Best Drugstore Beauty: Kenra Hair Care

Kenra isn't a brand you would expect to find at CVS. A "professional salon brand," Kenra (seen on The View) is supposedly sold only at fine salons. Turns out that savvy beauty managers at CVS can order it from their distributor, along with Kerastase and other top-of-the-line brands. I just hope I'm not "spilling the beans," making it harder for CVS to stock it.

Here's what Kenra has to say about the line.

Kenra products are distinguished by using a blend of pharmaceutical-grade and cosmetic-grade ingredients that provide extraordinary performance. Our products are highly recognized for reliable, consistent performance and have universal appeal and application.

When I first saw the display at CVS, I was impressed with the classy platinum packaging. It screamed, "Try me." Two products drew my eyes, a sulfate-free shampoo for fine|thin hair, and a botanical conditioner for fine|thin hair. So, off I went with both of them among my purchases.

Imagine my surprise when I first used the two products. Out popped light, periwinkle-colored product! My first reaction was, "This isn't one of those brassiness-remover products, is it?" Nope! These products are designed to preserve your hair's color.

The sulfate-free Platinum Shampoo for Fine|Thin Hair ($17 at full price) is rich and luxurious. It lathers fully and leaves my hair with volume. The first two ingredients on the list are not water, but rosemary leaf extract and lavender extract. The botanical nature of the ingredients is evident by the fresh, clean (not "herby") light, ephemeral fragrance. Using the shampoo is a pleasure. The key ingredients, from Kenra, are:

• Cross-link Polymer - weightlessly surrounds the hair cuticle and contracts as it dries, promoting body and volume;
• Hydrolyzed Silk Protein - a protein that adds strength to hair; and
• Color Care Complex Technology - internal and external color protection with microsilk, heliogenol, and benzophenone.

The Platinum Botanical Conditioner for Fine|Thin Hair ($19 at full price) is a keratin-enriched formula that promises and delivers maximum volume and body. It replenishes lost moisture and makes my hair, usually tangled after a shampoo, easy to comb out. The botanical blend includes the rosemary and lavender in the shampoo. The key ingredients? Kenra attributes the effectiveness to:

• Hydrolyzed Keratin - a protein that provides strength to hair and improves hair texture and shin;
• Behentrimonium Methosulfate - an extremely mild detangling ingredient made from rapeseed oil;
• Polyquaternium-11 - a conditioning agent that adds body and shine; and
  
• Color Care Complex - multi-level protection with microsilk amodimethicone, C11-15, pareth-7, laureth-9, glycerin, trideceth-12, and the ultraviolet defense duo of heliogenol and benzophenon.

The result after using both? Clean, shiny hair with volume and bounce. Nice!

Now, I want to try the Platinum Detangler Spray for Fine|Thin Hair ($19) and the Root Lifting Spray 13 ($14). These products are fabulous!

The term "unique" doesn't stop with the actual products. The shampoo and conditioner I bought have a unique screw-cap dispensing system, recycled materials are used in the packaging, the products are not tested on animals, and the company offers a 100% guarantee. If you aren't satisfied with what you bought, it can be returned for a full refund. That's an easy guarantee to offer when you make products like these!

Check out the Kenra Web site to identify the best products for your own hair. There is a salon locator at this link. Or, you could ask your CVS Beauty Manager to stock it. DrugstoreBeautyPro was all over this one!

Photo courtesy of Kenra