I received a luxury sample of this product and was glad that I hadn't paid for a full-sized item, as I was horribly disappointed. Firstly, I can't stand anything that's artificially banana scented or flavoured (I eat real bananas, but that's where I draw the line) and this product had an artificial banana smell! Ugh, gag!
I squeezed the tube into my palm expecting a conditioner-like cream to come out and instead I got a palm full of clear liquid with "clotted" bits of white cream floating in it. Eeew, gross! I managed to get most of it back into the tube and gave the tube a good shake (there was no mention on the packaging that the tube needed to be shaken well before use). Second attempt and the product came out the tube looking more like conditioner. A fairly thin, creamy white lotion that I could then apply to my hair.
It did leave my hair looking and feeling very soft, but every time I turned my head, I'd get a whiff of the artificial banana scent. Not pleasant at all! Plus, I have very fine, naturally stick straight, oily hair and this product seemed to aggravate it. My hair looked and felt wonderful for the first few hours after washing it, but then looked rather limp and lifeless by the afternoon. I can usually get away with washing my hair every second day (if I wash it daily, it just aggravates the oil production), but with this reconstructor, I had no option but to wash it daily.
I only used it three times (once a week over three weeks) and still had half the tube left, which I ended up throwing away as I wouldn't give it to anyone especially since I wasn't sure if the product was supposed to be 'split' with a clear liquid and lumpy white bits, or if the tube I got was faulty or had gone "off".
I would not purchase a tube of this and definitely wouldn't recommend it.
I have heard a lot about Joico and I went to a salon to have my hair cut and coloured the stylist recommended I use the Deep Penetrating Reconstructor Cream to treat my hair as it tends to be on the dry side. The packaging is simple and elegant. The flip lid makes application in the shower easy and the product is easy enough to squeeze out of the tube. It is easy to apply and has a wonderful fragrance. I left the product in for a good five minutes, combed it through and rinsed it off. It did leave my hair feeling much softer (no longer the straw feel after highlights) and it was certainly softer when it dried. It certainly is more expensive than the supermarket products but then I do believe it is more effective on damaged hair. It is not your normal conditioner though - I would describe it more as a hair mask or treatment, and as such - yes it is effective. Would I use it all the time - no it is too expensive as I had to use quite a substantial amount.