In Review || Oils: Coconut Oil.

Okay so you're probably like "What is there to review about Coconut Oil?" but I want to do it, so I will. This review won't be like the others that have Ingredients listed because the ingredient is... Coconut Oil! It has many purposes but is mainly used for cooking, hair and skin. This blog is about natural hair so the facts listed will be catered towards hair.

Moisture Retention:

Coconut Oil is one of the best oils for moisturizing your hair. Unlike water, it does not break down and evaporate easily and therefore keeps the moisture in the hair and leaves it soft. By doing this, Coconut Oil also helps against breakage. Of course, moisture comes from water so using coconut oil on dry hair may help soften it, but you will not be retaining maximum amounts of moisture because there was no water there to begin with. I usually incorporate coconut oil into my daily routine by spraying my Water+Aloe Vera Juice mix into my hair and then applying the coconut oil to each section to retain moisture. As with any other oil, you don't want to use too much.

Conditioning:

One of the things about using a conditioner on your hair is that your hair becomes soft and it helps return moisture and balance to you hair after the stripping effects of shampoo. Coconut oil can be used as alternative conditioner because it does just that. Unlike synthetic conditioners that sit on your hair and make it LOOK nice and soft and shiny for a new hours, coconut oil is actually able to get into your strands and give you a softness and shine that will last! If you're like me and you need to use actual products, you can just add coconut oil to your conditioner for and extra boost and some slip! In my experience, when I found out that I bought a conditioner that doesn't do much for my hair, coconut oil saved the day until I bought a new one.

Pre Poo/ Deep Conditioning:

Coconut oil can be used as a pre-shampoo treatment to protect your strands from the harsh effects of shampoo. When I pre-poo I usually use a 50/50 mixture of coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil and apply it to my hair for about an hour, or overnight before I shampoo. This way, your hair won't be too stripped after shampooing. 

You can also apply coconut oil to your deep conditioner for extra softness. Just get a plastic bowl, add your DC and 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Mix it all up, apply to your hair, and leave in for one hour or for 30 minutes with heat. 

Misc:

Coconut Oil can be applied onto the skin as a great solution for dry skin. Unlike other oils, coconut oil solidifies at 76°F/24°C or colder and liquifies above that. If you find that your coconut oil has solidified, you can run it under hot water or scoop some into a bowl and microwave. You can also just rub it in your hands since it melts easily. In my experience, coconut oil has been a great protector against chlorine. 

Where can I find it?

Coconut oil can be found at most, if not all grocery stores in the cooking section. I buy mine from Walmart or my local fresh food market. You can also buy it online, although those run slightly expensive especially when you add in shipping costs. Coconut oil should be Organic, Virgin, or Unrefined. It should be 100% coconut oil. Unlike Olive Oil however, getting Extra Virgin as opposed to just Organic is not that much of a difference. It ranges from about $5-$20 depending on where you get yours. The price may not reflect the quality.

***As with everything, coconut oil may not work for everyone. Use with your own discretion.


Keep it curly,
Dez.

Product Review || Hydratherma Naturals Protein Deep Conditioner

If you've seen any of my other posts, you'll know that I've already done a short review on the Hydratherma Naturals DC. I feel like now I can do a full review because I've practically finished my trial sized bottle and have used it about 4-5 times.

What it says

Strengthens the hair and prevents breakage. With just one use, you will see and feel a difference. This treatment contains an exceptional and unique complex of structurizing proteins, all of different molecular weights. These proteins penetrate deep within the hair shaft producing benefits like no single protein can. Enriched with 10 amino acids, vitamins and botanical extracts. Strengthens each hair strand and protects the hair from harsh weather. Also provides sunscreen protection. Your hair will look and feel terrific. Superb for all hair types. For best results, use with other Hydratherma Naturals brand products. PH balanced. How to use: Shampoo hair with Hydratherma Naturals shampoo of choice. Gently towel blot hair and saturate hair with conditioner from root to tip. Cover head with plastic cap and use our Hair Therapy Wrap or sit under a warm dryer for 10-20 minutes, comb through with a wide tooth comb to remove tangles then rinse with water. Great for all hair types. For extreme deep conditioning, apply the Hydratherma Naturals Hair Growth Oil to the hair / scalp along with the deep conditioner. Cover with plastic cap and then deep condition with heat. 

Ingredients

Water/Aqua, Cetyl Alcohol, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Panthenol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Phytonadione, Pyridoxine HCL, Biotin, Sodium PCA, Betaine, Sorbitol, Glycine, Alanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Arginine, Lysine, Glutamic Acid, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Panax Ginseng Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Fragrance/Parfum, Methyl Gluceth-10, PEG-45M, Triethanolamine, Citric Acid, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone. PARABEN FREE.

What I think:

I've gotten used to the smell by now. It smells like ... I don't know. I really don't, but that's not the point! The consistency is thin so at times I was like ... is this stuff really in my hair or what? But it sure was! Anyway, after applying it to my hair, I left it in for about 60 minutes. When rinsing it out it didn't really help much with the detangling, but the breakage was so little! Obviously this isn't for you if your hair is protein sensitive because this is a protein DC but if you're like me, and your hair is THIRSTY for that weekly protein treatment, then try out this product. My hair ALWAYS feels so much stronger after using this product. When I use Herbal Essences Hello Hydration after it, it helps soften up my hair while keeping the strength from the DC. (New regimen I think?) But anyway, I was hoping it would help soften up my hair but it does not and I'm not even mad because it didn't promise that it would. However, it did everything it said it would. My hair always feels stronger, the breakage decreases drastically and I did feel the difference in just one use! At least it doesn't lie.

It runs kind of expensive at $15.99/8oz + shipping. I have one use left in my trial size from my CurlKit so after that I'll look for something less expensive and maybe buy this when I have money to blow. 

Rate: 8/10


You can buy the product online on Amazon or here: http://www.healthyhairjourney.com/Amino-Plus-Protein-Deep-Conditioning-Treatment.html

Much Love,
Dez.

Video || Products I use on my natural 4a/4b/4c hair

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp4y88gdr24

Comment, rate and subscribe to my channel and tell me what you think.
I'm open to all suggestions and opinions.
Much Love,
Dez

July Curlkit + 3 Product Reviews

So a few days ago I got my first Curlkit so I decided to try out a few things.

Ur Curly Soya Shampoo

Ingredients

Artesian Water, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Taurate, PEG 150 Distearate, Polyquat 10, Menthol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Polysorbate 20, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Fragrance, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinine. 

*** silicone free, sulfate free, paraben free, glycerin free

What I think: 
I used it on my hair which was due for a wash and I loved the feeling I got. I don't like using shampoo so much but this one looks like a keeper. It has a great minty scent you can tell that the Tea Tree Oil is in there. My scalp felt tingly when using it and I'm sure my hair was clean. However, I'm not sure if it made any sort of difference to my hair at all. Rate: 7/10 Cost: $8.99

Hydratherma Naturals Deep Conditioner

Ingredients:

Water/Aqua, Cetyl Alcohol, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Tocopheryl  Acetate, Glycerin,  Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Panthenol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Aloe Barbadensis  Leaf Juice, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydrolyzed  Corn Protein, Retinyl  Palmitate, Ascorbyl  Palmitate, Phytonadione, Pyridoxine HCL, Biotin, Sodium PCA, Betaine,  Sorbitol, Glycine, Alanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Arginine, Lysine,  Glutamic Acid, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Panax Ginseng Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Fragrance/Parfum, Methyl Gluceth-10, PEG-45M, Triethanolamine, Citric Acid, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.   PARABEN FREE
What I Think:Right off the bat, I hate the smell. HATE HATE HATE HATE IT. It's so weird. I can't describe it. HOWEVER, this product is one of the few that actually does what it says. The instructions said to leave it in for about 10-20min but I did 60min to really get it in there. I loved the results though. I wouldn't say that my hair felt super soft like it does with other deep conditioners, it felt normal. However, my hair felt strong and the breakage was minimal (just like it said). The consistency is thin and I was afraid that I would use the whole 2oz on my hair but I barely used that much. It didn't take much to cover my hair, which is shoulder length when straight and halfway down my neck when curly. I'm keeping my bottle until the winter because I feel like it would help me more later than right now.

Rate: 7/10 Cost: $15.99/8oz

Shea Whip

Ingredients:

raw unrefined shea butter, extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed castor oil, sweet almond oil, vitamin e oil, fragrance oils.

What I Think:I think this is a great product. It's completely natural too! The one that I got was the Coconut Lime Verbena and I didn't really like the smell too much. It was kind of citrus-y. I only used a dime sized amount and it was enough to cover my entire head. My hair felt very soft immediately after using it. I'll definitely buy a full sized one after I finish my trial size and my Cantu Shea Butter. Rate: 9/10 Cost: $12.00/8oz
Watch the video review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ICRcik_mOM