Showing posts with label conditioner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conditioner. Show all posts
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Wash Day 05-13-15 & 05-17-15 (The Co-wash Initiative)
Hey, beautiful people! I had been neglecting my hair because of work, so I am currently on a mission to get more moisture into it. As part of my mission, I'm trying to co-wash 2-3 times per week.
On Wednesday and Sunday this week, I did the exact same thing. First I co-washed and finger detangled with Herbal Essence. On Wednesday, I used the Totally Twisted Conditioner. On Sunday, I used the Long Term Relationship Conditioner because I ran out of Totally Twisted. These are my holy grail conditioners. My curls clumped together so well with the Long Term Relationship that I may incorporate it into my next wash & go.
After I rinsed out the conditioner, I ran Koils by Nature Leave-in Conditioner through my hair, and put my hair up in a low bun. On Sunday, I put a little bit of the Koils by Nature peppermint gel on the top of my hair to keep down flyaways.
Total wash time (including styling): 36 minutes
Sunday, December 28, 2014
2014 Favorite Products
Deep Conditioners
Cleansers
Aubrey Organics Swimmer’s Shampoo (staple)
Dr. Woods Shea Vision Black Soap (staple)
Rinse Out
Conditioners
Herbal Essence Totally Twisted (staple)
Leave-ins
Oyin Handmade Hair Dew (staple)
Moisturizers
Oyin Handmade Hair Dew (staple)
Stylers
Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream (staple)
Pink Eco Styler Gel (staple)
Oils
Essential Depot Vegetable Glycerin (staple)
What are some of your
favorite products from 2014? Will any of
them become staples for 2015?
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Update 09-20-2014: Black Friday In September
With the new baby coming in less than a month and Curlmart having a Sweet16 sale, I decided to get started on my Black Friday shopping early. As you may remember from last year's Black Friday post, I went overboard so I wanted to make sure I kept myself in check this year. I may have still gone a little overboard, but nowhere near as much. Here is what I bought from Curlmart:
- Oyin Handmade Burnt Sugar Pomade (Regularly $13.99; Sale Price $9.51)
- Oyin Handmade Hair Dew 16.9oz (Regularly $20.99; Sale Price $14.27)
- As I Am Coils & Curls Care Package ($23.99 - No sale price)
- As I Am Coconut Cowash Cleansing Conditioner x2 (Regularly $16; Sale Price $10.88)
- As I Am Twist Defining Cream 8 oz. (Regularly $13; Sale Price $8.84)
- Camille Rose Naturals Aloe Whipped Butter Gel (Regularly $16; Sale Price $10.88)
- MyHoneyChild Coconut Hair Milk (Regularly $18; Sale Price $12.24)
- Original Moxie Lux Locks Styling & Shine (Regularly $18.99; Sale Price $12.91)
- Curl Junkie Coffee-Coco Curl Cream (Regularly $22; Sale Price $14.96)
- Curl Junkie Hibiscus & Banana Deep Fix Moisturizing Conditioner (Regularly $20; Sale Price $13.60)
Grand Total: $132.08 (plus $5 shipping)
Savings: $50.88 (plus shipping savings)
I saved a lot of money by doing my shopping a little early and coupon hunting (use cm15 with your order to save more). We'll ignore the fact that I could have saved more if I did not buy as much.
Here is what is tentatively left on my Black Friday shopping list:
- Purabody Murumuru Moisture Milk (usually BOGO)
- Purabody Sapote Hair Lotion (usually BOGO)
- Purabody Chocolate Hair Smoothie (usually BOGO)
- Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream (usually 30% off)
- Jane Carter Nourish & Shine (usually 30% off)
- Hairveda Acai Berry Phyto Conditioner
- Silk Dreams Vanilla Silk Cream Moisture Dream
- Qhemet Biologics Burdock Root Butter Cream
- Silk Amino Acids
- Camille Rose Naturals Almond Jai Twisting Butter (sold out at Curlmart)
- An elastic band satin bonnet (I have a drawstring)
What is on your Black Friday list? Have you started shopping?
HAPPY SHOPPING!
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Product Review: Blended Beauty Curl Quenching Conditioner
Price: $18.50
for 8 oz.
Promise: A detangling, luxurious conditioner with rice bran oil and rosemary. Leaves every strand silky smooth. No silicones!
Scent: Snickerdoodle cookies with strong hint of
cinnamonConsistency: Buttercream frosting or softened butter. In the jar, it looks like it will be heavy, but it spreads fairly thin in a good way.
Results:
I have had this jar for awhile, and it looks like the ingredients may have
changed some. I don’t see rice bran oil
listed anymore, and the new formula has propylene glycol. Also, when I bought this, I thought it was a deep conditioner, but the instructions say to only leave it on for 2-3 minutes, so I think it is a regular rinse out. I liked this conditioner, but more for
styling than for conditioning. It
is great detangler, with good slip and moisturizing properties. It reminded me a lot of Camille Rose's Almond
Jai Twisting Butter and Bee Mine’s Bee-u-ti-ful Deep Conditioner. These products have taught me that my hair
likes “wet butters” for styling my hair in twists or braids. However, while I like this, I’m not sure yet if I will
repurchase it because of the price and the ingredient change. I can get Camille Rose for slightly cheaper,
and I like the ingredients better.
Love
it, Like it or Leave It: Like It
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Ingredient Investigation: DMDM Hydantoin
Hey, beautiful people! I’m still continuing my investigation of suspect ingredients. Another suspect ingredient that I frequently
see in drugstore products is DMDM Hydantoin.
DMDM hydantoin is used in some
products as a preservative to prevent microbes (i.e., bacteria, mold and mildew)
from growing in the product. The main
issue with this ingredient is that it is a formaldehyde releaser. Yes, the same stuff used to preserve dead
bodies. In fact, it works so well as a preservative
because the released formaldehyde makes the environment less favorable to the microorganisms.
While DMDM hydantoin only
releases formaldehyde in low amounts, this can be an issue for people with
sensitive skin or allergies because formaldehyde can be an irritant to the skin, eyes and lungs. It may also create a formaldehyde allergy.
Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives in a product that also
includes amines, such as triethanolamine (TEA), diethanolamine (DEA), or
monoethanolamine (MEA), can create a carcinogenic substance, called a nitrosamine,
that can potentially penetrate skin.
For now, while pregnant, I’m staying away from any product
with DMDM hydantoin; but, after pregnancy, I may be ok with DMDM hydantoin
products, as long as the product doesn’t also contain an amine. I've been wanting to try TRESemme Heat Tamer Spray, but it has DMDM hydantoin and TEA, among other suspect ingredients, so I'm avoiding it. Call me overly cautious.
Do you use products with DMDM hydantoin? Which ones?
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Product Review: Hairveda Moist Condition PRO Conditioner
Price: $9.99
for 16 oz.
Promise: From
the website - Our wheat protein-enriched conditioner carries moisture and
protein into the hair without weighing it down or dulling. Soy protein delivers the maximum amount of
nutrients into the hair follicles where protein deficiencies occur. Moist Condition PRO provides building blocks
for strengthening the hair. We use wheat
protein derived from organic sources. We've
designed it to add manageability and shine. Designed for all hair types. Safe and mild for natural, relaxed and color
processed hair.
Scent: Citrusy
starburst scent
Consistency: Like
wet lotion
Results: This was the last of my Black Friday Hairveda purchases. This
reminds me a lot of the Acai Phyto Conditioner, though it may be a little more runny. I used this both as an overnight deep
conditioner and as a rinse out conditioner. I liked it both ways, but
preferred it as a rinse out conditioner. It leaves
my hair feeling strong, yet moisturized. However, as an overnight, there
was a slight hardness to my hair. Not
super hard, but noticeable. I think it
may be the wheat protein or the coconut oil. The ingredients listed on the website are now different and don't include coconut or soybean oil, so I may try this again.
Either way, I think I prefer the Acai Phyto Conditioner over this one.Saturday, July 5, 2014
Product Review: Alikay Naturals Lemongrass Leave-in Conditioner
Price: $13 for 8 oz. / $22 for 16 oz.
Promise: Locks
moisture in your hair without weighing it down or causing product build up.
Infused with essential oils to smooth your hair shaft and keeps it moisturized.
The lemon zest scent is yummy and refreshing. Hair will feel soft and ready to
be styled pretty!
Scent: Lemon
Consistency: Thick
liquid, like orange juice with a lot of pulp
Results: I
loved this product! It made my hair
soft, strong and moisturized. It also
lasts a long time. I’ve been using it regularly
since at least the beginning of the year, and I still have a quarter of a
bottle left. I used it more as a
moisturizing, protein spritz rather than a leave-in. My only issue is that, because of the thickness of the liquid, it didn't always come out of the spray nozzle well. Sometimes, it would drip or collect on the front of the spray, and I would have to wipe it off and spread it on my hair with my fingers. I didn't mind this too much because this is such a great product. I was going back and forth on whether to buy it again because I am trying to transition to making more of my own products and buying less online. However, now that I can get this on the ground at Target, I will definitely buy it when my no-buy is up.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Product Review: Silk Dreams Vanilla Silk Cream Moisture Dream (The Deep Conditioner Files #6)
Price: $10
for 8 oz. / $16 for 16 oz.
Promise: Get
ready for moist, supple, manageable hair. This rich conditioning cream will help you get
your moisture groove back. Silk protein
protects and softens your hair while honey, apricot kernel oil, jojoba oil, and
aloe wrap your tresses in silky moisture.
Scent: Almond extract
Consistency: Like lightly
whipped buttercream frosting
Results: The
price is right and it makes my hair feel great.
I got at least 4 uses out of this.
I’ve tried it under a heat cap, as an overnight deep conditioner, and in
my hair for two weeks under a wig (I was feeling lazy on my wash day). My hair probably liked the overnight deep
conditioning best, but it worked every way I tried it. It was even mild enough that my scalp wasn't bothered by leaving it in long term. After each use, my hair felt moisturized, yet strong.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Ingredient Investigation: Dimethicone and Other Silicones
Hey, beautiful people!
As I mentioned in a previous post,
I’m going to take a few posts and investigate some of the more suspect
ingredients in commercial rinse out conditioners. This is my first one.
If you have been in the natural hair community for awhile,
then you probably know by now that silicones have gotten a bad rap. From what I know, it seems like most of that
bad rap stems from the Curly Girl method created by Lorraine Massey. As a result, many people, including me at one
point, have just accepted that silicones are either good or bad without knowing
why. However, the science geek in me
can’t just stick with assumptions.
As you may recall from my toolbox post,
one purpose of a rinse out conditioner is to coat the hair to make it easier to
detangle. Silicones are great for this
purpose because they coat the hair, creating an effective lubricant for
detangling. They also provide protection
for thermal styling.
The reason why silicones can be bad for you is that they coat
the hair and can cause buildup, preventing good things, like moisture from
getting to your hair. Silicones usually
end in "cone," "col," "conol" or
"zane." There are four types
-- water soluble, non-soluble that evaporate, non-soluble that resist buildup,
and the rest.
Water soluble silicones can be washed away with water, so if
you wet your hair frequently, then water soluble silicones should not be a
problem. Non-soluble silicones that evaporate
won’t wash away with water, but they completely evaporate from your hair
anywhere from 10 minutes to a few hours after application, so there’s no worry
about build up or moisture lock out with these.
Other non-soluble silicones may need sulfates or another cleanser to be
washed away. If you are a regular
shampoo user, like me, or clarify periodically, then even non-soluble silicones
should not cause a problem. Here is a
great chart from Chemist Tonya McKay that shows what cleansers will remove what silicones.
The reason why non-soluble silicones are not good for people
on the Curly Girl method is that the Curly Girl method discourages the use of
sulfate shampoos. Obviously, if you are
avoiding stronger cleansers, then it is probably a good idea to avoid
non-soluble silicones that don’t evaporate.
So, with that in mind, here is the list of silicones that I have been
able to nail down into a category:
Water Soluble
- Dimethicone Copolyol
- Lauryl Methicone Copolyol
- Hydrolyzed wheat protein (Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane)
- Any silicone with PEG as a prefix
Non-Soluble That Evaporate
- Cyclo-XXX-siloxane, like Cyclopentasiloxane
- Cyclomethicone
- Decamethylcyclotetrasiloxane
- Hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane
- Hexamethyldisiloxane
- Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane
Build-Up Resistant Non-Soluble
- Amodimethicone
- Bis-aminopropyl dimethicone
- Aminopropyl Dimethicone
- Dimethicone crosspolymer
- Vinyldimethicone Crosspolymer
Other Non-Soluble (hard to wash out)
- Dimethicone (when paired with cationic ingredient, like a such as a bromide, chloride or polyquaternium)
- Bis-Phenylpropyl Dimethicone
- Behenoxy dimethicone
- Cetyl Dimethicone
- Cetearyl Methicone
- Dimethiconol
- Stearoxy dimethicone
- Stearyl dimethicone
- Stearyl methicone
- Propoxytetramethyl piperidinyl dimethicone
- Polysilicone-18 Cetyl Phosphate
- Trimethylsiylamodimethicone
Based on this, I am ok with testing out rinse out
conditioners with silicones, with a preference for water soluble, evaporative
or build-up resistant. Maybe,
one day, I’ll even go back to dimethicone -- GASP!
Do you use conditioners with silicones? If so, which ones and how do you avoid
buildup?
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Product Review: Alikay Naturals CoWash Me Cleansing Conditioner
Price: $13
for 8 oz. / $22 for 16 oz.
Promise: Formulated
to be gentle enough for daily use on curly, kinky or straight hair. Leaves hair soft, moisturized, clean and easy
to detangle. Hair will feel and smell great!
This Product is 100% Natural and 90%
Organic. Cleans hair without the
stripping it of natural oils caused by sulfates.
Scent: Like
strawberry lemon starburst or skittles
Consistency: It
was very runny. It almost ran off my
hand mid picture.
Results: My
hair definitely did not feel stripped.
However, I’m not sure this cleansed my hair at all because my hair didn't feel any cleaner after using it and I can't really tell which ingredient is the cleansing agent. It was
a great conditioner, though. This had lots
of slip and was great for detangling.
Unfortunately, I run through conditioner way too fast to ever use this as just a good conditioner. I used up the
8 oz. bottle in about 2 washes. After
the second wash, I only had enough for 1/4 of my hair. If I had a smaller head of hair, I would add
this to the regular rotation. Maybe, if
I have a daughter, I will use it on her, if I can figure out what is in the “herbal and botanical blend”.Saturday, May 17, 2014
Product Review: Hairveda Acai Berry Phyto Conditioner
Price: $12 for
16 oz.
Scent: Strong
berry scent, but not overpowering
Consistency: Like
wet lotion
Results: I used this both as an overnight deep conditioner and as a rinse out conditioner. I loved it both ways. In both circumstances, it leaves my hair feeling strong, yet moisturized. Plus, it has great slip for detangling, so I think I prefer it as a rinse out conditioner.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Product Review: Hairveda Red Tea Conditioner
Price: $12 for
16 oz. or $45 for 64 oz.
Scent: No
real scent. Maybe orange sherbet, but
very light.
Consistency: Very
thick, though it reminded me of a creamy orange sherbet. You see I had to abuse the bottle to get it
out.
Results: I
used this as a rinse out conditioner and I loved it! It gave my hair so much slip, along with my
shower. Use with caution. My husband actually hated using the shower
after me if I used this because it made him slip and slide all over.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Updates 4-13-14 and The Rinse Out Conditioner Hunt
Hey, beautiful people!
Sorry I’ve been MIA for a while, but I promise I have a good
reason. I’m pregnant! Yup. The
end of my first trimester was pretty rough, including a trip to the ER, so I
didn’t really have energy to do much, including post. I hope
to get back to posting more frequently now.
Aside from my big announcement, there isn’t much going on
with me. As you can probably tell from
my posts, my goal right now in my natural hair journey is really figuring out
what products work for my hair, so I’m still doing that by working through my toolbox essentials. I’ve
investigated what properties work for me in cleansers and moisturizers, and I think I’ve nailed both of those.
I even have staples and some backups.
I just have one more post for cleansers that I want to do on clarifying
vs. chelating to make sure I understand the difference between the two. Next, I’m looking at rinse out conditioners.
I’m a Youtube-a-holic and a LHCF-a-holic, and I’ve noticed
that people with long hair don’t necessarily use all-natural products. However, I’m still very conscious of what I
put on my body, especially since I’m now carrying a little one. I thought the best place to branch out into
more "non-natural" commercial products would be with my rinse out conditioners. There a few reasons why. First, I run through them like water, so an inexpensive
one would be great. Second, I don’t
leave it on my hair for long, so I’m less worried about the ingredients, though
I’m still cautious. Therefore, I’m going
to take a few posts and investigate some of the more suspect ingredients in
commercial rinse out conditioners.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
The Healthy Hair Product Toolbox
Hey, HHJs! For those
just starting off on their natural hair journey, I thought it might be helpful
to list some of the key items needed for your healthy hair product toolbox. To get more details on specific products that
I use in each category, visit my Favorite Products page or my Amazon store. In full disclaimer, Amazon does pay me a
commission on items purchased from my Amazon store.
- Shampoo or Cleanser - You need something that will bind to oil, dirt and product buildup to remove it from your hair. If you are low porosity, like me, then simply conditioner washing will not always be enough. You need something with cleansing agents in it. I've been working on a cleansing agent post for about a month now, so it should be up soon.
- Rinse Out / Instant Conditioner - The purpose of a rinse out conditioner is to balance ph levels and coat the hair cuticles to make it easier to detangle the hair. In other words, while shampoo binds to oil and dirt, conditioner binds to hair (adsorbs to hair).
- Deep Conditioner - These are particularly important if your hair is damaged, needs an intense moisture boost, or needs a protein boost. Deep conditioners are left on the hair for awhile to give them time to penetrate the hair. There are three types of deep conditioners (moisturizing, protein and hybrids). I've already covered protein conditioners in a prior post. Because I have low porosity and fine strands, I personally prefer hybrids containing light proteins.
- Leave-in Conditioner - These are lighter conditioners that are mild enough that they can be left on the hair long term. Some instant conditioners can double as leave-ins, but some have ingredients that can irritate the scalp with time.
- Moisturizer - I already have a post on finding a great moisturizer. Water is the best moisturizer, so any “moisturizing” product should have water as the first or second ingredient. Some leave-in conditioners can double as moisturizers.
- Sealant - This would be an oil or butter based product. I don’t usually use a straight oil or butter to seal water into my hair as it is less necessary for low porosity ladies. Instead, I use a cream or lotion, which is a mixture of water and oil/butter held together by an emulsifier like BTMS.
What is in
your toolbox?
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Behentrimonium Methosulfate and BTMS - The Products, The Myths, The Legacy
Hey fellow HHJs (healthy hair journeyers)! I am sorry the
frequency of my postings have been a bit unpredictable lately. I have been travelling a lot. Over the past two weeks, I’ve only spent four nights in my own bed. I’m so happy to
finally be back home again.
As I indicated in a prior post,
Behentrimonium Methosulfate appears to be a good ingredient for my leave-in
conditioners and moisturizers, so I decided to do a little research.
For any vegetarians, don’t worry. Behentrimonium Methosulfate is derived from colza oil that is taken from the European colza plant,
which is often confused with the plant used for rapeseed oil (aka Canadian oil
or canola oil)
because they are in the same plant family.
Despite its oil origin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate is water
soluble. Also, although it is
technically a sulfate, it is not a cleansing (aka hair stripping) sulfate. Not all sulfates are bad. Without getting too technical, a “sulfate” just means something is a salt of sulfuric acid.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate is usually used as an emulsifying
conditioner. It is a great conditioner
because of its ability to bind to the surface of your hair and coat it,
though not in a bad way. This reduces
friction, which can cause damage to the hair strand. It also reduces static. In my products, it is usually paired with cetearyl
alcohol, but sometimes it is paired with cetyl alcohol and butylene glycol (a humectant). For simplicity, I’m just going to call the
combinations BTMS, which is how they are usually identified. The “BTMS” is frequently followed by a number
to indicate how much BTMS is actually in the combination (ex: BTMS-50 is 50% Behentrimonium Methosulfate). The
cetaryl or cetyl alcohol assists in keeping the BTMS on your hair. Swift Craft Monkey has a great article on how
this works - http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.ca/2010/05/chemistry-of-your-hair-adsorbing-and.html.
As an emulsifier, BTMS is usually used to help keep a mix of oil and water (an emulsion)
together. Thus, you will usually see it
in creams or lotions, which makes it great for my hair. BTMS is also a favorite ingredient for baby products because
it is extremely mild,
so it is also safe to leave on your skin.
I even found an article that went so far as to call it “the mildest conditioning and detangling
ingredient available.”
If you want to know of other products that contain BTMS, Environmental
Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database has a list - http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/700658/BEHENTRIMONIUM_METHOSULFATE/ (click products). I discovered at least one new product from
this list that I think I now want to try -- Alba Botanica Leave-in Conditioner. Has anybody tried this?
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Protein Types
As I mentioned in my previous protein conditioner post, the science geek in me started doing research to see what
types of protein are out there. That
way, I can do a more educated job of figuring out what protein conditioners are
right for my hair. Here is what I have learned
so far in my research.
Proteins have different origins. It appears that are
usually either animal derived (such as milk,
silk, glycoprotein, placental, natural keratin, collagen,
or elastin); plant derived (such blue-green
algae, corn, soy, rice, oat, coconut milk, or wheat); or synthetic (such as man-made keratin or silk). My previous post indicated that it is best
to avoid animal proteins because they can coat the hair, causing build-up. However, on further research, I don't think that is true for all animal proteins. Instead, I agree with Natural Maven. I think it is more important to look at where the protein is on the ingredient list, and the size of the protein. Hydrolyzed proteins are proteins that have been broken down into smaller proteins or individual amino acids (proteins are long chains of linked amino acids).
If your hair needs a strong protein, then keratin is a good one. Your hair, skin and nails are all made from keratin, but you will still need keratin in a protein conditioner to be hydrolyzed for it to be properly absorbed into the hair strand. One of my favorite protein conditioners contains both hydrolyzed keratin and keratin amino acids. However, be very careful in reading bottles when looking for keratin so that you do not accidentally pick up a straightening system, which also contains keratin. Look for words like "reconstructor" or "conditioner". Blue-green algae is another source of strong protein. For example, aphanizomenon flos aquae and spirulina are both over 50% protein. I've personally found this protein source is too strong for my hair.
Hydrolyzed wheat and oat proteins strengthen, increase elasticity and help your hair hold on to and retain moisture. Silk amino acids are also a great strengthener for the hair, but they are somewhat controversial because of how natural silk amino acids are obtained.
It is also important to look out for ingredients that act like a protein. For example, while henna and coconut oil are not proteins, some people say that these products act like protein. They bond to the hair shaft and help the hair retain proteins. I've never tried henna, but coconut oil seems to act like a protein for my hair. I do not use it unless it is diluted.
HAPPY STRENGTHENING!!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Product Review: GVP Conditioning Balm
Name: Generic Value
Products Conditioning Balm
Ingredients:
Aqua/Water, Propylene Glycol, Myristyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride,
Cetearyl Alcohol, Decyl Oleate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum/Fragrance,
Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Hexyl Cinnamal, Rosmarinus Officinalis/Rosemary
Leaf Extract, Hydrastis Canadensis/Golden Seal Extract, Fucus
Vesiculosus/Bladderwack Extract, Methyl-2-Octynoate
Promise:
"Compare to Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm"; "Repairs
Dry or Damaged Hair"
Consistency: Similar
to a very thick lotion
Scent: It doesn't
really have a strong scent. It really
just smells like what you would expect a plain
conditioner to smell like.
Results: I've never
tried the Matrix version, so I cannot speak to how it compares to that. I bought this on a whim from Sally Beauty
Supply. This is my first attempt at a
more commercial product since my big chop.
Previously, I stuck to organic and all natural products. I really liked this product. Due to the conditioner thickness, I had to
leave it on my low porosity hair strands in the shower for a few minutes before
it really worked. However, when I did
that, it melted away my tangles and gave my hair a lot of slip. I also mixed it into protein deep
conditioners a couple times to give my hair a moisture boost, and it worked
great. I never tried using it on it's
own for deep conditioner.
Love it or Dump it:
Love It! I will repurchase this
once I use up more of my stash. I'm
adding it to my favorites list.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Finding A Good Protein Conditioner
Because of my low porosity hair, it was difficult to find a good protein conditioner that my hair would accept, but I need one for my finer strands and to maintain my moisture/protein balance. At first, I tried protein conditioners that other people recommended. Two worked (Curl Junkie Repair Me! and Aubrey Organics Island Replenishing Conditioner) and two did not (Aubrey Organics GPB and Aubrey Organics Blue Green Algae Conditioning Hair Mask). The science geek in me decided to investigate further; so, I analyzed the ingredients from the four, along with one from my relaxed days (Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstructor), by putting the ingredients into a chart. I looked at the similarities and differences in the top 10 ingredients, along with all of the proteins. In doing so, I noticed that the two conditioners that worked had hydrolyzed proteins and amino acids, as did the one from my relaxed days.
Next, I went to the internet for some hearty research. Here is some of what I've learned:
1. People with low porosity hair should usually look for smaller proteins, like hydrolyzed
rice, silk and wheat protein. A hydrolyzed protein is a protein that has been broken down into smaller proteins or individual amino acids (proteins are long chains of linked amino acids).
2. Stay away from oat,
animal, keratin or corn proteins because they tend to be too large for
use on low porosity hair.
3. Keratin amino acids may also be great because they can penetrate the hair strand, unlike regular keratin.
I plan to keep researching, and I will probably do another post on the different types of protein that are out there.
HAPPY CONDITIONING!!
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