Review: Botanical Repair Line (Aveda)

This product was sent to me for review purposes.

Hair care is one of those things that I try to be aware of but, in contrast to my knowledge of skincare and cosmetics, I often fall flat. I seldom have my hair in its natural colour and have been dying it purple for many years – so much that purple feels more like my ‘real’ colour than black! Really, I’m lucky that my hair is usually able to stay strong and even ‘recover’ from bleaching.

All of that came to a halt recently. While we were in lockdown, I hadn’t visited a proper hairstylist for over a year and even had a yolo moment where I bleached my own hair at home (not a good idea, 10/10 would not recommend). The result was that my hair became extremely damaged. The ends had been so over-processed that it was difficult to brush, and I ended up with a lot of breakage.

And in came Aveda to save the day! I wanted to hold off on cutting my hair until I would justify a trip to the salon (to professionally bleach and colour it again), so the only solution I had was to repair what I had. After discussing my hair concerns with them, I was recommended to try out their Botanical Repair Line which is described as a “revolutionary plant-powered, bond-building treatment formulated to strengthen, repair and protect hair from the inside out.”

In this review, I’ll be going over everything from the range including the Strengthening Shampoo, Strengthening Conditioner, Strengthening Leave-in Treatment, and also the Intensive Strengthening Masque (in both Light and Rich).

Keen to learn more? Read on!

Botanical Repair Strengthening Shampoo (200mL) | AUD$51

Starting out the a shampoo, this is the step that I often find can be quite harsh and stripping on hair – but not with this! This is the Botanical Repair Strenghtening Shampoo, which is specifically formulated for damaged hair of all types and textures. It claims to remove excess sebum, product build up and pollution, whilst also helping to strengthen and repair hair. It contains 94% of naturally derived ingredients and is also vegan and cruelty free.

In addition to this, the formula contains an Aveda trademarked ‘pure-fume‘ scent which uses organic ylang-ylang, rose, marjoram and other pure flower/pant extracts. And yes, this product smells divine.

I found that this product foamed up pretty decently and was easy to use. That being said though, out of the entire range, I feel like this product makes the least difference when used alone – if you are going to invest in this shampoo, then I would highly recommend using the others from this line as well. I liked it as part of the routine, but would not be rushing to repurchase just this product.

This shampoo is available in three sizes:

• 200mL for AUD$51
• 50mL travel size for AUD$15
• 1L bottle for AUD$191

All of that being said, here’s the verdict!

SO WHAT IS IT?

A gentle shampoo to both cleanse and repair damaged hair

THE GOOD

• Great botanical scent
• Lathers up and cleans well
• Doesn’t leave hair feeling dry

THE BAD

• Expensive, especially if you have longer hair
• Average effectiveness when used alone – although it works well as part of the routine, I had higher expectations for this price point

RATINGS

• PRICE POINT | 2/5
• PACKAGING | 3/5
• APPLICATION | 4/5
• EFFECTIVENESS | 3/5

OVERALL RATING? 6/10

THOUGHTS? This is probably the product that I was the least impressed with out of the set. It’s decent, as is evidenced in how I finished up the entire bottle, but I feel like the benefits were so subtle in comparison to the price point. I would still repurchase this if I were to continue using the whole line, but wouldn’t be recommending it on its own.

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Botanical Repair Strengthening Conditioner (200mL) | AUD$52

After that comes the conditioning step, and this is definitely a product that I loved, miss and would repurchase! This is the Botanical Repair Strengthening Conditioner, which claims to instantly detangle to prevent breakage, as well as strengthen through the building of hair bonds and repair damaged hair.

In addition, the formula is 98% naturally derived and also suitable for all types, including colour treated and chemically processed hair. As with the Strengthening Shampoo, this also uses the trademarked scent and is both vegan and cruelty free.

This is the first product that I thought made a visible difference. It smooths over easily with a pleasant scent and leaves hair feeling soft and silky. After application, I also like to leave it in for a few minutes to allow the product to properly absorb too. As a result, my hair was a lot easier to brush and breakage was greatly minimised.

However, I do see two downsides: the price point and the longevity of its effectiveness. As I mentioned, the results are evident from the moment I started using this product. However, my hair also returned to being a damaged mess as soon as I finished my bottle. I feel that this conditioner is strengthening hair from the bonds, but that the silkiness is more of a surface level effect.

This conditioner is available in three sizes:

• 200mL for AUD$52
• 40mL travel size for AUD$15
• 1L bottle for AUD$195

Here’s the verdict!

SO WHAT IS IT?

A conditioner formulated to strengthen and repair, as well as instantly detangle and prevent breakage

THE GOOD

• Great botanical scent
• Squeeze bottle is easy to use
• Smoothes and detangles hair
• Leaves hair feeling silky
• Lightweight – doesn’t weight hair down leave a greasy finish
• Suitable for daily use

THE BAD

• Expensive
• Results aren’t permanent – hair will return to its original state if use is discontinued

RATINGS

• PRICE POINT | 2/5
• PACKAGING | 4/5
• APPLICATION | 5/5
• EFFECTIVENESS | 4/5

OVERALL RATING? 7.5/10

THOUGHTS? As I mentioned earlier, the only real downside I see to this product is the price point. You definitely need to continue using it to maintain your hair health, so the price can add up. If it’s within your budget though, I definitely think this one is worth looking into.

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Botanical Repair Strengthening Leave-in Treatment (100mL) | AUD$55

For people who like to heat style their hair or want something that will work throughout the day, this Strengthening Leave-in Treatment is great. It claims to instantly strengthen, repair hair from the inside out and also protect against heat of up to 230°C as well as UV rays (where sunlight can dry out hair). According to the protect information, this treatment has an immediate result for healthier, shinier and softer hair, as well as helping to reduce frizziness and flyaways.

Similar to the previous products, this is 98% naturally derived and also suitable for all types, including colour treated and chemically processed hair. As with the Strengthening Shampoo, this also uses the trademarked scent and is both vegan and cruelty free.

This was something that I didn’t find myself reaching for all the time, simply because I’m not used to using a leave-in treatment. The actual formula was nice, with a lightweight and non-greasy texture – somewhere between a gel and cream. I liked how it immediately smoothed out my hair and would usually reach for this on days when my hair was extra frizzy or dry.

However, aside from the price point, one con would be in its application. Perhaps due to how light the formula is, I found that I had to use a lot or it would be uneven. I just feel like this product won’t stretch as far and I often had to go back to the tube.

This treatment is available in two sizes:

• 100mL for AUD$55
• 25mL travel size for AUD$15

Here’s the verdict!

SO WHAT IS IT?

A lightweight leave-in treatment to strengthen, repair and protect hair. as well as giving immediate shine and reducing frizz.

THE GOOD

• Nice botanical scent
• Simple squeeze tube – easy to use
• Instant results
• Very lightweight with no greasiness
• Suitable for daily use

THE BAD

• Expensive
• Product may not last as long (a lot was needed for each application)

RATINGS

• PRICE POINT | 2/5
• PACKAGING | 4/5
• APPLICATION | 2/5
• EFFECTIVENESS | 5/5

OVERALL RATING? 6.5/10

THOUGHTS? Similar to the other products, I really did enjoy the formula of this with the only downside being the price point. If you do have the budget and want to invest in your hair care though, this is a simple one that can be used every day – whether or not you’re heat treating, the instant smooth finish with wonderful!

However, I would recommend starting out with the small travel size to test if this formulation is suitable for your hair first. This is quite lightweight, which works well for me, but might not be rich enough for very dry hair.

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Botanical Repair Intensive Strengthening Masque in Light (150mL) | AUD$62

And now we’re moving into the hair masks, which are arguably my favourite in this whole collection. I found that these made the most dramatic difference to my hair and, with the high price tag taken into consideration, these are the ones that I would be the most interested in repurchasing.

First off is the Intensive Strengthening Masque in Light – this is probably best for people with normal to oily hair, as the ‘light’ formulation would suggest. It claims to instantly strengthen and builds bonds for deep hair repair, as well as providing weightless conditioning benefits. The production information states that this can repair damage to all three layers of hair fiber, as well as instantly detangle.

Again, this formula 98% naturally derived and also suitable for fine to medium hair types, including colour treated and chemically processed hair. It also uses the trademarked scent and is both vegan and cruelty free.

This is the first hair mask out of the two that I tried out and I definitely felt that this treated my hair much better than regular conditioner. The instructions say to leave this on for around 2-5 minutes before rinsing out, though I would sometimes do a little more. My hair always felt smoother, stronger and healthier right after using this although it wasn’t perfectly shiny (that I attribute to the Rich Formula of the hair mask, which I discuss next). I think that I would mostly recommend this for people with thinner hair or moderate damage.

This mask is available in three sizes:

• 150mL for AUD$62
• 25mL travel size for AUD$15
• 350mL bottle for AUD$116

Here’s the verdict!

SO WHAT IS IT?

A light version of a creamy hair mask to strengthen, repair and condition hair.

THE GOOD

• Nice botanical scent
• Simple squeeze tube – easy to use
• Very visibly smoother hair
• No greasiness or weighting down of hair
• Moderately long lasting results

THE BAD

• Expensive
• Not suitable for very damaged or thick hair

RATINGS

• PRICE POINT | 2/5
• PACKAGING | 4/5
• APPLICATION | 5/5
• EFFECTIVENESS | 4/5

OVERALL RATING? 7.5/10

THOUGHTS? I enjoyed using this and I actually switch it up between this or my conditioner very often. However, I still think that it isn’t quite nourishing enough for what my hair needs (as it is very damaged). This treats and smoothens significantly better than a regular conditioner though and, if you have moderately damaged hair and want to invest in something for it, this is the one I would recommend!

For very damaged hair – read on!

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Botanical Repair Intensive Strengthening Masque in Rich (200mL) | AUD$83

Out of everything in the entire line, my top favourite would have to be the Intensive Strengthening Masque in Rich. The claims for this hair mask are essentially the same as the Light variant, but this is formulated to provide deep conditioning and is actually targeted for medium to thick hair. It comes in a tub (instead of a tub) and has a semi-solid, buttery sort of texture. It was actually quite surprised at first, as I expected something more creamy, but the results were absolutely amazing.

Leaving this in for only five minutes completely transformed my hair (even at it’s peak damaged stage). It completely smooths over dry and frizzy hair, detangles and leaves it feeling like silk. It made my hair so much easier to brush, as well as looking and feeling stronger.

The only con that I can find for this product is the texture – since it’s very dense and buttery, you have to use a spatula to get the product out of the tub. If you go in with your hands, the product will easily get under your nails and doesn’t instantly dissolve under water – so you do have to clean your hands thoroughly afterwards. I think that having this in a tube design would be a lot more convenient.

This mask is available in three sizes:

• 200mL for AUD$83
• 30mL travel size for AUD$15
• 450mL for AUD$150

Here’s the verdict!

SO WHAT IS IT?

A rich version of a creamy hair mask to strengthen, repair and deep condition hair.

THE GOOD

• Nice botanical scent
• Absolutely silky smooth hair
• Completely detangles frizzy or damaged hair
• No greasiness or weighting down of hair
• Moderately long lasting results
• Suitable for medium to thick, or damaged hair

THE BAD

• Expensive
• Not the most convenient to use

RATINGS

• PRICE POINT | 2/5
• PACKAGING | 2/5
• APPLICATION | 5/5
• EFFECTIVENESS | 5/5

OVERALL RATING? 7/10 (but honestly, should be higher)

THOUGHTS? I really want to give this a higher rating. In fact, I think this product deserves a higher rating – but I can’t do that because of my own system. The two cons for this product is the price point and the packaging, but the formula is so amazingly good on my hair that I’m personally willing to overlook this and repurchase.

If your hair is very damaged, dry and/or thick, definitely check this one out!

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Overall, my favourite products would have to be the Botanical Repair Intensive Strengthening Masque in Rich and the Botanical Repair Strengthening Conditioner. I also enjoyed using the Leave-in Treatment but, to be honest, it’s probably better for people with thin or medium hair types (since it will last you a bit longer too – haha!)

Have you used anything from Aveda before? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram so I can check it out as well!