A lot can happen in eight seconds. For mayflies, it can be a lifetime. For me, could it be all the time I need to bring my dull, lifeless hair back from the dead? According to L’Oréal Paris, the answer is yes. All I’d need is its $10 Elvive 8 Second Wonder Water. According to me, that sounded too good to be true. Still, I decided to give it a go to see if I could shave some time off of my hair routine.
L'Oréal Paris Elvive 8 Second Wonder Water
One bottle is sold every 60 seconds
It’s common to market a product as bestselling. It’s far less common to quantify that statement — but that’s exactly what L’Oréal does when it says one bottle of its Elvive 8 Second Wonder Water is sold every minute. Since I’ve had amazing results with this MAC lipstick that is reportedly sold every 15 seconds and this tea tree oil, which The Body Shop says it sells a bottle of every eight seconds, I decided to give it a try.
Of course, it also helped to know that the hair treatment has over 22,000 five-star ratings on Amazon and is currently ranked third on the retailer's bestsellers list for Hair Treatment Oils.
My hair falls halfway down my back, so I can go through a lot of product quite quickly, especially if I don’t know how much to use. What I love about this 6.8-ounce bottle is that it’s conveniently marked with 20-milliliter doses so I know exactly how much to use. (Though, longer, thicker and curly hair might require up to three doses, according to the brand.) I decided to start with just one, which was just enough to cover my strands.
The bottle has eight 20-milliliter doses. Even if you follow the more liberal instructions on the bottle and use it up to three times per week, it can still last up to a whole month.
Using it is quick and easy
When it comes to my beauty routine, the fewer steps involved the better. I don’t have time to mix up a hair mask or wait five minutes for it to activate. I don’t even like to rinse and repeat. Fortunately, this rinse really does only take a matter of seconds. I apply it directly to my wet, shampooed hair in the shower and then massage it into my strands (everywhere but the scalp) for eight seconds.
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It goes on like water, but when it comes in contact with your wet hair and you start to move it around, it turns into a light froth. Then I just rinse it out (and condition and blow-dry if I want the best results) and get on with my busy day.
How it works
A key part to this product is its lamellar technology. According to L’Oréal Paris, “Wonder Water works to coat the hair with moisturizing agents and an amino acid and it targets damaged areas of hair, forming small and very organized thin layers called lamellars that help smooth the surface of strands without weigh down.”
While I’ve never felt it, the instructions on the bottle say it’s OK to feel a warming sensation as the product activates.
I can’t wax poetic about lamellar technology. But I can, and will, sing the praises of this product. After just one application, I immediately noticed my hair was silkier, smoother and more alive-looking. In terms of texture, it looked like I’d gotten a Brazilian blowout. More importantly, it felt like I’d gotten a Brazilian blowout.
After using this, I can wear my hair down without the frizz I’d have if I did nothing to my normally dull, dry hair. I also don’t have the heavy feeling I get when I use smoothing serums and other traditional heat-activated smoothing products. What I do have is silky, soft and even shinier hair.
Best of all, instead of spending more time in the shower or in front of the mirror, I’m spending more time doing the things I love. And if there’s anything I’ve learned from a mayfly — who is lucky if he lives an entire day — it’s that every second counts.
For more hair must-haves we're loving, check out:
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- Olaplex's new serum gave my curls instant definition and my blowouts serious shine
- TikTok got me hooked on this heatless hair curler — it’s finally back in stock
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