John Barrett’s new Be Healed Styling Masque  has been steadily transforming my hair the past few weeks.

I use it on wet hair before styling, as well as on dry hair to smooth and shine. It’s actually kind of miraculous. You see results instantly. What I love about it is that beyond the immediate results you see, the reparative properties just keep on giving. It’s like a protein Rx for hair, with super high concentrations of keratin, beeswax, wheat germ and exotic oils. It’s a non-greasy cream that acts as both a treatment and a smoothing, softening styling aid. Suitable for all hair types and particularly effective on hair that’s on the dry side, either from the environment or from processing.

It’s not too often that I discover a product that becomes a mainstay in my hair care routine, but this one has become top drawer.

P.S. More of my favorite hair care and tools.

I’ll admit, after my first daughter was weaned and before I was pregnant with my second baby, when my body was mine and mine alone, there was a window of time when I engaged in some toxic beauty treatments. A little bit of Botox, some prescription Retin A—and Keratin hair treatments. I thought the Botox would be the poisonous addiction I’d develop, but honestly, the hair-smoothing, time-saving, frizz-fighting Keratin was the most life-changing.

I’ve been off the hair treatment wagon for a few years now, especially since the big Keratin bust of 2011, when it was revealed that most Keratin treatments had wildly high levels of formaldehyde. I just didn’t even want to go near it. But I was thrilled recently to learn about Trissola from the pros at the Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon where I get my color done in New York City. I’m a few weeks in and my hair is smoother and more manageable and more humidity-proof, which is really all I can ever hope for. (Plus, I can nuzzle my girls without worrying about chemical vapors.) The results rival Keratin but the integrity of your hair is more intact. In fact, the healing vitamins and oils in Trissola are touted as an anti-aging formula for hair. The treatment is actually nourishing, unlike traditional Keratins, which, I can attest, are ultimately are very drying.

Here’s the lowdown:

Most Notable: There are no formaldehyde derivitates, lye or cyseteine.

Key Ingredients: Powered by peptides. Hair is infused with panthenol, keratin, antioxidants and coconut oil to increase strength and elasticity and seal cuticles.

The Process: A two hour process that closely resembles a Keratin treatment: product is applied, hair is dried then flat-ironed. However, there are no restrictions—hair can be washed immediately.

The Results: Moderate, though meaningful: smoother hair, sealed cuticles, blow-dry time cut in half. Humidity resistant. Lasts up to twelve weeks.

Trissola is safe for all hair-types and the treatment is tweaked accordingly—left on longer or shorter depending on hair porosity and texture. I highly recommend it. The one caveat is that my colored hair was stripped a bit. This was easily remedied with a glossing treatment, but bear it mind that Trissola must be done ten days before of after color. For what it’s worth, Keratin treatments mucked with my color, too.

If you’re in New York City and want to learn more about Trissola, call the talented Renee Cohen at Serge Normant at John Freida. (The great Steven Amendola does my color there, FYI.)

Congrats: Claire Danes leads the pack of beautymamas up for Emmy awards this year. Julianna Margulies, Sophia Vergara, Melissa McCarthy, Kerry Washington and Robin Wright also got well deserved nominations.

Expecting: Eva Mendez is seven months pregnant with Ryan Gosling’s baby. A nation of women are in mourning. I don’t want to be around when (probably shirtless) photos of him holding the baby surface. Here, the 7 stages of grieving over the news.

Bizarre: 15 really strange beauty inventions from Asia. Can you say face iron?

Frozen: No, not that one. Ice cubes. They belong in your beauty routine. Here’s how.

Steal: Beauty secrets from the far east and beyond. And they’re all natural.

Real: Julie Bowen breaks down motherhood, beautifully, on TheGlow. About her three boys, the gorgeous mama says “They are pure joy and pure challenge all the time.” 

Selfies: 6 makeup tricks for excellent summer shots.

Have a beautiful weekend. 

Ambitious: Always is trying to redefine what it means to run “like a girl.” A must see video.

Question: Is your makeup aging you?

Yikes: Study shows women would give up their mate before their makeup. Also, the astounding amount we spend on beauty in a lifetime.

Gorgeous: Get this metallic summer smokey eye. An excellent tutorial.

Useful: Shaving cream alternatives. I love this.

Photos: Gwyneth Paltrow is not just a beauty icon, she’s every beauty icon in Max Factor’s new campaign.

BeautyMama: Liv Tyler looks so gorgeous–and safe from the sun—in New York City this week.

Fascinating: Beauty ideals across 25 different countries, according to their best photoshoppers. What a cool cultural experiment.

Rejoice! GlamSquad launches in the Hamptons.

True story: I came home from a Soul Cycle class drenched in sweat. I had an hour to shower and get dressed to take my baby to a mommy and me class. The water in my building had just been shut off unexpectedly due to a leak. There was no telling when it would come on. I considered skipping the class if I couldn’t bathe—it was that kind of a work out. I didn’t want to offend the other mothers. Luckily I remembered that I had been sent these Ban Restore Total Refresh body cloths to try. I stripped down and used them everywhere. I even rubbed them into my sweaty roots. (I used my Yes to Cucumbers wipes on my face). I swear I smelled fresh a daisy, and I loved the soothing, cooling sensation after my workout.

Genius. I love products that do exactly what they say they do.

These are perfect to stash in your gym or beach bag for those times when you need to refresh on the go. For what it’s worth, I tried all three versions and they really all felt the same to me and had very subtle, lovely scents.