Amika HydroRush Shampoo & Mask Review

hi hi everyone, I hope all is well. 4c dry hair girlies, this one is for you! Today I’m talking about the very popular Amika Hydrorush line in particular the intense shampoo and mask.

Experience

I wanted to try the hydrorush line because my 4c hair is THIRSTY. I’ve been using the shampoo and mask for the last year and a bit now and I’ve been through 2 shampoos and I think 2 or 3 hair masks.

Intense Moisture Shampoo

The hydrorush shampoo is one of the best moisturising shampoos I’ve used. It works very well at gently cleansing my hair leaving it very soft and hydrated but also removes build up. It is slippery and lathers up really well! I can use this for finger detangling with ease. the scent? AMAZING. I haven’t come across an Amika product that doesn’t smell great tbh. The shampoo has hyaluronic acid and squalane both known for hydration.

Intense Moisture Mask

The perfect follow up to the hydrorush shampoo, the mask is thick, easy to apply and leaves the hair feeling so soft. I apply in sections, cover with a cap then use my hot head heating cap for deep conditioning. I usually leave on for 30 mins before rinsing away. Amika say the mask provides slip for detangling but I couldn’t detangle with it. I usually detangle my hair before I wash and under running water when I’m washing the mask out. Again the scent is amazing. I can feel the difference with this mask, my hair feels soft and moisturized and it usually lasts a few days before I have to use my hair butter. The mask is aimed for coarse hair but it worked for my fine hair and I didn’t think it weighed it down

Verdict

overall, I didn’t think these products would work for my 4c fine hair ( medium to high porosity) even after watching a lot of reviews. But I fell in love with them after 1st use and I have repurchased them a few times. I can actually feel the difference in my hair. I’m taking a break from these only because I want to try other products but I will come back to them

Amika have a lot of trial kits for their products and its a great way to test them before shelling out for the full sizes even though I do think they are worth. Try the Hydro Dream Hydration routine kit for £26 for a feel. It comes with the rinse out conditioner instead of the mask but I still think its a great trial kit.

Now that my hair is coloured, I have been washing my hair twice a week and I’m loving it so far. I have a lot of hair reviews coming so stay tuned! Stay safe!

Texture Release Wash Day

Hihi everyone, I hope all is well. Today’s post will be on my 1st wash day after my texture release! I have a lot to say, so lets get started

I washed my hair 8 days after my TR. I had planned to keep my ‘silk press’ for at least 2 weeks but my scalp was itchy and flaky from the keracare wax stick so I just had to give in and wash it. For the first wash day, I used the same products I had been using prior to the TR. My main goal was to see if my hair would revert back and if I got heat damage.

  • Prepoo-African pride aloe & coconut water detangling prepoo (review)
  • Shampoo- Function of beauty coily hair shampoo (review)
  • Deep conditioner- TGIN honey miracle ( review coming soon)

Pre poo– since my hair was straight, it was quicker & easier to apply the prepoo to it, I covered the hair for about 20 -30 mins with a plastic cap. My hair started to revert! I was so happy to see the curls coming back and I noticed the elongation and looser curl pattern too! This is not due to heat damage but due to the TR’s ability to cause curl elongation( one of the benefits of TR)

Washing & deep conditioner– the hair was easy to wash, the looser curl pattern meant less shrinkage so it was just ‘easier’ to handle and quicker too. Applying the DC was a breeze too. more curls came through after deep conditioning and my hair felt great afterwards

Thoughts

In terms of shedding and breaking, I feel like it was the usual amount I get and I was expecting a lot more because my hair had just been through this chemical & heat intensive service. On the right are pics of a few wash days prior to TR and I feel like it is the same-ish amount? I had less shedding/breaking prepooing & shampooing after the TR but that was because my hair was straight. It would be interesting to see at the next wash day the amount I get since my hair has not been straightened

My curl pattern is much looser. I opted for the versatile finish meaning I can wear my hair straight or curly. Looking at the pics of my hair on wash day before and after the TR, it is obvious my hair is much looser and because of that, itshrinks less. I enjoyed this whilst I wash washing my hair for sure

Overall, my hair feels so much softer than before. I don’t describe my 4c hair as difficult to manage or dry anymore because I have a good moisture/protein routine in place, and I manage my hair in smaller sections BUT after the TR the ease of which I could handle my hair increased! Still handled in sections but I definitely think less shrinkage has made it easier!. It feels different but in a good way. I was advised not to use olapex/protein on my hair for at least 6 weeks because the TR itself is amino acid based. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein so that makes sense. I will modify my wash days for now: my previous routine was to alternate moisture only & moisture & strengthening deep conditioners every 10 days but I’m now going to do 2 to 1, ie, 2 moisture only DCs to 1 moisture & strengthening DC for the next 6-8 weeks, see how my hair is coping before switching back to alternate washdays

Did I get heat damage?– NO. my hair fully reverted but my curl pattern is much looser with some strands even looking wavy. the looser pattern is the TR release causing curl elongation. I have my usual amount of shedding/breaking and my hair feels soft and conditioned. I don’t feel any roughness along my hair strands and it doesn’t look limp and lifeless

Verdict- The 1st wash day after TR was a success and I’m very happy with it so far. I plan on doing another wash day post at 3 and 6 months post TR.

I’m still working on a post about my thoughts on TRs on fine 4c hair, I just need more time to get to know my hair and and play around with it, its only been 2 weeks post TR

I hope you found this helpful, especially if you have 4c fine natural hair!

Catch you later

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