0 Product Review- Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Shampoo & Conditioner

You might be wondering, "You make products so why are you using Garnier Fructis and when did this purchase occur?" Well, back in April I got my hair blown out and straightened by a friend of mine at her salon. To prep my hair for the heat, I bought the Pure Clean Conditioner with a sample of the Pure Clean Shampoo from Garnier Fructis. I needed a shampoo that would be able to wash out the silicones and excessive buildup I was going to have after about 3-4 weeks of not washing my hair. I also needed it to be cheap like $5 type of cheap...and this is definitely affordable.

First thoughts on the shampoo:
When I first used the Pure Clean Shampoo, I was not impressed. I think I was so used to washing my hair with my shampoo bars that using this shampoo just didn't feel right. So, I used it that one time and threw it in my closet until I was ready to wash out my straightened hair style.

When it was time to wash out my straight hair, this shampoo did a nice job of getting rid of the build up and made my hair feel clean. Just clean. So again I threw it up into the closet and went back to my shampoo bars.

Well fast forward to October and I love this shampoo! I don't know what made my hair love this stuff again but, I have been using it lately almost with each wash.I have been going longer between washes due to being lazy, having a busy schedule, blow drying with silicones or  being out of town this whole month. I have finished the little 2 oz sample bottle and will be going to get the full size bottle tomorrow.

This shampoo cleans my hair, smells nice and makes my hair feel soft and moisturized. I like it better than the Giovanni shampoos and that is saying A LOT!

Want to hear something crazy? I still use my shampoo bars, I just wash with the Pure Clean and then use my Ayurverdic shampoo bar afterwards. Pure heaven!  My hair is loving all of the extra attention!

The conditioner:
This review is going to be much shorter. I don't like the Pure Clean conditioner. It does nothing for my hair. I won't even add anything to it to use it up, I just don't want to use it anymore. It's thick like lotion, feels creamy but, it sits on my hair. After rinsing it out my hair feels exactly the same. Like I didn't even just condition it.

Yeah...after all that wonderful shampoo action this conditioner sucks. I use my Giovanni 50:50 or Smooth as Silk after shampooing.

I can say the smell is awesome and this conditioner does make my curls pop something serious. :)

Have you ever tried the Pure Clean line? Did you like it?

For about $3 I'm not too mad about the conditioner sucking and I can't wait to get the full size shampoo!

For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products 

0 Are You Removing Your Shed Hair Effectively?

via PreciousCurls: Are You Removing Your Shed Hair Effectively?


"Detangling involves getting rid of shed hairs. Shed hairs are hairs that have completed their growing cycle and are no longer attached to the scalp. Read more about the growth cycle here. The average person sheds about 50-100 hairs a day. You can identify a shed hair by looking for the white bulb at the end of the hair."


"f you do not get rid of shed hairs, they can tangle up with other hairs on your head, causing those dreaded single strand knots, mats, and ultimately, breakage. So how can you get rid of your shed hairs?"


"Combs are great for detangling, but not for getting rid of shed hairs."


Read the rest of her article here on Precious Curls


I feel the same way about detangling! I do not like using a wide tooth comb, I prefer my Denman brush for this very reason; it gets out all of the shed hairs. When people ask how much hair I shed a day, I have to think hard because my hair doesn't just come out during the week. I detangle it all at the end of the week on wash day and I don't see any shed hairs until I detangle again or if I co-wash.






For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products 

0 What Other Butters Are There Besides Shea Butter & Cocoa Butter?

Months ago I asked the lovely women of Naturally Curly, what butters they like besides shea butter and cocoa butter. 


Here are some of the answers:


"kokum makes a really good lotion. It is similar to cocoa butter in composition and hardness. I think illipe is also similar to kokum." 


"Mango is similar to shea and cocoa butter (does not smell like mangoes btw). It's softer than cocoa butter."

"I love avocado butter, its a really smooth and creamy butter. I use it on my skin as a moisturizer and I add it to conditioners for a deep conditioner. I recently ordered hemp seed butter to experiment with that one."


"shea - my go to butter for twisting and sealing, espically whipped shea. I even mix it with my gel to make a pudding.

Mango - slightly softer than shea but works about the same. if you have a problem with shea sitting on the sop of your hair or not absorbing, I would recommend this one.

Olive - very light, melts easily in hands. Calling it a "butter" is slightly misleading, since its really just hydrogenated olive oil. texture sort of reminds me of the old school Crisco. LOVE this on my scalp.

Aloe - same as the olive, but is REALLY light! Good on scalp or ends. Can be a bit greasy if you over apply...I like to mix it with gel or use to to scrunch out hair that has too much hold.

hemp - same as the olive, except this CAN be slightly greasy if you use to much. I prefer it on wet hair or applied directly to my scalp.

avocado - same as olive, aloe, and hemp.

cupuacu - this is hands down my FAVORITE...but it can be kinda expensive. I like to use this for everything...twisting, sealing the ends, mixing with stylers, adding to conditioners, you name it. I try to keep some on hand always...espically in the winter months.

mumuru - Think shea butter but MUCH better. It absorbs easily, doesn't sit on the hair, and leaves good shine (a lot of people complain that shea butter leaves thier hair dull). I like to melt this and add it to conditioners (rinse out, deep, and leave in) because it instantly ups the moisture level!"

So I have been researching butters for almost a year now and it's not easy. A lot of butters aren't "butters" at all but, a mix of vegetable shortening (usually hydrogenated soybean oil) and an oil. 
Olive butter, aloe butter, and hemp butters all are hard to find in an actually butter form and not a "made" butter. 


Of the true butters, I want to try mumuru, cupuacu, and avocado butters. 


What butters, would you like to try? 




For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products

0 Dry Hair? Condition- Wash- Condition Method

"This method is gaining popularity, putting it neck and neck with co-washing, and many are wondering what it is exactly. There’s no right way to do it, only a right way for each person. Like everything in your curly hair routine, follow the steps below and then tweak the method until you get the best for you and your curls."


"For the curlies or the dry hair sufferers out there, the condition-wash-condition method is the perfect option to give hair a break. Many complained of co-washing because too much conditioner and not enough washing can cause dandruff, scalp itch, irritation and even breakouts."


"Getting to It

Before beginning with the basic how-to, keep a couple things in mind. The first thing is that there is almost no way to mess this up. Rest assured that if it doesn’t work for you, you can simply change it up a bit to meet your needs. It’s the beauty of the system!

1. Wet your hair thoroughly. This will help absorb the moisture and nutrients of the conditioner.
2. Apply conditioner all over. Remember to avoid your scalp unless it’s dry.
3. Work shampoo through the entire scalp. In the condition-wash-condition method, the conditioner should still remain on the rest of the hair.
4. Rinse out both the conditioner and shampoo at the same time, riding them completely from your hair.
5. Condition your hair once again, this time working from root to tip. You can use the same conditioner you used previously or use another conditioner of your choice.
6. Rinse again while taking care not to scrub or strain the hair."

Read the rest of the article at CurlyNikki.com

I do a variation of this method without even knowing it! I detangle before I shampoo with a conditioner. I leave the conditioner in when I shampoo and then I condition after shampooing. Ha! Maybe this is why I have never has dry hair after shampooing... it works!

For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit: DIY Hair Care Products

0 Natural Hair Has It's Ups and Downs

As with almost anything in life when someone finds something they like a lot, they can often exaggerate the benefits. I don't know what psychological term for this is but, I see it a lot with natural hair. I know all women don't have the same natural hair experience or journey. Natural hair has it's ups and it's downs. As with all all things, you have your great natural hair days and your bad.

Here is some real deal "What You May Have To Expect When Going Natural" :

1. Water can still ruin a hair style.
Say what?! You mean I still won't want to just jump in the pool and frolic in chlorine? Let's be honest, if you didn't like the rain while relaxed you won't like it while natural. With the rain, water and even humidity comes frizz, shrinkage and if you've worked hard on a nice wash n go, braid out or other stretched style, you don't want it getting messed up.

2. No such thing as a "wash n go". 
Yeah, you hear folks saying "I can just get up and fluff my fro and bounce..." Yeah, well for many of us, we have to do a bit more than that. A wash n go for 4a-b naturals consists of shingling, applying 2-3 products, gel, a diffuser and not touching your hair until it sets. The next morning, you might be able to shake and go...if you slept correctly and didn't mess up your curls....

3.  I can get straight hair whenever I want!
Hahahaha! One of the biggest pet peeves for some naturals is how long it takes to straighten our hair. When I first straightened my hair, it took at least 4 hours. I have cut that time down to 1 1/2 hrs. but, it still takes longer than I would like and because of that I don't straighten often.

Now, I don't say these things to discourage anyone from going natural or to make being natural out to be some horrible experience. I say all of this to point out that straight, curly, kinky, relaxed, natural, whatever hair has it's ups and downs. Yes, some days I give the relaxer box a loving glance.

We all have hair frustrations and natural hair is not exempt to this. Just dust it off and keep pushing.


For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products 

0 Stop Fronting And Tell The Truth! Who Really Likes The Rain?

I was reading over on Curly and Lovely, great blog and she had this post that made me laugh so hard and nod my head in unison.  Thought I would share it with you all! Enjoy!

Let's Keep It Real, Shall We?

{Source}
"Daaaannnncing In the Rain..." No, NO I AM NOT!

I will try to make this short AND sweet but I need to get this off my chest. Just because I have natural hair does NOT mean that the rain is suddenly my friend. No, I don't have to worry about a flat ironed 'do getting messed up or unwanted frizz, but I simply do not liked getting rained on natural hair or not. 1st of all, although my hair won't necessarily get messed up it will still SHRINK. I did not take the time to twist, twist out, band, stretch or whatever to have my hair shrink at the 1st drop of rain. 2nd...although my hair won't get messed up what about my make-up? Or my clothes....I can't stand being wet and/or cold. As many people that brag about "Oh it's raining but its ok cause I have natural hair..." I have a hard time imagining any woman actually taking her sweet time and playing in rain puddles just cause she is a natural beauty and is invincible to the rain. I put time into my appearance and I don't like when the elements interfere with that...call me vain, its whatever LOL.
Also that whole "I'm glad I don't have relaxed hair cause I can work out whenever I want to or go swimming...blah blah blah." Ladies, please let's not front and act like just because our texture is different that we don't have some of the same hair woes that relaxed hair women do...cause we DO. You don't have to raise your hand but think on this: Have you EVER not done something simply cause you didn't want to mess up your fresh twist out or braided up 'do. Think long and hard before you belt out an awkward "NO!"Ever hesitated on a workout? Ever forced your way on top so that you woudn't smush or frizz up the back of your hair? Ever skipped a day of workout to wait til your wash day to workout that AM to kill two birds with one stone? Ever been pissed that he rolls YOUR window down blowing your perfectly shaped fro EVERY where?! No? Just me? Oh, ok...well carry on then....J/K/ J/K!!! But y'all get my point...I'm out..with my umbrella JUST in case!

For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products

0 Do Bloggers/Vloggers Have An Obligation To Readers?

I was watching a YouTube video a few days ago and someone (I can't remember who) was doing a video regarding naturalhair bloggers/vloggers and their obligation to natural readers/viewers. Well, after all this TypeF business in the natural hair community I think this would be a great topic to talk about. 

Do natural hair bloggers/vloggers have an obligation to their viewers? 

First answer: No.
In my opinion, if someone wants to make a video and tell naturals that they need to brush their hair every single day all day long, that's their right. Who am I to tell someone what they can and can not blog/vlog about. As an adult I can choose to follow their advice or I can use my common sense and research it out and then come to me own conclusion. Which is what all of us should be doing regardless. I don't need to run behind people telling them to take videos down, that's doing too much.


Second answer: Yes.
If you state something as fact, you are then obligated to make sure you're giving educated and well researched information. We all make mistakes so what may be factual at one point can later on be proven wrong or we may change our stance and this is okay. We should (key word) do our best to ensure we are giving educated advice.

Conclusion: If someone wants to make a fool of themselves then I let them go right ahead. I don't feel the need to make fun of them or run behind them and make comments about how they're bringing the black community down because they are posting false videos about natural hair. 


I have other causes to fight. 


There is A LOT of false information about naturalhair care on and offline and as with anything it is up to the individual to do their research.


What do you think?


For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit: DIY Hair Care Products

0 Everything Looks Like A Hair Ingredient....

For those of you who make your own products, I know you will agree with this next statement "Everything looks like an ingredient for a hair recipe!!". I have went through our supplement cabinet and looked up just about every supplement we have to see if it is beneficial for hair and or skin care. I was surprised most by turmeric, wheat germ and olive leaf, I have no idea olive leaf could help with acne and dandruff. My newest supplement turned hair and skin ingredient is ginseng. We got a bag of it from a friend and I had no idea what to do with it. My husband was taking some of it internally for energy aside from that, it just kind of sat on the shelf. 


So I looked to my hair care encyclopedia; Google, and low and behold ginseng has been being used for ages in hair care and skin care!! 


Ginseng: 
"Ginseng has been used in many shampoo formulas, and a variety of ways exists to take ginseng for hair health."
"Add several tablespoons of the ginseng tincture to your favorite shampoo. Wet your hair with warm water to open the hair follicles and massage the shampoo deeply into your roots. Let it sit on your scalp for several minutes and repeat this process four to seven times a week." Source: Livestrong.com

"Traditional Asian medical practitioners ascribe many healing and curative properties to ginseng. Among them are acne scar healing, general skin care and soothing of skin irritation, wrinkle prevention, wound healing, relief of herpes outbreaks, anti-inflammatory properties, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-infective abilities. Taken together, these purported benefits of ginseng support including it in soaps to treat acne." Source: Livestrong.com

There are a few ginseng soaps and shampoos on the market claiming to help with acne and with hair loss. So, I did what I usually do and made a soap with ginseng! I can't wait to use it after it cures.

Turned out nice, huh? I love the colors! The ginseng made the soap a slight tan color on the bottom and I used Oxides for the top colors.

For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products

0 4 Simple Tips To Help You Get The Most Out Of New Hair Products!

DIY hair Care Products

How to use products may seem like common sense but, as the saying goes common sense is not so common; especially when it comes to natural hair care products. Between shampoos, puddings, gels, detanglers, and leave-ins, finding out how to use certain products can be hard work. We here are some tips that I use to help me get the most out of new products and help you find staples for your regimen. 


Clarify- When I'm trying out a new leave-in, I clarify my hair to make sure I have zero buildup. My clarifying shampoo of choice is Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Fortifying Shampoo. I use it every six months and I love it so far. Cleans really well but, doesn't strip my hair.


Follow The Directions- I know some of you are probably like "Duh!" but, you will be amazed at how many people don't follow the directions on products. If a Deep Conditioner says leave on for 20 minutes, follow that time frame first and then adjust accordingly. Doing this can also save you from causing damage that may result in a set back. 


Layer Products Correctly- This is a big one for me, I find that some naturals don't know how to layer products. Here is how I layer: Damp Hair--> Water Based Leave-In Conditioner-->Butters/Oils (sealants)--> Gel/Stylers. This is why starting with clean hair is so important, after all of these products week after week, I doubt a leave-in conditioner would be able to penetrate my hair without a proper shampooing/cleansing.


Read The Ingredients- Even if a product claims to be a moisturizer, if it does not contain water or aloe vera in atleast the top 5 ingredients then it's not going to moisturize and would be better suited as a sealant used on top of an adequate moisturizer.


I hope these tips help some of you! If you have any tips, please share them in the comments below. Thanks!




For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products