Hair Product Haulage!

I was a pretty busy bee this past weekend, I took out my Senegalese twist out after having them in for 5 weeks and I stopped by a few of my favorite beauty supply and discount stores to pick up some new goodies. 

I've been experimenting with mixing my own products and seeing what works for me. Co-washing is great, but your scalp isn't guaranteed to be free of build up and gunk so I was looking for an inexpensive, healthy and  easy do-it-yourself shampoo. Through my tedious browsing of youtube and the good ol' internet I came across the topic of cleansing your hair and scalp with clay. The top (3) clays that I saw to be the favorites among DIY makers and naturals are Bentonite Clay, Rhassoul Clay, and Kaolin Clay. Since I couldn't find Rhassoul Clay or Kaolin Clay on the ground I went with what I could find Aztec Secret 100% Natural Bentonite Clay at my local health food store, Queens Health Emporium for $8.19. 

This product is/has:

• Sun-dried
• No Additives
• Not tested on animals
• No animal products

Bentonite clay is made of aged volcanic ash and is quite unique due to its ability to produce an electrical charge when hydrated. Upon contact with fluid, its electrical components change, giving it the ability to absorb toxins. Bentonite is known for its ability to absorb and remove toxins, heavy metals, impurities and chemicals. Bentonite also helps oxygenate the cells, as it pulls excess hydrogen and allows the cells to replace it with oxygen instead. (Curlynikki.com)  The largest and most active bentonite mines are found in Wyoming and Montana. 
You can find more info on this product/pick up this product:

• Queens Health Emporium
• Whole Foods
• http://www.aztec-secret.com
• queenshealthemporium.com
• amazon.com
• vitaminshoppe.com
• vitacost.com

You can never have too many conditioner, especially if you like to mix and match with your deep conditioners. So when I saw this at my local Walgreens for $4.99 I picked it up and brought it home to play mixtress. I should give you a heads up that this conditioner much like other Herbal Essences products DOES contain silicones, but there are also some added bonuses to balance those out.

(The color caught me off guard)

• Cupuacu butter, has ability to absorb water in turn restoring moisture to dry hair.
• Coffee fruit extract, caffeine is a great way to get hair to grow more thicker and stronger.

You can find out more about this product and pick up this product at:

• Walgreens
• Riteaid
• Target
• Walmart
• herbalessences.com
• Target.com
• Walmart.com

This was by far my favorite pick up, I love using cheapy conditioners as co-washes and deep conditioner additives. I picked up this 30 fl. ounce bottle at my local discount store, National Wholesale Liquidators for $1.79. YES, $1.79. If you didn't know V05 conditioners ARE silicone free which is a plus.

This product is:

• Not tested on animals

The ingredients are a bit difficult to read, but they are as follows:

• Hydrolyzed Callogen, has been known to improve hair quality and to strengthen hair. 
• Rosemary extract, helps stimulates hair follicles, causing hair to grow long and strong. 
• Panthenol, coveted for moisturizing, thickening, and boosting hair's body quotient.
• Lime Peel extract,  have a high content of vitamin C which helps to protect hair from UV rays. 
• Biotin, promotes thicker and stronger hair.

Check out they're website for more info and you can purchase this product at:

• www.vo5haircare.com
• National Wholesale Liquidators
• Riteaid
• Dollar Tree
• Deal$
• Walmart
• Target

I've heard nothing but good things about the 3 Minute Miracle Deeeeep Treatment so when I saw it for $2.99 at National Wholesale Liquidators I couldn't help myself and dropped it in my basket. Another reason I picked this up because it said it was infused with Australian aloe vera and I wanted to know what made Australian aloe so special so I did some research and reading I found out that large scale agricultural production is undertaken in Australia. Just a heads up, this conditioner DOES contain silicones. 

Due to the shape of the bottle I couldn't get a clear photo of the ingredients, but the two ingredients of focus are:

• Jojoba oil, can be used to balance oil production at the scalp.
• Aloe Vera, contains enzymes that directly promote healthy hair growth. The proteolitic enzymes are able to to get rid dead skin cells on the scalp that could be clogging the the hair follicle, not allowing for the proper penetration of nutrients in the hair.

For more info on their products and where you can pick this up:

• http://www.aussie.com
• National Wholesale Liquidators
• Walgreens
• Riteaid
• Target
• Walmart

These gels were sold together for $1.79 at my local discount store, National Wholesale Liquidators. Both of these gels are Protein and Alcohol free.  The pink gel  has a hold of 7 and the clear gel has a hold of 10 which is the max hold. The ingredients for the pink one are as follows:

• Water, your hair's #1 moisturizer.
• Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein,  is able to repair the hair, and add the previously stated benefits through a process known as covalent bonding.
• Glycerin, a great humectant aiding in moisture.
• Tea Tree, is primarily antiseptic in nature and is a recommended bactericide and fungicide.
• Chamomile, has been found to be highly effective in preventing and eliminating dandruff. In addition to soothing an irritated scalp.

The ingredients for the clear gel are as follows: 

• Water, your hair's #1 moisturizer.
• Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein,  is able to repair the hair, and add the previously stated benefits through a process known as covalent bonding.
• Glycerin, a great humectant aiding in moisture.

You can find these gels at:

• Your local beauty supply store
• National Wholesale Liquidators
• Sally beauty
• Target 
• Walgreens
• Riteaid
• Walmart

I picked this up because I saw Nichque on Youtube raving about this product, she even added it to her staples. She suggested this product for those with shrinkage and are searching for products that help elongate your coils. I picked this up at my local beauty supply for $4.99. Heads up this product DOES contain a silicone, but it's packed with so many quality ingredients I don't even mind. 

• Water, your hair's #1 moisturizer.
• Shea Butter, deeply moisturizes while conditioning your hair and scalp.
• Mango Butter, helps to soften the hair and seal in moisture.
• Argan oil, restores while helping promote hair elasticity
• Coconut oil, hydrates and protects hair from heat and chemical damage.

Even with the flash on you can't see that it's actual peach in color, but it is. The product also has a faint peachy smell as soon as you open the container, it's quite gelatinous and very lightweight. I small amount of this goes a long way. 

For more info on their products and where you can pick this up:

• http://www.african-pride.com
• Your local beauty supply
• Select Target stores
• Walmart
• Select Riteaid stores

I picked this up before I picked up the eco styler gel set because I wanted to attempt another wash and go -_-. I completely played myself really thinking that this would have enough hold for my type 7D hair. I'm going to end up using this just for my edges because it doesn't give me the type of hold I'm looking for. I know that this will definitely slick down these edges though. I picked this up at my local beauty supply for $7.99.

  I believe the Sorbitol is what makes this too lightweight for me, it's a water soluble humectant commonly found in mouthwashes, aftershave lotions and baby shampoos. I've heard that it can be added with glycerin to reduce the tackiness you may feel, but I found that glycerin only added to the tacky feeling and left my hair overly moisturized.

This product has/isn't:

• No Sulfates
• No Parabens
• No Silicones
• No Mineral oil (Petroleum)
• No Petrolatum oils
• Tested on animals

The ingredients of this were put on the bottle like the Aussie Moist ingredients which makes it hard to read, but they are as follows:

• Water, your hair's #1 moisturizer.
• Shea Butter, deeply moisturizes while conditioning your hair and scalp.
• Aloe Vera, contains enzymes that directly promote healthy hair growth.

For more info on their products and where you can pick this up:

• http://www.curls.biz
• Your local beauty supply
• Target
• Sally Beauty

Lastly, I picked this up on a whim, Curls Defining Moments Curl Release Serum. I ran out of my Curl Junkie Curls in a Bottle and I need a finisher so I picked this up and I can't say I'm not satisfied but I can say this isn't my Curls in a Bottle either. It does what I need it to do for the price, I picked this up at my local beauty supply for $7.99. It was too watery for my taste I prefer my finishers to be a thicker in consistency. 

This product has/isn't:

No Sulfates

No Parabens

No Silicones

No Mineral oil (Petroleum)

No Petrolatum oils

Tested on animals

• Water, your hair's #1 moisturizer.
• Castor oil, the antifungal and antibacterial properties are useful in combating scalp infections.
• Panthenol, coveted for moisturizing, thickening, and boosting hair's body quotient.
• Evening Primrose, contains a good amount of essential fatty acids that nourishes the scalp and treats many other hair problems.
• Jojoba oil, can be used to balance oil production at the scalp.

For more info on their products and where you can pick this up:

• http://www.curls.biz
• Your local beauty supply
• Target
• Sally Beauty