As a naturally dry-haired woman and now a color-treated blonde, I assumed fried, frizzy hair would forever be a part of my summer beauty journey. Don't get me wrong, I was happy to pay the price for my golden locks. (It’s true — once you go blonde, you never go back). But while I've tried my best to accept the consequences, the extra dryness and frizz still bothered me.
So, I started to experiment with various conditioning masks. They would sometimes work, giving me a shiny, golden blonde, but most of them weighed down my fine hair. Just when I thought I had tried every treatment under the sun, I came across a new product from Not Your Mother's: the Instant Shine Lamellar Water Hair Rinse. It not only promises a lightweight finish but also claims to soften hair and add "2x more shine." Wondering if this could finally be my solution to never having to choose between brightness or volume, I decided to see what it could do.
Not Your Mother's Instant Shine Lamellar Water Hair Rinse
What is a Lamellar Water Hair Rinse?
This rinse is nothing like the conditioners I’ve used before. Not Your Mother's describes it as a nourishing treatment that instantly works to hydrate and smooth down strands, thanks to hair-loving ingredients like the brand's Frizzlock Complex and hyaluronic acid. I was also pleased to learn that the formula is made with a vegan protein blend instead of the animal-derived keratin found in many other products I've tried.
After shampooing, I placed a few drops of the rinse into my palm. The first thing I noticed was how lightweight the product felt — much lighter than I was expecting. Instead of being cream-based, it looks like a clear serum that is similar in touch to the ones I use on my face. I did as the brand instructs and applied it all over my wrung-out hair, from root to tip. Then, I lightly lathered the product and worked the serum through my strands.
What I appreciated the most was that I didn’t have to stand in the shower and wait 15-20 minutes for the product to sink in like I do with other leave-in conditioners. It has a "quick-rinse" formula, so I was able to wash it out immediately, waiting only about 1-2 minutes after applying.
The brand says that you might feel a warm, tingly sensation after it activates in the lather, but I didn’t. It felt very comfortable and was easy to use.
Does it work?
I can confidently say that the brand's claim of adding two times more shine checks out. After just one wash, my hair looks noticeably shinier, glossier and feels better to touch. Most importantly, it doesn’t weigh it down and leaves me with major volume and bounce.
If you’re someone who has split ends, I would definitely recommend trying the Lamellar Water Hair Rinse. When you have a long, layered bob like mine, those are always more noticeable, but this treatment instantly smoothed them down. Now I see fewer flyaways and less frizz, even after using a hair dryer.
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I also like how this formula works with my bleached hair. I'm impressed with how hydrated and healthy it looks, despite the damage. And as a bonus, it also helps when it comes to detangling my hair and I find it much easier to comb through.
The brand recommends using the rinse 2-3 times per week, but if this is how shiny and healthy looking my dry hair can get after one use, I’m sold! Forget a better summer beauty journey — this hair staple is coming with me year-round.
For more hair products we're loving, check out:
- This popular bonding oil gives my hair fresh-from-the-salon shine and vibrancy
- This curling cream gave my hair definition and shine — and it's just $14
- This hair volumizer took my locks from dull and straight to bold and bouncy
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