Well ok, I've tried 2 of the 3 steps of Swell's volumizing system, but it has been enough to talk about the effectiveness of it.
A little preamble first. The third step is a watery sprayable lotion made of primarily water and alcohol, plus tons of precious extracts (here you can see the full list). I am against cosmetics with alcohol, because they essentially tend to dry out on the long term, so I probably wouldn't appreciate this final step.
Talking about the 2 products that I've tested, I might affirm that one is a No-No and the other is a new favorite. Guess what? The Shampoo has been the deceit, because even if he did what it claims (volume,volume,volume!), it resulted too harsh for my scalp, so I had irritations and my hair turned whimsical and greasy.
The conditioner instead has been a pleasant surprise, since after only one minute of application you can evidently see its effect. It leaves my hair soft, detangled and shiny (for real). What about the volumizing effect? Since I usually apply conditioner only on the ends, I don't see how I could perceive it and I believe a conditioner is not meant to volumize. Since I tend not to recommend overpriced products, this time I want to celebrate leaving the full list of ingredients :D , so here we go:
Aqua (Water), Glycerin (Vegetable), Behentrimonium Chloride (Coconut-derived conditioner), Cetearyl Alcohol (Natural wax), Glyceryl Stearate (Glycerin-derived emulsifier), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil (Almond), Dimethyl Sulfone (Organic Sulphur), Carnitine Tartrate (Follicle-Stimulating Amino Acid), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative**), Benzyl Alcohol (Preservative**), Arctium Lappa Root Extract (Burdock), Potassium Sorbate (Preservative**), Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, (Argan) Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive), Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil (Babassu), Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Jojoba), Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil (Wheat Germ), Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract (Swiss Apple Stem Cell Extract), Lavandula Angustifolia Oil (Lavender), Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil (Tea Tree), Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Hydrolysed Lupine Seed Extract, Urtica Dioica Extract (Nettles), Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil (Rosemary), Leptospermum Petersonii Oil (Lemon Tea Tree), Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil (Geranium), Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Tocopherol (Vitamin E)), Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel Oil (Mandarin), Sodium Starch Octenylsuccinate (Naturally-Derived Emulsifier), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Maltodextrin (Sugar), Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract (Dong Quai), Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract (Rooibos), Dioscorea Villosa Root Extract (Wild Yam), Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract (Sabal Serrulata), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera), Xanthan Gum, Cedrus Deodara Wood Oil (Himalayan Cedarwood), Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil (Mandarin), Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C salt), Sodium Benzoate (Preservative**), Citric Acid, Lepidium Meyenii Root Extract (Peruvian Maca), Oat Beta Glucan, Gluconolactone (Natural Acidifier), Pyridoxine HCL (Vitamin B6), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Lecithin, Silica, Calcium Gluconate, Linalool*, Limonene*, Citronellol*, Geraniol*Huge, right? Usually I have the tendency to avoid such intricate INCIs, but this is really well done. If you are interested in trying the whole 3-step system in trial sizes, you might wonder how long it will last. I'd say it will be easily enough for 10 applications, so that you'll get a pretty reliable idea of its effectiveness on you.
