What should I buy from.....IHERB.COM?

In honor of Spring I decided to blog about my recommendations for products to buy at various places. I thought I'd start with http://www.iherb.com/  --  because I get asked frequently what people should buy from there. I also have a coupon code you can use for $5 off your first order (it's at the top of my blog) if you haven't ordered before. I love ordering from iherb because they ship super fast and I always get my stuff in a day or two. I've never had a mixed up order and they responded to an email I sent very quickly. Excellent service!

So ....  you've got some money earmarked for product and decide to go shopping on iherb--what are some good options?

Shampoo's and Conditioners brands:

EO  -- There are several types. My favorite is the Sweet Orange but others like the Chamomile and Honey.

Giovanni  -- we love the 50/50 shampoo and the Tea Tree shampoo/conditioner. I like the Root 66 volume conditioner as well. We were not overly fond of the Smooth as Silk shampoo (has cones) or the condish (didn't work all that great).

Beauty without Cruelty -- LOVE the Leave In. It has great slip (but not too much for me) and works wonderfully underneath almost any styler. A little goes a long way. Not too fond of the smell but it doesn't linger. Have not tried the poo or condish (if you have leave a comment below!)

Aubrey Organics -- Of course you simply *must* try the Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner. Many like it (we thought it conditioned o.k. but T had a problem with waxy type build up). GPB is the only Aubrey condish we still have and we use it occasionally. I did not like the Aubrey shampoo's. Their liquid curl activator had the most horrendous smell (see other blog article on that!). We also tried the Island Naturals conditioners and were not fond of the smell. The trend seems to be that we don't like the smell of their products. Another product I strongly recommend you pick up is the Mandarin Magic -- this stuff is great to use to add to a gel to help it spread and as an all around moisturizing gel you can add with a curl jelly or as a leave in. This is, by far, my favorite Aubrey product! I tried the B5 Design gel and hated it--left my curls droopy and sad.

Avalon Organics -- You have to read the labels on these as some contain cones. I really like the Olive and Grape Seed (thanks Solidgold for turning me onto these!) poo and condish. I haven't tried the others.

Jason Natural -- my two favorite products are the Thin to Thick conditioner and the Curl Defining Cream.  Although the condish does not smell great (see previous blog posts) it does work well. The Curl Cream is really fabulous! It works wonders for me!

I am planning another iherb order for some Alba Botanical Gel and Leave in as well as Desert Essence shampoo and conditioner along with a few other products. Once I get them I'll review and post!

Deva Deva Deva -- Love, Hate, Love, Eh, Hate, what???

Most Curly girls and guys know that the mother of the curly girl method is Lorraine Massey who wrote the Curly Girl book. She was the one who started it all.

She also developed a line of products called DEVA. There are two kinds of Deva--DevaCurl and DevaCare. My understanding is that the Care products are for processed or color treated hair. She has a few other products like shampoo/condish for blondes, redheads, etc but I haven't tried them.

She's also spawned her own trademarked DevaCut for stylists that is a specific method for cutting curly hair.

I've had a few questions on why I haven't mentioned Deva products or Devacuts. I think the title of the blog post says it all.


To start I have had two "DevaCuts" from two different stylists. The first was a local stylist and came highly recommended. She was o.k.---nothing super special. Then I got a cut from Tiffany of "Live Curly Live Free" fame (her blog is linked on the side for you) and it was FABO--simply awesome. Overall I'd say there is a benefit to a Deva Cut (or dry cut) since they can see how your curls lay when they are cutting. Since I can't go to Florida to Tiffany's regular salon (I lucked out and had her cut my hair on a roadshow to CA) I'm still looking for that perfect stylist. One thing: Because of the way Devacuts and styles are done it is *possible* that you will end up with way less curl than you normally have if you let them style your hair. Don't worry--you'll get to restyle when you get home. I think it comes from using the bonnet dryer (gives me straight hair) and the fact that there is minimal scrunching. Or for me that seems why.

On to Deva products

DevaCurl No-Poo

I do not like the smell of this. I guess it is supposed to be roses but really it's just kind of, well, icky. Strong. And it lllliinnnnggggeerrrrsss fffoooorrreevveeerrrrrrr. Get the drift?

It does a good job cleaning and is heavy enough so that I don't have to use a rinse out conditioner if I don't want to. I do find that it leaves my hair with some sort of "coating" no matter how much I rinse. I'm not keen on that. If I mix Deva products I will end up with dry hair so I usually try to use only one at a time. This I didn't find drying. It's not a repurchase for me.

DevaCurl One-C conditioner

 I LOVE LOVE LOVE the smell of this. Like lemony sweet tarts. I sometimes just pick up the bottle to smell it. Yes I'm weird. I like how this goes on my hair and it is easy to distribute. You don't have to use too much. I find it pretty conditioning but occasionally it seems like it is drying my hair out. I've no idea why. It is an occasional use product. Not sure yet if I'd repurchase since I have so much other stuff I love.

DevaCare Low-Poo

We like this at my house. It works well and it does not strip my daughter's hair but leaves it pretty well moisturized for a shampoo. The smell is o.k. I'm not keen on the whole orange creamsicle smell of the DevaCare products but we can live with it. It works as well with both my son and I. We don't encounter the dryness from this poo that others seem to.

Deva Set It Free:

For the life of me I do not see the draw of this outside of a curl emergency. Everytime I use it all that happens is that my hair sticks together (or my hands do if I put it on my hands first) and its gunky. It also seems to attract every speck of dust and dirt in the atmosphere to deposit on my hair. Reserved for a Code Blue situation ONLY.
Deva MirrorCurl: Another ish. Just ish.

Deva Set Up and Above: While this gave me shine it turns out I'm horribly allergic to it. I have not yet identified the substance inside that is causing this but I gave it away real quick when the hives showed up.

DevaCare ArcAngell: Made my hair drier than the Sahara. Took a week to get it back to normal. Unbelievably awful experience. Could not get rid of it fast enough.

DevaCurl Angell: Seems like this is the one they always want to use on me when I get a haircut. I'm not fond although its not as drying as the ArcAngell stuff. It just does not have enough hold for me and I end up with barely any wave.

So there you have it. My love to hate relationship with Deva. The end.

P.S. I only put pics of the products I still have.

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.

The Poo Review 2

It is time for the next installment of The Poo Review by Solidgold from naturallycurly.com

Sweet Nature by Eddie Inspiration Shampoo

Ingredients: Purified water, Decyl Glucoside (Naturally Occurs in Sweet Orange), Avocado Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine (Naturally Derived From Coconut), Coco-Glucoside & Glyceryl Oleate, Citric Acid (Fruit Acids), Natural Fragrance Oil. *No Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES) or Sodium Lauryl Sulphates (SLS), which causes drying and damage*

$10.00 for 6? oz – can’t tell from the website how many ounces the bottle is.

What I like about this low poo is that it has few ingredients. It lathers nicely and has a pleasant mild scent. Unfortunately, for me, I got some squeakiness as I rinsed. I don’t have a real complaint against this low poo, but given that it is not available on the ground and it’s a little more expensive than other low poos, I won’t be buying it.


Naked Naturals Awapuhi and Lavender Shampoo


Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Sodium Lauroamphacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG 150 Distearate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG Propyl Silanetriol, Hydroxypropyl Bis Hydroxyethyl Dimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropylamine Oxide, Polyquaternium 10, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Fragrance

Around $6.99 for 12 oz. Available on the ground.

I really like this low poo. I feel like it gets my hair clean but doesn’t strip it. It has a very mild scent that’s quite pleasing, and a light lather. One strange feature of this low poo is that it is quite thick, like a gel, and is hard to squeeze out of the bottle. I wish it was a tiny bit thinner, but overall, it’s such a minor point that it won’t prevent me from re-purchasing. It does have some protein and oils in it, and I’m not sure if there will be long-term effects from these, or how these ingredients combine with conditioners with protein and/or oils. It’s something I’ll think about as I keep using this product!

The Poo Review by Solidgold

ATTENTION!! The Wavy Tales is excited to announce a series of posts on low-poo (non sulfate shampoo') by Solidgold from naturallycurly.com

All you wavies or curlies that use a low-poo read on to find reviews on some of the available low poo options.

So without further ado TW Tales presents THE POO REVIEW by Solidgold!

Since starting the Curly Girl (CG) method in May 2009, I’ve been searching for a low poo that does great things for my hair at a low price. Before going CG, I would only wash my hair about once a week because it was so dry. Of course, this was due to years of sulfate-silicone cycle of washing and styling. To take better care of my hair, I tried conditioner-only washing, but my hair didn’t “feel” clean and tended to get weighed down, and being a “wavy”, I felt like I needed a low poo to get that clean feeling. In June, I bought small sizes of Jessicurl’s Hair Cleansing Cream (HCC) and Gentle Lather Shampoo (GLS) to test out the CG gentler cleansers (available at jessicurl.com and naturallycurly.com’s Curl Mart). This review is not about them, but these cleansers are the standards to which I compare all other CG cleansers. The search has been ongoing ever since to find the low poo that meets my criteria of 1) reasonable cost, 2) easy availability, and 3) providing the best results for my hair (thick, medium/fine texture, normal porosity).

I recently discovered that the panthenol, a moisturizing ingredient (also known as B5) found in many beauty products, may contribute to over conditioning and limpness in my hair. Jessicurl’s GLS contains panthenol, but GLS remains one of my favorite cleansers. I will review some low poos with panthenol in it, but I am searching for a low poo comparable to GLS without panthenol.

Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Shampoo

Ingredients: Water, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Glycerin, Lauryl Glucoside, PE G-150 Pentaerythrityl tetrastearate, PE G-6 Capric/Caprylic Glycerides, Laureth 4,Hydroxypropyltrimonium Honey, Panthenol, Matricaria Recuitita (Chamomile) Flower Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Sambucus Nigra (Elder) Flower Water, Quaternium-79 Hydrolyzed Silk Protein, Sodium Chloride (Dead Sea Salt), Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Oil, Citrus Aurantium (Neroli) Oil, Citrus Aurantium (Petitgrain) Oil, Brown Rice (Oryza Sativa) Powder, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA,Tocopheryl Acetate.

$18 for 8oz

This low poo was very runny. It looks like water as it came out of the container, which made it difficult to hold in my hand as I applied it to my hair. On the positive side, I thought is smelled like a classic strong shampoo, which was pleasing to me as it evoked positive hair memories. It lathered lightly, but it made my hair squeak as I washed and rinsed, which made me think it stripped my hair of essential moisture. Even after conditioning, rinsing, applying styling products, and plopping, my hair still squeaked. I gave this low poo three tries, and I don’t think it is worth the cost for the mediocre impression it left. It is also only available online, so when you factor in shipping, it really doesn’ meet any of my criteria mentioned above.

EO Hydrating Chamomile & Honey Shampoo
Ingredients: Water (Purified), Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Vegetable Glycerin, Sodium Coco Sulfate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Myristoyl Sarcosinate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Panthenol, Hibiscus Extract, Gotu Kola Extract, Lime Fruit Extract (Dry Hair Complex), Avocado Fruit Extract (Dry Hair Complex), Fig Fruit Extract (Dry Hair Complex), Fenugreek Seed Extract (Dry Hair Complex), Hydrolyzed Quinoa Protein, Aloe Vera (EO Organic Herb Blend), Chamomile Extract (EO Organic Herb Blend), Calendula Extract (EO Organic Herb Blend), White Tea Leaf Extract (EO Organic Herb Blend), Stearyl Dihydroxypropyldimonium Oligosaccharides, Lavender Essential Oil (EO Essential Oil Blend), Orange Essential Oil (EO Essential Oil Blend), Chamomile Essential Oil (EO Essential Oil Blend), Honey, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate

About $8 for 8oz

This low poo was difficult to squeeze out of the bottle. It seemed thicker than regular low poo, reminding me a little of aloe vera gel: jiggly. It had a light lather and pleasant shampoo scent, but I could hear a little squeaking after rinsing. I gave this product two tries. I felt my hair was a little limp after styling, which I attribute to the panthenol in it. The price is reasonable, and this product is available on the ground, so I would recommend it based on price, but I didn’t love it enough to buy more.

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.

Jasmines Bath and Beauty Products

I originally heard about Jasmines produts on the Long Hair Care Forum. I didn't pay much attention at the time. It wasn't until a fellow naturallycurly lady reviewed these that I actually went to the website and took a look.

I can only say WOW! This site has a lot of products! There are things for hair, face, skin, bath, makeup and more. One of the greatest things about Jasmines is that you can get your products in the scent you like and there are TONS of choices! I wish more stores did this!

I decided to try the hair conditioners first. I chose the 3 that were free from silicones. I also ordered some shea butter that was scented for my son's excema.

The Moisture Renewal Conditioner is just an amazing amazing leave in. On my hair I can use at least 2 tsp of product which is a lot. It sinks into my hair without leaving it weighed down. Of course the scents I chose (Caribbean Coconut for one bottle and Vanilla Butter Cream for the other) so of course I love them. This is lightweight but it does provide the required level of moisture. I think this has been discontinued so hopefully we'll have another product in the spring.

The Babassu Butter Cream Organic Conditioner comes in a jar and is pretty thick and white. It doesn't have protein so was a good choice for T's dry hair that is protein sensitive to some degree. When we used it there was enough slip to detangle but not as much as the Shea conditioner reviewed below. I do have to note we aren't as thrilled with the Pink Cupcakes scent because it smells more like buttered popcorn but the conditioner works great. I will say the scent does not linger and when it gets in your hair it doesn't smell like popcorn--just in the jar. I ordered more but in different scents so I will udpate once those arrive (SCENT UPDATE BELOW!). We definitely liked this one for its conditioning properties and it also worked well as a leave in for T. Nice!

Our favorite product is the Shea Butter Conditioning Cream Rinse/Leave In. We use it as both a rinse out (PHENOMENAL!) and a leave in (Superb!). I have never had my hair SO SOFT without loosing curl. I couldn't express how soft and great my hair felt. If it wasn't against the law I'd of run screaming down the street in my Bday suit! It has some protein which my hair loves.

The Shea Butter (unrefined) we mostly use for skin and not hair. We like it. The scent we chose was fine (Sexy Vanilla) and it works well. It's shea butter so we already knew we'd like it. The quality seems just fine as well.

I have to tell you I liked these products so much that I turned around and placed another order less than a week after I received my first one! I ordered 6 more conditioners in the 4oz size in different scents.

The pic above is with Jasmines used as a Leave In (Shea Butter Condish) and even with a great curling gelly (which I used) it won't give me that much curl without an outstanding leave in.

These products get two very enthusiastic thumbs up! You'll also love to hear that the owner responds to emails lightning fast and is a great communicator! With these smaller companies where you have to wait a while for your order the level of communication is so so important. Jasmines owner is absolutely top notch!

So not only are you getting just grand products you get great service with them! What are you waiting for!!

SCENT UPDATES: I got my new products! So I had to update on the scents. This batch is MUCH improved (I guess that's what I get for letting a 13 year old pick out scents! Won't make that mistake again! LOL).

Mango-Peach: Does smell fruity but it has almost a floral undertone. Very classy!

French Vanilla Pear: Smells very vanilla/buttercream'y. Just a very small fruit type note. Understated and subtle for those who don't like really fragrant fragrances that you can smell in an elevator 2 hours after you've gone!

Passionfruit/Guava: Exactly how you expect. Sweet tropical fruit. Yum!

Strawberry Jam: Just like strawberry jam! A great kids scent!

Berries and Cream: One of my favorites. Like fresh berries in whole cream. Decadent and fruity!

Jasmine Vanilla: A very floral vanilla. Wonderful smelling and I can't wait to try it in the shower!

White Tea and Ginger: Classic--like LL Bean. Clean and unisex.

Summer Melon: Another one that smells exactly like you think it will. Like a mix of fresh melon in the summer on the picnic table!

Coconut Lemongrass: Another favorite of mine. Perfect mix of these two!

Pearberry: Sweet more like a pear but with a berry undertone (blackberry to me).

http://www.jasminesbathandbeautyproducts.com

New to CG methods? My 10 top picks for products to buy!

So you are new to the Curly Girl method? Confused by acronym's and wondering what on earth you should buy to begin the journey?

First I believe in KISS --especially in the beginning with CG where you are struggling with the transition to the CG method. Both you and your hair are likely frustrated. We can relate--we started there too!

It goes without saying that you need to read heavily--go visit the naturallycurly.com website or any of the blogs I link below as all have various amounts of information. The Live Curly Live Free website is a goldmine of information as is the blog by Jillipoo.

So here is what I recommend for you to purchase in the first weeks of going CG. Most will be on ground but I've thrown in a couple of recommendations for online purchases if you want to give that a try:

1. Suave Naturals or V05 Moisture Milks or similar for a co-wash. These are widely available and cheap. If you have medium to coarse hair stay with things that don't have a lot of protein in them (V05 or Suave is fine except the coconut)Cost: $1.25

2. LA Looks Sport Gel (LALSG): again cheap and widely available. If you can't find the Sports one then try LaBella or a generic (e.g. CVS) version of hard hold gel. Cost $2.00

3. Lustrasilk Cholesterol Conditioners--choose one of the three without cones (Olive Oil, Shea and Mango, or Organic with Argan Oil). At a price of $2.50 you can afford to pick up a couple. I vote for Olive Oil for Leave-in and either Shea Mango or the Organic for your DT's. Cost $2.50

4. A good conditioner. Giovanni and/or Trader Joe's conditioners: Depending on your hair type and scalp issues and if you have a TJ's around you. Choose the Tea Tree is you get itchy scalp or your preCG hair was oily/greasy. If your hair was pretty dry but not ultra frizzy and dry then I recommend the TJ Nourish or Refresh or the Giovanni 50/50. If you have really dry hair or want to do a couple of very moisturizing DT's then try Smooth as Silk by Giovanni. Your other option is the ones we use on my daughter--Garnier Fructis. The Triple Nutrition and the Sleek and Shine (fortifying Conditioners) are excellent choices for really dry hair or just normal to dry, cheap, and work great. They are reviewed on my blog so you can see what they look like. Cost $3-8

5. Any or all of the following hair accessories if you do not already own them: mini clips, bobby pins, ponytail holders, headbands, clips, barrette's, Flexi-8's, etc. You are likely going to put your hair up or back at some point. Inevitable. Make sure you have some products you can live with to do that. Trust me. You may also want to clip your hair to give it volume on top so clips can be a lifesaver. Hit up the Goody or Scunchi isle's in your local CVS, Target, Walmart, or Walgreen's.

6. A diffuser or hard hat dryer. Whichever floats your boat. Peeps with very thick and potential-poof hair might want a hard hat dryer (I use and love Ion Conditioning Hard Hat dryer from Sally's). I use a diffuser more often on my hair--check out the Conair attachments for regular dryer's available at Sally's as those work well and are cheap $5-8.

7. A towel or something that functions as one. Either a curl towel OR use old Hanes type undershirts or other tshirts or flour sack towels. You won't be using regular terry cloth towel's on your hair and you need something to get some water out.

8. Ingredients to either make your own Flax Seed Gel OR to do DT's and soothe your scalp: Honey, Coconut Oil, Flax Seeds, strainer, Avocado Oil, Jojoba Oil, Tea Tree Oil, eggs, mayonaisse, avocado and more. No you don't have to be a Mixtress to do this-it's easy and you'll like using what you have on hand to have beautiful hair! Recipes are all over the net and on naturallycurly.com on the Recipes board.

9. If you have coarser hair you may want to invest in some butters or cream's that are moisturizing. This is where you start to go online. I recommend something like Karen's Body Beautiful or Shescentit for your butters and creams. We've also used Ohm Avocado Custard and Oyin's whipped pudding to good effect. Just google them. If you are a finer haired wavy or curly I recommend investing in a good protein treatment. There are numerous options like Nexxus Emergencee, Apoghee (may have cones) or one of the online like Hairveda's Methi set or Curl Junkie's Curl Fix. In addition if you are a wavy you may want to invest in a low-poo because many wavies need to low poo--there are many to chose from including the Giovannie or Trader Joe's shampoo's, EO shampoo's, and others you can get from a health food store or drug/grocery store.

10. If you want a curl creme or gel (and trust me you will) then check out any of the following (mostly online but Whole Foods in states other than CA have some Kinky Curly products and you might find the AG and Mop products in a local BSS or salon):

Kinky Curly Curling Custard, Donna Marie Mira Curl Curling Jelly, Amourai Organique Duchess of Curls, AG Re:Coil, Jessicurl Rockin' Ringlet's and Confident Coils, Curl Junkie Curls in a Bottle, Coffee-Coco Curl Creme or Smoothing Gellee, or Mop C Curl Creme and Darcy's Botanical's Natural Coils Curling Jelly.

I've listed in order of importance IMHO. You can always use #1 as a rinse out conditioner as well until you figure out what your hair likes.

More OnGround conditioners with shampoos

On Ground conditioners part 2!

Here are some more conditioners that are available on ground. You may have to hit up Sally's, Marshall's/TJMaxx, health food store like Whole Foods or your local beauty supply store for these.


Healthy Sexy Hair Pumpkin Conditioner: We love this conditioner! It has been discontinued so those of you who want some jet into your local TJ Maxx and Marshall's to see if they have any left. It smells like pumpkin and fall and has no protein. It's moisturizing and can be used as a rinse out or leave in. One of the few that works well either way. It's medium thickness and has o.k. slip--if you get tons of tangles though I can't say this will help you get them all out. It didn't for my daughter. I love products that are unique and this one is certainly that!

Mop C Mixed Greens Conditioner: We love how this condish works. It is protein free and really does a great job at imparting moisture to my daughter's hair. Most of the ingredients are organic. It's a little pricier option but it works fabulously. You don't need the amount of conditioner you do with something like a cheaper condish so that's helpful at least. I must say we are not fond of the smell--it's a bit gaggy--nature/herb type.

EO Sweet Orange and Honey conditioner: I got this at Marshall's and it seems to come in two versions--Sweet Orange and Sweet Orange and Honey. There is a difference in the ingredients. The SOH one seems more like what I'd seen at Whole Foods with the Chamomile and Honey. This condish has protein and BTMS. It has very good slip and is really moisturizing. When you put it in your hair it almost seems to expand and feel foamy. It leaves your hair incredibly soft. For my son this is his favorite conditioner as he loves the sweet orange essential oil smell and it leaves his hair softer than any other conditioner. Given it is about $9 for a big bottle at Marshall's this really should be a condish in your arsenal if you can find it. There are other EO conditioners available at Marshall's but we haven't tried them--the ingredients are all similar. Word of warning: For some reason the Coconut conditioner has cones in it so just stay away from that one!

Terax Life Drops: This is a unique leave-in conditioner. The smell is VERY sweet and it's very thin and opaque. It is FULL of protein. I love this leave-in! It is not heavy and gives my hair a nice protein boost which, in turn, activates more curls. Highly recommended! It is VERY pricey but a little goes a long way and I feel it is worth it!

Aubrey Organics GPB and various other assorted conditioners: The only AO condish we use regularly is GPB. I love the smell. All of the AO conditioners are very thick and smell like herbs of one sort or another. We tried and swapped several others including Honeysuckle Rose and White Camellia along with Island Naturals. The HSR gave T build up--not good. Neither of us liked the smells of the other two WC and IN--to be honest we found the smells overpowering and they lingered f-o-r-e-v-e-r in our hair! There is a LOT of love for the AOHSR on both naturallycurly.com and the LongHairCareForums (LHCF) as well so these are probably ones you should pick up right away to test out.

Taliah Waajid Enhancing Herbal Conditioner: This can be had pretty widely and in many states at CVS pharmacy. It smells like Pina Colada but I find it kind of a fake and overpowering smell. It works well enough but after several uses both T and I thought our hair had some residue or something. It is very moisturizing but we prefer many of our other conditioners.

There are also a few shampoo's we've used and like OnGround so I thought I'd mention them:

Healthy Sexy Hair Chocolate Soymilk is very chocolate smelling as you would expect. It cleans very well--and leans towards very good cleaning (not necessarily stripped but not as moisturizing as other SLS/ALS free poo's). My son loves this shampoo and we use it regularly on his hair.

For my daughter's hair the HSH CS was a bit too stripping (remember her hair is VERY dry) so we instead use the Mop C Hydrating Shampoo--this smells sweet and has a thick consistency. It is very moisturizing but clean's well. Non stripping it is a blend of organic ingredients. As you can see by the bottle you do not need alot. This is used when we do my daughter's hair and we've had it almost 2 months and we haven't used tons of it. So although it's expensive it is another case where a little goes a long way.

Trader Joes Shampoos and Conditioners

Early on in our CG journey I headed over to Trader Joe's to get some of their famous conditioners and shampoo's. The Tea Tree is still a standby for us and all 3 of us use it when our scalp is feeling a bit itchy or we feel like our hair or scalp is greasy or oily.

They are very close to the Giovanni products. We've used the Trader Joe's Refresh, Nourish and Tea Tree condish's and the Tea Tree and Refresh shampoo. The only ones of the three I've kept are the Tea Tree--I gave the others away. Although a lot of folks swear by them we just were not that impressed. Hence I'm only posting up pictures of the Tea Tree as it's the only set I still have!

Nourish: This reminded me of the Giovanni conditioners (I think it is designed to be like them) and while the condish was o.k. it just didn't impress me enough to keep it around.

Refresh: For some reason I just did not care for the smell of this. Even though I like more citrus scents this one just was kind of blah. And it didn't work that great. So it went to live at another house where, by all accounts, it is getting the attention it deserves.

Tea Tree: AHA. These are the ones we keep around all the time. They are always in the shower and we all 3 pick them up frequently as noted above. They are very cheap and work really well for those with itchy scalp or those who have just started the Curly Girl journey who find that their scalp or hair is greasy, limp, or oily.

As with other inexpensive on ground products you could probably get 1 of each of these conditioners and shampoo's for under $20. Certainly worth checking out!

Amourai Organique

I've used 4 products from the A.O. line and have liked 3 of them!

Silver Spoon Shampoo: This is a SLS and paraben free shampoo. It's a goldish/yellow and smells lightly of mint (spear or pepper I can't tell which). It's quite gloopy, almost like a jelly, and it jiggles in the container (so it's kind of fun to watch LOL). This shampoo left my hair clean but it felt kind of stripped--as if I'd pulled quite a lot of moisture out along with the dirt and pollution. After I finished my hair had that telltale very squeaky clean sound. It has protein so those who are protein sensitive might want to be judicious with use. I will use it again but it is not a daily product for me. This is an excellent poo to use when you've had oil or some other substance in your hair overnight in a DT.

Knight in Shining Armour Hair Mask: At first I didn't care too much for this. It has the same type of lavender-minty smell as Duchess of Curls. This conditioner is paraben free--for many who are looking for a condish without paraben this is one you should try. Although it says it is a hair mask (to me this = Deep Treatment) I found it's best use to be a leave-in. Since it has protein and coconut, both things my hair loves, it did a great job as a light leave-in. I have not tried this with heat applied for a DT so perhaps it is better that way.

Royal Revive Liquid Moisturizer: This product just did not cut the mustard on either my hair or my daughter's. In my hair it didn't really do much except create an oily mess and for my daughter she could not get past the smell and the fact that it left her hair sticky. Although I genuinely like the rest of the line I've tried this one is not a repurchase. If your hair can handle oils and you like a more herbal smell you could certainly give this product a try.

Duchess of Curls:

THE BEST FOR LAST.

This is a HG (Holy Grail!) styling product. When I use it I am virtually guaranteed great curls that have volume and body. DOC works equally well on my more ringlet prone underneath hair as well as my straighter canopy. IMHO it is really user friendly as I've used widely varying amounts and never had a hot mess. It seems like it also imparts a bit of moisture to your hair.

This is not a heavy product--it does not weigh your hair down. For us fine haired wavies and curlies that is outstanding--as many curl creme's and gel's can be too heavy and we end up with limp and lifeless waves.

Overall this is a nice line. The names are very cute as are the packaging designs. My son enjoyed the "Knight" mask as he likes Knights and Castles and such. It states that the ingredients are organic--which goes a long way to justifying the fairly steep price tag since most products are at least $11 for 8 oz. The owner responds to questions very quickly and the site (at this time) offers free shipping if you spend $36 or more. That's a really good deal. I have not yet tried all the products but other than the mist we've been pretty happy with what we've used so far.

www.luvamourai.com

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!

Sweet Nature by Eddie Shampoo, Condish, Spray

I discovered Sweet Nature by Eddie products via youtube. There are several really excellent and fun reviews of her products there--so first go check them out!

Now that you've seen the reviews I'll add my thoughts.

First a word--I am very committed to supporting female owned businesses whether they be for a more mom and pop operation or whether they are manufactured products. The owner of SNBE has also gifted us with inspiration and uplifiting stories and quotes that are actually on her product labels. It's a little something that is greatly appreciated and gives her a unique niche in the world of natural hair care.

So on to the products:

Inspiration Shampoo--this is my favorite "low-poo". It doesn't have any SLS in it. The smell is divine--like juices and berries and fruit. It does lather but not as much as a shampoo with SLS in it. It gets my scalp clean and does not strip my hair at all. In fact after shampooing my hair does not feel as if I shampoo'ed it at all. Many low-poo's can still make my hair feel a bit stripped but not this one.

Love Deep Conditioner--I like this conditioner. It smells like other minty scented hair products. The scent to me is not that special. When I first tried it I didn't use any form of heat and considered this to just be an o.k. product--but nothing special. After reading a couple more reviews I realized that it's true use was really as a more deep conditioner and that the application of heat was essential to obtain the full benefit from the product. So I tried it. WHAT A HUGE DIFFERENCE! Not only did my hair feel unbelievably soft but I could feel the peppermint tingle working! So if you first use it without heat and don't think it's anything special do yourself a favor and add the heat element (put it on and put a hot towel on top of your cap or run around to generate body heat or sit under your dryer and so on).

The consistency is not thick which frankly was very surprising to me in a product labeled a deep conditioner. Normally they tend to be ultra thick and hard to distribute. This is not one of those so don't dismiss it without trying it.

Growth Spray--now we come to my very first love for any spray product for my hair. I have no idea how this spray works this well--by all accounts it should weigh my hair down as it is composed of many oils--but it doesn't. The spray comes out in a very fine mist that distributes evenly without saturating your hair. It smells scrumptious and it does linger a bit--so you might have folks telling you how good you smell. This is a very moisturizing spray that can also be used as a leave-in. I don't use this as a refresher spray as I don't really do second day hair (I need to experiment with my products!) but we use it frequently on my daughter's hair to tame frizz by putting moisture in her hair.

All three of these products are staples for me and in my main product rotation. I highly recommend giving them a try. You can order a small sampler pack to you don't need to invest in the full size products right away. She also ships quickly--so for those of you that know how long you sometimes have to wait for natural hair care products from other businesses I can say I've never waited longer than a week for shipment from Sweet Nature by Eddie. You can find her products on www.fabulousblackwoman.com

Enjoy!

Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Shampoo

Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Gentle Cleansing Shampoo

This is a very nice and very gentle shampoo. It contains no SLS. It has a very floral smell-which you will either love, hate, or grow to appreciate. It does an outstanding job at cleaning your hair. Wavies (as opposed to curlies) often need a good low poo to keep their hair from being limp, greasy, or flat. Not all wavies low-poo or poo but for those that do this is an excellent choice. It is very runny--which makes it easier to distribute but, if you are not careful, that will include distributing it through your hands to the bottom of the tub/shower as well. My advice: use it in small amounts-no more than a dime. If you need more add just another dime worth. It works best to do this in sections on your hair--if you don't section your hair off then just use it on the back, front, and each side each time using a minimal amount. This gets all your hair without the problem of it running through your hands. My daughter loves this shampoo and the smell as well--it cleans her hair that is prone to build up very well. Her hair we have to section to wash and because this is runnier we can get it down to her scalp through her thick and dense strands. Those of you with thicker or more dense hair will appreciate this shampoo's liquidity!