First Impressions: Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo

The other day I decided to try this shampoo on a whim. I have seen a lot of relaxed ladies on LHCF rave about how awesome this shampoo is and decided to give it a go. I have to admit that I was kinda skeptical about this shampoo because I wasn't too impressed with the deep conditioner from this line. Either way, I wanted to test this shampoo for myself.

I purchased this shampoo at my local Walgreens (it can also be purchased at Target) and it cost me $9.99+tax. for 12oz which places it on the expensive side compared to my staple Elasta QP Creme Conditioning Shampoo (I can get a huge bottle of Elasta QP for less than $9.00. Like most of the products in the Shea Moisture line, the ingredients are natural.

Ingredients: Deionized water, decyl glucoside (sugar beets), African Butryospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), aloe vera leaf juice, argan oil, panthenol (Vitamin B-5), rosemary extract, sea kelp extract, vitamin E, Lonicera caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower and Lonicera Japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) extract.

Claims: This shampoo claims to be gentle and will help to "soften, moisturize, and repair damaged, over processed hair."

My First Impressions

It seems to me that the products from this line (well, the products I've used thus far) have a characteristic cake batter scent. Consistency-wise, I would have to say it is no different than any other shampoo-not too watery and not too thick. My only complaint is that you kinda have to work to squeeze the product of the bottle. I think it would be great if you could distribute the product through a pump instead of a squeeze bottle but that is must my personal preference.

In Action

To be a natural shampoo, this 'poo lathers up quite nicely (unlike a certain shampoo by Carol's Daughter). I find that it rinses out easily too (I wasn't rinsing my hair out forever and a day just to get that stuff out like I have to do with Elasta QP). Now let me say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE this shampoo! Once I rinsed the shampoo out, my hair felt so soft and moisturized! I have to say that I was shocked because when I used other natural shampoos, my hair felt stripped as all get out (I'm looking at you Kinky Curly Come Clean and Giovanni Smooth as Silk). I couldn't believe it! My hair was so moisturized that I could have skipped my DC if I wanted to.

Bottom Line: I'm impressed! Although I'm going to have to use this shampoo a little bit more to get a definitive impression on the product, I generally know within the first use if a product is good for my hair or not. I must say that this shampoo is a keeper! For now, I give this product a 5 out of 5!

Washing Braids/Twists/Whatever..pt 2

I have talked at length about how I use dry shampoo when my hair is braided, this I know. However, sometimes I miss washing my hair and DCing. What is a girl to do?

Well there is actually a way to wash your hair while your hair is braided up. You will need:

1) Pantyhose (tied like a stocking cap)
2) Your favorite shampoo
3) Water
4) Spray bottle
5) Your favorite DC

Basically, you put the stocking cap on your head. Then, you place your favorite shampoo in the spray bottle and dilute it with water. Mix well. Spray the shampoo/water mixture onto your stocking cap (I typically try to saturate it). Rinse well with water. Dilute your favorite DC with water and spray onto your stocking cap. Leave DC on for as long as you like. Rinse really really well.

That is it! I hope that is clear. I definitely had to wash my twists like this because I am starting to smell like the Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1 that I spray in my hair every single freakin day. That was NOT and is NOT the business! At least now my hair will smell like the Aubrey Organics GPB that I'm DCing with. Anyway, now you know ladies...another alternative for washing your hair while it is braided.

Because Low Maintenance Doesn't Mean No Maintenance...

....I washed my hair yesterday. Since my hair is in twists, I wash my hair with dry shampoo. I started using ORS Herbal Cleanse (you can find it in beauty supply stores for about $6) 2 years ago after one of my friends (who keeps her hair in braids) recommended it to me. This shampoo is definitely a staple for me when my hair is in braids.



I start the washing process by sectioning my hair and applying the dry shampoo to my scalp. Once applied, I massage the shampoo in and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Once I'm done, I wipe any residue away (gently) using warm water and a cloth.I love the tingly feeling my scalp gets from using this shampoo. Feels like my entire scalp is--refreshed. I love it! I finish up the washing session by rubbing a small amount of the dry shampoo into my twists. You can do this for each individual twist or if you're lazy, like me, you can section your hair and apply it to those sections. I finish up by spraying Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave In along the length of my twists and covering my twists with a bonnet. Voila...I'm done.

The time it takes to do my hair is definite benefit to having twists. I'll probably give my hair a wash again this weekend.

Don't Mess With A Good Thing...

Hey everyone! So I know it has been awhile since I last wrote something but things have been crazy lately! This is just an update on what I've been doing to my hair lately.

1) I really need to be consistent with the porosity control.

For the past 3 weeks or so, I've been skipping on the PC. I hadn't been deep conditioning with heat so I figured that my hair would be ok. WRONG! So wrong! My hair felt so crappy. It felt dry and would barely hold a curl. At first I thought I needed to clarify since I use products that have cones in them. I figured it might be a product build up issue. Well, I did that and no change. I washed my hair today and used porosity control--my hair went back to normal. My hair felt all moisturized and is holding curl for days! Lesson learned: don't mess with a good thing!

2) Finding an all natural shampoo is more difficult than I thought it would be.

As you know, I'm trying to incorporate more all natural products into my regimen. However, the search for a good all natural shampoo is proving to be somewhat difficult. I tried the Giovanni shampoos but wasn't all too impressed with them. Currently, I'm trying Kinky Curly Come Clean shampoo. At first I wasn't all too impressed with it. My hair felt like it was stripped as I was washing it out. However, once I was finished washing it out, it felt moisturized and it was very easy to run a comb through it. I want to give this shampoo a couple of more tries before I post a review on it.

Well that is really it for this past week. I think I might post some pics of my hair....I'm 7 weeks post now and the body has returned to my hair (which I'm happy about). I'm still considering self texlaxing my hair but I definitely have to do some more research about that.

Feeling Like a "Natural" Woman (Product Review)

Well I finally tried 2 new natural products and thought I'd review them so you guys can know what I thought about it!

Aubrey Organics GPB (Glycogen Protein Balancing) Conditioner

Price: $10.29+tax (at Whole Foods)

Consistency/ Smell: Very thick and greenish in tint!! A little bit of this stuff definitely goes a long way! It smelled like something minty...at least that's what I thought.

In Action: I applied the conditioner to my hair right after I had washed it. I deep conditioned with it for about an hour. When I rinsed it out, my hair felt so soft but yet it felt like it was strong. This feeling remained even after my hair was dry!

Final Thoughts: I was skeptical about any other conditioner replacing my ORS Replenishing Conditioner. However, this conditioner has made my hair feel so good, so soft, and so strong. I never had that feeling before! I think this conditioner is my mild protein conditioner staple!

The Verdict: Loves it! If you haven't tried it, go pick some up today!

Giovanni Smooth as Silk Shampoo

Price: $7.97+tax (at Wal-Mart)

Consistency/Smell: The shampoo itself is white and not runny at all. The shampoo has a citrus-y smell to it which was absolutely delightful (but I like citrus smell).

In Action: This shampoo got my scalp pretty clean. However, even though it left most of my hair mositurized, some areas didn't feel moisturized enough. I found that this feeling goes away if you follow up the shampoo with a moisturizing deep conditioner.

Final Thoughts: I have been itching to try this shampoo since my hair absolutely adored the Smooth as Silk conditioner. It's a decent sulfate-free shampoo but I'm not sure I would make it my staple. I think there may be better shampoos out there. Another thing to keep in mind about this shampoo is that it is a protein shampoo. I think that if you use this shampoo enough, you may encounter setback city if you don't follow it up with a moisturizing deep conditioner.

The Verdict: It's a'ight. I wouldn't make it a staple.

Looks like I'm still on the hunt for the perfect sulfate free shampoo that can replace my Elasta QP Creme Conditioning shampoo.....

Making the Switch

For some reason, I've been evaluating the products that I use in my hair. I know that all the products I use work great for my hair but I feel like there may be something better. I have quite a feel natural products in my regimen: Giovanni Direct Leave In, Jane Carter Solution Wrap and Roll, Jane Carter Solution Revitializing Leave In*, and Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner. Let me tell you, when I use these products my hair feels AMAZING! Well that got me to thinking....maybe I should use more natural products in my regimen. Now, I know that my regimen can be completely natural because I relax. I get that. I just see that my hair responds better to natural products. So now, I have to find a new mild protein conditioner and a new sulfate free shampoo. I will be trying Aubrey Organics GPB and one of the shampoos by Giovanni (not sure which one yet). Of course I will keep you all posted on how that goes so....stay tuned!