Are the Hyaluronic Acid & Chia Seed Curl Defining Hair Treatments worth the hype? What’s in them? How does hair look after about one month of using them? For which kind of hair are both products suitable?! Onto The Inkey List Haircare review!
TIL came out with originally 8 haircare products late in 2019, and they’ve since then added one (which is supposedly an Olaplex dupe). All products range between 10-15€ and are packaged in black aluminium bottles. (Which are supposedly fully recyclable, which is good, but recycling aluminium fully you need a lot of energy, which is obviously a problem. I prefer aluminium for refillable products for this reason.)
And while we’re on the topic of sustainability: TIL’s dinky little bottles are usually 50 or 100ml, meaning you go through A LOT of them when you use them regularly. My usual haircare products all are between 100 and even 500ml – much better, packaging-wise. Since I bought and started to try TIL’s haircare, they’ve positioned them somewhat stupidly as ‘clean’ beauty, a controversy succinctly summed up by Doctor Anne here.
My hair type/routine
I’ve over-shoulder length colour-treated, fine, wavy (type 2A) hair. I don’t need to wash it a lot – every second, or even third day is totally fine, because it gets dry and frizzy easily. I don’t use hot tools regularly to style my hair, but will (mainly in winter) blow-dry it with a Dyson hair dryer.
My usual routine after washing is using conditioner, a hair milk after towel drying, and then applying an air-dry cream. I usually wear my hair either in a bun or pony tail – depending on your perspective, it’s either low maintenance or pretty lazy.
- More: How the Dyson hair dryer didn’t change my hair or my life.
- More: Silk pillow cases: a miracle solution for hair and skin?!
What I want
Because my hair is so fine (but I’ve got a lot of it), it gets dry and frizzy easily, while at the same time, it lacks volume and hangs down limply. The TIL routine finder actually suggested the Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Hair Treatment and the Chia Seed Curl Defining Treatment (which I chose) and the Shea Oil Nourishing Hair Treatment and the PCA Bond Repair Hair Treatment (which I didn’t, get but would consider buying – at least the PCA one, I’m not really one for oils). For extra volume, they advertise their Peptide Treatment, which I also didn’t buy.
What it is
Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Hair Treatment
Frizz Control Serum
“(…) not only hydrates your hair, but also works to reduce frizz, brittleness and protect it against pollution.” (
The Inkey List (50ml, €/$ 9,99)
Chia Seed Curl Defining Treatment
Curl Enhancing Cream
“(…) we have developed a unique technology that helps define and prolong curls’ bounce and their natural shape by targeting the hair bonds, whilst providing hydration too. This weightless serum has been formulated to also help reduce, protect and strengthen hair against chemical damage and tame frizz.”
The Inkey List (50ml, €/$ 7,99)
Ingredients
The hero ingredient in the Hyaluronic Acid Treatment is Resisthyal™, “which create(s) a specific local molecular moisturizing film around the hair fiber” (Datasheet). As I understand it, the film around each strand of hair prevents moisture loss.
Notable ingredients in the Chia Seed Treatment are ProCutiGen® Bond, which main ingredient is derived from Chia Seeds. The whole thing forms a matrix around the hair, thus protecting it from damage. MiruStyle™ CP is the second ingredient complex that relies on polyquaternium, an ingredient often found in haircare products for curls. It forms a film around hair fibres for them to retain curl memory.
How to
Both products are designed as a post wash treatment. TIL also advises to mix them into shampoo/conditioner or (in case of the Hyaluronic Treatment) mix it into hair dye or hair mask.
You’re advised to thinly coat your hair with both products. I’ve had a few problems with that: advised on the bottle of the Hyaluronic Treatment are ‘two pumps’. I would’ve appreciated a proper pump on this. You really have to shake the bottle for the product to come out. Two drops get me nowhere. On the box it says 4-6 drops. *eyeroll*
Especially when I use it on towel-dry hair, I can easily use at least 10 drops until I even realise I’ve got some product in my hair. I can’t imagine how much you’d need if you’ve got truly long and/or curly hair. I solved that by mixing about five drops into the hair milk I use after towel-drying my hair. On top of that, I add one drop of oil into that mix: knowing how hyaluronic acid works in skincare, I want an additional occlusive to lock the moisture into my strands.
With the Chia Seed Treatment, I had the exact opposite experience. Using two pumps makes my hair look greasy. Instead, I use one pump very carefully only on my ends. TIL says to us it in between washes to revive dull curls, but honestly, I haven’t dared yet – I’ve to apply it very carefully anyways.
Effect
Both products are listed by TIL as having as noticeable effect as ‘immediate to a month’. I couldn’t see any immediate effects with both. Both products claim to reduce frizz, promote shine and curl retention. And they somewhat did that. I still have frizz occasionally, but the biggest difference that I can’t really explain is that my hair feels more substantial. Because it’s so fine, it usually feels wispy when I run my hands through it, but nowadays it feels smooth and, yes, healthy.
(Disclosure: shortly before incorporating both products into my routine, I changed my Briogeo products to living proof. While I hate their hair mask with a passion, the phd conditioner is the dream. Obviously, both products could also have changed my hair for the better.)
I haven’t really found a way to successfully incorporate the Chia Seed Treatment into my routine yet. The products aren’t that self-explanatory, I found – I just realised that I could mix both products into shampoo/conditioner/masks when I researched this post. Don’t discard the outer packaging!
Worth it?
My main complaint with TIL haircare products is the price. It SEEMS affordable, because the sizes are small: drugstore products like Elvital/Elvive (L’Oreal) usually come in 200ml bottles for a fraction of the price, while John Frieda has about the same price point. Astonishingly, high-end haircare like Briogeo, IGK, Paul Mitchell or living proof clock in at a similar price point (10€ for 50ml of an anti-frizz serum/leave-in). But still, before thinking it’s very affordable haircare – it’s not, especially not drugstore level affordable.
Are they unique?! Not really. A lot of brands from luxury to drugstore incorporate hyaluronic acid into haircare products (Oribe, IGK, Phyto, John Masters, Apivita) and DIY Chia Seed hair gel is a staple in the curly hair method.
I’m a bit on the fence when it comes to repurchasing – maybe. I’ve to admit, though, that I’m still curious about both the PCA and Peptide Treatments!
Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods or money for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
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