Garnier Fructis Hair Food Papaya Review

I trialled the Papaya Damage Repair treatment, first impressions were good: a decent sized tub that held a good amount of product and it smelled divine.

You can use this product three ways: as a mask with your conditioner as well, as a conditioner by itself or as a leave in conditioner. I tried all 3 ways and found the one that worked best was as a mask with your existing conditioner.

Firstly the tub: great size but when you have wet slippery hands in the shower it's hard to open and keep hold of due to its size. I have a lovely bruise across the top of my foot as testament to this. I realise the product is probably too thick to be able to be dispensed via a squirter bottle so the tub design could do with some tweaking.

The application: light weight product that distributes well through your hair, but it was as it was being applied to my hair that I started to notice the odd smell.

Washing it out: washes out easily but this stage is where that strong chemical smell kicks in, and I found it very unpleasant. As I had used it as a stand alone treatment the first time I tried it, I could smell the strong odour all day in my long hair - not pleasant even though my hair seemed softer from the treatment.

2nd time applying was with using my conditioner as well, using my conditioner after the product did dampen down the smell and my hair was definitely softer afterwards

3rd time applying was as a leave in conditioner. That's a no from me. Hair was limp and almost oily even though I applied it away from my roots.

On the whole I did notice a softness to my hair after using this product but they could work on the tub design and on the smell/odour that lingers afterwards as it's not pleasant. It's the after-smell that is going to deter me from continuing to use this product.

I was excited to try this product as the concept seems really fun and fresh. I tried it in all ways the tub suggested, and while I was pretty sceptical of its multi-use promise, I was pleasantly surprised.

The massive ‘98% natural’ on the lid was one of the first things I noticed. I wasn’t really a fan of that - felt a bit like Garnier was jumping on the ‘natural’ bandwagon for the sake of being on the bandwagon.

I did however find that it was an amazing scent (probably not natural, but very tropical so perfect for these cold Winter days) - reminds me of a Body Shop lipbalm I used to have - maybe the mango flavour. Might be a bit too much of a fruity/sweet mix for some, but I found it just right.

I loved that it was a huge tub, it contains so much product! We don’t have a shelf in the shower though so found it a little tricky to get the product out - was a couple of times where when trying to maneuver the tub and get the lid back on before water got in, the product slipped of my fingers and down the drain. Small price to pay though for the amount you get.

I was really surprised how nice my hair felt after using it post-shower and leaving it in. It felt very weird to do so considering in the days before I’d washed the same product out, but using a small amount didn’t weigh my hair down (just like it promised) or make it feel sticky. It actually did make my hair feel very smooth! I like that it advised on the tub how much to use and where to focus the product (mid length to ends) if you plan to use it as a leave in product, directions can never be too specific!

I wouldn’t bother using it in shower as a hair mask post-conditioner. It wasn’t too rich or as thick as most treatments, so I would save time and just use it as a conditioner (keep it in your hair for a minute or so), and/or post shower.

I love the concept - I would be keen to try the other ‘flavours’ in the range, if only for the scents (I bet the macadamia one smells amazing!). Plus, while RRP is still TBC, I’m sure it’ll be a great price for the huge amount of product you get It wasn’t a life changing product (I don’t know that I can feel it actually repairing my hair), but it’s certainly a nice addition to my hair care routine.

Packaging was good coloured in the scent you choose,meaning papaya is orange so tub is that colour. The smell is divine as soon as you open it the lovely tangy smell of papaya hits you and it’s stays in your hair all day. Good size tub and only a tablespoon size goes a long way, I have medium length thick hair and it did the trick. Smooth thick textured and easily washed off hands afterwards. I used it as a conditioner and a leave in product between washes, which it explains clearly how to apply for these. It made my hair feel and look refreshed and I feel over time it will only make it look and feel better. My hubby tried some and commented it made his hair feel great. The fact that is paraben and silicone free is great. I would recommend this product to a friend.

I've tried a few hair treatments in the past from the inexpensive through to the higher end products and I think this might just be my favourite. It is value for money and an absolute quality product. Great-sized tub of delicious-smelling goodness. I've recently gone from very blonde to very dark hair and have long hair which tends to be quite frizzy if left to its own devices. During the short time I've been using this product I've noticed quite a dramatic difference - both in shine and manageability. If I don't straighten my hair it's quite curly and this product has really helped to define my curls and make my hair look a lot healthier. I've so far used it as a mask and conditioner - I haven't used it as a leave-in conditioner but am keen to try this. I'd absolutely recommend using it as a mask and leaving it in for as long as you can if your hair is prone to the Auckland frizzles which mine most definitely is! It really has helped and the lingering smell once washed out is absolutely divine. I will be sticking with this product and will buy it again when I run out of this one which, given the generous size of the container, should be in quite a while. Great work again Garnier - value for money and a top-quality product.

I used to be a big Garnier hair fan, but went off their products when I found over time the conditioner was making my hair too greasy. For this reason, I was slightly apprehensive of this hair mask, especially as a leave in treatment! I quickly realised that I had no reason to be worried, this really is the do it all product it says it is!

I first used this as a hair mask after shampooing and conditioning my hair. The consistency is light and goes on smoothly which is great for getting out those last tangles left in your hair after conditioning. As soon as you touch this product you can tell how lovely and lightweight it is, so there is no need to worry about heavy, greasy hair.

The smell is maybe a little too chemically for my taste, but it fades quite rapidly to give quite a pleasant, subtle scent on dry hair.

One thing you do need to watch when using this product is the instructions! If they say leave on for a minute, leave it on for a minute! Any longer and your hair will feel heavy, any less and you won't get the benefits. Same for as a leave in treatment, don't use too much! A very small amount smoothed onto the ends of damp hair is the perfect amount. If you're using it as a deep conditioning treatment this isn't as much of a worry though, as you haven't conditioned beforehand.

Overall, I really enjoyed trialling this hair mask and will definitely be adding it to my regular hair routine! I am incredibly impressed by how much product you get for the cost. I will repurchase - but won't need to for a while!

I have been using the Garnier Hair Food Papaya for two weeks and my hair is so soft after using this! I have used this as a conditioner and leave in treatment and they both work a treat. I found this works better after towel drying hair after shampooing and conditioning then leaving in for 5 or so minutes then rinsing. As this is meant to be damage repairing I hope to see results after longer use - but I have noticed less breakage which is great!

The best thing about this mask is the smell!! It smells so tropical and fruity it’s absolutely divine. By far the best smelling hair mask I have ever used!

OMG gals, buy this if only for the smell alone! It's so good! And then when you feel your hair after using it you will be hooked. I had forgotten about hair masks. I always face mask, so why not my hair? My hair has been coloured and balayaged for a while now and since going blonder my hair has been really dry and damaged at the ends. When I first used this I put it in after my shower as a leave in but found it sticky even after my hair dried and while my hair looked good, I didn't really like the feeling. It got better after some brushing but when I used it as a mask in the shower and then rinsed it after 1 minute, it was great. My hair felt softer and more moisturised than usual. I have mid length hair which is quite fine individual hairs but a lot of them and mostly straight. My 11 year old daughter has extremely thick hair that goes into ringlets when left to air dry and she just loves using this any way. She used it as a leave in and it didn't seem to leave her hair sticky like it did mine and she loves it as a conditioning mask that she rinses out. It brings out more defined curls in her hair and makes it much more manageable. It has been easier to brush and style and looks so shiny & smooth. It is called "Repairing Papaya Hair Food" and it really looks, smells and feels just like that. The instructions say it can be used as a conditioner and applied to hair after shampooing and then rinsed. Or it can be used as a mask and applied to wet hair after shampp, left for a minute and then rinsed, Or as a leave in and applied to wet or dry hair. I preferred it applied to wet hair and rinsed but even leaving it in it seemed better applied to wet hair after my usual shampoo and conditioner. It is a huge tub of goodness and even with both myself and my daughter using it we have barely made a dent so it is great value for money. It is so luxurious to use. I feel like a million bucks and that papaya smell is so delicious. I feel like I'm at a spa...or a smoothie shop! Obviously for seriously damaged ends, nothing beats a good old trim to get rid of the splits and damage but in the mean time and to help prevent more damage I think this product is a must have. Weekend treats: wine, face mask, hair mask and ice-cream; CHECK!

This smells so nice and looks like thick yoghurt, it's 98% natural so you could almost eat it!

I haven't noticed it repairing my hair yet but it has seemed to tame the frizz without making my hair look limp.

I used it in the 3 recommended ways, I didn't notice any difference between when I used it as a conditioner or left it on as a mask but when I used it in the morning as a leave-in I was really surprised how it was absorbed into my hair and wasn't greasy at all, it made it look smooth and healthy.

I'm using Garnier Fructis Hair Food Papaya for two weeks now and it has been a pretty amazing for me and my hair. I usually dye my hair and it was bleached before so it is really dry and damaged.

When I tried Garnier Fructis Hair Food Papaya for the first time, I noticed the fragrance right away. It really smells like papaya and I love it! Another thing is, my hair is visibly softer after one wash. That's why I decided to use it everyday as a conditioner.

I also like that the smell stays on my hair for the whole day. That is one of the things I look for a hair product. I would definitely use it again and buy once I ran out of it. Definitely my go to hair product!

I said from the beginning that I was worried about the smell of this making me hungry. And seriously I opened the packaging and it smell like tropical yumyum!

This tub of goo was bigger than what I expected too, so that was awesome!

I love how natural this product is. The amount of damage we do to our hair to feel glam is crazy, so this was a nice pamper!

It definitely made my hair feel super soft. I don't brush my hair enough because it's too long and too thick, but I found that when I did pick up the brush it was less tangled than usual. It keeps the fresh papaya smell too!

It's not all great though. I can't put my finger on it yet, but there is something about it I don't love. My roots seem to have a greasy shine like ive been working out and sweating. And if there is one thing I don't do, it's work out! Maybe I need to rinse for longer - time will tell when I use it more!