Product Review: ARTec textureline smoothing shampoo & conditioner

Introduction

I have been a big Aveda fan for many years. I have lathered on hundreds, maybe thousands of handfuls of Aveda shampoo and conditioner for years.

At some point in the Spring of 1998, my hair, which is normally dry (and highlighted to boot), started to get terminally dry. Nothing seemed to work against the assault of advancing dryness for any amount of time.

I was complaining to my long hair stylist about my dry hair. She helpfully suggested I try ARTec's smoothing shampoo and companion conditioner. I was very skeptical. After all, I had the best luck of my life with Aveda products. How could anything else come close?

When it comes to trying new hair care products I am a perpetual volunteer. So I overcame my skepticism, stepped up to the cash register and purchased a 12 ounce bottle of the ARTec smoothing shampoo and conditioner.

The shampoo cost me approximately $9.00 plus tax. The 8 ounces of conditioner cost me $9.50 plus sales tax.

I walked out of the salon with close to $20 invested in a product I knew nothing about. I was relying on the word of my stylist who promised me that ARTec made exceptional products.

Hydrating Shine Shampoo

I have to admit that I was very intrigued with the crisp clean art deco appearance of the white smoothing shampoo bottle. I liked the fact that all the writing was in small case. It looked very chic and very classy.

I was encouraged by the fact that the shampoo bottle advertised that "textureline smoothing shampoo nourishes and hydrates moisture deprived hair." That was definitely my problem, moisture deprived hair.

The smoothing shampoo bottle also mentions that this hydrating shine shampoo is "a smoothing shampoo with an exceptionally rich botanical lather that cleanses and detangles the hair while hydrating and conditioning. It's nourishing formula leaves the hair luxuriously smooth with a healthy shine."

The smoothing shampoo bottle also claims that the smoothing shampoo contains the following properties:

1. Luxurious cleansing and detangling with nutrient rich botanicals
2. Exceptional smoothing, hydrating and conditioning leaving hair with a luxurious feel and healthy shine
3. Can be used daily without weighing hair down
4. For color treated, permed and natural hair
5. Contains essential oils, pure plant and blower aromatic nutrients.

The First Test

I decided to stay as close to my normal Aveda shampooing routine as possible. So I brushed my hair and removed all knots and tangles before stepping into a lukewarm shower. I opened the ARTec shampoo and my nose got a wonderful sniff of a kiwi-like fresh aroma. The first whiff reminded me of a tropical rain forest that I had visited on St. Kitts many years ago. It was definitely a fresh, crisp and clean scent.

I squeezed the bottle and the easy-to-use top dispensed a very thick, creamy white liquid. The shampoo felt very silky on my fingers. I massaged a small amount into the palm of my hand and then applied it to my hair. The shampoo felt tingly on my scalp. I was really enjoying the fresh tropical aromas that wafted through my entire shower.

I carefully sudsed my hair so that that a stream of the suds would foam through my mid and end hairs. I have to admit that I really was enjoying the shampoo. I rinsed the first shampoo application out of my hair with warm water and then squeezed as much moisture out of my hair as possible. I poured on a glob of the conditioner. It had the same fresh aroma. The conditioner was very thick and white and the texture reminded me a lot of Aveda's Curessence conditioner.

I massaged the conditioner from my roots to my ends and then let it sit on my hair for close to 5 minutes. I rinsed with warm water, followed up with my cold water rinse and stepped out of the shower.

Lasting Fragrance

The first thing I noticed was that the wonderful aroma was lingering in my wet hair. I also noticed that my wet hair felt softer and silkier somehow. Was I imagining things? Maybe.

I decided to test the new ARTec shampoo and conditioner by going very light on my Aveda detangler step. I used just one tiny spritz of the Aveda Curessence Styling detangler. I used my fingers and my trusty pick to remove the tangles. There were hardly any. I had my entire wet hair detangled in record time.

Hmmmm, this had to be a good omen.

Fluffy Bangs

I used my professional strength blowdryer to blast cold air on just my bangs. I fluffed my bangs with my fingers. My hair felt very fluffy and soft. I was amazed at how soft and shiny the front of my hair looked. I pulled the rest of my wet hair into my normal bun, popped in a hair chopstick and went off to work. My normal procedure is to let my hair air dry and then undo the bun around 10-11 in the morning.

The First Time Results

Besides the great lingering aroma, I could feel my bangs on my forehead. They felt very soft. At 10:30 I hurried off to the bathroom with my trusty pick. I popped the chopstick out of my hair and soft waves of shiny, luxurious hair tumbled down my back. I picked my hair out and the waves were very soft, silky and shiny, shiny, shiny. WOW. I was amazed. First day of use and already softer, more moisturized hair. I decided this was a good start.

Test Of Time

I faithfully continued to experiment with the ARTec smoothing shampoo and matching conditioner until my initial bottles were empty. My hair continued to get softer and shinier as I continued to use the ARTec product. When I ran out of the ARTec I decided to go back to my Aveda Shampure shampoo and Deep Revitalizer conditioner. I was disappointed. While I still liked the Aveda, I missed the ARTec fresh burst of tropical aromas. I also missed the silky feel of my hair and the shine. I missed the softness. Heck, I just missed the experience of ARTec Smoothing.

Mixing & Matching

I decided that ARTec was my new hair helper of choice. I went back and bought the 32 ounce bottle of the smoothing shampoo and conditioner. I also bought the Kiwi shampoo and conditioner, the Kiwi spray detangler and just about every ARTec hair care product I could find. I immediately started testing all of them.

I discovered that while ARTec smoothing shampoo and conditioner work the best together, they also survive mixing and matching quite well. I mixed the smoothing shampoo with Aveda Curessence conditioner and Aveda Styling Curessence. The results were good. My hair was not quite as soft as with the smoothing conditioner, but the shine was there and so were the natural waves.

Aveda Shampure shampoo worked very well with the ARTec conditioner and the Styling Curessence. The same combination also worked well using the Kiwi detangler in the place of the Styling Curessence.

I also mixed the smoothing shampoo with Aveda Cherry Almond Bark which cranked up the waves in my hair. I also used my Joico leave-in conditioning spray with good results. I also experimented with the smoothing shampoo and Aveda Elixir. With the smoothing/Elixir combo I had the pick gliding through my hair like it was slick glass. It was amazing.

Old Faithful

Recently I bought the 32 ounce bottles of the smoothing shampoo and conditioner.

Needless to say, I continue to use the ARTec smoothing shampoo and conditioner as my main hair care product line. I still have all my old Aveda favorites stacked up in my shower. However, I now use Aveda as my infrequent "change of pace" product line.

I have had over 4 months of constant and consistent great results with the ARTec smoothing shampoo and conditioner. I have found several other ARTec products that I enjoy. However, for the purpose of this review I am focusing mainly on the smoothing shampoo and conditioner. I will write about the other ARTec products in future reviews.

Compliments & New Comments About My Hair

Since I switched to the ARTec Smoothing line I have been getting more compliments on my hair than I have in a long time. I must say, I am impressed. As many Hair Boutique visitors know, I test lots of hair care products every year.

I rarely find one that competes, in my opinion, with Aveda. Only Phytologie and Fuerter got really close. I now have to add ARTec products to my top list of Aveda competitors.

ARTEc Smoothing Shampoo Ingredients

I have listed all the ingredients in the textureline smoothing shampoo exactly as listed on the bottle:

Ingredients: Water, Kiwi Fruit Extract, Matricaria (Chamomile) Extract, Juniperus Communis Extract (Juniper Extract), Chinese Angelica Extract (Chinese Angelica Root), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycol Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PPG-5-Ceteth-10 Phosphate, PEG-7,Glycerly Cocoate, Hydrolyzed Silk, DATEM, Ylang Ylang Oil (Ylang Ylang Flowers), Tea Tree Oil (Tea Tree Leaves), Aloe Barbadensis Gel (Aloe Vera Gel), Plyquaternium-7, Rice Bran Oil, Yarrow Extract, Hops Extract, Propylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-7, Rice Bran Oil, Yarrow Extract, Hops Extract, Propylene Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolione, Fragrance.

ARTec Smoothing Conditioner Ingredients

I have listed all the ingredients in the textureline smoothing conditioner exactly as listed on the bottle:

Ingredients: Water, Kiwi Fruit Extract, Matricaria (Chamomile) Extract, Juniperus Communis Extract (Juniper Extract), Chinese Angelica Extract (Chinese Angelica Root), Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine,Ylang Ylang Oil (Ylang Ylang Flowers),Tea Tree Oil (Tea Tree Leaves),Aloe Barbadensis Gel(Aloe Vera Gel),Elderflower Extract, Rice Bran Oil, Hydrolyzed Silk, Panthenol, Sweet Almond Oil, Dimethicone, Trimethylsilyamodimethicone, Octoxynol-40, Isolaureth-6,Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolione, Fragrance.

Environmental Concerns

ARTec does not test on animals and also requests that all empty product bottles be recycled for the environment.

Where To Purchase ARTec Online

Prices will very substantially. Generally you will save more by buying the highest quantity. The 32 oz versions of the ARTec shampoo and conditioner are a better buy overall.

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- Revised Publication Date: 05/22/10

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