Product Review: Biolink VCO Hot Oil Conditioner

It’s not intentional, but the fact that my second product review is another hair-care product is quite telling. Pinoys–especially Pinoy women–really take pride in their hair. Just within a one kilometer radius of my home in Mandaluyong, you can find about five or six hair salons!

I don’t know if I fit the stereotype of the hair-obsessed Pinay–I don’t like having long, straight hair (I prefer my hair short, but my mother insists I look better with long hair), I don’t like combing often, I’m not obsessed with making my hair look shampoo-commerical perfect, and I rarely go to the salon/parlor. Thrice a year is about it for me.

I am still fond of hair products, though–and thus without intending it, the review below is for a conditioner–to match with the shampoo review. Hehehe.

The fact that I even tried Biolink VCO Hot Oil Conditioner is proof of the effectivity of product sampling. I received a free sachet while walking through a mall one day, used it while at the beach, and liked what I saw. So, the next time I went to the supermarket, I looked for a bottle of it, and started using it regularly.

What I really like about this product is not only that it’s locally-made, but also…

1. it was developed by a local research and development laboratory (Biolink is a brand of Splash, Inc., which is one of a select few local companies that have an R&D lab in the country.)
2. it uses VCO (Virgin Coconut Oil), which is a Filipino product
3. you only need to use it once or twice a week! 

Why are the three things that I mentioned above good in my book? Well,

1. Government funding for scientific research and development (R&D) is quite small–and to have the private sector invest in local R&D is a great way to help scientists stay in the country and expand our knowledge
2. Speaking of R&D, VCO is an example of the good things R&D can achieve in this country! What’s more, actively developing new ways of using VCO helps sustain the VCO industry (which is also more sustainable and less unjust to workers as compared to copra farming, which is the source of refined coconut oil)
3. The fact that this is in the product label tells me that Biolink/Splash is not only concerned about profits, but actually providing you a better product. (Do you remember that in the past, some multinationals would actually say in their shampoo labels that people should shampoo twice? They did that to make people use more shampoo, which in turn led to people buying MORE shampoo–which, of course, leads to bigger profits.) Using it once or twice a week also appeals to the frugal side of me (I spend less money) and to the lazy/tamad side of me (I spend less time and energy conditioning my hair).

And, despite the frugality, the product really delivers on its “hot oil” claim. My hair really feels and looks smoother and softer after using this product. It has also helped my hair get stronger and less prone to splitting. The texture of this conditioner is really rich, thick, and creamy, which sets it apart from other commerically-available conditioners at the supermarket–even the “pro-vitamin” one.

The only thing I can criticize about this product is a side-effect of its richness–it’s a bit hard to rinse. This could be an effect of my laziness, though–my mom claims that I’m “ligong-lalaki,”  by which she means to say that I take too little time showering/bathing. So now I make sure to use the Biolink VCO conditioner only when I’m not in a hurry, so that I make sure that everything is rinsed out–if I don’t rinse it out well, I sometimes get dandruff because my scalp tends to be oily.

Sizes and Prices: Sachet and 100ml bottle. I forgot how much I bought the bottle for, though It’s definitely within the Php70-90 range, though, so still affordable and competitive.

Variants: Intense Moisture and Shine (pink), Volume and Fullness (blue), Clean and Dandruff Free (green). I tried the pink variant.

Pros: Locally-developed, locally-made, effective, only have to use 1-2x a week. (The variant I tried smells nice, too.)

Cons: Difficult to rinse, but maybe that’s my fault because I don’t rinse well.

Where to buy: Available at major supermarkets and personal care stores.