I Tried Living Proof’s Overnight Perfector and It Did Wonders For My Hair

We put the Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Night Cap Overnight Perfector to the test after receiving a complimentary sample from the brand. Keep reading for our full product review. 

Heat styling and coloring are not the only quick routes to damaging our strands, though they’re usually the first to blame. Despite my seldom use of hot tools and wearing my natural color, I still struggle with dull, dry-looking strands. I suspect this has much to do with my other bad hair habits such as sleeping on cotton pillowcases with wet hair at night, wearing my hair up every day, not brushing it, or not using special hair drying towels. Living Proof’s Perfect Hair Day Night Cap Overnight Perfector sounded like the perfect product for me, offering to protect wet strands overnight and work from within to make hair stronger and more manageable. It was an easy yes when I got asked to trial the product.

Keep reading for my honest insights.

About My Hair: Mid-length, frizz-prone waves

My hair is thick and getting thicker with pregnancy. My texture is naturally wavy, and though I don’t do much daily styling to my hair, I know that using certain products for moisture can enhance my waves, which is always fun to see. At the moment, I’m using a detangling shampoo and a hydrating conditioner from Oribe. I never brush it because it never tangles, and I want to avoid breakage. My preference is to shower in the evenings and let my hair air dry (but let’s be real: this mom will shower whenever I get the chance to), and I don’t use any special towels or pillowcases because I stubbornly like my linens to match and my belongings to remain minimal. I’ll apply a conditioning product post-shower on occasion if I know my hair needs to air dry during the day while I’m out and about. Once dry, I use a flat iron to smooth things around my hairline and throw my hair up into a bun or ponytail for ease.

The first time I used Living Proof’s Perfect Hair Day Night Cap Overnight Perfector, I applied two generous pumps to damp, lightly towel-dried hair before leaving the house for an evening event. I also tested it on dry hair the next day, and again on wet hair after showering before bed to see how my hair retained moisture and my frizz-prone waves held up under different conditions.

The Feel: Creamy 

This product has a creamy feel that didn’t leave my hair feeling heavy. Two pumps of the product were easy to finger rake throughout my hair for full coverage. It did leave a filmy feel on my hands afterward that needed to be rinsed off, but I feel that way about any product that touches my hands. My hair felt a little thicker after air drying with this cream.

The Scent: Skip the perfume

This product is very fragrant. While the scent was pleasant, in my opinion, I would suggest skipping perfume or any other highly scented product because the overpowering mixture of scents could cause a headache. On its own, the cream smelled lovely, with hints of jasmine and citrusy bergamot notes, but I can see it potentially being overpowering for some.

Ingredients: Science-backed

Living Proof products are paraben-, phthalate-, silicon- and gluten-free. They’re also a cruelty-free brand. As if all this wasn’t admirable enough, their Night Cap Overnight Perfector cream is wildly efficient, and there are four main ingredients responsible for that: their patented Healthy Hair Molecule, time-release conditioners, amino acid blend, and biomimetic lipids. As a professional hairstylist, let me break down the perks.

The Healthy Hair Molecule is found in all Living Proof hair products and is known for its ability to repel dirt from the hair (whereas many other products on the market tend to mask dirt’s appearance by absorbing it, which can make the hair feel heavier or dirtier by day two). When this technology works alongside amino acids and time-released conditioners, the result is nothing shy of super-soft, healthy-looking hair. Amino acids can sink into the cortex of the hair (just beneath the surface) where strength is built and restored and can help improve its elasticity and durability.1 This in turn helps strands feel smoother and softer. The biomimetic lipids and the cuticle-smoothing technology that accompany their famously patented healthy hair molecule are the key ingredients responsible for all that extra protection. Lipids form an actual barrier around each strand to help it withstand multiple washes, environmental factors, and the damage that can be caused over time for those who don’t use silk pillowcases or fancy hair towels on their wet hair (ahem, hi).2

Not only will these science-backed ingredients give you hair that’s softer and shinier—aka healthier-looking— but there will be a noticeable reduction in the appearance of frizz.

The Results: Full, vibrant, and healthy

I first used this product on fully damp hair before leaving the house for the evening and my hair had never looked better. My wavy texture was at its wildest, yet there was hardly any frizz to accompany my air-dry. The next day, after sleeping on my perfect waves, I woke up and they were mostly flattened out,  but my hair felt stronger and somehow thicker. It didn’t slip out of my ponytail all day as it usually does and generally felt more manageable.

No matter how I used this product, my ends weren’t frayed looking and my natural texture was never uneven.

When I used this cream after showering and before going to bed with wet hair, I woke up with some of those perfect waves again, but there was more frizz than I had experienced before with the air dry. Honestly, though, I didn’t mind the frizz. It gave me more of that bedhead look. My hair still looked healthier. Again, the waves died down by the end of the day, which was a bummer, so I flat-ironed it a bit on day two.

Overall, I felt like my hair just looked more vibrant and healthy. I loved what this cream did for my strands. After the trial, I continued using this product as my only hair companion post-shower.

The Value: An absolute steal 

This cream offers a lot of value to your hair’s health, and at under $30 for 4 oz, it’s an absolute steal. You don’t need much product to get the job done (even on thick hair). I’ve certainly spent the same amount of money on products that claim to help with frizzing and air drying that come in much smaller quantities and aren’t as effective. To have a cream that enables me to shower at any time of day and air dry without worry about how my texture is going to dry on its own is priceless.

Similar Products: You’ve got options 

Paul Mitchell Neuro Restore HeatCTRL Overnight Repair ($29): Here’s another great overnight treatment that will help protect and nourish your strands while you sleep. The only downside is that at roughly the same price point, you only get 2.5 fl. oz. of product. If you have finer hair or you aren’t facing any severe damage, this size might be a perfect fit for your needs.

Joico Defy Damage Sleepover Overnight Nourishing Treatment ($27): At just shy of 4 fl. oz. and the same price point, Joico also uses protective lipids and smart release technology to keep the barrier of your strands protected and help rebuild from the inside out with minimal effort on your end. Though I haven’t tried this one myself, it has great reviews online. But if you’re a stickler for cleaner beauty products, stick with the Living Proof.