Shiseido Intensive

Shiseido divides damaged hair into two specific categories, each with dedicated product variants:

• Dry, Damaged Hair: Hair that has lost its moisture balance and is rough, brittle, or dull, often from bleaching, repeated coloring, or heat damage. This track focuses on hydration restoration and elasticity.
• Weak, Damaged Hair: Hair that has lost structural protein and breaks easily, often fine hair or hair that has been over-processed. This track focuses on protein reinforcement and strengthening from within the hair shaft.

Choosing the wrong track gives suboptimal results - using the dry-hair formula on structurally weak hair may add softness but won't address the breakage. Use the dry track if your primary complaint is roughness, dullness, and moisture loss. Use the weak track if your primary complaint is breakage, limpness, and lack of body. Some people use both in alternation if they have both concerns.

The Shiseido Sublimic Aqua Intensive Shampoo is the first step of the Sublimic repair routine. It is available in three sizes: 250ml for travel or single-person home use, 500ml for standard home use, and 1800ml for salon-volume or household use over an extended period. The shampoo is a low-irritation sulfate-containing formula that cleanses without stripping - formulated to work effectively with the treatment and mask in the same line rather than as a standalone product.

The Aqua Intensive Shampoo is designed for all hair types in the damaged-hair category; the treatment-track distinction (dry vs. weak) applies to the conditioner and mask steps rather than the shampoo. Apply to wet hair, lather from root to tip, and rinse thoroughly before applying treatment.

The Sublimic Aqua Intensive Treatment is the rinse-out conditioning step used after shampoo. Available in two variants by concern:

• Dry, Damaged Hair in 250ml: A moisture-rich formula with hydrating polymers and lipids that replenish the emollient barrier on the hair surface, restoring softness and reducing roughness.
• Weak, Damaged Hair in 250ml and 1800ml: A protein-forward formula with amino acid and peptide conditioning agents that deposit on the surface and into the cortex to improve tensile strength and reduce breakage.

Apply to wet hair after shampooing, distribute from mid-shaft to ends, leave 2-3 minutes, then rinse. Avoid applying heavily to the roots - scalp area does not benefit from conditioning agents and can feel weighed down with excess product.

The Sublimic Aqua Intensive Mask is a deep conditioning mask used in place of the treatment 1-3 times per week for intensive repair. Both variants come in 200ml:

• Dry, Damaged Hair Mask: A rich, occlusive formula with higher concentration of hydrating actives than the daily treatment. It sits on hair for 5-10 minutes under heat or wrapping to allow deeper penetration of moisture-restoring ingredients.
• Weak, Damaged Hair Mask: A protein-intensive mask with bond-building agents designed for hair that breaks or stretches when wet, indicating internal structural compromise.

Apply the mask to towel-dried hair after shampooing, focusing on the lengths and ends. For best results, apply heat (wrap in a warm towel or use a hair steamer) for 10 minutes, then rinse. The mask is more concentrated than the treatment and is meant for weekly use rather than daily, as over-conditioning weakens the hair-care balance.

The Shiseido Sublimic Aqua Intensive Velvet Oil 100ml is a finishing treatment applied to towel-dried or dry hair after the wash routine. It is a lightweight oil-serum hybrid designed to smooth the hair surface, add shine, and reduce frizz without weighing down the hair. The velvet oil finish is characteristic of Shiseido's Sublimic finishing products - it sits on the hair rather than penetrating deeply, sealing the cuticle after cleansing and conditioning.

Apply 2-4 drops (more for longer or thicker hair) to palms, rub together, and distribute through mid-lengths to ends. Avoid the roots. The oil can also be used on dry hair as a shine refresher or anti-frizz treatment between wash days. The 100ml size is a standard professional-retail bottle and lasts several months of daily use with careful dispensing.

Both the Aqua Intensive Shampoo and the Weak, Damaged Hair Treatment are available in 1800ml refill-style bottles. The 1800ml size is typically used in salon settings but is also available for home purchase when per-use cost matters or when the product is used by multiple household members. At standard home use frequency, a 1800ml shampoo bottle lasts 6-12 months for a single person.

Purchasing the 1800ml size makes most sense when you have already tested the product in the 250ml or 500ml size and confirmed it works for your hair. The 1800ml bottle is not refillable - it is the full single-use bottle, not a refill pouch. Store in a cool, dry location; professional-grade products like the Sublimic line are formulated without the heavy fragrance and filler typical of consumer brands, so the larger format is a practical value choice rather than a bulk-waste risk.

A complete weekly routine using the Sublimic Aqua Intensive line:

Wash days (most days): Apply Aqua Intensive Shampoo to wet hair, lather thoroughly, rinse. Apply Aqua Intensive Treatment (dry or weak track) to mid-lengths and ends, leave 2-3 minutes, rinse. Apply Velvet Oil to towel-dried hair and style as usual.

Deep treatment days (1-3x per week): Replace the Treatment with the Aqua Intensive Mask. Apply to towel-dried hair, wrap for 10 minutes with a warm towel, rinse, then apply Velvet Oil as usual.

Consistent use over 4-6 weeks is needed to see meaningful repair in structurally damaged hair - single-use results are noticeable in softness and smoothness, but the structural improvements (reduced breakage, restored elasticity) build progressively with repeated application.