Review: Schwarzkopf BC Fibre Force Hairtherapy

Disclaimer: This post is gonna be a long, picture heavy one so sit down with a cup of tea and read all about my mini hair journey and the product that saved my hair's lifeeeee. Obviously, I was unaware 2-3 years ago that I was going to be writing a post on a hair product/linking photos etc so they're not the best quality but I hope it gives you an idea as to what stages my hair went through and how the Fibre Force products have helped it immensely!

Before I get into the products themselves, I think I should probably give you a (brief) background on my hair and it's condition for the past 2 years. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to take a look at my hair colour and assume it's going to be damaged. I've used a lot of bleach and heat on my hair, particularly in the last 2-3 years. My hair was fairly thick and very strong beforehand, even when I first went blonde. This eventually took it's toll and long story short, my hair became thin, uneven and shed so much. My hair would regularly snap and it got to the point where I hated doing anything with it. In July of last year, I decided to have keratin bonded extensions put in. I dreaded the thought of having to get them out (remembering what my hair was like pre-extensions) and knew I'd have to cut my hair up relatively short to get rid of split ends and make a fresh start. The minute I got my extensions out, I looked for keratin products to help strengthen the hair, in the hopes that it would make it thicker, stronger and allow me to grow it out faster and in better condition. 

... And then Schwarzkopf Fibre Force walked into my life.

This range contains a shampoo, treatment and a spray conditioner. I got my extensions out in mid February and have been using these products regularly on my hair. I use the shampoo 2-3 times a week, once a week/once every 2 weeks I use the treatment and I apply a small spritz of the spray conditioner on my wet hair after every wash. A conditioner is also included in this range but I unfortunately haven't tried it - if it's anything else like the rest of the range though, I'm sure it's fantastic! Essentially, what makes it so good is the fact that all the products are keratin based. Leaving Cert biology has taught me that keratin is the natural protein your hair is made from, and Fibre Force has taught me that keratin is amazing for very damaged hair! According to Schwarzkopf, the micronised keratin found in this range "reinforces the inner hair fibre to strengthen the entire hair structure". 

Fiber Force shampoo, spray conditioner & treatment

First up is the shampoo! (€14.10 for 200ml) I really liked this shampoo, it was cleansing and lathered up just the right amount but didn't leave my hair feeling stripped or dry. It makes my hair look really shiny and contains castor oil and micronised keratin. While the shampoo is very good, and works very well when used in conjunction with the other products, I feel like it's a nice thing to have - but not essential. 

However, the next product I'm about to talk about has been equated to the second coming of Christ (by me, but probably a lot of other people who have tried it too). The fortifier treatment (€17.70 for 150ml) is one of the best hair care products I have ever used. A little goes a long way with this product, and I like to work it through the hair but focus mainly on the split, damaged ends. I leave it on for 15 minutes then rinse and this, used with the shampoo leaves my hair feeling incredibly soft and looking very shiny. It also contains the micronised keratin which, when left on for so long, really penetrates the hair and helps repair the damage done by ghds and bleach! I really love this product and if you were to only get one product from this range, I'd suggest this one. 

Finally, the spray conditioner (€12 for 150ml). I use this very lightly after every time I wash my hair. I spritz my ends with it, leave it for a few minutes and go through with my tangle teezer to distribute the product throughout. This is an added blast of keratin to the hair and I feel like this does a really good job and repairing damage because you're not rinsing it out - it stays in the hair. I stress the fact that I only use a light amount of this stuff because these keratin products are great in the right amounts, but could have a reverse effect on the hair if used too much because it is so strong. The spray conditioner also added to the softness and shine to my hair!

Overall, these products are amazing! I think they work well all together and the treatment is particularly excellent. My hair hasn't felt this soft, strong and thick in over a year and I definitely credit that to the Fibre Force range. The smell of the products is pleasant, the packaging is nice and sleek and the price is very reasonable. These are some of the few products that I don't believe are 'gimicky' and they really do work. The results after the first 4-6 weeks were visible to both me and others around me. While my hair is obviously shorter than it was when I got my extensions out, it is much thicker, stronger and healthier and hair growth is absolutely occurring - at a faster rate than before. It may be hard to tell from the photos but my hair went from being quite strong, to SO thin, weak and full of split ends and back on its way to strong and shiny again. My hair is without a doubt in better condition now than it was before I got my extensions in. My hair isn't breaking off half as much as it was before so hair growth is definitely noticeable! I honestly can't recommend these products enough, I'd definitely suggest anyone who is suffering from split ends/damaged hair, or just wants to change up their hair care routine to check this stuff out. In a nutshell, it seriously works and I would most definitely repurchase the Fibre Force products!

Hair before excessive damage (happier hair times)

Before excessive heat/bleach damage - much thicker and longer hair

My hair became noticeably thinner at the ends due to breakage/hair snapping

Uneven lengths and thinness caused by severe breakage

Breaking point for both me and my split ends. Look at them! Frizz central - not cute.

First week of using Fibre Force (February 2014)

March 2014. My hair was shorter but much thicker and stronger since using Fibre Force

This was only a month ago (March) but already my hair has grown quite a bit from that photo.             

These products can be found in most hair supply stores, hair dressers that stock Schwarzkopf and online (http://www.beautybay.com/ do free worldwide delivery). Prices of these products may vary from location, so I gave a general figure by using Beauty Bay pricing. Something to note about Schwarzkopf is that they often do special seasonal 'kits' with 2 or 3 of their products for a great price. If you can find a Fibre Force set then I'd definitely suggest picking it up as it is a great way to try all the products together! Thank you for reading, and you can follow my updated 'hair journey' with these products through my instagram :)