restoring a healthy structure is what Indola Innova repair shampoo is all about. With ingredients like pantene, cationic polymer, biotin, amino acid, vitamin B3, and soy protein hydrolysate, you can expect silky, smooth, and manageable locks with a healthy shine. The hydrolyzed keratin in this shampoo has three key benefits: restoring each hair’s body, maintaining health and strength, and giving it a glossy finish.

●• My Hair •●

My hair’s medium length, normal at the roots and dry at the ends. The ends are fluffy and prone to splitting, although I do get regular trims and use sulfate-free shampoos. The hair itself is porous and wavy, with a few color treatments under my belt, but the color’s pretty close to my natural shade. It gets frizzy in humid weather. The thickness and density are average.

●• Application •●

I apply Indola Innova repair shampoo to my damp hair using massaging motions. Leaving it on for 1-2 minutes does the trick, after which I rinse it out thoroughly. The recovery effect is even more pronounced if I follow up with a hair mask or deep conditioner.

●• My Impression •●

I waited until I could wash my hair with this shampoo and follow up with a hair mask.

The shampoo doesn’t lather well at first, but it does on the second go. I always wash my hair twice, so I can’t say if it gets the job done on the first try.

So, I dried my hair naturally after washing and was blown away! My hair was straight, smooth, and glossy, like after a hair straightener, my sister didn’t believe me, thinking I’d used a hair straightener. Even the ends weren’t dry and lay flat. Overall, the effect was MIND-BLOWING! For a first-time user, it’s absolutely impressive! I wish I’d taken a photo, thinking the next time would be even better...

The subsequent applications didn’t quite live up to that initial wow factor. My hair became softer and slightly more moisturized, but that’s it. The ends remained dry and slightly frizzy, and my hair would still get wavy after drying... So, the first-time result didn’t repeat itself.

Yes, the result was cumulative, and I guess it just needed some time to kick in.

About two and a half months in (which is around 10 applications of the shampoo) was when things started to get really bad.

My hair just stopped getting clean. I’d apply the shampoo as usual, rinse, dry my hair, and... I’d end up with a dirty head, hair hanging in clumps, and I’d have to wash my hair all over again. Yeah, that’s not fun. Next time, I thought maybe it was just a one-off, so I gave it another shot. But again, dirty, clumpy hair, and this time it was dirty right at the roots, with dry, brittle ends.

I was only applying oils to the length of my hair, not touching the roots, so it wasn’t that. I didn’t put anything on my roots at all, just used the mask on the length, so I’m thinking maybe my hair just got used to this shampoo or maybe I’m just clueless about what’s going on...

I ended up using the shampoo halfway through, and had to toss it. It’s just sitting in the corner, and I’m too scared to use it again because of the whole dirty hair thing. I might try it again someday when I don’t have anywhere to be and can just rinse my hair if it gets gross, but for now, it’s just collecting dust.

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Update.

Like I mentioned earlier, I’ll update this review if I end up using the shampoo again. I used it about six months later, after I’d abandoned it. The result was that my hair got clean, but when I blow-dried it, I could feel like my roots were still kinda grimy, even though my hair looked okay when it was dry. The second time around, nothing crazy happened. It was just a normal shampoo experience, so I’d say it’s just an okay product. I don’t think it’s worth the extra cash, to be honest. You can find something similar for cheaper.

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But the mask, I used the whole thing, and didn’t have any issues.

It did a great job of getting rid of the oils I’d applied to my hair length, but then it just kind of fell apart after that. Like I said, it was a weird experience.

Here are some photos of the results after using the shampoo and mask together. I was using the Ecolab oil at the time, but that’s not in the photo. My hair was just dry and clumpy, and I ended up cutting off the ends because they were so dry and brittle.

☆ Makes my hair soft;

☆ My hair looks shiny;

☆ My hair is easier to comb;

☆ It’s budget-friendly;

☆ It does have some restorative properties (but not a ton).

★ Didn’t save my dry ends;

★ It stopped cleaning my hair.

Verdict:

Honestly, I’m not sure if I’d recommend the Indola shampoo. It’s not a miracle worker for damaged hair, and it won’t get them to perfect condition overnight. I think it’s best to alternate with another shampoo. And if your hair gets used to it, you might need to put it on the backburner.

Either way, remember that everyone’s hair is different.

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More reviews on professional care:

A mask from the same series.

Did the moisturizing shampoo from Londa Professional really moisturize?

The Estel chromo-energetic complex - will it restore your hair’s softness and shine?

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