Product Review: Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Shampoo

Photo by: Ambar Mejia

I have been a natural for a year and a half. I have been using Giovanni’s Smooth as Silk Shampoo since.

I swore I would never move on. It has never failed to produce moisturized, silky locks of hair.

I also don’t use shampoo often enough to want to experiment, and I was always afraid the change would be disastrous.

I was at Walmart looking for a new conditioner that didn’t have glycerin since it seemed to be drying out my hair with the change of weather.

I had recently finished a bottle of the Smooth as Silk and said “why not?”

I came across the Shea Moisture line. I really like their style milk (review coming soon), so I thought I would try their shampoo.

What I love:

The first ingredient is water so you know it is moisturizing.

It has that sweet, candy smell that products with coconut oil tend to have, but it is not at all overwhelming or obnoxious.

There is a long list on the bottle of harmful ingredients it DOESN’T have (sulfates, parabens, etc).

Animal lovers and vegans will also appreciate that it’s not tested on animals.

It is also “ethically” traded and “sustainably” produced. (I’m not sure to what extent that is true, I tried to look it up on their website and didn’t find a lot of info. I’ll take their word for it until I do).

It is loaded with moisturizing ingredients like coconut oil, aloe vera leaf juice, shea butter, and rosemary just to name a few!

It feels great on your hands and even better in your hair! It is light and creamy and smoothly goes onto the hair. It left my hair feeling soo moisturized and smooth when my hair had been feeling straw-like for days. (I am seriously considering trying the conditioner).

It also comes with silk protein to leave you with soft, silky hair and neem oil for brilliant shine.

I haven’t tried a lot of the Shea Moisture line, but I like that it’s split up between textures. This particular one is designed for thick, curly hair, but there are other product lines designed for thin, curly hair and so on.

You can easily get this at WalMart, Target, or Sally’s.

What I don’t care for:

Don’t know that there is anything about this shampoo I don’t like!

It is about $10 a bottle, but it’s a decently sized bottle. I can make a bottle of shampoo last for several months since I don’t shampoo too often, so the price really doesn’t bother me considering the effect.

In conclusion:

I think I found my new love. Full stamp of approval!

My hair has seriously been feeling AWFUL. So bad, that for the first time in the 1.5 years that I’ve been natural, I rocked some protective styling because my hair was going to pieces and my ends just wouldn’t curl. My roommate complimented me on how curly my hair was looking, and one of my friends couldn’t stop sneaking touches.

Songs to ROCK your natural-hair to

As a natural, you know there are days you wake up, look in the mirror and think your hair is absolutely nothing short of FABULOUS. Then there are the days you just want to wrap it in a scarf because you just don’t even know where to begin.

Here’s a list of songs to celebrate the beautiful kinks, curls, and coils in your hair. So no matter if today is the day that you are ready to rock it or not, this playlists will get you pumped!

Whip your hair back and forth, and remember why you are precious and unique.

Songs to rock your natural-hair to:

Where I’m from by The Digable Planets

Put your Records on by Corinne Bailey Rae

I am not my hair by India.Arie

Beauty Within by Dead Prez

Dawn of the Dreads by Arrested Development

Precious by Esperanza Spalding

Afro Dance Les Nubians

Afro by Erykah Badu

Whip my hair by Willow Smith

Na Tu Ral by Qu’ality

Here’s a link to the playlist:

Ingredients to fall off your hair-care regiment this Fall

It is Fall! The leaves are changing and so should your hair-care regiment.

It might not need a complete makeover; but as the weather changes, a second look at your line of defense against those frizzy flyaways should never take the back seat.

Let’s take a look at the basic essentials of a hair-care regiment:

Moisturizing shampoo

Sulfate-free conditioner

Deep conditioner

Leave-in conditioner or other moisturizing cream

Styler (This isn’t essential. Using this depends on whether you want extra hold for your curls to pop or whether you want to rock a bigger style)

Sealant (oh so essential)

Recently, curlmart.com released a list of ingredients that you should limit in your hair care regiment.

Among them are glycerin and protein. https://curlmart.com/fall-hair-products/

I didn’t instantly subscribe to this idea, but I noticed that my hair was incredibly dry! I haven’t trimmed in a few months and the ends of my hair felt like straw.

Seriously, the ends of my hair looked like a wicker broom! I just wanted to run to the salon and chop off my hair all over again. I figured it wasn’t because of products since they had been working so well for me.

I wondered if my hair had just gotten too thick for my current products, and if I needed something heavier.

I went to the nearest sally’s and bought a few new products. It was all the same. Nothing had changed in my hair.

Then I realized a bunch of products had glycerin and protein in them. I changed my entire hair-care line for the fall to exclude glycerin and have less protein and WOW is there a difference!

You can find several recommendations from CurlMart, Naturally Curly, and possibly other natural-hair blogs, but here are some of my personal recommendations:

Moisturizing shampoo

Giovanni Smooth as Silk Shampoo

Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus shampoo (current love)

Sulfate-free conditioner

Neutrogena Triple Moisture

Giovanni Smooth as Silk Conditioner

Elucence Moisture Balance

Aussie Moist Conditioner

Deep conditioner

Jessicurl Deep Conditioning

Leave-in conditioner/other moisturizing cream/styler

Shea Moisture Style Milk

Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave In

Kinky Curly Curling Custard

Sealant (oh so essential)

Jojoba oil

Vatika Oil

Argan oil

Most of these products you can get at either WalMart, Target, Sally’s, Amazon.com, or CurlMart.com.

Your hair may have a different reaction to these ingredients. If it works, keep it! If something is suddenly not working for you, switch it up.

Product Review: Jessicurl Deep Conditioning Treatment

Photo by: Ambar Mejia

I have bought this deep-conditioning treatment several times. I seriously refused to move on for a long time.

This, for me, is a holy grail product!

I buy the no fragrance version because I am always afraid of what anything referred to as “island fantasy” will smell like. The other option is citrus lavender — hmm, might be worth a try.

This deep conditioner feels thick and creamy on your hands.

When you apply it in your hair, it almost feels like it disappears. All that’s left is moisturized, silk-like locks of hair.

I absolutely love it.

Sometimes I let it do it’s own thing; other times I add whatever conditioner I am currently using and add olive oil.

I let this sit in my hair for an hour, if I have the time, and I am left with perfectly conditioned curls.

What I love:

It is loaded with lovely oils and minerals that are fabulous for your hair.

It has Behentrimonium Methosulfate which is one of the gentlest cleaners, encourages curls, and adds slip for detangling.

(Check this link out for more info on BM http://www.curlynikki.com/2009/04/conditioners-containing-behentrimonium.html)

It is cruelty free: for all you animal lovers/vegans.

It works wonders, no doubt about it. Recently I had spent a good month ignoring my hair-care routine, and my hair was feeling like hay. I put this in for 30 minutes, and my hair is back on track.

You know it is made with fully organic ingredients because the bottle suggests you keep it in the fridge. If you don’t, it will start to oxidize. (I learned this the hard way.)

The marketing company clearly has some word-play lovers on their team with a slogan like “you have the right to remain curly” — and I am a sucker for word play.

What I don’t care for:

It’s a little frustrating to get out of the bottle when you’re near the end.

The price: At $17 dollars a bottle plus shipping costs, it gets rather pricey for something you are supposed to use once a week.

I can only find this online through CurlMart.com or Jessicurl.com.

I’m almost positive there is a comparable product for less money. It might just be time for me to move on.

I still give this product two thumbs up!

If you are in the market for a new deep conditioner and manage to score a coupon from curlmart, then invest in it. You won’t regret it.