As I continue to work on narrowing the number of products that I use and with 2014 coming to an end, I wanted to wrap it up by listing some of my favorite products for this year.  I’ve also noted products that are on my current staples list for 2015.

Deep Conditioners

Aubrey Organics Island Naturals Replenishing Conditioner (staple)

Hairveda Acai Phyto Berry Conditioner (staple)

Curl Junkie Repair Me! Reconstructive Hair Treatment

Silk Dreams Vanilla Silk Cream Moisture Dream

Cleansers

Aubrey Organics Swimmer’s Shampoo (staple)

Dr. Woods Shea Vision Black Soap (staple)

As I Am Coconut Cowash Cleansing Conditioner

Aubrey Organics White Camellia Ultra Smoothing Shampoo

SheScentIt Blueberry Co-wash Conditioner

Rinse Out Conditioners

Herbal Essence Totally Twisted (staple)

Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship (staple)

GVP Conditioning Balm

Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner

Leave-ins

Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing Lotion (staple)

Oyin Handmade Hair Dew (staple)

She Scent It Coco Cream Leave-in Conditioner

Moisturizers

Oyin Handmade Hair Dew (staple)

Purabody Murumuru Moisture Milk in Tahitian Vanilla (staple)

Purabody Sapote Hair Lotion in Tahitian Vanilla (staple)

Alikay Naturals Lemongrass Leave-in Conditioner

Stylers

Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream (staple)

Pink Eco Styler Gel (staple)

Camille Rose Naturals Almond Jai Twisting Butter 

Annabelle’s Perfect Blend Birthday Cake Hair Crème

Qhemet Biologics Burdock Root Butter Cream

Oyin Burnt Sugar Pomade

Oils

Essential Depot Vegetable Glycerin (staple)

Essential Depot or Now Foods Avocado Oil (staple)
Now Foods Grapeseed Oil (staple)

Now Foods Lavender & Tea Tree Essential Oil (staple)

Now Foods Peppermint Essential Oil
Now Foods Rosemary Essential Oil (staple)

Tropic Isle Living Jamaican Black Castor Oil (staple)

What are some of your favorite products from 2014?  Will any of them become staples for 2015?

Hey, HHJs!  One technique frequently talked about in the natural hair community is the LOC method.  For those, who don’t know what the LOC method is, it is a method of moisturizing and sealing hair.  In short, you layer products as follows:

If you think about oil and water normally, oil sits on top of the water, which is why oil makes a great sealant.  Thus, it makes sense that you should layer oil on top of water to minimize the amount of water being lost to the air (I previously talked about water loss in my deciphering glycerin post).  The cream adds an extra, safeguard layer of moisture and sealing.

Some HHJs I know have changed the steps to better suit their hair, such as doing LCO or LOCO.  If you are not using an oil that penetrates the hair strand, like avocado or olive oil, it may be better to use LCO so that the oil is not blocking the moisture in the cream from getting to the hair.

If you are high porosity, then layering is particularly important because water evaporates easily from your strands.  However, for low porosity ladies, like me, you may want to combine or eliminate steps.  You may also wish to combine or eliminate steps if, like me, you have fine strands that are easily weighed down.  As I have mentioned in other posts, I don’t really use straight oil because my low porosity, fine strands don’t need or like it.  One of the benefits of low porosity hair is that, once water is in the hair, it stays in fairly well because of the tight cuticles.  The trick is getting water in.  Thus, rather than using straight oil, I combine the L and O steps, using an oil and water mix made with hair-penetrating oils.  Then, I layer on my cream, which is usually one of the Purabody moisturizers or Oyin Hair Dew.  I personally avoid emulsifying wax because my hair doesn't like it.

Here are rough estimates of my oil/water spritz.  I use a 4 oz spray bottle, add the following, and then fill it to the top with water:

What is your experience with the LOC method?  Do you use it?  If so, how?

HAPPY MOISTURIZING & SEALING!!!

Hey, fellow HHJS!  In preparation for Black Friday, I have been narrowing down my purchase list.  I really wanted to purchase just one Pura Body moisturizer because I have too many products.  I wanted either the MuruMuru Moisture Milk or the Sapote Hair Lotion but I was having a hard time figuring out which one. Initially, I loved the MuruMuru because I tried it first.  Then, I tried out the Sapote over a long trip to Atlanta, and I was confused again.  To help me out, this week I used them both consistently.  I wore the MuruMuru on the left side of my head, and the Sapote on the right.  I also compared ingredients and pricing.

Price: They are both $15 for an 8 oz. bottle

Promise:  The website indicates that both can be used as a leave-in or daily moisturizer, creating soft, manageable hair.  However, only the MuruMuru indicates that it can work as a detangler.  The Sapote Lotion indicates that it can be used as a body lotion.

Scent:  I bought both in the Tahitian Vanilla scent, and the smell is heavenly.  They both have a warm vanilla scent, but then there is another light undertone to each one.  The Sapote smells like chocolatey vanilla, which makes sense because of the cupuacu butter.  The MuruMuru has a faint citrus to the vanilla.

Results:    Neither worked great for me as a leave-in.  I use my leave-in to do any remaining detangling and neither product is a great detangler, though the MuruMuru was slightly better at detangling.  As a daily moisturizer, my hair loved both of them and I had a hard time saying, which one was better.  I even had my hubby feel each side, and he said that the MuruMuru may make my hair a little more soft, but not by much.  I thought that the Sapote made my hair a little softer, but I also thought that it wasn't by much.  Both are great moisturizers.

Outcome:  If I had to choose, I guess I would pick the Sapote, but not by much of a preference.  Ultimately, I like them both  and I am buying them both on Black Friday if they are available.

Price:  $14 for a 8 oz. jar

Promise:  From the back of the jar -- "Cupuacu and chocolate to nourish and condition dry brittle hair." ;  From the website -- "Chocolate goodness for your hair.  Great boost of vitamins and minerals for soft, nourished hair."

Consistency:  Like thin pudding or thin cake batter

Scent:  Delicious brownie batter.  I have this urge to eat it every time I put it on my hair.  (I don't, of course.)

Results:   I tried it both as an overnight deep conditioner and as a deep conditioner under a heat cap.  My hair liked it both ways.  It leaves my hair feeling strong without a protein overload.  It does not give my hair with a lot of slip, but I do not really expect that from my deep conditioners.  My hair did feel somewhat moisturized, but I noticed the strength more than the moisture.  Also, a little goes a long way.  I've used it 3 times already and I can probably get 1 more use out of the jar.  The only thing that made me a little cautious was that I didn't recognize the ingredient Imidazolium Quat.  I did a little digging and, at first, I couldn't find any information.  Then, I learned from an MSDS sheet that another name for Imidazolium Quat is Quaternium-87, which is a mild conditioner with no build-up effect, so I am ok with it. 

Love it, Like it or Dump it:  Like it.