**REVIEW** J.R. Liggett Bar Shampoo Moisturizing Hair Formula

When I did the pre-review for the shampoo bars, I didn't think I was going to end up being so excited about them. Well, I am pretty excited now that I have tried the Moisturizing Formula.

I got both formulas to try - the Original and the Moisturizing - and, of course, I tried the Moisturizing first.

This is the first time that I have ever used a shampoo (bar or otherwise) that made my hair feel this good. EVER.

I read somewhere that, once your hair gets used to this shampoo, there might be no need for you to apply conditioner. I put this to the test from the get-go. The first time I used it (sans conditioner), my hair was not anywhere near as dried out as with regular shampoos. While it was still wet, it felt as if I had used conditioner. Once it dried, it was still softer than with other treatments, but needed a little boost of moisturizing spray.

The second time I used this, I didn't need any spray. That may be because the shampoo bar didn't strip my hair of the previously applied moisture. Actually, that is the whole trick to this product: it's non-stripping - no matter which formula you use. The moisturizing one has a boost of moisture to add to the effect.

Results after the third shampoo (and I was purposely shampooing a lot just to test this out), were phenomenal. My hair dried and I resisted putting in any leave-ins or other additional moisturizers. This shampoo passed the test with flying colors. I can add some spray for a little more softness boosting but, really, the only thing I need is to make sure that my scalp is well-moisturized.

It's really rare that I find a hair product that exceeds my expectations this way.

You guys know how I have been disappointed in finding leave-in treatments to soften and moisturize my hair, right? Well, who knew that I could have eliminated a lot of that hassle just by using the right shampoo?

Here's the bonus for me: I can actually wash my hair more instead of doing co-washing and just guarding like crazy against sweating. Seriously. I love washing my hair with this bar.

Bonus 2: I use this on my skin also.

I normally don't use soap of any kind of my face. I prefer cleaning with oils. Sometimes though, I will clean my face with a light and foaming cleanser. It's like a once or twice every other month kind of thing. I like getting the deep clean to take care of blackheads and such, but I hate that it takes my face a whole day to recover.

When I used this on my face, I did need to re-apply my facial oil, but my skin never got that tight, dried out feeling like it does with other soaps. As for my body, it was gentle and effective.

I have really scored in finding this shampoo bar. Can't wait to try the other formula.

My hair feels like it's being healed from its natural dryness. I plan to keep using this moisturizing formula for the next month or so (since I will be washing my hair more), then when I think my hair is completely "healed", maybe switching up every other washing with the Original formula.

If you are looking for something to re-nourish your hair and help keep it that way, you should consider giving one of these shampoo bars a try out. With my hair being 4B/4c and extremely dry, this is like a miracle product. Now I don't have to keep searching for every new leave-in product that promises to relieve my hair issues.

Since this is a non-stripping shampoo, hair color will last longer. I like that because I only dye my hair every now and then, but it never lasts past more than a few washes with regular shampoos.

A few more things to let you know about this shampoo:

• It's not as long as the average bar of soap. 
• I saw some reviews that said it didn't lather much. It lathered plenty for me. I think you have to wash rinse off the outer "skin" first.
• Like any soap (or maybe more so), this will dissolve if left in water. I keep mine in a plastic baggy in between uses.
• Some people advised cutting the bar into sections. That sounds like a good idea. I will be cutting my new bars, but I just used this one right out of the wrapping.
• I read somewhere that each bar lasts as long as a 32-oz bottle of liquid shampoo. (Even if it doesn't, I'm thinking of what I save on conditioner!)

Since it might be a while before I post a review about the Original formula, I will list the ingredients for it now along with those for the Moisturizing one. Both bars are 3.5 oz. They are 

Moisturizing Formula   ($6.99)                         Original Formula ($6.58)

Olive oil                                                                 Olive oil

Coconut oil                                                            Coconut oil

Castor oil                                                               Castor oil

Pure New Hampshire spring water                        Pure New Hampshire spring water

Organic jojoba oil                                                  Sodium hydroxide (a binder)

Almond oil                                                             Essential oils for fragrance

Pure essential oils for fragrance                                    

If any of you do try any of the shampoo bars, do let me know how you like it (or not).

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Pure Lavender Oil by aVo Essentials

While I love essentials oils, sometimes I forget what a the "true" scent of something is. I ordered a vanilla essential oil once and, while it was great in a blend of other oils, on it's on, it was not something I was crazy about. Probably that's because my general idea of "vanilla" was so influenced by all the fake scents used in products. The oil I got was exactly like what I remembered from my mother's cooking.

My idea of the lavender scent was influenced mostly by store-bought products. My one memory of "real" lavender was from flowers that a sweetheart used to give me. Good memories.

When I got the chance to try this, I was excited to see if it matched my memories of the lavender flowers I once loved so much.

Notice the dates of the product. Fresh!

This is a Pure Lavender Oil from  āVō Essentials. (I love when the oils come with a stopper.)

Lavender is one of the scents I like for certain moods. I don't want to smell lavender in my coffee or food, but I love having this one.

Of course, like I said, I wasn't sure what to expect of the scent. I wasn't disappointed at all. In fact, the best thing about this oil's fragrance is that, even though the scent is very distinct (just like the actual flowers), it's not overpowering at all. I had a fresh head cold when I first received the oil and I couldn't smell it at all. Once my sinuses cleared up, I could  tell that I had a "true" oil. Perfect. It really did match my memories.

Like I said, this is not something that I would use in food, but I understand that some people do use actual lavender in the kitchen (mostly for baked goods) and I find that interesting. Of course, keep in mind that this oil is for external use only!

What I have liked using it for is adding it to my shampoos and bathwater. Also, I like to blend it with some of my sweet orange oil to wear as a fragrance. I tried blending it with the vanilla oil I wasn't crazy about that as a wearable fragrance, but I did like it in the bath. Both scents are very soothing. I'm going to play around some more with the different blends. One way I did like using it is to add a drop to the hand sanitizer I carry in my purse. I did it to make the sanitizer smell better, but I later found out that lavender is a natural anti-bacterial.

Even though I loved the scent of my lavender bouquets, I didn't know at the time that lavender can be used for relaxation and stress relief. I realized it after using the oil in my bath water. Again, I think it's the whole "soothing" thing. I do know that it works well to help you sleep. If you apply a dab on your temples (with another carrier oil), it does ease a tension headache.

I've been using mostly coconut oil for as a carrier for this one. The regular coconut oils smells amazing when mixed with this, but if you want to keep the lavender scent undiluted, a fractionated coconut oil works nicely. The argan oils are heavier and, though they don't really disturb the lavender scent, it's more cost efficient to use an FCO for more body coverage.

 āVō Essentials offers a 100%  money-back guarantee, but the product is really good. The price seems a bit high, but the 4-ounce size makes it worth it. Lavender is a potent enough fragrance that it doesn't take much for most uses. Besides, you will need to use a carrier oil for applying to the skin because the lavender oil is concentrated.

There are a lot of other uses I want to investigate. Here are links to some information and usage suggestions:

• WebMD is my go-to for basic warnings and usage notes
• Use as a bug repellant, among other things...
• Anti-fungal, anti-bacterial agent
• Some lesser-known uses
• Interesting general to specific info
• Some recipes for that bottle of lavender oil
• My favorite: Chapped Lip Relief

If you haven't tried lavender oil before now, this is a good one to start with. Because of the product size/cost, multi-use, quality and the brand guarantee, you should be happy with this one.

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** Organic Rosehip Seed Oil by Aveya Beauty

I just reviewed another oil by Aveya Beauty that I was pretty happy with, so I was anxious to try their Rosehip Seed Oil. It's certified 100%  organic and there's a 30-day, no-risk guarantee attached.



 The Prime price for the 2-oz bottle (which is plenty) is excellent considering the quality and the no-risk guarantee.








This rosehip seed oil is labelled for multiple benefits (as are most good rosehip seed oils), such as for helping with:

• Anti-aging (I'd think "pro-active" care)
• Wrinkles and fine lines (maybe if you were not pro-active)
• Healing acne scars and burns
• Age spots
• Brittle hair

I do like to be pro-active when it comes to taking care of my skin because (though I hate to say it), I'm a bit vain, and because I don't want to get damage that could cause serious problems. This oil fights a lot of skin and hair issues because of the fact that it replenishes moisture and prevents skin dehydration. That's the basic key to preventing (or alleviating) common skin problems.

By the way, here is some good info on rosehip seed oil, and more usage info here.

This oil is absorbent, and that's important since any oil that just sits atop the skin or hair does no good. I tested this one by washing my hands and letting them dry completely. I then applied some of the rosehip seed oil to a spot on the back of one hand and used a bit of petroleum jelly (PJ) on the back of the other hand. I waited a few minutes to see which product seemed to do best at moisturizing my skin. Here is what the results looked like at each step:

This is my dry hand

This is with the Rosehip and the petroleum jelly just after applying

Rosehip near my knuckles, PJ near my wrist

This is after about a minute and a half

The rosehip was absorbing with no blotting
The PJ is still as heavy as when applied (no blotting)

 And this after about 10 minutes

The rosehip has pretty much soaked in (still no blotting)
The PJ is still as heavy as when applied (no blotting)

I tried to keep my hand in the same position for each photo so that you could get the best idea of how the different oils worked. Of course, I would rather not use PJ on my face but, even on the body, I don't want something that won't absorb. (By the way, for this post, I used a common brand of store-bought petroleum jelly.)

Petroleum jelly (PJ) will obliterate skin "ash", but the problem I have with it is that I can't use it on my hair and I don't really like using it on other parts of my body if I have a more natural alternative. PJ basically only seals the moisture already present in your skin, but it doesn't actually moisturize it. Also, PJ is made up of something called "hydrocarbons" (thank goodness for Wikipedia!) and I don't even know what that really is.

Once again, quality and price are the main considerations when it comes to choosing good products. This one scores on both counts. I also like that I can stand the smell of this one. Ah! Happy days! Rosehip seed oil has its own very special, um, scent. Some people like the stronger scented ones, but I just don't like the particular odor rosehip seed oil has. I was so glad that this one was scented so mildly that I could stand to use it on my face without holding my breath. By the way, the milder scent doesn't seem to indicate a lesser quality.

So, yeah, this one gets a five-out-of-five star rating in my book. This is one of two Aveya products I've used and I've been happy with both.

Since I've heard that rosehip seed oil is so beneficial to acne scars and burns, I dug around a little to see why that would be. Apparently, the fact that it's high in certain fatty acids plays a key role. I don't claim to understand the science behind it all, but I can tell you that it does wonders for my skin. I don't think that enough people use it on their lips or on their hair. Actually, I don't use it on my hair as much as I do on my scalp when it gets dried out after from washing or product buildup. I do think it would make a moisture sealer for the ends and edges for natural hair wearers. I do know that it's nice good for adding underneath your lipstick to stop the chapping caused by some of the "long-wear" lip colors.

This is another of those oils that makes for a wonderful cuticle treatment. It goes a lot farther than some of the store-bought cuticle oils that are only for use on the nails and cuticles (and is a lot more cost-effective). Also, it lasts longer than those types of products.

Lots of ways to use this one bottle of oil, so that's just the final Plus.

As with the other Aveya product I use, the one gripe I have is about the tiny printing on the label. Other than that, this is another winner from the brand.

If anyone else has found other ways to use rosehip seed oil, do share with me.

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

***REVIEW*** 4 Naturals Afro Stretch Curl Cream

4 Naturals Afro Stretch Curl Cream. Make a note of it. It's some good stuff. If this were a 5-star rating system, I'd give this product a 6.

For the ladies rocking their natural hair, if you are like me and find that your hair dries out after several hours or overnight, you might fall in love with this curl cream. I also love that it helps enhance my natural curl pattern and - of course - eliminating the shrinkage. And for anyone asking about the "shrinkage" thing, here ya go:

As someone said: "The shrinkage is real!"

Does it Work?
Now, I'm not looking for the kind of stretch shown in that pic. My TWA is still pretty teeny. I just needed something to bring my curl pattern and get rid of the dryness. When I first tried the cream, I used it on clean, dry hair. Results? Amazing! My hair was moist, but not greasy. My curl pattern took a little work because I didn't follow the instructions about working the product from scalp to ends. Once I used the correct procedure, I could literally watch the change happening as I worked each section of hair.

My Warnings
When I tried applying the product to my hair still damp from a wash, I didn't like it. The main problem here was that I couldn't tell when I was using too much of the cream on one spot. When applied to my dried hair, I had a better sense of the change in moisture and curl pattern. After applying to my damp hair, I ended up with a over-saturated mess. Yuck. I didn't want to let all the cream I'd used just go washing down the drain, so I did a roll-tuck style for a couple of days, tying my hair in t-shirt material at night. I finally got rid of some of the saturation, but, boy - with this cream, a little really does go a long way. You've been warned.

With most products, you can ignore the directions. Like me, you might think it's not that big a deal in how you apply this cream - as long as it gets on your hair, right? Wrong.  Take the time to apply it to sections of your hair and make sure you work it through properly. It took about fifteen minutes for me (probably because I was busy watching TV talking on the phone!). After working it through, I checked my hair, feeling for dry sections and looking for places where the curl pattern was off. It's worth the time because I can get through a couple of days without having to apply any more cream. When I take off my satin hair-wrap in the morning, I have to spend just a couple minutes styling my hair. I will just use my fingers (dampened with a little water if needed) to stretch the curls a bit. If I sleep without my wrap, I might have to use a little-itty bit more cream.

Ingredient information
I read some of the reviews on the 4 Naturals site and have to agree that some hair types might not get much "stretch." I didn't, but the moisturizing benefits make this product a keeper for me. And, because I know that many women are concerned with what is and isn't in the hair products they use, here is the ingredients list I found on the jar in the order given:

• Water
• *PEG-50
• Shea Butter
• Glycerin
• Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea)
• Glycerol Stearate
• Sodium Acryalte 
• *Sodium Acryloyldimethyl    
• Taurate Copolymer
• Trideceth-6
• Phenoxyethanol
• Capryl Glycol
• Chlorphenesin
• Fragrance

(* the links are to more info on an ingredient)

On the front of the jar, other claims: no harsh alcohols, paraben and dye free, no petroleum, mineral oil or silicone.

Misc
I really like that 4 Naturals designed the container to show clearly which hair type the product is for. This one: "4 Kinky - Coily".  And, by the way, this is a Bronner Bros product. I got mine at Sally's Beauty when I returned another two products that didn't work for me. This stuff runs around $10 for the 6 ounces I got. Sounds pricey, but because I can use this so sparingly, it's cheaper in the long run than other products that just haven't worked.

This particular product is for Kinky-Coily, Type 4 hair that tends toward dryness. I'm no expert, but I think that it might be too heavy for some of you ladies. Again, I love that the product site has good information, like this.

I didn't think to take Before & After photos until after I had done my hair again tonight. I will do an update soon. In the meantime, I'm going to be on the lookout for someone who's used products similar to this one.

Peace
--Free

Me and This Hair of Mine

A lot of women are going to be able to relate to this post. +Merry Weathers and I were having a conversation about our hair and I wanted to keep it going here on the blog.

(First of all, let me say that when I am talking about those who wear "natural" hair, I am speaking about black women. Not that it is only black women who have, in general, hair texture that is curly, kinky, thick or coarse. I am just speaking to what I know for myself.)

I am in a love/hate relationship with my hair. Hate is the current feeling at the moment. Okay - maybe not hate, but a strong irritation. And I'm not always the innocent party in this arrangement. Sometimes I'm abusive, then I make it up by being gentle and buying great products. Then I get lazy and start taking things for granted... It's a vicious cycle. But I am ready to admit my faults and accept help. I wish there was a Hair Help Anonymous for curly girls. I'd be all up in the front row of those meets:

"My name is Free and I abuse my hair."

If I treated my hair the way I treated my skin, I'd probably have a healthy and happy Afro by now. As it is, I have this TWA that dries up like a tumbleweed two seconds after I leave water. It wasn't until I started checking in with Curly Nikki on a regular basis that I figured out my problem(s).

Number One - I had never bothered to identify my hair type. This helped explain a lot. Now, I at least know that my hair is in the category of "low porosity" (versus "normal" and "high"). This helps me in choosing products that are better for my hair. You won't believe the mountain of products I have that are completely wrong for my hair type. ~sigh~

Number Two - Though I know some things now about my hair, I'm still a slow learner compared to folks who know the letter and number designation of their hair.  I know that my hair is nappy. Why the heck do I need to have a designation for that? The silliness. (I thought that was just for store-bought tresses! Live and learn.)

Number Three - Hair (especially when you are trying to "go natural") is like the best friend you pissed off a week ago: it's still there for you, but you have to treat it special for a while before things are good again. The relationship needs some real growth.

So, now that I have some clues about my hair type, I've been learning how to treat it better. I'm learning all about the Cherry Lola treatment, steaming (without spending a fortune), and which products work better for high, normal and low porosity hair. (True story: Talk about dry hair... in testing for my porosity type, I put a strand of my hair in a cup of water. It floated for two hours! It probably would still be floating, but I tossed it.)

I will tell you right now that if you are doing the "natural" look,  you need to check out the these sites. Be sure to let me know your suggestions for other sources of info.

• Some natural hair sites
• Natural Hair Community
• Curly Nikki
• Hairscapades
• Black Girl Long Hair
• Thirsty Roots
• Black Hair Information

• Treating hair based on individual types 
• The types (informative but...?
• Porosity types (now, this is useful)
• Low-Po treatment

• Steaming
• Benefits of and with or without a steamer (includes videos)
• More benefits of steaming and
• More steamer-free steaming instructions
• And once again

• Products for natural hair
• "Cleaner" products from 3 Sisters of Nature
• Black-owned natural hair businesses
• Ever Curl by L'Oreal
• Drugstore brands under $10 (thanks to Afrobella!)
• Carol's Daughter
• Tresemme & Pantene have lines
• Aussie Moist is featured on a lot of natural hair sites
• Vidal Sassoon worked well as a moisturizing shampoo & conditioner for me

I am learning that there is a whole language to the natural hair world. The co-wash, pre-poo, etc. It's a lot to grasp, but common sense should be your guide. For instance, I kept seeing "glycerin" being mentioned as a good moisturizer for my "lo-po" hair. Could have driven myself crazy getting to a supply store to purchase something. Guess what? My nephew had some SoftSheen Sta-Sof-Fro hair and scalp spray in a bathroom pantry. The second ingredient listed: glycerin. (Too oily for daytime, but a steamer treatment product for me.)

If anyone gets hold of more info, please share it with me. I'm off to steam my hair with a wet towel, plastic bag and a borrowed dryer.

Peace

--Free