Mixed Feelings: Michael Van Clark 3 More Inches Haircare System

Michael Van Clark's 3 More Inches haircare range has been around for a while.  I recently met Mr Van Clark himself at his London salon, and heard him speak about the product range.  Unfortunately he spent half his time criticising other products, which always makes me suspicious, and there was a slightly dubious demo which claimed that because silicone products don't mix with water in a jar, they can't help the hair retain moisture.  Anyway, slightly dodgy PR techniques aside, I've been trying out the haircare system for the past two weeks and thought I'd share my thoughts so far.

First off, the 3 More Inches name is a bit misleading - this isn't a system to encourage growth, but a system to care for the hair so it doesn't break and snap, and thus can grow longer.  This introductory set costs £24.50, and contains three products - 100ml of the pre-wash treatment, 75ml of the shampoo and conditioner each.  To use the system, you're supposed to saturate the hair with the treatment every other wash, leaving it on for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.  You then wash and condition your hair, and voila, super soft, 'youthful' hair.

I used about half of the 100ml tube on my thick, shoulder length hair and managed to saturate only the ends - I think it'd take the entire tube to completely saturate my hair.  As a result I've only used the pre-wash treatment once, whilst I've used the shampoo and conditioner twice or three times.  My experiences so far have been that this system does indeed give you soft, healthy feeling hair - the hair doesn't have that overly silky feeling it can have from more silicone-based products.

Ultimately, I've not been blown away by the shampoo and conditioner, nor have I been blown away by the pre-wash treatment as a pre-wash treatment.  Instead, I've been using a little dab of the pre-wash treatment as a leave in conditioner, and it helps to define and shape my curls whilst leaving them feeling very soft and hydrated.  If you have dry, thick, curly hair I'd definitely recommend the pre-wash treatment as a leave in conditioner.  As for the shampoo and conditioner.. I'm not convinced that they add much to the mix for the £17 cost of the full size bottles.

Disclosure:  PR sample

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