I bought the Wondercap from my local pharmacy ages ago, with the view to being able to give my hair (since I’m really hard on it) a deep conditioning treatment at home.  At the time I thought, gosh this is a good idea.  You buy this Wondercap which is a thermal heatcap you pop in the microwave heat it up, put your treatment in your hair and then put the cap on your head. It sat around for a long time as I could never really find the time to use it.

The product is well presented and conceptually sounds like a good idea. The heat comes from a wheat pack that goes inside the cap before you put it on your head. All good? Well, coupled with the fact that I really did not enjoy using it,  I’ve found a couple of more serious problems.

The first problem I found is that despite following the instructions, I know its hard to believe but I did follow the instructions, the cap melted. When I pulled the wheat pack out of the towel so I could wash it and noticed a hole in it where it had melted.

The second problem is with 500g pot of "Feral Organic Hair Conditioning Treatment" included in the pack. I’m no chemist but its ingredients; Cetrimonium Chloride, Stearalkonium Chloride and DMDH Hydrantoin don’t sound all that organic. A little research shows that:

• * Cetrimonium Chloride is "used in hair conditioners, but originated from the paper and fabric industries as softeners and anti-static agents. In the long run they cause the hair to become dry and brittle. They are synthetic, irritating, allergenic and toxic, and oral intake of them can be lethal."
• * Stearalkonium Chloride is, "A chemical used in hair conditioners and creams. Causes allergic reactions. Stearalkonium chloride was developed by the fabric industry as a fabric softener, and is a lot cheaper and easier to use in hair conditioning formulas than proteins or herbals, which do help hair health. Toxic."
• * DMDH Hydrantoin (which is listed on the package as "natural preservative") contains Formaldehyde which is "a known carcinogen (causes cancer). Causes allergic, irritant and contact dermatitis, headaches and chronic fatigue. The vapour is extremely irritating to the eyes, nose and throat (mucous membranes)."

My conclusion, a heat treatment might be a good thing for your hair but if you are going to give it a try, buy a good quality conditioner and steer clear of the Feral Organic stuff especially if you are susceptible to allergic reactions.

Available: Rodney Wayne, selected pharmacies or online www.wondercap.co.nz

Price: $45.00

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 at 10:23 pm and is filed under Beauty, Health, Women. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.