Aveda Thickening Tonic

This review is going to be short and sweet because I don't have much to say about Aveda's Thickening Tonic other than: It didn't work for me.

I received this product as part of an Aveda-themed Topbox. Other items in this box included the brand's Invati™ Exfoliating Shampoo & Thickening Conditioner, which also didn't impress me. At one point, I did use all three products together but even then the results were the same: so-so hair that wasn't any thicker than before.

According to Aveda, the tonic is "proven to thicken hair instantly with just one use." It supposedly does this by "expand(ing) strands from roots to ends." I didn't experience this at all. To make sure that I wasn't maybe missing a subtle thickening effect (my hair doesn't lack natural thickness), I did three separate split tests in which half of my hair received the tonic and the other half didn't.

At no point did the half that received the tonic ever look or feel thicker. It didn't look worse; if I had to say one positive thing about this product it's that it didn't have a negative impact on my hair. I also varied the amount of product I was applying, thinking maybe I just wasn't using enough. But nope, there was still no difference.

Really, the only impact this product had on my hair was to temporarily scent it with a light, herbal smell (it's a scent that I like but that might not be for everyone).

Like all Aveda products, this one is heavy on natural ingredients. In this product's case, it's "97% naturally derived" from "from plants, non-petroleum minerals or water." And like all Aveda products, it's not cheap. It costs $28 for one bottle, which is your typical plastic spray bottle.

Would I buy this product: No.

Should you buy this product: No.