Saturday 27 February 2021

The shoelace bun


It's funny how an updo can just fall out of rotation. Especially when it's such a simple but impressive one...



The shoelace bun is such a cool bun! 
Just two nice Dutch braids and a some threading the needle, and done....



If you just have enough length, it's so quick and easy

Wednesday 24 February 2021

The perfect hair diet?

My recent keto diet left me wondering if there was a perfect hair diet. 

I mean, keto is pretty close to being perfect for growing strong, healthy hair, but it was really lacking in fruits for vitamins, and vegetables for fiber. Of course that was one of my main criticisms of it, and I may have voiced it a time or two. 

My other, more personal, criticism was how hard it was to go without the dopamine and serotonin-releasing foods such as chocolate. And now where I'm neck deep in work and my final project, I'm just tired and stressed and really need some feel good hormones. Sigh.

Anyways: Back on topic. 

The way I see it, a perfect diet for growing hair would have certain properties:

  1. High protein
  2. High omega 3
  3. Vitamins
  4. Minerals
  5. High sulphur
  6. Good for gut health 
  7. Not cause weight gain

High protein

The perfect hair diet would have to be high in protein, and have protein from many different sources. About 80% of the human hair weight comes from proteins. Human hair contains 18 out of the 21 amino acids found in the human body. Keratin is composed of all 18 of these amino acids, with low sulphur alpha keratin as the most common kind. The keratin molecules ability to be deformed by water is what gives the hair strands the ability to be styled by water and then "freeze" into shape when it dries. When hair becomes damaged by losing too much keratin, it stops being able to hold shape after getting wet.

Nine of the amino acids are called essential amino acids because they need to be consumed and can't be created out of other molecules by the body. The essential amino acids are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. The 18 found in human hair are alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, cystine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, prolyne, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine and valine. In the list of the18 amino acids, are all 9 essential amino acids as well. 

I used a search on nutritiondata.self.com for this and the amounts they name are based on levels per 100-gram serving. Some amino acid sources were really obscure, so I have also written them down according to if they are commonly available. 

  1. Alanine is found in the highest concentrations in gelatin products, seaweed products, egg, turkey and beef. 
  2. Arginine is found in the highest concentrations in more obscure food sources, but some of the higher concentrations are found in crab, shrimp, lobster and spinach.
  3. Aspartic acid is found in nectarines, peaches, cherries, plums, apricots, strawberries, lime and grapefruit.
  4. Cysteine is found in the highest concentrations in egg white, beef, pork, milk and halibut. The amino acid cysteine forms the disulfide bonds between the other molecules and adds rigid strength to the hair structure. The rigid strength to hair is something that seems to be underrated a lot, but it is what gives hair the ability to snap and break instead of being pulled until the structural integrity is ruined. 
  5. Glutamic acid is found in the highest concentrations in soy protein products, defatted sunflower seed  and peanut flour, egg white and parmesan.
  6. Glycine is found in gelatin products, pork skin, pork products in general, chicken breast, and lamb.
  7. Histidine is an essential amino acid. It's found in the highest concentrations in more obscure food sources, but some of the higher concentrations are found in parmesan, deer, defatted sunflower seed  and peanut flour and pork
  8. Isoleucine is an essential amino acid. Isoleucine is found in egg white, seaweeds, turkey, chicken and lamb.
  9. Leucine is an essential amino acid. It's found in egg white, soy protein products, seaweed, chicken and tuna.
  10. Lysine is an essential amino acid. Lysine is found in chicken, pudding, honey, canned pears, margarine and corn starch. 
  11. Methionine is an essential amino acid. It's found in egg white, halibut, chicken, tuna and turkey.
  12. Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid. Phenylalanine is found in pollock, grouper, tilapia, duck, chicken, turkey and shrimp.
  13. Prolyne is found in gelatin products, beef products, cream cheese, cottage cheese, savoy cabbage, cheddar and Colby cheese.
  14. Serine is found in egg white, soy protein products, seaweed, turkey, cottage cheese and cream cheese. 
  15. Threonine is an essential amino acid. Threonine is found in watercress, seaweed, turkey and in fish like tilapia, tuna, pike and cod.
  16. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid. It's found in seaweed, spinach, egg white, crab, shrimp and halibut. 
  17. Tyrosine is found in seaweed, soy protein products, egg white, cottage cheese, salmon and turkey. The amino acid tyrosine is also part of the complicated process of hair producing melanin. There are two types: Pheomelanin, present in light hair and eumelanin, which is present in dark hair.
  18. Valine is an essential amino acid. Valine is found in egg white, seaweed, watercress, seaweed, turkey, tuna and cod.

But how much protein should you eat? And how much of each amino acid?

That are two really good questions. And after searching a lot, I'm not sure I got a whole lot wiser!

The general answer to both seems to be pretty much: "Just eat healthy and varied!", which isn't actually that useful when you try to figure out what "eating healthy" actually is

1 gram of protein per 1 kg of body mass seems to be more or less generally accepted as a good level, but when it comes to how much of each amino acid.... Meh. No real answer there. I guess it doesn't help that the amazingly complicated human body is capable of creating so many amino acids out of other amino acids.

But, as my own observation: Egg white seems to be the king of amino acids. Having a bottle of egg whites in the fridge is a good choice: It keeps well, is easy to work into your food and is a nice low calorie protein booster.

High omega 3
Hair consists of about 3 % lipids, found mostly in the intercellular cement of the cortex and the cuticle.  It gives the hair a degree of impermeability and ensure the cohesion of the hair fibre. These lipids are a mixture of different types of waxes, cholesterol and fatty acids that mostly come from sebum. The process of making keratin is also done with the help of cholesterol and fatty acids. Omega 3 is also known for being anti-inflammatory, and any type of inflammation is known for causing hair loss.
α-Linolenic acid (ALA) or omega-3 is an essential fatty acid that the human body needs to get from the diet.
I used a search on nutritiondata.self.com for this too and the amounts they name are based on levels per 100-gram serving. Some omega 3 sources were really obscure, so I have also written them down according to if they are commonly available.
But foods high in omega 3 are pretty much well known. 
There are oils like flaxseed oil, walnut oil, wheatgerm oil, chia, hemp, rapeseed and avocado oil.
Nuts that often are the same as the high omega 3 oils, such as chia seeds, walnuts and pecans.
fish roe and caviar, mackerel, salmon, herring, tuna, trout, halibut, bass, 
tofu, 

Vitamins
I tried to cover this some years back, and found it to be way beyond my knowledge of human chemistry and diet. The thing with vitamins when it comes to hair care is, that yes, you can load up on biotin until your pee turns neon orange for it. Yes, biotin affects hair directly, yes, it may boost your growth rate.
But. So many other vitamins affect hair indirectly too. 
Some vitamins help maintain healthy red blood cells, which in turn deliver nutrition and oxygen to your hair. Some vitamins are necessary for a healthy immune system, and any sort of illness can affect your hair. Some vitamins are necessary to produce healthy sebum, and hair will become dry and brittle without it. Some vitamins are necessary for the body to process protein, and your hair will lose its elasticity without it.
The human chemistry is crazy complicated and everything is interlinked.
In my opinion, you should always take vitamins for your general health and not for the vanity of your hair. If you are healthy, your hair will be healthy too.

Minerals
Minerals are part of the composition of hair, and minerals take part in the process that builds the hair strands. The amount of minerals in hair varies from person to person. Minerals found in human hair include iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, lead, calcium, cadmium, chromium, copper, and silicon. I have tried to cover it here too, but minerals in hair have the same "problem" as vitamins: Some are a direct part of creating the hair structure, but a lot of them have a supporting role in keeping the rest of the body healthy. 

High sulphur
The main chemical elements present in hair are carbon (45%), oxygen (28%), nitrogen (15%), hydrogen (6.7%) and sulphur (5.3%). Sulphur is part of the amino acids methionine and cysteine, and are part of thiamin (Vitamin B1) and biotin (Vitamin H).
Sulphur is found especially in: 
  • Allium vegetables: garlic, onions, scallions, leeks and shallots
  • Cruciferous vegetables: arugula, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and radishes
  • Dairy products: milk, yogurt, parmesan cheese, gorgonzola and cheddar cheese
  • Eggs
  • Legumes: chickpeas, soy beans, faba beans, kidney beans, lentils, black beans, white beans and peas
  • Meat and seafood: beef, duck, chicken, crab, lobster, scallops, shrimp, turkey and organ meats
  • Nuts and seeds: almonds, brazil nuts, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds
And here again, I have to point something out: There is quite the overlap in these foods sources from other foods I have already mentioned!

Good for gut health
This is something I feel is often overlooked when you discuss diet and supplements for hair growth. If your digestive system isn't working properly, it will keep those important proteins, vitamins and minerals from being absorbed correctly. 
It's a good thing to consider getting enough fibre, probiotics and fermented food in general. The focus on feeding the good and beneficial bacteria in your digestive system luckily seems to be a trend that just wont die down. Your digestive system is the basis for everything your body can do, and even affects your brain. 
Foods like yoghurt, kefir, miso, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi are excellent sources for the good bacteria. 

I think the most entertaining, yet scary video I have found on the topic of diet in general, is this one:
  
Not cause weight gain
With fat soluble hormones, having excess fat will cause hormonal disturbances. This is why so many underweight and overweight people see changes in hair growth: Hair loss, changes in the structure or colour of the hair and extra hair growing in places it didn't use to be before. 
Being overweight also cause chronic inflammation in fat tissue. The fat cells themselves react to the stress with releasing pro-inflammatory chemicals that affect themselves and the immune cells. 
As it has been pointed out many times before, "Hair is very low on the body's pecking order", meaning that the human body will prioritize any other issue over hair. Any other cells or structures that needs repairs will be given the nutrition and energy over hair growth. 
Being overweight also puts you at risk of a bunch of other diseases and issues, such as type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, certain types of cancer, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, heart disease and strokes. All things you want to avoid for obvious reasons, and growing healthy hair is just a tiny, insignificant part of it.

Sunday 21 February 2021

Product smackdown

 

I bought these because the name and packaging reminded me of another brand I used to love... 10? 15? years ago. I remember the name as Origanix, and they had a very similar bottle design. Like, classic bottles with a bit of roundness to them. Is this maybe the name brand, just renamed and repackaged? Hmm.


I bought four bottles:
OGX Biotin & collagen
OGX Brazilian keratin smooth
OGX Keratin oil
OGX Orchid oil

I'm going to compare them on a few different factors:
First impressions
Effect: Shine and manageability
Ingredient analysis and interesting ingredients such as "actives": Oils, fruits, keratin, sunscreen

First impressions 
My first impression is being annoyed that the Orchid oil doesn't match in shape to the other conditioners! I wanted to review products in the same line or range, pricewise and all, otherwise it makes very little sense to do any comparison. But the price and size (385 ml) is the same, so maybe it's just an older or newer edition bottle? 
I will come back to this later with a conspiracy theory. And no, I'm not joking. I'm quite serious.


Second impression was to... Well, be impressed. It's rare that you find a product in this price range where the heavy hitting ingredients are so high up on the ingredient list. Especially when you find several interesting ingredients in a product like this.
I received these a while ago, and it took me a while to work through them because all except the Orchid oil contains a lot of protein, and I have to be a little careful with that,

OGX Biotin & collagen
Smells "warm" and good. Like, sweet and warm. Does that make sense?
Mr Igor says: "Huh. It smells like a drink. It smells familiar but I don't know what it is. It smells like a drink. It reminds me of an alcoholic drink that I liked."
Colour: Purple, but turns white-ish once I started working it into my hair.

OGX Brazilian keratin smooth
Smell's very sweet and fruity. 
Mr Igor says: "This smells like beach basically. Like an ice cream on the beach. It reminds me of going to the beach and have ice cream. Like a sunny day on the beach... With ice cream. Vanilla ice cream. It's quite nice."
Colour: Brown. It made me laugh when I first squeezed it out. Brown?! I don't think I've ever seen a brown conditioner before? Of course it turns white-ish when I distributed it in my hair, but it was still a surprise. Usually conditioners are white, but some times there are the yellows, pinks, and what have you. You know: Girly colours.

OGX Keratin oil
Smells very fruity, but without the sweetness that the Brazilian keratin one has.
Mr Igor says: "Doesn't smell a lot. A little fruit maybe. Like, garden or something. Strawberries?"
Colour: Yellow, but turns white-ish once I started working it into my hair.

OGX Orchid oil
Smells fresh and fruity. I guess it's supposed to smell like orchids?
Mr Igor says: "It reminds me of the spa we went to on Læsø. Something that smelled like that there." *Reads the label* "Orchid oil? Yea, I don't know what orchids smell like. It smells like showers and spa. Whatever that smells like." Mr Igor is truly a maestro of words.
Colour: White with a sort of slightly pink-ish hue to it. 

Effect

OGX Biotin & collagen
Pleasant enough to work with. No real dripping. Not too thick consistency, but creamy and easy to work with.
It made my hair pretty cranky afterwards. It did this thing where it doesn't really tangle as such, more like the length sort of.. sticks together? Glues together? 
After a bit of leave in-conditioner, my hair was back to normal and felt soft and shiny. 
I can usually judge how well a conditioner conditions by how my hair almost repels water afterwards: It's like water just slides down the length and dries top down instead of all over. And this one did a good job of conditioning based on that!


OGX Brazilian keratin smooth
*groan* I thought I had checked the ingredient lists thoroughly enough when I placed the order, but nope. This one contains aloe vera. Which means that I wouldn't test it for a CO, but used it in a nodosaurus instead. So not really the same playing field as the rest of the conditioners.

It was pleasant enough to work with though. No issues with dripping. Thick and creamy consistency. Generally a very pleasant conditioner to use.
My hair was really cranky and tangly once I rinsed it clean though. But as soon as I had finished combing it, threated it to some leave in conditioner and braided it, it was back to it's shiny and nice self again. 
This one also had that "water slides down the length" effect that I take as meaning it conditioned well. 


OGX Keratin oil
This one also had a really nice texture: Not too thick, not to thin. Just creamy and easy to distribute, and didn't drip.
This one didn't piss my hair off after using it. However, it took some extra rinsing because it left a weird feeling of coating on the hair for a while. But once I had rinsed it enough, it felt really good. Soft and nice. It cleaned well too. 
I can usually judge how well a conditioner conditions by how my hair almost repels water afterwards: It's like water just slides down the length and dries top down instead of all over. And this one did a good job of conditioning based on that!


OGX Orchid oil
This one was the most "Meh" of the bunch. I mean, it cleaned nicely, my hair felt smooth and looked shiny afterwards, but it didn't really felt like it "did" a whole lot. When your hair gets pissed off over a conditioner, at least you know it was affected by it...
It did that thing where is starts "foaming" up when I worked it onto my hair, so it dripped quite a bit. But it had an immediately smoothing effect on my hair, and it was very easy to comb with the conditioner in it. It had a funny moment where my ends felt pretty weird and tangled, like right before I had finished rinsing it clean. But once it was finished rinsing, the weird tangling went away again. Odd. It cleaned my hair well enough, and left it soft and nice enough. But it didn't leave my hair as shiny or, well, as pissed off as the other ones. 
This one didn't do that "water slides down the length effect" as much as the other ones. 


Ingredient analysis
The ingredient lists were freely available on the website, so plus for that. I hate when I have to type all the lists myself. And why would companies try to hide the ingredients anyways? It seems suspicious.

OGX Biotin & collagen


OGX Biotin & collagen ingredient list
Water (Aqua), Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Biotin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Ethyltrimonium Chloride Methacrylate/Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethiconol, Polyquaternium-37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Fragrance (Parfum), DMDM Hydantoin, Violet 2 (CI 60725).

Applying the Beauty Brains "First five ingredients rule"
Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Biotin, Hydrolyzed Collagen
So in the first five ingredients we have two silicones, an emulsifier, biotin and protein. Which is... Mildly confusing actually? I feel like this is a weird mixup of a deep conditioner and a cheap, cone-heavy conditioner? 

Interesting ingredients
Cyclopentasiloxane is a silicone used to retain moisture, and has been regulated to under 0,1% of product weight in rinse off products in the EU since 2018 so I'm surprised to see it so high up on the list. 
Cetearyl Alcohol is a surfactants that lowers the surface tension between oil and water, so it can dissolve oil
Dimethicone is a silicone and an emollient.
Biotin doesn't penetrate skin, so it doesn't do anything in the product, but can't really harm either. I have no strong opinion on this as long as the product isn't advertised with "OMG it has biotin to make your hair grow!!11!"
Hydrolyzed Collagen is a protein.
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein is a protein.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate is, despite the scary name, a ammonium compound made from rapeseed oil and functions as an emulsifier
Cetyl Alcohol is an emulsifier which means it lowers the surface tension between oil and water so it can dissolve oils and be used for cleansing
Dimethiconol is a silicone polymer, which is a non-water soluble film former. Since it isn't water soluble, it's a silicone that builds up easily. 
Polyquaternium-37 is a quaternium ammonium compound and will bind to the damaged areas of hair.

OGX Brazilian keratin smooth


OGX Brazilian keratin smooth ingredient list
Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycol Stearate, Glycol Distearate, Ceteareth-20, Isopropyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Citric Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, Panthenol, Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Red 40 (CI 16035), Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Blue 1 (CI 42090), Fragrance (Parfum).

Applying the Beauty Brains "First five ingredients rule"
Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Keratin
In the first five ingredients, we have the two first ingredients that are basically the same. Cetearyl alcohol is made from cetyl alcohol, and both are emulsifiers with the only difference being in the number of carbon atoms in the molecule. Behentrimonium Chloride is an emulsifier. Glycerin is a moisturizer. Hydrolyzed Keratin is of course a protein. 
So we have emulsifier, emulsifier, emulsifier, moisturizer and protein. Nice. I expect this one to be a really good cleanser.

Interesting ingredients
Cetearyl Alcohol is an emulsifier which means it lowers the surface tension between oil and water so it can dissolve oils and be used for cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol is an emulsifier which means it lowers the surface tension between oil and water so it can dissolve oils and be used for cleansing
Behentrimonium Chloride is, despite the scary name, a ammonium compound made from rapeseed oil and functions as an emulsifier
Glycerin is a really good moisturizer and an humectant.
Hydrolyzed Keratin is a protein
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil
Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice. Well, crap. This one slipped. I'm painfully allergic to aloe vera when its pressed with skin, but you never can tell when you just see it on the ingredient list like this. So the Brazilian keratin smooth will be stuck becoming a length-only product for me. I can't risk having it near my skin.
Panthenol does maybe-maybe not penetrate and strengthen hair.

OGX Keratin oil


OGX Keratin oil ingredient list
Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Dimethiconol, Polyquaternium-37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Cetyl Alcohol, Fragrance (Parfum), DMDM Hydantoin, Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Yellow 6 (CI 15985), Blue 1 (CI 42090)

Applying the Beauty Brains "First five ingredients rule"
Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate
So in this one we have emulsifier, emulsifying silicone, protein, oil and finally another emulsifier. So this is a good cleanser and deep treatment. 

Interesting ingredients
Cetearyl Alcohol is an emulsifier which means it lowers the surface tension between oil and water so it can dissolve oils and be used for cleansing
Dimethicone is an emollient and silicone
Hydrolyzed Keratin is a protein 
Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil
Behentrimonium Methosulfate is, despite the scary name, a ammonium compound made from rapeseed oil and functions as an emulsifier
Dimethiconol is a silicone polymer, which is a non-water soluble film former. Since it isn't water soluble, it's a silicone that builds up easily.
Polyquaternium-37 is a quaternium ammonium compound and will bind to the damaged areas of hair.
Cetyl Alcohol is an emulsifier which means it lowers the surface tension between oil and water so it can dissolve oils and be used for cleansing

OGX Orchid oil


This is the only of the products that is protein free. 

OGX Orchid oil ingredient list
Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Cymbidium Grandiflorum Flower Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Dimethiconol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polyquaternium-37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Ppg-1 Trideceth-6, Propylene Glycol, Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Edta, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Dmdm Hydantoin, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Citronellol, Ci 17200

Applying the Beauty Brains "First five ingredients rule"
Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone
So emulsifier, moisturizer, emulsifier, emulsifier and a silicone that also functions as an emulsifier. Yep, this is a cleansing conditioner for sure.

Interesting ingredients
Cetearyl Alcohol is an emulsifier which means it lowers the surface tension between oil and water so it can dissolve oils and be used for cleansing
Glycerin is a really good moisturizer and an humectant.
Behentrimonium Chloride is, despite the scary name, a ammonium compound made from rapeseed oil and functions as an emulsifier
Cetyl Alcohol is an emulsifier which means it lowers the surface tension between oil and water so it can dissolve oils and be used for cleansing
Dimethicone is an emollient and silicone
Cymbidium Grandiflorum Flower Extract. Hmm. First extract in any of the products. I'm sort of impressed: Most products have pointless extracts. But this one is actually not pointless, since it's an orchid, so it's right there in the name. Don't get me wrong: I dislike extracts like this, but it's nice that it has the advertised extract in it so high on the list. I like that OGX didn't try to fancy it up by calling it "Asian orchid" or "Indian orchid" or something stupid to make it sound extra fancy. That seems to be a tendency for a lot of other products. However, I have to point out that this is actually a (lol) Hooker's Cymbidium *snicker* (Yes, yes, grow up, Igor
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil. This is the common grape, so grape seed oil.
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract is the açaí fruit. One of those super fruits. But since it doesn't seem to penetrate skin or scalp, it's a pointless extract.
Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract is red acerola. Again, one of those super fruits with high levels of vitamin C, but that probably doesn't penetrate skin or scalp. As usual, there are no explanation on what "extract" really means. There is an episode of The Snailcast where Shell of Holysnails talks about how a supplier to her webshop offered her ruby extract to add to her products. Which is completely nonsensical, but explains a lot of what extracts can be. It can be something good, but it can also be a single berry quickly dipped in a bucket of alcohol. What it takes to extract the extract is never specified. 
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate is a UVB sunscreen ingredient. It also goes under the name of octyl methoxycinnamate and or octinoxate. As much as I love sunscreen ingredients in my haircare products and actively seek them out, this one I feel unhappy with: This ingredient is so harmful to coral reefs that it's restricted in some countries. I actually spotted SPF products on Fuerteventura last year that had stickers on them with texts about this and a stylized image of a coral on it. Back then, I didn't really think anything of it, but now I understand why. I still have a bottle left:


So maybe that explains why this product has a different shape than the other bottles: OGX is shipping their old stock of this one to countries that doesn't have laws against this ingredient, and are making more without the ingredient or discontinuing it completely. Of course, this is just my speculation. But I would say it's a pretty good guess. Sweden is pretty much as far away from coral reefs as you can get, so they are probably trying to ship them off to the colder edges of the world. 
Dimethiconol is a silicone polymer, which is a non-water soluble film former. Since it isn't water soluble, it's a silicone that builds up easily
Cyclopentasiloxane is a silicone used to retain moisture, and has been regulated to under 0,1% of product weight in rinse off products in the EU since 2018 due to concerns about buildup in water
Polyquaternium-37 is a quaternium ammonium compound and will bind to the damaged areas of hair
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate. This is a preservative made by fermenting radish root. My best guess is that it simply sounds "better" than the names of normal preservative ingredients.

In conclusion..

Lady Igor says
First of all: I'm impressed. Like, genuinely impressed. In fact, I'm so impressed that I have ordered three of the four again. Just two of each this time. And I have ordered three leave in conditioners from the brand to try as well. 
I will, of course, not buy the OGX Orchid oil conditioner again. Even though I do love SPF in my haircare, I will not get this one again. I will stick to my usual tablespoon of SPF in my leave in products over this. 

Second: It's rare that you find a product in this price range where the heavy hitting ingredients are so high up on the ingredient list. Especially when you find several interesting ingredients in a product like this.

OGX Biotin & collagen would be used as a deep conditioner for me. 
OGX Brazilian keratin smooth is a cleanser and deep conditioner, and used as such, I think this was my favorite of the bunch.
OGX Keratin oil is another cleanser and deep conditioner. If you want some argan oil with your protein and deep conditioning, this is the one to pick over the Brazilian keratin smooth.
OGX Orchid oil is a cleansing conditioner, but I will not buy it again.