Oils of olé!

I love Lumi-Oil! The name alone conjures feelings of brilliance and much-needed hydration during heat waves. Since summer crashed into our cool party a couple of weeks ago, my hair has done what every 30-ish-year-old hair follicle would do – panic! It’s scorching outside, humid as hell. The ozone is being depleted by the minute. My hair can’t cope. My wavy locks have gone frizzy. The highlights have gone brassy. My mane looks thirsty and lackluster. What’s a modern gal to do?

I got the usual hair treatments at my fave salons, avoided blow-dryers and straightening irons for a while, and stocked up on the usual after-sun and dry/damaged hair conditioners. While they served their purpose, I found my hair back to its stringy state as soon as it got air-dried. Something was a-miss. I felt like my hair needed an extra dollop of some kind of healing or conditioning serum, the way I slather on lotion or extra virgin coconut oil on my body.

I did my research and got hooked on L’Oreal Professionel’s Lumi-Oil. Oil repairs damaged hair. It forms a barrier of protection for the fiber and prevents dryness. Oil also boosts the brightness of hair, and smoothens out the hair cuticle, making it look healthy and vibrant. The coolest thing is that Lumi-Oil comes in three personalized formulas for different hair types. You can choose to use just one for your specific hair type. But I actually like to interchange all three, depending on how my hair acts one day compared to the next.

For the lucky few who have normal to dry hair, L’Oreal recommends Lumi-Oil 1. It is a light oil enriched with UV filters and a vitamin E derivative, well-known for its anti-oxidant properties. Its fluid texture spreads instantly over the hair fiber and hair becomes silky and protected from root to tip.

For unmanageable hair (don’t you hate those bad hair days?), there is a spark of hope. Lumi-Oil 2 is enriched with shorea oil to impart a mirror-like shine. It’s like jelly and wraps around the hair with a shine-screen effect that controls frizz and tames the tousles.

For wavy hair, use Lumi-Oil 3, a fluid gel enriched with UV filters and a film-forming polymer for lasting hold and control. It will give your curls more texture and a nice dewy look.

While these oils didn’t replace my regular hair treatments, it was certainly a welcome addition to my haircare regimen. And at P700 a pop, I felt it was a smart investment and a better deal than most. Like I said, I love Lumi-Oil!

* * *

Lumi-Oil is available at Manila’s leading salons. Check it out, ladies.