Eden Bodyworks Anti-Breakage Deep Conditioner Lavender Aloe Review

 My birthday was around about a week ago- what's funny is all this past year I literally thought I was a year older than I was. So if anyone asked me this past year how old I was- I definitely 100% lied to them. Whoops! 

Anyway...deep conditioner. It's been almost a year since I have reviewed one. I wanted to deep condition more regularly and I think I have been. I've had this deep conditioner for a little while....usually I try to use it 1-2 times a month. 

Eden claims: 

This natural deep conditioner is a thick, creamy protein-free hair mask designed to help strengthen weak strands susceptible to breakage. Lavender Oil helps to battle hair loss and protect against further damage. Enhances the hair's natural elasticity. Aloe helps to replenish and moisturize dry hair. Combats scalp issues. Safe for natural hair, color-treated hair, and chemically-processed hair.

Made in USA

This is my first product from the brand. From what I can see if it black and woman owned and still privately owned...which I always love to see.

It's also reasonably priced and free from silicones -which is what I mainly look for in a deep conditioner. 

You get a massive amount of..16 oz. So far so good.

It's a thick cream not unlike any other deep conditioner. And it smells really nice. It definitely smells like Lavender and Patchouli essential oil are the main fragrances. There is something else to the scent. I really enjoy it. And it's very unique. It lingers in the hair for a little while.  

It is an anti-breakage deep conditioner- and curiously protein free. Which is good- I think my hair is protein sensitive. I do feel like my hair is stronger and slightly thicker since I've been using it. Also in the weeks I use it, I feel like the hair is more hydrated and less dry feeling. All the way down to the ends. 

I tend to sleep in it overnight.

I think it says all it says it will do. I have no complaints at all. I even recently picked up the leave-in conditioner and I am excited to give that a try once my current deep conditioner is used up. 

ingredients: 

Water (Aqua), Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Fragrance (Parfum), Stearalkonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Lavandula
Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Sorbic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract

Overall, I really like it. It's a good deep conditioner- if you are on the market for one, I would suggest giving this one a go.

Urban Hydration Honey Deep Conditioner Review

 I had planned to review some liners I have  but I don't feel like putting make-up on today. More that I don't want to wash it off because I did technically already played a little in some colors. But back to deep conditioner. It's always my goal to regularly deep condition- I missed a couple months last year simply because this took quite awhile to arrive to me. I almost thought it was lost in the mail. Eventually it turned up though. 

Urban Hydration claims:

Immerse your hair in the nourishing embrace of Urban Hydration's Honey Health & Repair Deep Conditioner. This luxurious formula, enriched with Honey and Argan Oil, penetrates deep into each strand to repair damage, prevent breakage, and tame frizz. Infused with Sweet Vanilla Bean Extract, it promotes healthier, shinier curls while non-greasy Argan Oil provides weightless moisture and enhances elasticity. Experience the transformative power of this deep conditioner as it detangles, cleanses, and restores softness to your hair.

How to Use It? Indulge in this deep conditioning ritual by applying a generous amount to your palms and working it through wet hair from roots to ends. Detangle with your fingers or a comb, then rinse thoroughly. For an intensive moisture boost, leave on for at least 15 minutes before rinsing.

Our Honey Health & Repair Deep Conditioner serves as a powerful treatment designed to deeply moisturize dry and damaged hair. The unique formula features natural honey, which is known for its humectant properties. This means that it attracts moisture from the air to your hair, leaving it feeling soft and hydrated. Therefore, you will notice a significant improvement in your hair's texture and shine after just one use!

In addition to hydration, our deep conditioner helps to repair your hair from root to tip. With consistent use, this product nourishes the hair follicles and reduces breakage. The rich ingredients work together to strengthen each strand, resulting in healthier and stronger hair. So, you can enjoy the benefits of revitalized hair that is less prone to split ends and damage!

Made in China

I hadn't heard of this brand before...it seems like it doesn't have a strong brand identity. Just something quickly created to make some money but when I googled it does appear this brand is black owned. I was really surprised to see that. I think it's the name "urban" that throws me off. And the packaging.  Something about the brand still feels a bit off to me....but IDK. 

I got this for a great price though...it was on sale. I didn't pay more than 7-8 dollars. 

So we'll start with the scent. It's very light and pleasant. But doesn't stick around and is not particularly noticeable. I would say the scent is on the sweeter side- a bit reminiscent of an almond cookie. Doesn't leave any scent in my hair though. 

As for the actual conditioner- I read other reviews that said it was like applying lotion to the hair. It just doesn't feel like a conditioner. And definitely not like a deep conditioner. It doesn't provide slip so not the best at detangling. It doesn't really seem to do much for my hair unless I leave it overnight. So that's how I usually use it. Wash my hair and let it sit, then run the comb through the next day and rinse out. 

Even though it doesn't feel like it's done much- it does seem a bit heavy without feeling greasy. By that I mean it seems to add weight and weigh down my super tight curls and stretch them out the teeniest bit. The trade-off is my hair doesn't have that movement to it nor does it feel light and fluffy. I do think it helps with frizz though.

As for repair- I don't feel like any deep conditioner can really repair hair. 

It claims to increase shine- can't say my hair looks any shinier. Softness is OK. 

Almost forgot to mention- I don't like the packaging. I think this would be much better in a tub. It's just such a hassle trying to pump out and the pump seems hard on the hands because you have to push so hard and so little comes out at a time.

The ingredients aren't bad. Actually toward the bottom there are a lot of great ingredients. It looks like they may have recently changed them though because the list is a bit different on their site. 

Ingredients:

Water, Glycerin, Beeswax, c-12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, DMDM Hydantoin, Ginger Extract, Avocado Oil, Sweet Almond Oil,  Argan Oil, Aloe Leaf Juice, Panthenol, Honey, Disodium EDTA, Vitamin E, VitaminA 

Overall, it's not bad. But I have other deep conditioners I would prefer over this so it's not a repurchase.  

Hask Keratin Smoothing Deep Conditioner Reveiw

 I wanted to save this deep conditioner packet for when I felt like my hair "needed" it. Originally I wanted to use it after straightening my hair but then I felt my hair didn't really "need" it and I should wait until I was seeing breakage. I don't think I have breakage and most of my hair that is coming it has been shed hair but occasionally there will be one or two pieces. So..I figured it was time.

Hask claims:

This ultra-restorative deep conditioner, infused with keratin, repairs damage, reduces breakage and static, making it perfect for over-processed and color-treated hair. It leaves hair moisturized, shiny, and frizz-free.

Made in USA

I was also curious about this because I had been hearing a lot about Keratin treatments. I wouldn't get a Keratin treatment meant to straighten the hair- but hair is made of mainly Keratin so I figured it would be cool to try a treatment for my hair. 

It's a conditioner with a texture like any other conditioner. It has a tropical fruity sweet scent but it has that scent of "deep conditioner" as an underlying scent. I believe it's the same scent that Cholesterol Deep Conditioners have. I didn't really like the scent much. It wasn't bad, I just don't prefer the scent. But I wouldn't mind the scent as long as the product works.

I did use it to detangle my hair. I think I am going to go back to detangling my hair with conditioner in it. I tried with just leave in conditioner and it doesn't work for me. It worked well for me. Took the normal amount of time for me to get through the Tangles with my Tangle Teezer. 

The main claims on the site are that it fights frizz, soften, and prevents breakage. It definitely helped with frizz. I twisted my hair after detangle each section and when I rinsed my hair was truly frizz free and the curls felt really clumped together . I think it would have helped if I were to straighten my hair after. Or done a twist out. My hair seemed frizzier than normal in my "wash n go" but I did rinse it two times and add a ton of leave in between using this. I think if I rinsed and went right in with a gel I would have been a difference. 

It also claims to soften- nope! It feels like any other protein treatment and makes my hair feel "hard". My hair snaps when I break it off. It does have added elasticity to it though. It's not soft at all though! My hair did seem less dry - except for the ends. It didn't feel moisturized though The ends could use a big drink of moisture. It wasn't too bad though. 

I did notice my hair had shine to it. So that claim was also correct. 

I did use the whole pack-previously I would try and get multi-uses but I need a lot more when I use it to detangle. I did also leave it on longer than 10 minutes. 

The ingredients are ok. No silicones. I did notice they have recently updated the packaging as well as the ingredients. The newer version has keratin higher up in the ingredients. I don't plan on trying those anytime soon- but one day I might. 

Ingredients:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Cetearyl alcohol, Cetrimonium chloride, Lanolin, Cetyl alcohol, Keratin amino acids, Cocoyl hydrolyzed keratin, Cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen, Hydrolyzed collagen, Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, Hydroxypropyltrimonium hydrolyzed rice protein/siloxysilicate, Oryza sativa (rice) extract, Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, Leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate, Populus tremuloides bark extract, Citric acid, Glycerin, Panthenyl hydroxypropyl steardimonium chloride, Isopropyl palmitate, Tetrasodium glutamate diacetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene glycol, Distearyldimonium chloride, Chlorphenesin, Sodium benzoate, Parfum/Fragrance, Hexyl cinnamal

Overall, it was OK. I liked the Coconut Oil one the best of the three I tried so if I wanted to repurchase a deep conditioner packet from them- that's what I would go for! 

Hask Argan Oil Repairing Deep Conditiner for Dry, Damaged Hair Review

 

Do ya'll know about med spas? I fell down the rabbit hole of med spas this weekend and learned that they are largely unregulated in the U.S. This means anyone can just start one and begin injecting random stuff into customers. I was mostly intrigued by the story of a girl that went for Vitamin b12 shots alongside some sort of fat burning shots and ended up with Mycobacterium - which is a flesh eating disease. I never planned on going to a Med Spa but especially never would knowing they are largely unregulated...and some don't even carry proper insurance or order their injectables from reputable sources. Scary stuff. 

Anyway , let's talk Deep Conditioner. I've been pretty good at regularly deep conditioning. I've been sticking with 1- 2x per month. I don't really use heat on my hair so I don't think it's that needed. But I am planning to blow out my hair one of these days and want to make sure my hair is as healthy as possible. 

I like the Hask brand because there aren't any apparent micro-plastics/silicones in the product.

Hask claims:

ARGAN OIL 

REPAIRING DEEP CONDITIONER

Strengthens, Restores & Smooths Dry, Damaged Hair

Free of: sulfates, parabens, silicones, phthalates, gluten and drying alcohol.

This deep conditioner is a super strengthening, hydrating treatment that will repair the look of dry, damaged and over-processed hair. Formulated with argan oil, unique to Morocco, to help reduce split-ends and leave the most damaged hair soft and nourished.

First thing I noticed was the scent-it's a very nice orange scent. I haven't smelled the ORS Replenishing Packs in awhile but they do smell similar. It smells nice but it's a mild scent that doesn't stick around much once you rinse out. 

Feels like your regular deep conditioner. I ended up using all of this one in one go. I got two uses out the Coconut one. I think it's because this one seemed to just disappear into my hair. I also used it to detangle and I did tend to add more in spots that took a little more product to get through. It doesn't have a lot of slip but it did work.

I didn't leave it overnight but I did leave it in a for a few hours. I know the directions say ten minutes but I like to let conditioners sit.

I think this might be a protein conditioner. When I rinsed my hair felt normal- not particularly moisturized. But it didn't feel dry. As it was drying it felt soft, I had some definition (didn't have anything but frizz with the Coconut one). Now today my hair feels kinda hard and a bit drier than usual. It does feel a little stronger and I'm sure if will be back to it's regular moisture level by tomorrow or the next day. 

I like the ingredients a little more than your typical drugstore ingredients. It has your regular filler conditioner ingredients along with a lot of stuff that is easily recognizable as good for your hair. 

Ingredients:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Cetearyl alcohol, Cetrimonium chloride, Quaternium-18, Parfum/Fragrance, Lanolin, Argania spinosa (argan) kernel oil, Hydroxypropyltrimonium hydrolyzed rice protein/siloxysilicate, Oryza sativa (rice) extract, Hydrolyzed collagen, Hydrolyzed keratin, Silk amino acids, Hydrolyzed soy protein, Sodium lauroyl oat amino acids, Juglans nigra (black walnut) leaf extract, Leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate, Populus tremuloides bark extract, Citric acid, Glycerin, Panthenol, Isopropyl palmitate, Sodium PCA, Tetrasodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl alcohol, Potassium sorbate, Sodium hydroxide, Chlorphenesin, Benzyl benzoate, Limonene, Caramel, CI 19140 (Yellow 5)

Overall, it's fine. I wouldn't get this one if you are looking for moisture- I think it works best as a protein/strengthening conditioner, this one might actually be too much for my hair. Felt like I lost some elasticity and got a few more tangles.I think they are mostly interchangeable to me, except this one is more strengthening (a bit more drying)  and didn't give me frizzy hair. Actually I think I do prefer the coconut on…... One more to go- the Keratin pack. I'll probably open that one up in a about a month or when my hair feels like it could use it. 

Hask Monoi Coconut Oil Nourishing Deep Conditioner Review

 I'm circling back to my true crime addiction. I just listen to case after case...somehow even though I click the title and know a little bit about what happens to the victims- I am still always shocked when the podcaster announces the death. Like, oh they really didn't make it? *shock. I really don't know why I do this. Also...why do these people not believe in Divorce? They all just murder their partners. If I ever got married one of the questions I would ask beforehand is if they believe in divorce. Cause let's sign those papers. You don't have to kill me! 

Anyway...deep conditioner. 

Hask claims:

This deep conditioner is a restorative, nourishing treatment that will revitalize all hair types. Coconut and Tahitian monoi oil help retain moisture for soft, smooth and hydrated strands.

Made in USA

This is a new to me brand- I do always remember seeing it in discount stores though like TJ Max and Ross. I never really considered buying it but I was in the market for some new deep conditioners. I always want to make it a goal to deep condition regularly and I do well with it for a while and then completely fall off. I'm ready to jump back on the deep conditioner wagon though. If only for the next couple of months.

I bought three of these deep conditioner packs and decided to start with the Coconut one. We will start with the scent. It smells like a sweet vanilla. Very pleasant and very familiar. And none of the sour scent that you sometimes get in Coconut products. It really smells like something I have used before- maybe the Coconut line from Organix. Or a bit like the Coconut and Hibiscus Shea Moisture line.  It's like they are all using the same fragrance oils.

The texture is like any other conditioner. Easy to spread, not too thick etc. It doesn't have a lot of slip but I did use it to detangle and it worked pretty well. I got about 2 uses out of it and ended up wishing I had a bit more to coat some of my hair in the back that I was trying to detangle. 

It doesn't feel like it's really giving a shot of moisture to my hair. But my hair doesn't feel dry either. It just feels normal, maybe a bit stronger. Not heavy, not greasy, not weighed down. It doesn't feel like it's doing a whole lot but it doesn't feel like it's not helping either.

It could also be that I tend to use it overnight which is what you should not do. I just get too lazy to jump back in the shower and rinse it out.

I wanted to try it out because there weren't any silicones in the ingredients- I like to avoid them for the most part. And it has some ingredients that I recognize.  I like plant extracts and natural derived ingredients. 

Ingredients:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Cetearyl alcohol, Cetrimonium chloride, Quaternium-18, Gardenia taitensis (monoi) flower extract, Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, Linum usitatissimum (linseed) seed oil, Vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) fruit extract, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed collagen, Hydrolyzed keratin, Panthenyl hydroxypropyl steardimonium chloride, Isopropyl palmitate, Sodium lauroyl oat amino acids, Silk amino acids, Sodium PCA, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl alcohol, Chlorphenesin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium sorbate, Sodium benzoate, Sodium hydroxide, Parfum/Fragrance

Overall, it's not bad. I don't think it's my favorite deep conditioner...but it's not bad at all and it does smell really good. I'll probably get into the Argan one next. 

Mielle Babassu & Mint Deep Conditioner Review

I think I've really messed up my ankle, I did a "barre" workout a few weeks ago that had you squatting and a few other ballet moves and did a little too much I guess. It's been hurting ever since, not helped by the fact that I keep on playing dancing games and all sorts of other stuff on it but I don't learn. I'm just hoping it heals on it's own but I should probably be  little more pro-active by staying off it. 

Mielle claims:

Restore dry and damaged hair with this replenishing organic hair conditioner from Mielle!

• Reduces frizz and flyaways
• Infuses hair with protein and moisture
• Made with certified organic ingredients

Derived from an Amazonian palm fruit, babassu oil contains high concentrations of sterols and tocopherols to moisturize and improve hair and scalp. That’s why it’s one of the main ingredients of this hair conditioner with organic ingredients. Our Babassu Oil & Mint Deep Conditioner is enriched with fatty acids and natural oils, as well as complex amino acids from wheat, soy, and other all-natural ingredients, to help hydrate and replenish your hair. Give your hair the care it deserves – order your Mielle Organics hair products today!

8 fl. oz. | Formulated for all hair types | Safe for color-treated hair | Not tested on animals

The haircare aisle in my local store is really changing. I am really starting to notice there are so many woman owned, black owned brands to support. This particular brand is new to me, but I was in need of a new deep conditioner and figured I would give this a try.

We'll start with scent. It smells like a mixture of lemongrass and mint (mostly lemongrass). It's not my favorite scent for haircare but it does smell like it's scented with essential oils or natural fragrance which is nice. 

The texture is just like any other conditioner. Easy to apply, easy to rinse out. Feels pretty hydrating and makes my hair look more hydrated for a few days afterwards. 

It claims to be a balanced deep conditioner- so moisture AND strength a. I agree. I think it's great protein conditioner, mostly because it doesn't make my hair feel hard yet it does feel stronger. It's hard to find a product that balances both perfectly. I think this does manage to get it right. 

As for detangling, it's not the best. It does alright..but I think there are things that do better. I can't fault it though since it does basically everything else perfectly It even provides some shine! 

Ingredients are decent- I notice it has Babassu Oil front and center. It's an oil that really seems to agree with my hair. Props to the Anita Grant hair products which were the first products I remember seeing with Babassu Oil. It has all kinds of protein and hair strengthening ingredients along with fruit extracts, and different essential oils.

Ingredients:

Water/aqua/eau, behentrimonium methosulfate, cetearyl alcohol, cetylesters, *Orbignya oleifera (babassu) seed oil, Pyrus malus (apple) fruit extract, glycerin, sodium PCA, sodium lactate, arginine, aspartic acid, PCA, glycine, alanine, serine, valine, proline, threonine, isoleucine, histidine, phenylalanine, *Euterpe oleracea (acai) pulp oil, Pentaclethra macroloba (pracaxi) seed oil, *Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, *Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, *Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) oil, *Pelargonium graveolens (Geranium) flower oil, Salvia officinalis (Sage) oil, Mentha piperita (peppermint) oil, Citrus paradise (Grapefruit) peel oil, Litsea cubeba fruit oil, Mentha Viridis (spearmint) leaf oil, isoamyl laurate, dehydroacetic acid, benzyl alcohol

Overall, I think this is a great deep conditioner. It would make my top five for sure! I definitely think this is worth trying and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on more from the brand. 

Alikay Naturals Honey and Sage Deep Conditioner Review

 This has been on my review list for forever....I've held on to the last little bit and held off using it because I wanted to save it to review. I've had it for months and months. Now it's finally time to review and move it out to try new things or repurchase...

Alikay claims: 

Our award-winning Honey and Sage Deep Conditioner is a premium, humectant-based deep treatment for delivering maximum moisture to dry, damaged hair. The honey pulls moisture from the air into your hair and locks it into each strand for ultimate hydration replenishment and retention.Babassu, Sage and Extra Virgin Olive Oil were specifically added to enhance this process. As the conditioner penetrates deep into the follicle, you immediately feel it begin to work its magic. Of course, you know with Alikay Naturals this product is going to smell AMAZING and it does! It can also be combined with our Blended Therapy Hot Oil Treatment for the ultimate hair hydration package.

I was interested in this brand because it was on a list of black owned companies and when I saw it in the stores I knew it was meant to be. I also have a Shea Butter moisturizer from the same brand that I've had for quite a while, but I haven't used it enough to review it yet. Maybe in about a year I will get that up. Idk, since the pandemic I've just really been procrastinating when it comes to hair stuff. 

Anyway....I always like to have a deep conditioner on hand and the honey and sage was intriguing to me. It's definitely an interesting scent, kinda herbal, sweet, and a little minty. I think the minty bit is the sage. It's an interesting scent. But I don't really like it, although sometimes I think it's not so bad and other times I can't stand the scent. Overall, I think the scent is what would keep me from repurchasing...but when I think of the ingredients and how it actually works on my hair I kinda re-consider.

A little seems to go a long way with this conditioner. It has slight detangling properties. Where it shines is the big drink of moisture it gives my hair. I can really tell a difference in my hair's moisture. And I don't even use it for the recommended time. I usually just let it sit as I shower and rinse it when I am done. 

It really does deliver on what it says it will do and I think it's one of the best moisturizing deep conditioners I've used if I'm being honest. And I think it's fairly priced. I think I paid around $10 for it, maybe a little less.

When looking at the ingredient list, the ingredients at the top are what I like to look out for. The very first ingredient is Aloe, and the 2nd ingredient is honey. After that you have two pretty common ingredients for hair conditioners, Cetearyl Alcohol and Stearalkonium Chloride. From there we have some great stuff- Sage Powder, Nettle Lead extract,Olive Oil, Wheatgerm Oil, Silk Amino Acids, Rice Bran Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Babassu Oil, and Rosemary. The ingredients are impressive! I don't think I've ever used a better formulated deep conditioner.

Ingredients: 

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera Juice), Honeyquat (Honey), Cetearyl Alcohol (Coconut dervied), Stearalkonium Chloride (Coconut derived), Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Powder, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Triticum Vulgare (What) Germ Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate (Natural Detangling Agent), Silk Amino Acids (Natural protein), Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, (Eucalyptus) Globulous Leaf Oil, Sorbic Acid (Food Grade Preservative), Orbignya Oleifera Seed (Babassu) Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Caramei, Botanical Blend Ingredients

Overall, I love the way it works and I love the ingredients. I don't love the way it smells- but I can deal with it for such a great deep conditioner, especially at this price point. If you have thirsty hair, this might be a good one to try!

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque Review

Not much to do these days with being stuck in the house basically all day. So I guess on my days off I'll be writing more than a few blog posts...if I can find something to review. I've had this deep conditioner for a little while now. I wash my hair weekly...but don't condition often anymore. My hair just isn't as dry...not sure if it's because I've switched to bar shampoo and they are way more hydrating or if it's the Shea Butter I pile in my hair. Since I don't need it, I don't really use it much. But I like keeping a masque around.

Shea Moisture claims:

Protect your delicate waves and curls from the damage of constant curling, twisting, braiding and straightening with SheaMoisture deep conditioner for dry, natural hair. Enriched with Raw Shea Butter, Castor Seed Oil, Olive Oil and other natural botanicals, this all-over hair conditioner infuses moisture where it's needed most, alleviating that straw-like dryness that can lead to hair loss.

Our intensive treatment masque deeply moisturizes and conditions dry, damaged hair, when used as an after-shampoo treatment or deep conditioning treatment. Perfect for transitioning chemically treated hair to natural hair. It also gives those natural curls a healthy shine you can see and feel. Formulated with certified organic

Shea Moisture products for the most part do not work in my hair. But for some reason I keep on trying them.  I mostly went ahead and decided to try this masque out because a couple of years ago I tried the raw shea butter line of shampoo and conditioner and it ended up being one of my faves. I  always meant to try the masque but never got around to it.

It's on the pricier side of deep conditioners at around $11-15. Back in the day I remember not wanting to pay more than $5 for one. Anyway...it reminds me of the conditioner. Except this is so much thicker! Same "Frankincense and Myrrh" scent which I do like for the most part.

I like to sleep in my deep conditioners overnight. But don't always feel like doing that- I can be lazy when it comes to deep conditioning. And with this one I'm not sure I notice any difference between letting it set 10 minutes and letting it set overnight. 

It doesn't have a bunch of slip, so detangling doesn't get much easier with this in. It adds a little bit of moisture, not overly hydrating but not drying either.  Doesn't feel like it's hydrating when it goes on though, more of something you notice later on after rinsing. It's OK. I think it makes my hair stronger  -almost the effect of a protein conditioner. But I think my hair is "protein sensitive". 

What I do like about it is it encourages "shrinkage". So if I feel like my kinks and coils are being stretched out and losing their shape, this whips them back into shape.

The ingredients are OK. I think they used to be more natural? I notice more and more filler ingredients making their way into the products. Shea Butter used to be the second ingredient. Cutting on quality but not costs...interesting.

Ingredients:

Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*仫, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Glycerin (Vegetable), Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Macrocystis Pyrifera (Kelp) Extract, Tocopherol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Triethyl Citrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Benzoic Acid, Fragrance (Essential Oil Blend) * Certified Organic Ingredient 仫Fair Trade Ingredient

It's aight. 

Random:

Speaking of hair, I watched Netflix's Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madame C.J Walker. It was wonderful, if you are stuck in the house and want to watch an inspiring, informational story I highly recommend it. It had me researching the ingredients of the original and I came across an inspired product that is similar by Camille Rose. I really wanted to order it but it was sold out. Bummer! 

DIY Deep Conditioning Rhassoul Clay Cubes

I tried these out about a year ago. Or more. I really liked the ones that you can buy from Anita Grant. But I don't always have Anita Grant money- the shipping combined with the pounds to dollar rates can be killer. So I decided to try and make my own. 

I actually made a bunch of different kinds the first time I tried. Ones with Argan Oil, some with Walnut, some with Coconut Oil, some with Babassu. And I actually really liked the idea of them. I sat a bunch in the fridge and found they don't really last as long as I would like and they are a little hard to get the texture right so they don't melt. So I'm still experimenting.

Also the scent was a bit hard to get right! I ordered a ton of different fragrance oils before I discovered I really loved just using essential oils. Something about the artificial scenting just didn't vibe with natural scents of the Cocoa and Shea Butter.

So on to todays experiment.

I started by adding Rhassoul and Bentonite clay. Rhassoul is a little less drying and I like to combine it with the Bentonite which is super good for drawing out impurities. About three tablespoons in all!

Then I added Vatika Oil. Which is basically enriched Coconut oil. I'm low on regular Coconut Oil. I think I added a little over a two tablespoons  and mixed it until smooth. Actually I think I went a little overboard and should have added a lot less because they came out a bit softer and meltier than they should be. Whoops.

I also added some rosemary and peppermint essential oil-because I like a little scent. I think I added five rosemary and five peppermint. It doesn't smell very strong- just a slight scent. 

Then I melted some Cocoa Butter. Probably not enough and mixed that in too. It was kind of liquidy at the time. I should have added more the clay. But I just went ahead and put in into the molds I bought off eBay. I was too lazy to clean off my little plastic spoon. You can't use metal- because metal reacts with the clay.

Popped them into the freezer for a little while. Then popped them out the molds and was left with some super cute clay hair mask cubes. 

All I have to do when I'm ready to use is add some super hot liquid- tea, coconut water, plain water. You can add some honey. Really whatever you would like. Until you have a mud consistency. Smooth it through sections of hair- you can comb through. Let is set at least an hour. 

See? All melty-but cute!

And then I have super clean, curls popping, ready to drink up some moisture hair. I think I will go ahead and use a few tonight to see how I like this particular mix.

In the meantime, if you would like you can check out my old review on the Anita Grant ones.

Worst 5 Conditioners I Have Tried

It's really fun to look back over the products that I have tried and figuring out which I really like and ones that I absolutely hated. Conditioner is not really a thing that's hard to get wrong but even so I have run across that have been an absolute disaster. It's pretty easy to doctor up a conditioner and turn it into something nice but sometimes you just want a product to work great on it's own. 

Anyway, before I start babbling on, here is my list of the worst conditioners I have tried. 

1. Queen Helene Cholesterol Conditioning Cream-First Deep Conditioner I used when I went natural. Also the first deep conditioner I hated. To be honest, Cholesterol is a weird thing to put on the hair. I haven't tried it on my hair since. The results I got were hard hair and itchy scalp. At least it's dirt cheap!

 2.ORS Replenishing Pack- Smells like oranges (yum!) and is supposed to be an excellent deep conditioner. This one I tried because I noticed a lot of raves for it on the hair forums. Unfortunately it just didn't work for me. I've had instant conditioner that did more. I really hated the way this one went on my hair too- it felt like it was sucking the moisture out. 

3. Herbal Essence Hello Hydration- I bought this based on the raves of others and it didn't work for my hair either. I think my hair just hates things other people love because it's spiteful. Yes, I just called my hair spiteful. It didn't help with detangling and left me dry.

4. Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Conditioner- So, I'm starting to realize I bought a lot of products based on raves in the hair boards. I wanted to like this because I like the ingredients and the price. But my hair was knotting horribly when I used this and it didn't do much for moisture.

5. I struggled to come up with number 5. So many conditioners are just average for me. I'm picking this because as a whole these two products sucked for me together. I remember liking the conditioner because of the texture but overall I had dry, tangled hair when it was all said and done. 

And there you have it. All the conditioners that you could not pay me to put in my hair again! What are some of the worst conditioners you have tried?

Top Five Conditioners

After doing a write up on my favorite shampoos, I figured I had to do one on conditioner. I don't have the same hang up about conditioner as I have about shampoo. I love the stuff. It brings slip and softness back which shampoo sometimes strips away. I go through way more conditioner than I do shampoo....I wish they made shampoo bottles smaller and conditioner bottles bigger. That would make me happy.

So there are two types of conditioner for me...Deep Conditioners and Regular Conditioners. I haven't tried enough Deep Conditioners to let that have it's own list so I'll lump them here. One day I may do one though.

Fun Fact: I have no idea what conditioner I'm putting on the list and am actually finding out as I write this. I know two off the top of my head though...

1. ORS Hair Mayonnaise

I don't like everything about this conditioner. I could do without the scent and some of the ingredients...but ultimately I love what this does for my hair. Nice curls, hydrated hair, and it's been helping prevent split ends. I think it may be my favorite deep conditioner. Plus it's reasonably priced (I picked it up for $5.99) and easy to find. 

2. VO5 Moisture Milks Conditioner

These used to be a staple for me .I haven't picked it up in awhile but I used to keep at least two or three of them at all times. Super cheap and great way to add a little softness to my hair every couple days. Made an awesome conditioner wash. I need to shampoo at least once a week but in between this was irreplaceable to me.

3.Redken All Soft Conditioner

I'm not sure if it was the shampoo or conditioner that was responsible for making my hair the softest it has ever been when I was using these. Whichever it was, I love this duo. I kind of want to buy another bottle. Definitely worth trying. 

4. Anita Grant Banana Rhassoul Deep Condish

These have their hangups. They are extremely expensive when you pay for them in dollars and have them shipped to the US. If you are lucky enough to live in the UK, I would recommend them. They are like a hair detox in a cute little bar shape. A lot more work and mess than other conditioners but I like how it made my hair feel. I especially like how unique they are. Where else can you get solid conditioner? But I wonder if you can get the same results from plain old Rhassoul clay?

5. Curls Coconut Curlada

I didn't like the smell on this (butterscotch candies) but I remember it went a long way when trying the fix the mess the shampoo created. I remember I really liked it but theres a reason it's number 5! 

Condtioner almost always performs at least average for me but these definitely stand out to me!

If you are looking to try a new conditioner these are the one's I would recommend.

What are some of your favorite conditioners?

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist Deep Conditioner

I have officially relocated to Maryland. And it's a little bit early-but I think I love it here. I mean,  I miss Germany, but is there anything better than having a new place to explore? Nope. Anyway, as previously mentioned my hair has been going through it. Usually I would use my ORS Hair Mayonnaise but that's all packed up...

Aussie claims:

Deeeeep Conditioning for Damaged 'Do's

Super deep conditioning for a seriously simple fix to dry, damaged hair.  It's your own little wonder for any wrongdoing done to your 'do.

Say Goodbye to Dry

The Moist collection gives dry hair much-needed moisture so you'll say hello to a silky soft, manageable mane.

What We do for Your 'Do

Make naturally beautiful hair simply happen.  We believe in the quality of our ingredients - they treat your tresses right and make it easy for you to get what you've always wanted:  clean, simple, beautiful hair.

Please recycle where facilities exist.  Biodegradable formula.  Contains Natural Australian Ingredients

I remember seeing the commercials for this way back. The girl in the commercial had long, flowing, vibrantly colored hair. Of course, I'm not the hair type this product is marketed towards but it was cheap and at the time I didn't have a lot of options. 

The 3 Minute Miracle comes in about five varieties. The Moist was the only one I saw in the store.

The packaging is cute. Purple and a squeeze top that doesn't have a proper lid on it. I was very worried when traveling with it as I didn't want it to accidentally dispense into my luggage. I packed it safely and it didn't but I still wouldn't call it travel friendly.

As for scent- it smells fruity and bubble-gummy (that's not a word-I know!). It lingers but isn't very noticeable. The scent is just OK for me. I don't love it, I don't hate it. 

It's a pretty thick cream and spreading it is pretty easy. You leave it in three minutes (although I will sometimes leave it on much longer in hopes of "deeper" conditioning) then rinse out. 

I was expecting rejuvenated hair but my hair felt like I had used just any old conditioner. My hair literally said " That's it?" 

And it was. 

I honestly wasn't very impressed. I could detangle but then again I can buy cheapy V05 to detangle with. Even though this is cheap, I wouldn't buy it again because I didn't see any benefit to using it. It was just slightly better than using nothing. 

Ingredients:

Water, Stearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Dimethicone, Ecklonia Radiata Extract (Australian Sea Kelp), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Glutamic Acid, Fragrance, Benzyl Alcohol, EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

I wouldn't buy it again nor would I recommend. At least not for my hair type.

Sorry Aussie.

Random: I've been drinking Teavana Spiced Apple Cider Tea. I think it should be called Cinnamon "Tea". It had no apple taste whatsoever. I miss the Pumpkin Spice Brûlée- now that was amazing except it didn't contain much oolong like it was supposed to!! I'm slowly getting thorough my Teavana teas. Next- White Chocolate Peppermint...

Anita Grant Banana Rhassoul Deep Condish

Today was a fabulous day! I went to see Guardian of the Galaxy in 3d and it was excellent. I love Marvel movies. Now I have the strangest urge to buy green and blue makeup and duplicate the looks. Anyway, let me get back on topic.

Anita Grant claims:

Our Banana Rhassoul Deep Condish is an intense hydrating treatment that restores the moisture balance of extremely dry natural hair. It seals the cuticles, imparts sheen, improves manageability and elasticity. Banana is a brilliant hair tonic that is rich in vitamin B6 (in the form of pyridoxine which performs as a coenzyme supporting healthy scalp, hair, and normal tissue cell formation).

After one application you *may* notice:   

• Improvement in natural texture, strength and appearance of your hair.

• Increased sheen and curl definition.

• Improved manageability, softness and slip.

Easily detangle fine, matted, naturally curly hair: Apply our Rhassoul Deep Condish in small sections, leave it on for a least 45 mins, rinse thoroughly with warm water. Finger detangle, in sections, whilst your hair is still wet. You should notice your natural curly, coils define and "pop" each time you run your fingers through you hair.

 

So out of all the products on the Anita Grant website this was the one I wanted to try the most. I just love the concept-but in reality most of the time I'm way to lazy to mix it up. I was trying to use a block a month but...well you know. So far I've used two of them, and I'm ready to review.

The first time I used coconut milk-my hair was definitely more hydrated. The next time I just used plain water. My hair was still moisturized just not as much. 

I don't like the way it looked once I mixed it. I thought it was going to be like mud-smooth and brown. Mine was light and a little gritty. And very MESSY.

It definitely doesn't smell as chocolate-y as I had thought it would but I'm not using the product for scent.

I let mine sit for a couple hours and then rinsed. It was surprisingly easy to rinse out. After my curls were popping out everywhere, and it felt moisturized but not weighed down. 

Overall, I like it a lot. I just wish it were more lazy girl friendly but I am interested in trying the other varieties.

Have you tried it? What did you think?

Organic Root Stimulator (ORS) Hair Mayonnaise

Today is an awful day for me! I called out from work because I'm having the worst stomach pains EVER-thank you gyro sandwhich! And I can't find my ID card. So I'm sitting at home...and I don't want to be. Grr. Anyway, figured I would do a few reviews. I picked this up a while back after I resolved to deep condition my hair regularly. I haven't been deep conditioning every week as planned but definitely more regularly than I was before. Any improvement is good improvement.

ORS claims:

An intensive conditioning treatment of Whole Egg Protein and Olive Oil that moisturizes and strengthens damaged/over-processed hair from within the hair shaft. A great product for everyone who wants to maintain healthy, vibrant hair.

Apply a generous amount of Hair Mayonnaise to towel dried hair and massage thoroughly for total distribution. Cover the hair with plastic cap and let process under a warm dryer for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and process with styling. Let process 45 minutes-1 hour without heat.

So first off...when did they officially become ORS? I guess they decided to change the name because on the hair boards no one bothers typing out Organic Root Stimulator. It's just ORS. 

Anyway, I always bought Africa's Best Hair Mayonnaise when I was in high school because it was cheaper and I think it had superior ingredients. At ten dollars this was simply too expensive.  My store sells it for $5.99 but it still runs around ten bucks. It's a sixteen ounce container so it's worth it.

I remember back in the day they instructed you to add an egg for extra protein/conditioning. Now they just recommend using as is and you can add heat. I just add a nice amount then put a shower cap and a scarf to lock in heat and leave it for an hour or more. 

It's a really thick cream with a small amount of slip so you could detangle a little if you wanted to. 

The scent is not my favorite. It smells like "deep conditioner". It's nothing that would make me stop using it but I can definitely say I don't like it. 

Other than the smell though, I think this is a a great deep conditioners. It's like a guaranteed good hair day when I use it. My hair feels a little stronger and it's really defined, with or without product afterwards. My hair even feels a little moisturized.

The only thing is that the ingredients could be better. It has some good stuff...but lots and lot of unrecognizeable things too.

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water) , Glycerin , Polyquaternim-37 , Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate , PPG 1 Trideceth 6 , Dimethicone PEG-7 Cocoate , Behentrimonium Methosulfate , Cetearyl Alcohol , Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed OiI , Hydrolyzed Collagen , Olea Europaea Oil (Olive) , Lanolin Oil , Tridecyl Stearate , Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate , Dicaprate , Tridecyl Trimellitate , C12 15 Alkyl Benzoate , Dicetyl Dimonium Chloride , Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil (Wheat) , Phenyl Trimethicone , Panthenol , Cholesterol , Urtica Dioica Extract (Nettle) , Capsicum Annul Extract (Paprika) , Cetyl Alcohol , Sodium Lauryl Sulfate , Dimethicone , Ovum (Egg Powder) , Fragrance , Benzyl Benzoate , d-Limonene , Linalool , DMDM Hydantoin , Propylene Glycol 
, Diazolidinyl Urea , Methylparaben , Propylparaben , Methylchloroisothiazolinone , Methylisothiazolinone , CI 15985 (Yellow #6) , CI 19140 (Yellow #5)

Overall, I recommend it. I think it's a good product! The first one I have tried from the brand that has worked in my hair that is usually really sensitive to proteins. I think over time it can really help with shedding and other hair issues.

Have you tried it? Like it? Love it?

Edit: I know I gave this a positive review...however after using the entire bottle I found it dried my ends and I could really feel the mineral oil in it. Not as great as I thought...