Komaza Hair Care Cleansers and Shampoo's

Komaza makes several cleanser/shampoo's but I've only tried 2.

Komaza Almond Milk Cleansing Conditioner:

This was my favorite cleansing conditioner until it was discontinued early this year. I loved the smell (almonds, milk, sweet...mmmm) and it worked very well as a cleanser that did not strip my hair. It is an in between cleanser that provides some moisture but not so much as to make a rinse out redundant. I have heard that the children's Sweet Pea line shampoo/cleanser is very similar to this but have not tried it yet. I really loved this stuff for how soft it made my hair without that over conditioned feeling--and it cleaned pretty well. I don't use cleansing conditioners to get out oils but on my regular daily dirt it worked fabo. No lather of course as its a cleansing conditioner.

Komaza Moku Shampoo:

This is a pretty clarifying shampoo. There is nearly no lather--which is kind of strange as because it is a shampoo and usually I can get some lather going but not with this one--no siree bob. I actually used about 3 quarter sized blobs--much more than I normally do as it is a bit hard to distribute. Anyway it seemed to clean fine--did not leave a residue. My hair was not squeaky but it was definitely more clarifying than other low poo's I've used. It rinsed clean out. It did seem to give me some volume. I can usually tell with that (even when I use other products) because after shampooing my hair feels fuller and almost foamy but without foam. I was fortunate to find this on the swap board but it would be a repurchase for me.





Komaza Coconut Care Shampoo:

I got this off the swap board on nc.com from a lovely curly. Consistency wise this is much thinner than the Moku shampoo. It has more lather and spreads easier. I like the smell (not sure its coconut though--smells more just sweet). However this shampoo most definitely is *CLARIFYING* in a major way. My hair was very clean when I finished. It didn't feel dry but it did feel squeaky. I would consider this a clarifying shampoo--much more heavy duty than the Moku for me. Of the two I prefer the Moku still.

THE POO REVIEW III

More poo reviews from SolidGold (from naturallycurly.com)

You're getting three reviews for the price of two today!

Curl Junkie Daily Fix Cleansing Conditioner


About $19 for 12oz from various online resellers



Ingredients: Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG -7 Olivate, Guar Hydroxypropytrimonium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Oat Flour, Mentha Piperita (Pepperment) Leaf Extract, Matricaria Recuitita (Chamomile) Flower Extract, Yucca Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract, Melissa Officinalis (Melissa) Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 60, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Fragrance.



This product is not technically a poo, but it is a cleanser, and it may be a game-changer for me. I have never gotten conditioner-washing to work for me: my hair never felt clean after and always felt weighed down. But this! This product cleans like a shampoo and conditions like a daily conditioner. My hair felt clean and full of volume after I used it for the first time. I can’t believe my thick, finicky hair could use one product for washing/conditioning! I’m willing to pay the retail price and shipping for this one, so it has to be good!



SpiralSolutions Gentle Cleansing Cream

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SpiralSolutions

No image or price information yet--coming soon!

I had the privilege of trying out a sample as the mixtress was developing the product, and I loved it! The GCC cleaned my hair really well without stripping. It had a very light lather and mild scent. All things I like! This product is currently only available at the etsy link above and I am waiting to purchase it because I liked it so much. It definitely compares to Jessicurl’s Hair Cleansing Cream in functionality, and I think the price is about the same. Again, if I’m willing to pay the full retail price and shipping, it’s gotta be good. Get it if you can!



Mop C System Hydrating Shampoo

About $15 for 10oz from various online sources

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Sodium Myristoyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin (*Vegetable Oil), Sodium PCA, Ethylene Glycol Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Ascorbyl Palmitate (*Vitamin C), Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (*Vitamin C), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract (3), Mangifera Indica (Mango) Fruit Extract (3), Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract (3), Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Polyquaternium 10,**Myristamine Oxide, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid (*Sweet Potato), Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Ricinus Communis Oil Extract, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil,**Methylparaben,**Propylparaben. *Source.**Food Grade. (3) Certified Organic by Quality Assurance International.



This shampoo is a thick, opaque, creamy cleanser. The scent is a pleasant citrusy mint that seems to be typical of MOP C products. I was afraid it would be too moisturizing for me, but I had no complaints after the first few uses. After a couple more uses, I didn’t feel like it cleaned as well as I wanted. I’m not sure what to attribute that feeling to; it could be the various other products I used and not a fault of this particular poo. This product ranks somewhere in the middle for me—I would purchase it if I didn’t have anything I liked better, but there are several other products that I would choose over this.

BellaCurl Hydrating Cleansing Creme

THE Cleansing Creme!

Bellcurl cleansing creme goes on very smooth with excellent slip. It distributes very easily and you can get it to your roots without any trouble. In terms of texture it's fairly thick--the smell is a bit different than the conditioner and leave in and nice-not too strong. When scrubbing my scalp I could feel it in there (very very slight tingly feeling). There isn't any lather so in that it is similar to Jessicurl Cleansing Creme and the now discontinued Komaza Almond Cleansing Milk.

It seemed to do a very nice job of cleansing but I'll put it through a few more tests and udpate the blog once I do--I couldn't resist getting this review up since I am so in love with her products! I want to try it in the morning after I use some of my favorite oil's for scalp massage at night--it usually takes a low poo to get them out of my hair.

So far I am very impressed with this cleanser and definitely consider it a staple. I am actually more fond of cleansing conditioners than low poo's or shampoo's. With the Bellacurl one I do not think I would have needed any conditioner. Since I have some curl enhancers that are rich themselves it works perfectly to have a cleansing creme and then use my rich curl enhancer as leave in and curl enhancer followed by a gel. I will normally get very good hair days like this. In terms of how much I used about a tsp. That's all it took.

Curl Junkie Daily Fix Cleansing Conditioner

Curl Junkie Daily Fix Cleansing Conditioner

Where have you been all my life?

From the moment you open the cap this cleanser will seduce you with all its properties! It smells excellent and fresh--minty and appealing. It is super thick and has a very smooth consistency--so you add some to your hand and then add a bit of water to distribute. You control how much you use--no worries about this cleanser slipping through your fingers!

Immediately upon first touch to your scalp you can feel just a slight cleanser working and its very soothing. It doesn't clean with tons of suds--rather it REALLY gentle cleanses and leaves your hair as if you'd both conditioned it AND shampoo'd it. I can use it without needing another rinse out! An all in one!

Because it is concentrated I don't have to use as much--and that gives me value for my money. The fact that it doubles as a conditioner also makes my pocketbook happy.

No stripping, no too clean squeaky feeling, nothing but wonderfully conditioned hair and scalp. A bonus for me is it helps with the little bumps I get when I use clips (allergy to nickel) and it really seemed to calm my scalp down as its normally a bit itchier than average.

I LOVE this product. I think any curly girl/guy who wants to cowash only or would like to alternate a low poo with a conditioner wash owes it to him/herself to check this one out. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

Hairveda

Hairveda Products!!

Back several posts now I blogged about how great the Hairveda Moist Condition Pro (MCP) did on my hair. I'm still loving it but now it has company on my go-to products shelf!

Amala Shampoo: Doesn't really have a smell. Sort of herbally if anything. A kind of golden color it cleans exceptionally well. My hair does not feel stripped but it definitely does feel clean. I've found that low poo's that have some of the more medium cleansers/surfactants in them tend to have the same effect. That's o.k. with me and this one gets a thumbs up! I would not use it daily but for my regular about every 3 days low poo it does a great job.

Amala Cream Rinse: This ranks second right behind the MCP. It is called a creamy shampoo but functions like an in between co-wash/shampoo for me. I didn't really figure that out until I used another cleansing conditioner that had mush more cleansing power--so I'm revising my original opinion to consider this between a co-wash and shampoo (although for me it acts like a co-wash for the most part)It absolutely does not leave my hair stripped. My hair feels clean yet conditioned. This does not get out something my hair likes to hold onto (like the Polyquat 11 and 7!) unless I become the DOW scrubbing bubbles on my hair--scrubbing like a maniac but for every other occasion its a real blessing. I get less shedding with this product than any of my low-poo's which I find quite interesting. In general things that are marketed as cleansing conditioners or creamy shampoo's gie me less shedding.

It's quite inexpensive and Plain Jane like its cousins..but a definite repurchase for me! I use it nearly every 3 days. Given the amount of products I have that is a real testament to the product. If you are looking for something that cleans pretty well but is a conditioner based then you should try this one out. If you use cones or other things like polyquat's or mineral oil you probably should opt for a low poo actual shampoo.

Moist Condition 24/7: This one I got primarily for T's hair. We have to watch the protein intake for her hair as the mixed texture tends to go haywire with too much protein. We used it as a rinse out and detangler in her hair and it worked fine. It was better as a rinse out and leave-in and only so/so as a detangler. I haven't tried it in my hair yet but with Hairveda's track record for me I'm sure I'll like it as well. It is not as thick as some others which made distribution much easier through T's hair.

Cocasta and Shikakai Oil: This stuff smells so good and I have no idea how to describe it. I really don't. It does not smell like anything I can get a handle on. I've done a pre-poo with this and it was fine but I think I won't be able to do one very often as it is very conditioning and I think I might get OC'd. So I started using it on my body and in my bath and it is sublime! I think it would make a good oil to seal with but T is not willing to try anything other than the ShescentIt butters and the Qhemet Biologics Burdock Cream. She is in love. So I'm happy to use it for myself!

SitriNillah Masque: This is a deep treatment. I've used it with and without heat. I did notice my hair was softer with heat. It smells like Oranges--sweet oranges--its a good smell. Although this worked I have other deep treatments I prefer. This looks like it has very similar ingredients to the MCP and I like that one so not sure this is a repurchase. I am eyeing that Methi Sativa set next!

Whipped Gelly: The one product that just did not work on anyone in the family. On my hair it didn't really do much-not enough hold as its a very light hold. It smells DIVINE though! I used it to twist T's hair but her hair didn't stay and turned very dry after a day. I used a very moisturizing leave in with this that always works so it was clearly the jelly. We tried it on my son and his hair felt a little producty. Although I really love the smell this one is not a repurchase.

I should mention that the ladies at Hairveda are super nice to work with. I had a problem and they contacted me right away to fix it. We agreed on a solution and they immediately took care of it. Since this is a very small business it can take a while to get a response and the products take a while (sometimes a long while) to ship. IMHO the Moist Condition Pro and the Amala Cream Rinse's are la creme de la creme of my product rotation. I will not be without them.

Darcy's Botanicals Part Duex

Darcy's Botanicals NEW products!

Those who read my blog know I love DB products. If any of you shop her website or her etsy store you might have noticed she has NEW products introduced in time for Black Friday. I, however, could not get on to her site until she was already closed so I missed the big BF sale. Waaaa!

Never fear cowgirls--I just saddled up again and ordered after the sale. Yes I think her products are that good that even the loss of a good 20-25% discount did not deter me.

Here's the sitch on the new products:

Pumpkin Seed Conditioner: OMG. AMAZING. AMAZING. AMAZING. If you are looking for slip in a conditoner this one has it in spades. Other than QB Coco Tree Detangling Ghee this is the only other product that has done a great job of detangling on T's hair. Other stuff is good and even great but this one is literally like butter.

On my hair it left it very well conditioned, silky smooth without being too smooth and feeling very soft. The scent is excellent as well--kind of like vanilla buttercream pumpkin cake batter. My hair felt SO good in the shower and out. It also gave me wonderful clumping. It has hydrolized oat protein and I already know my hair loves this particular protein. Its in her NC Curling Jelly too--which is another product my hair loves.


Natural Coils Daily Leave In Conditioning Spray: This sprays out in a wonderful mist. It is very light. Did not feel heavy on my hair but I could definitely see the conditioning aspect. Not sticky, tacky, or producty (which tends to happen with sprays). I used about 6 sprays for my entire head and it was perfect. I think I could use less in the summer (unless its dry). Smells very good--sort of sweet but not overwhelming or overpowering. This, on my hair, is light enough not to weigh it down at all. I think if you have fine hair and it leans towards thin and you like lighter products you ought to try this one out. Its not similar really to something like SNBE Growth Spray--that does better for me after my hair is already SOTC'd or mid day or before bed. It doesn't have enough Umph to use as a full leave in IMHO. This one IS a leave-in and you can feel it right away. Although there are oils in it my hair absorbed them very well--no problem with oily/greasy looks.

Avocado and Wild Plum Twisting Creme: I used a bit after the LI just to get a sense. Seems very good. I think I'm going to like this one the same way I like the coconut and aloe pudding--after I've SOTC or mid day especially to add some moisture. I found Darcys stuff to work really good for this--these pudding and creams. I'll have to try it alone to see if it has any curl enhancing effect. I like these for mid day moisturizers because they seem to have a little hold which helps my kind of droopy curls sometimes around 2o'clock. Also when I get home if its dry outside I usually spritz a little water and then scrunch in some of these creams. Just love them. Mine came as sample size so it is unscented so I can't speak to the scent. EDITED TO ADD: Tried it today as a "curl enhancer" and it doesn't enhance at all. I should be clear I didn't really expect it to but thought it was worth a go. Not a repurchase for me since I love the Coconut and Aloe pudding too much to replace it with this!

In my next order I plan on getting the Darcy's Botanical's Herbal spray, the Deep conditioner, and the Tucuma Butter along with at least one additional oil. Stay tuned for Part 3!

Jessicurl Shampoo and Cleansing Cream

Jessicurl was one of the first products I tried that was exclusively online after I went Curly Girl (CG). I started with the styling products which were one hit wonders for me. I should have started with the cleansers and conditioners.

Gentle Lather Shampoo: Not only do I ADORE the Island Fantasy scent but this shampoo is a winner! It cleans well, has some lather, takes only a small amount to do my whole head, and does not make my hair feel dry/hard or stripped. It rinses clean and does not leave residue.

Hair Cleansing Cream: Here is another product I adore. It is very cleansing but more of the conditioner-cleansing type. HCC does not lather at all for me so the only downside is sometimes it's hard to figure out how much you should use. The scent again is a big plus for this product--I especially like that I can get all my products from this line in one scent. Sometimes lines that have multiple scents can be problematic if they don't work well together.

This would be an excellent low-poo for someone who didn't need the strength of a shampoo closer to an SLS one. It was very successful in getting all product out of my hair and this also did not leave a residue. I did find this one took a little longer to rinse out than the Gentle Lather Shampoo--but to compensate for that I think the HCC gives me a head start on conditioning as my hair feels soft after I use it.

Both of these are very high quality products that are worth your product dollar. Although I prefer the Island Fantasy scent Jessicurl products also come in Citrus Lavendar and unscented. The unscented is particularly nice for those who have sensitivities to fragrance oils or sensitive schnozzes...you can also buy smaller trial versions of these so you don't need to invest in full size products right away. That is always a plus for me.

As far as shipping it was very prompt. I ordered from the Jessicurl website and Curlmart and both sent products quickly. My preference is the Jessicurl website itself as you can order another sample with your order and you can order the trial size versions individually. The above pictures show regular 8 oz size and the smaller 2oz trial size you can order.

A great product line and one I reccomend you try out!