In the word of my HD “L’Oreal Steampod will change my life”. I trusted her, and bought this tool as soon as it was available in Australia. I might be a beauty junkie when it comes to skincare and makeup, but I have always been very loyal with my hair products. For the past 10 years, I did not look beyond any hair straightening tools other than my trusted GHD – I have gone through 5 of them and have them in every color/size…So I felt very guilty that I have to replace my GHD with the L’Oreal Steampod ..since I paid AUD$300 for it!
What is Steampod:
Similar to the traditional hair straightening tool, Steampod is a hair styling tool mainly used for hair straightening (as well as curling) whilst delivering purified steam to hydrate and nourish dry and damaged hair, and further strengthening the benefit of any leave-in hair treatment.
My Experience:
I cannot believe I am saying this “I love Steampod more than the GHD!”, as I find that it is a better straightening tool for my medium to thick naturally frizzy hair. Here is a whole list of reasons why:
– It only takes half of the time compared to a traditional straightener.
– It tames unruly and frizzy hair more effectively.
– It makes the hair sleek straight, frizz free, shiny without making it look flat! Which is a big bonus for me as I find GHD can make my hair too flat sometimes.
– I always use a hair leave-in treatment before using any heated hair styling tool, and the steam from the Steampod helps to penetrate the product deep into the hair shaft which makes my hair more nourished! This is absolutely a savior for my very dry and damaged hair.
Note: L’Oreal recommends the use of the L’Oreal Steampod Preparation Cream which contains keratin in conjunction with the tool. I have checked with my HD and she suggests that it would work with any type of hair treatment products, so it doesn’t have to be this particular one.
There are always a few things to nit pick on:
– It is slightly heavier than the GHD (though it doesn’t bother me as I get to work out my arm muscle!)
– There are 5 different temperature settings, and it defaults back to the lowest temperate (170) each time you switch it on. I normally use 200 or 210 so I would prefer it has an automatic saving option.
– I have to be clear that I am not good at curling my hair with any straightening tool (not even with GHD). And with the Steampod, I find that it is actually easier to work with for curling purposes because of the curved plate at the top. It gives nice loose bouncy waves, but it can make my hair look a little frizzy. However when my HD curled my hair with the tool, my hair looked totally fine and smooth so I think this problem is to do with my limited skill.
Other factors:
You can only use filtered water with this machine.
I use it everyday and it takes about a week to replace the water tank.
The machine heats up within 3-4 seconds, but it takes about 10 seconds for the steam to come out.
Bottom Line:
I highly recommend this tool for anyone with unruly, dry or damaged hair. It truly makes a difference compared to the ordinary as the steam helps to further nourish your hair in conjunction with any hair treatment and causes less damage from the heat. For people with healthy and naturally sleek hair, if you are happy with what you are using now, it might not be necessary.
If you are in Australia, you can purchase the L’Oreal Steampod here for Australian voltage as well as better shipping and warranty service. It is also available here for international customers.
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