**REVIEW** Pure Rose Hydrosol (Rosewater) UPDATED with photos

**UPDATE**

After just a few weeks of using this, that psoriasis on my feet is almost all cleared up. I had had some awesome results in the past by using Manuka essential oil and a few other products. However, never before has anything just about cleared up the problem.

This is what my feet looked like before using the Rosewater:

INSERT

This is what they look like right now.

About 13 days after starting Rosewater

 some healing after other
treatments.

Now, I have to tell you that I did use a grater and a rasp on my feet last night and I applied more of the Rosewater for the AFTER photo. However, I have used graters before and they only took off the thickest scales but did nothing for the smaller scabs that lined the sides of my feet.

The Rosewater is healing the psoriasis instead of temporarily masking it.

People, I will be ordering more of this to use and don't want to be without it at this point.


As many essential oils and natural butters as I have used over the years, for some reason, I never picked up any Rose Hydrosol. Okay, I'll be honest. I never even heard the word "hydrosol" before.

When I went looking for a definition, the best one I found is this one from Rachel Marlowe:

Similar to a floral water but more potent, hydrosols contain the water-soluble constituents of a plant such as the volatile oils, and it can be used as a facial toner, the water component when mixing our clay masks, or in an aromatherapy diffuser. (source)

One of the things I learned is that the best flower waters are done with steam distillation. This Rose Hydrosol by Banyan Pure meets that criteria.

Most of us have heard of the benefits of rosewater. I used to make homemade rosewater to keep from letting gift flowers go to waste. I wasn't an expert or anything so I kept it simple and, actually, the process isn't too complicated. You can try it yourself. I've bought rosewater from the health food store I frequented in Anchorage. It was good stuff and, until now, I didn't know what a big difference the processing makes.

This one is done by steam distillation. Most common ones are created by mixing rose oil with water. Steam distillation is more meticulous and the end product retains the pure oil (in this case - organic) and all the benefits of that. By the way, this is a rosewater so the texture reflects that. You can apply to hair or skin without an oil residue.

Once you have a good rosewater, you can use it in different ways. Here are some of the benefits and uses that I have seen suggested over the years:

• This link lists information and cites studies that show a benefit in affecting depression, use as an antimicrobial, and various skin treatments.
• This is only one listing of the benefits of rosewater for damaged hair, aging skin, and more.
• I've heard of mixing rosewater into lotions and creams for the face and neck. One interesting thing I will be trying is a mix of the rosewater with some glycerin to treat my hair. Rosewater is said to promote hair growth and retention.
• Rosewater is a gift to natural hair chicks. The water is said to be cooling, hydrating, and moisturizing in addition to fighting dandruff. It's been said that rosewater promotes hair growth and - this one is big - reduces product buildup on the scalp.  (I will be doing a follow up once I've had a chance to use this on my own natural hair.)
• My mother used to tell me about ladies spritzing their face, neck, bosom, and shoulders with rose water when the temps were high. In addition to helping them cool off, the fragrance was light and nice.

One of the other benefits I have heard of doesn't interest me. It's said that rosewater can be used to "lighten" or brighten the skin. Some people use a mixture of rosewater and lemon juice for the skin lightening. I'm just fine with all my protective melanin, thank you very much! I can see how some folks would want that benefit though and to each his or her own. If not for all over lightening, rosewater can be used (I've heard) for reducing under eye dark circles.

My main purpose for rosewater is as a fragrance (for me and the home) and for my hair. I have used rosewater as a toner when my skin was feeling a little dull. I tested this particular hydrosol this morning and can tell that a little goes a very long way. 

Before I do a sum up, let me mention something important. A lot of people have a habit of ingesting essential oils. I have never been okay with this unless an oil is clearly marked that it is a "food grade" product and safe to ingest. I have ingested homemade floral waters but only because I made them and knew every risk. Rosewater is a very popular one that people like to add to drink or add to foods. Please note that this particular rosewater is not marked for that use. There is even a warning on this one. Anything so heavily concentrated needs to used with at least a little common sense. This one is very concentrated. That's a good thing but needs to be used wisely.

To summarize, you should know that what I like most is how concentrated it is. I have some in an oil warmer and it's keeping a light fragrance in the air. Earlier, I tested a few drops in the humidifier and that was also very nice. By the way, the name of the rose used in this oil is Rosa Damascena.

Because this is so concentrated, a little goes so far that I have to watch myself. I have figured out that to use this as a toner, I need to put a drop in my palm and add a few drops of water before applying to my face. I can use it full strength (in small doses) on my neck and shoulders. I've used so many manufactured perfumes that I sometimes forget how lovely a simply floral water can be.

I have psoriasis and tonight I will be putting a little bit of the rosewater on my feet with some vitamin E. I usually use Manuka oil for that, but this smells so much nicer! This 2-ounce bottle should last me at least 2 months or more. Again, that's due to the high concentration.

I'll be back to update once I have used this for a few weeks more.

Peace
--Free





DISCLOSURE: In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free or at a discount using. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

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**REVIEW** Long Aid Curl Activator Gel with Aloe Vera Extra-Dry

People, I have solved my dry hair problems. In the past, I have tried so many products that I can't even remember half of them. Oddly enough, I was shopping for an old standby product that was cheap and had worked for me in the past. It's that IC Fantasia Hair Polish (I love that stuff), but happened to run across this:

That right there is my new fave hair product: Long Aid Curl Activator. I got the one for extra-dry hair. Just like the Fantasia, it's got a decent price. They looked so similar and I was in such dire need of something, so I snagged it. It was also nice and cheap - about 4 dollars for a 16-ounce jar.

The Fantasia is more of a styling/holding gel and it does work great for adding moisture to dry hair like mine. The Long Aid is a curl activator and it is super moisturizing but doesn't have the holding factor. That's fine because I use it for when I twist my hair and for finger-styling in some curl. (By the way, I cut my hair super short yesterday because of these 90-plus temps we're getting!)

Older photo but same hair as pre-cut

Much cooler in this heat!
But it's time for some dye..

What I also love about the Long Aid is that there is no strong smell. Just like with the Fantasia, a little bit goes a long way. That means that you get a lot for your less-than-5 dollar investment.

Here are the ingredients for the Long Aid and Fantasia side by side:

LONG AID                                                                  FANTASIA

Aqua/Water                                                                   Purified Water (Aqua)

Glycerin                                                                        Glycerin

Triethanolamine                                                            Carbomer

Carbopol                                                                       Triethanolamine

OLETH-20                                                                    Aloe Vera Gel

Fragrance (Parfum)                                                       Dimethicone Copolyol

DMDM Hydantoin                                                        Tocopheryl Acetate

Methylparaben                                                               Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

Disodium EDTA                                                            Polysorbate-20

Hydrolyzed Collagen                                                     Benzophenone-4

DL-Panthenol                                                                 Methylchloroisothiazolinone

D and C Violet                                                                Disodium EDTA

Aloe Vera                                                                        Fragrance (Parfum)

Notice that the Aloe is last on the list for Long Aid and much higher up for the Fantasia. 

Anyway, like I was saying, the Long Aid will be my go-to for moisture. When my hair grows back out, the Fantasia will be for styling on the more humid days. Both are awesome. I do know that some folks - especially among my fellow Afro-Natural-Curly ladies - don't like the 'cones and the other chemicals. I have to work with what I can on a very limited budget. I've tried other products that may have had 'cleaner' ingredients but not-so-great results. For a short stroll down memory lane, I can point back to posts I did on these products:

• Shea Moisture Buttery Miracle
• Miss Jessie's
• Aunt Jackie's
• Dove's Quench

And there were so many other (often pricey) products that I tried. Some worked but were too costly, and some were pricey and failed.

So for those of us on squeaking-tight budgets, this Long Aid might be the best thing. 

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW**' Silk Elements Pure Oils

Okay, this is actually a review of 2 products, but they are both from the Silk Elements line of "Pure Oils".

I could have sworn that I had already done a review for the Hair Butter. Oh, well, I will do a quickie about how much I love the stuff.

The Hair Butter is a "thin". It moisturizes the scalp without a lot of weight. I don't use it on my hair just because I don't like oils on the hair, but I could see this being used by some people to protect the ends. I think that even people with Caucasian type hair could use this on their ends and flyaways.

I'll get back to this in a moment, but I now like using the Butter very heavily on the roots of my hair while they're damp and when I am using the Marmalade.

The one thing that I noticed right off about the Butter is that there is little to no smell to it.The Marmalade, though, has a really wonderful fragrance that I wouldn't have placed without looking at the label:

I spotted "honey" in the list of ingredients but had to look harder for the "Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil".

Anyway, the Marmalade smells delicious. The scent fades as soon as the product dries so there isn't a problem for people bothered by conflicting fragrances.

The Marmalade has an odd texture. Right out of the jar, it's super moist and has a slightly slick and slime-like feel. (Not like something gross, so no worries.)  In my book, this was a Plus for a couple of reasons. For one thing, it takes very little product to work with my hair and, the other thing is that it really helps the twisting process. It's a little bit like Eco styler in the way it applies.

Do I like the Marmalade? No. I love it. It defines my twists like crazy and the hold is serious. Now, do I have any negatives to report? Yep. One.

The Marmalade is very moist going on the hair but, boy, when it comes time to unwind my twists... That stuff is like hard glue. I had to be really careful not to tug and break aloose the hair when I was untwisting it. That was a little alarming. I mean, how could this be that moisturizing when it dries so hard???

Well, there's an upside to that downside. Once I went back and studied the label, I saw the suggestion to use some Pure Oils Moisturizer with this Marmalade - "for softer hold and definition". (Tip: when you're ready to untwist/style your hair, use a moisturizing spray if you forgot to add something when setting your hair. I used some StaSof and it softened my curl right up.)

So, yeah. I'm not even mad about that. For one thing, I love so much how this does hold and define my twists that I'm going to be playing with other styles. For another thing, the label did warn me! LOL

When I added a little bit of my Mizani Moisture Stretch while twisting my (damp) hair, the Marmalade still defined well and without the over-strong hold. I don't yet have any of the Pure Oils leave-in, but I can't wait to try it. For now, it seems like the Mizani - or any other good moisturizer - will do the job. There are going to be times when I need the stronger hold of this Marmalade, but it's nice to know that I can add another moisturizer to lighten things up.

So, to sum up a bit:

• The Butter is fantastic for light scalp and ends use
• The Marmalade will hold you like Teddy Pendergrass would have and it will define like a dictionary.
• The Marmalade has a nice (light) fragrance that I like. The scent fades with drying.
• The Butter has no noticeable fragrance.
• Both products work well, but the Marmalade is for getting serious definition and hold. The Butter could work for all hair types, depending on what you're looking for.

By the way, a long while back I used a little of the Butter on my hands. I had washed dishes without using gloves and, for some reason, I wondered what the Butter would feel like on my skin. It feels really good but, since that's not what it's labeled for, I'm not going to suggest anyone else use it that way. (But it did make my hands feel really good! LOL)

All in all, I really do like both of things. As I type this, I have just done my scalp with the Butter and I did my twists last night with the Marmalade. 

Still hard to tell. Take my word, it looks and feels good.

Is that a freaking double chin???
What the heck!

They make a nice hair styling duo. I just have to get me some of that Pure Oils Moisturizer to test out...

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Kukui Nut Oil

Kukui Nut Oil is, obviously, from the Kukui nut. It's one of a few oils that I've been wanting to try but knew so little about. One of the first things I learned is that the Kukui nut and Candlenut are one and the same. Wha-???

This is what a kukui nut tree looks like:

And this is what a kukui nut looks like:

Those nuts are, of course, made into a necklace.

At any rate, I did have an idea that Kukui Nut Oil was from an Hawaiian tree. I got a bit of a discount to try this one in exchange for an Amazon review.

I'm trying to be more consistent in the way I present reviews, by the way, so let's get to it.

What is it commonly used for?

Because if its essential fatty acids and antioxidants, this has been used for a long time as a natural moisturizer. It protects that skin against salt and sand (in historical Hawaiian use, I guess) and it feels amazing.

Before I even did any research, I was immediately impressed with how this oil absorbed so fast. My niece and her friend also tried it with me and we all loved how "silky" it felt on the skin. Sure enough, that's one of the first things I read about the effects.

What's it like on the hair and skin?

Unlike argan or olive, this oil has almost no greasy feeling to it while applying. After about a minute of slathering some onto my face and hands, it was completely absorbed.

It's also a great hair moisturizer. The absorbency factor is one reason but, for me, the biggest thing was that it softened my hair. Love that.

If you check out that link I just used, you'll see that it's great for protecting the skin in lots of ways: sunburns, windburns, chapping, etc. My niece used some on her dry elbows and loved that it absorbed so fast and worked so well without staining her clothes. Her friend used some on her scalp in a spot where she has problems with dryness. (I will have to check back with her to see how long the effects lasted.)

I used it on my hair and face right off. This morning, I applied some after cleaning my face with castor oil and a baby wipe. No heaviness to it at all.

This reminds me a lot of Marula oil, but seems a bit more moisturizing.

I have to say that this is one oil that I am going to want to get more of. I really do like it.

Other positives

The oil naturally contains good stuff like:

• Vitamins A, C, and E, 
• Fatty acids -  Oleic (25.5%), Palmitic  (6.5%), Alpha-linolenic (25.1%),  and Linoleic  (40%)

5-Star Ratings:

5 of 5 for smell. There is none that I could detect once it was applied. Right out of the bottle, my niece said it had a slight "warm and nutty" odor.
5 of 5 for softening (I'd give it 10 stars!)
5 of 5 for moisturizing (because it can be worn under makeup without shine, stickiness or greasiness
5 of 5 for the pricing. (It's not a cheap oil, but it earns its keep.)
10 stars just for being such a really good oil.

This is so multi-use that I need to do more research on why it works so well. I can't rave enough about the softening effect it had on my skin and hair.

This is also the first time I've tried something from Renewalize, but I now want to try more. I like the way the packaged this so well and I think I can put the quality of this oil up there with some of my favorite brands.

I will update this review when I've gotten the chance to use this over time

Peace
--Free


DISCLOSURE:
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free or at a discount using AMZ Review Trader. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

**REVIEW** Majestic Pure Pale Pressed Castor Oil

Yes, I know. I just did a castor oil review a couple days ago. That was for what's called a "cold pressed" castor oil. This is for a "pale pressed" castor oil. Specifically, this one:

                    Majestic Pure's 100% Pure Castor Oil (cold pressed & hexane-free)

I have to admit that, before now, I never paid attention to the different oil "pressings". What I did notice immediately when I got this pale pressed oil is that it's so much thinner in texture.

When I saw just how thin this was, I worried that it wouldn't be a "good" castor oil. Except for Jamaican Black Castor Oil (BJCO), all the castor oils I've used have been either thick or super thick. This one was as thin as table syrup. I love me some Majestic Pure, as you guys know, but I was trying to give this item the side eye at first!

Because I was curious about this (and the color, which is a yellow-ish hue), I went looking for info. All I could come up with was that different "pressings" produce differences in oils.

Okay.

To be honest, I really only care the most about whether this would be moisturizing. It is, and the good thing about it's thinner texture is that it makes a great skin moisturizer.

Thick castor oil (like the one I just recently fell in love with) is great for dealing with hair and skin at it's driest. Because a thick oil is heavier, it takes more time for it to absorb. What I learned using this thinner oil is that it's easier to apply on my skin in place of lotion because it absorbs much faster. It still does a the job of moisturizing my skin (and holding in more hydration from, say a shower or bath).

When I applied this to my hands, it only took a couple of minutes before it was absorbed and I could touch paper without staining it. Cool.

I decided that there's a place for both types of oils in my routine. Still, I wanted to understand more about this whole "cold vs pale" pressing thing. I'm no expert, so take what I learned with a few grains of salt:

• Cold pressing leaves the oil more "virgin" because there's no heat used in the process.
• Pale pressed oil has a lower acidity. Pale pressed oil is from the first pressing of the castor bean.
• (source for info includes this specific page)

Um, that's about all I learned! Sorry. Hahaha...

If any of you know more about the subject, be sure to fill me in. 

For now, I am loving this oil. I like the fact that I can apply this to my hands and the rest of my body just before I get dressed. I like that it absorbs almost like a lotion (I just need to fill a small bottle to fit in my purse and gym bag), and most of all, I like that it really does work.

One warning: Don't over-apply. Just because this is thinner, I went a little overboard when I put some on my hair. My body heat begin to warm the oil and I had it dripping down my neck! A little bit goes a looong way, trust me.

Again, I have to say that I've used quite a few products from Majestic Pure by now. They seem to be a real stand-up brand and they do stand behind their products. By the way, this castor oil, other than being "pale pressed" is also hexane free.  There is a 100% refund guarantee.

Peace
--Free


Disclosure: 
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using AMZ Review Trader. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

**REVIEW** Quench Absolute (from Dove Advanced Hair Care Series)

Since like all 'naturalistas', I must keep this kinky/curly hair of mine sufficiently moisturized, I am always reviewing various products made for that purpose.

The first thing I look for is effectiveness. Next thing: affordability. Other things play a part, such as availability and brand identity. (BTW, I mainly consider brand because I think the bigger the brand, the more true their hype should be. Also, I like to see lesser known brands get the attention they should.)

Dove is a huge brand. I like most Dove products (hair, bath, and hygiene) because the brand is generally very truthful in their claims. They don't tend to overstate things  in their ads. I was happy to see that, like so many other big brands, Dove was getting deeper into the  natural & kinky/curly hair game. I think that this might have been around a while before I noticed:

That's Quench Absolut from Dove Advanced Hair Care Series.

I'm so used to seeing the familiar Dove logo on store shelves that I almost ignored the product. That it was not a shampoo or washout conditioner make me stop to check it out. Then I spotted this on the label:

Heck yeah! Right?

The price was very nice (under $6 for the 3.3oz container) especially for Alaska. What I wanted to test was how well it was going to do on my dry hair. Since I got this at Target, I know that I could do an easy return if I was disappointed.

I am not disappointed. Well, I am a little, but that's because I only recently spent waaaay more money on about 4 other products that (best case) work equally as well as the Dove, or (depressingly) don't work half as well. Keep the price of this product in mind. 6 bucks...

The one thing that I notice is that the list might not be as "natural" as some people would like. I'm all for products being as natural as I like my hair, but I do want my hair to feel as good as it looks. So, you know, what can I say? Here is the list of ingredients in Quench Absolute:

Water (Aqua)
Cetearyl Alcohol
Dimethicone
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Behentrimonium Chloride
Fragrance (Parfum)
Glycerin,
Dipropylene Glycol
Lactic Acid, Amodimethicone
Potassium Chloride
Disodium Edta, Gluconolactone
Trehalose
Propylene Glycol
DMDM Hydantoin
Peg-7 Propylheptyl Ether
Cetrimonium Chloride
Arginine
Lysine HCL
Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil
Sodium Sulfate
C10-40 Isoalkylamidopropylethyldimonium Ethosulfate
Hydrolyzed Keratin
Methlchloroisothiazolinone
Methylisothiazolinone
Yellow 5 (CL 19140), Red 33 (CL 17200), Blue 1 (CL 42090)

As far as how this works on my hair, I can say that the relief from dryness is instant. Also, I love that I can apply this and not lose styling. You know how some products, when applied during the day, will weight down or just throw off the style that you worked so hard on.

Before using the Quench, I went through my evening routine. I moisturized my scalp (using a product that I will review tomorrow) and about a quarter inch of my roots. Next, I sprayed my hair with a mixture of water and black castor oil, then I did about 6 rows of  2-strand twists down the sides and back of my head. Before I tied up my hair for the night, I sprayed on some StaSofFro. (BTW, my water/oil mix is in an 8 oz bottle. 8 oz water/6 drops of oil added, then shaken often as I use it.)

Next morning, my hair was still well-moisturized so I just took out the twists and styled my hair into a curly/coily 'fro. As usual, my scalp was fine but, after about 5 or 6 hours, I started noticing some dryness in hair. Perfect chance to put Quench to the test.

This is what the product looks like, by the way.

It's pretty thick - a lot like a heavy lotion - and I was worried that my hair would be weighed down or that I would lose some curl definition.  (If you can see from the photo, I actually rubbed a little around on my palm to give you an idea of the initial wetness it leaves.)

I find that I can either rub it between my palms, then pat it onto my hair or (and this is my fave way) I can rub some between my thumb and fingers and dab it on in dry spots. I only needed to use it once on the first day. The second day, I wanted to apply more a few hours after the first application, but something dawned on me. To save product, I got my water bottle out, set the spray to the finest mist possible, then sprayed over my head to absorb some mist without getting my hair too wet. That is going to be my method from now on. No use re-applying product when I can just amp up what's already there.

The day after using it the first time, I checked to see if there was any flaking or buildup. There was not. This is Day 4 and I didn't have to apply more product. I did the water mist trick and notice the softness came back and stayed even when the water dampness was gone.

Remember what I said about this being thick like a heavy lotion? Well, I have been thinking about how my cousins and I used to use actual lotion on our hair when we were younger. Not to take anything away from Dove, but I think their product is a lot like lotion that has been tweaked in the lab to make it more hair friendly. I mean, other than buildup problems, using regular lotion might work just as well. I'm just saying...

So, yeah, this is one of those products that I will be ranting about. The price looks even better when you realize that you don't have to use so much from day to day (even without my little water trick!).

Last of all, in case anyone was wondering, I don't think that people with straighter hair would be able to use this with good results. The lotion-y texture would be too much for finer, straighter textures. I guess if someone was going to be wearing their hair pulled back and tucked, they could use this as a protective product. Not a bad idea if you're trying to nourish and baby damaged hair - no matter the texture or type.

Now I have to go and check out the rest of Dove's Advanced Hair Care Series.
Peace
--Free

***NOTE ABOUT (MY) DRY HAIR***

I want to mention something I recently learned about dry hair. An overload of protein can cause that dry, straw-like feeling I sometimes get with my hair. I didn't know about this - which is why I have done egg treatments more often that I should. I checked some of my hair care products and noticed that, yep, the ones that are protein-free (or even mostly so) are the ones I get best results from.

When I did figure this out (thanks, Google), I immediately looked for a source to help keep me straight on ingredients. Once again, it's Curly Nikki to the rescue! She has a list up to identify ingredients that are proteins or humectants. Lifesaver!!! Once I checked the list, I realized just why it is that my hair will crave something like Aussie Moist - especially when I'm dealing with certain hair issues.

So, go and check out that list on Curly Nikki. Matter of fact, bookmark the site.  I rely heavily on C.N. for discovering new stuff and learning about hair care. You will want to go back time and time again, trust me.

**REVIEW** Palmer's Coconut Oil Formula Leave-In Conditoner

For those of you who want to look up the item later, the entire name of this product is: Palmer's Coconut Oil Formula (with Vitamin E) Strengthening Leave-In Conditioner.

Since I've been reviewing various leave-in treatments for hair, I can't believe I almost forgot to tell you about this.

Palmer's has great shampoo and wash-out conditioner. I found that out when my late sister started using it. She had been prescribed a lot of new medications that did strange things to her hair. She always had gloriously beautiful hair and, when she started having trouble with breakage to the point that she had to cut a lot off a lot of it, she didn't mind so much. What bothered her was that she lost a lot of the softness and manageability. That's when she started using Palmer's products. I borrowed the wash-out conditoner and was hooked. (Along with Aussie Moist, Palmer's is up there with my favorite conditioners.)

What I didn't know about until a few months ago was the Palmer's leave-in. By the time I picked upa  bottle, I was using and reviewing other products. Just recently, I pulled the Palmer's out of my product drawer and gave it a go. I'm only sorry that I waited to use this.

I think that, like with any product, effectiveness has to do with the blend of ingredients. I've used other products that have some of the same key ingredients that are in the Palmer's, but there's something about the ratio or mix that makes this product better.

Here's a list of the ingredients (I bolded the ones that I hear so much about as being great for natural hair):

Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Silk Amino Acids, Panthenol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Stearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Dimethyl Stearamine, Methylisothiazolinone, Isopropyl Alcohol, Fragrance (Parfum), Benzyl Benzoate, Coumarin, Limonene.

Now, don't get this Palmer's product confused with their similar-named "Olive Oil leave-in" item. (I want to try that one next!)

What I really like about this leave-in is that it immediately softens the hair. Of course, I love the other benefits but, more than almost anything, I like for my hair to be pleasing to the touch. I think most people are like that. Whether you wear your hair nappy, curly, or bone straight, it needs to feel nice. If I didn't care about how my hair felt, I could just glop on any kind of product and roll on with my life. The Palmer's softens the hair quickly, but I do have to reapply at least once a day. Over several hours, the product dries and loses some of the moisturizing effects. Also, after three days or so, there is some buildup (but this can be handled by massaging the hair with a warm, wet towel).

Since my hair does best when I change up on products ever few weeks, I like switching between the Palmer's and my old standby, StaSofFro. It's as if, one product (even shampoo and conditioner) works great for a period of time, then I have to use on of my other favorites for a minute. ~shrug~

To show just how much I love this product by Palmer's, I will be using it more than I use any of my recent KeraCare purchases. (Not because I don't love KeraCare, but because of the prices. I can get 3 of the Palmer's items for the same price I paid for one of the KeraCare leave-in products. I'm going to stretch out my use of those costly items!)

Finally, I will say that having tried the shampoo, rinse-out conditioner, and now this leave-in, I think think the trio makes for a good regimen. My plan now is to rotate my shampooing and conditioning between Aussie Moist, Palmer's, and my J.R. Liggett Moisturizing Shampoo Bar. I will, of course, always continue looking for leave-in products!

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW(s)** KeraCare, Marc Anthony, and SheaMoisture

No matter what type of hair we have - kinky, curly, coily, straight, fine, thick, short, or long - we know how frustrating it can be to find products that suit our individual hair care needs.

Speaking for myself, I get to try a lot of products in exchange for doing these reviews, but I also go out hunting on my own sometimes. And I also bag something... One day, I spent a gift card on 8 different hair care products from a local store. Curling creams, styling gels, polishers, conditioners... I ended up taking every last one of them back. Not one of them worked. 

By the way, my name is Trudy, and I am a product junkie.

Credit to Elle & Necie at Natural Hair Daily

That might be a bit harsh, actually. I'm not the kind to just try different products out of a bad habit. I just have trouble finding things that work, so I have to do the buy-and-return thing. Often. And, believe me, I have no trouble returning a product that doesn't work for me. (This is why I am starting to be way more careful about ordering things online if I don't already know the brand. More on that later.)

This review is for 3 different products I have recently tried. I have a few different goals when I'm looking at hair products. Since my hair is coarse and damaged, and I wear it relaxer-free, I have problems with moisture retention and breakage. For styling, I like having a gel or curl cream for twisting my hair at night (either bantu-style twists or corn-row twists), so that I have more curl definition during the day. Finally, I like good cleansing and rinse-out conditioners. I will alternate fully shampooing my hair with just massaging in then rinsing out a good conditioner, which is called "co-washing" the hair.

Credit to Natural Hair Problems

So far, I have a good shampoo that works well to clean my hair without stripping it. I use J,R. Liggett Moisturizing Shampoo Bar. The only thing I don't like about it is that, if any gets in my eyes, it burns like hellfire. I'd love to find a bar that works as well and doesn't have that kind of effect on the eyes. For conditioning, I have a few different favorites. I like Aussie Moist 3-Minute Miracle Moist for deep conditioning after a shampoo. For co-washing, I use Aussie Moist 7-in-1 conditioner. For deep conditioning with heat, I prefer Elasta QP Ultra Hydration or Cream Cholesteral (by Proclaim) because they are both extremely affordable and effective. The QP comes in such a huge size that I rarely have to stock up. With the Proclaim, I add water and shake the container to thin it out because less works better, plus this gives me a higher yeild of product.

With the cleaning and conditioning covered, what I still needed was somthing to use as 1) a daily leave-in conditioner and, 2) a moisturizing, non-sticky, non-greasy feeling cream for doing my twists. I was hoping for products that would be both affordable and effective, but I was willing to pay more depending on quality.

Recently, I tried out 3 products and am only unhappy with one. Let me back up and say that I am extremely happy with 2 of the products and supremely unhappy with 1 product. (On top of being unhappy with it, I'm irritated at the process required to return it. But, again, more on that in a moment.)

Let's start with the positive.

I found a wonderful daily leave-in conditioner that works even on my dangerously dry hair. It's this one by KeraCare:

The photo from the BeautyClicks page is better than mine...

 

I love this stuff. It's light, but very, very moisturizing. I only have to use the smallest amount. What I like to do is apply it to the roots of my hair just before I take down my twists. Once I have the twists down, I apply a little more of the KeraCare to any dry spots.

The thing is, KeraCare products are not cheap. This 4oz bottle is around $16. OUCH!!! But - and here is what it took me a minute to figure out - in the long run, it is much cheaper than a higher priced 16oz product I tried. And that is the one product that I loathe...

That right there is from SheaMoisture. Let me say now that SheaMoisture is one of those brands that seems to get a lot of undeserved (IMO) positive hype. Anytime I read something about natural hair, I hear "SheaMoisture is the stuff!" Bullcrap. I think the brand just has great marketing.

That leave-in by SheaMoisture was horrible. It was sticky going on and, after it dried, it felt slighty tacky to the touch. My hair might have been less dry, but I couldn't tell. The worst thing is that the price is crazy expensive for such lackluster results. (To be fair, a lot of folks seem to love SheaMoisture products. This is the second thing I've tried from them and I was underwhelmed both times. The other thing I tried was a small foil pack sample of some curl cream. Yuck. At least I didn't pay for that mess.)

I'm sending the SheaMoisture back (even though that means printing out a return label and praying I didn't toss the box it came in... ~sigh~)

I hate SheaMoisture so much that I don't want to spend anymore time discussing it. So, back to the positive.

The next product is one that I tried for the first time a long while back. I think I got the mostly empty bottle from a family member. There was only a little bit left and I loved it, but had to search for the bottle to get the brand name. It's Curl Envy 24-hour Moisture from the Marc Anthony Strictly Curls line.  At $7.99 for a 4.5oz bottle, this is super affordable. (Side mention: My dumb self, I thought that the singer Marc Anthony owned the line! "Tell me, baby girl, coz I need to know...") 

What I love, love, love about this leave-in is that it's perfect for doing my twists at night. Before finding this, I was just spritzing my hair with water at night. That worked great for styling my hair, but it didn't really boost the moisture throughout the night and after I took down the twists. When I use this moisturizer, I have a lot less dryness in the morning. My routine now is to spritz my hair with water, add a little bit of this product, then do my twists. I can really feel the difference in the elasticity of my hair when I'm doing the twists. There so much less breakage and pulling. LOVE it. 

                                                 

While I also love the KeraCare, I have to say that I think that the results are a bit similar with the Curl Envy. The KeraCare moisture lasts longer, but... At the price, I can always afford more Curl Envy.

So that's the rundown on a few products I've been trying out. I will try to come back and update this when I've used the KeraCare and Curl Envy for a longer period of time. Also, a friend of mine saw a leave-in by Dr. Miracle when she was at WalMart. She said she thought it would be something good for me to review so she picked up a bottle to give me. Isn't that sweet? Anyway, I will do a review of it when I've tested these other products for a while. 

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-in Conditioner (UPDATED)

I picked this up because it was on sale at Target. I got one bottle for $8.00 and (for some weird pricing reason), another bottle for around $4.60. They were both supposed to be $8.00, and the clerk didn't know why the same item on "Clearance" would ring up differently. I just considered it a good buy.

 I have seen the brand online, but could never afford to try the items I wanted. I always wish that brands would authorize stores to stock sample packs of products. I don't think that most people who can afford it would mind paying for quality hair or other beauty things. For people with a smaller budget, it would be really nice if they (we) could at least be sure we're getting something that will work for our needs.

Anyway, I'm really glad that I did grab this product. I went over to Amazon and read reviews of at least 10 of her products, and I am now an official fan of the Jane Carter Solution brand. From what I am reading, other customers are happy with how the products match the hype. Even if I never try another one of the products, I'm happy enough with this one to rave.

First off, what I expected was that this would just be a good leave-in detangler. It is, but it does so much more.

I tested this on my dry hair just to see if it was sticky or one of those products that would make my hair feel hard or crunchy. I sprayed it on a patch of hair in front and massaged it in with my fingertips, then I went about my business for around 10 minutes because I got distracted. When I checked that part of my hair I was so amazed. (By the way, there is very little smell to the product. What's there is a pleasant and clean scent.)

On my dry hair, this worked to add instant moisture - without being greasy or sticky, It didn't harden like some products. My hair felt really soft without being damp. I didn't feel any oiliness. That was just so cool. I checked out the listed ingredients:

• Water (Aqua), Polyquarternum 7, Aloe Baradensis (Aloe Vera) Gel, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Lawsonia Inermis (Henna) Extract, Sodium Cocoyl, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, (Caprylic Glycerides), Soyamid DEA, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol.

Later, I will look up each of those to see what's up. In the meantime, I just wanted to see what this leave-in would be like once I washed and towel-dried my hair. Normally, I get good results if I use my J.R. Liggett moisturizing shampoo bar and some Aussie Moist conditioner. I have problems with dryness when I do just a rinse-out (to get rid of product buildup without actually shampooing).

When I put this on my blotted hair, the detangling was wonderful. My still-damp hair looks and feels very nice. There is a sheen to it and the softness is just unreal. I am really loving this product.

There are two things that I have to mention because they might have impacted my results:

1. I still have this TMS in my hair. It's taking forever to wear it out. (I'm thinking I'm going to use a clarifying shampoo to get rid of it, as per the directions. I prefer my natural curls...) With my hair straightened like this, I expect that it's going to be softer. However, there is a lot of additional softness with the Jane Carter.
2. This is Day 7 of using the Nature's Bounty Hair, Skin and Nails supplements. I had been seeing a difference in my skin by Day 3, and by Day 5, I wasn't brushing or combing out as much hair as usual. 

This is a great product. I can't wait to see how it does on my hair once I'm back to my curls. This might be my go-to brand from now on... 

Vegans can look for the V on assorted J.C.S. products

                     

The price of Jane Carter products is another Plus. Even non-sale items are affordable, especially when compared to brands like Miss Jessie, Aunt Jackie, and SheaMoisture. Those are just ridiculous. I recently tried a SheaMoisture product that I am very unhappy with. It was over-priced and over-hyped. I rarely return things, but I am sendin this back so that I can try more of the Jane Carter brand instead- which is more affordable anyway. Whatever I do, I'm done with SheaMoisture after this.

I'd be glad to hear from anyone who has used Jane Carter products. I understand that the line is great for all kinds of hair types and textures. 

Peace

--Free

UPDATE: I did a wash using a clarifying shampoo made with the castile soap I have (recipe here). My curls are still in limbo - sort of stringy-straight in sections, but the "natural" is slowly returning. I tested the J.C.S. leave-in on my hair after the wash. It's still good, but not as "smoothing" as it was on my hair when straighter. It was still very moisturizing but not as much as it felt like with straightened hair. I still love the product LOTS, and recommend it for hair that needs a little babying. I think that anyone who wears straight style or uses flat-irons or other heated hair appliances will love this. If you wear styles that require slicking your hair back or smoothing down the edges, it will also be great. For my curly style, I am using it close to the scalp to nourish the roots. Next up, I am reviewing a hair milk by KeraCare (a brand with other products that I love!).

**REVIEW** Beautiful Textures (Texture Manageability System) ***UPDATED***

****UPDATED****

I had to come back and let you guys know that I am so unhappy with this hair treatment. It's been over 5 months since I did this. In that time, I've had to trim my hair over and over just to get rid of the scraggly-straight end pieces left behind from this treatment. Finally, a while ago, I just did another big chop. My hair was okay, and I mean just okay - as long as I didn't moisturize it much. Anytime that I heavily hydrated my hair, I'd end up with some scraggly pieces at the ends. So the chop off. Even now, I've had to snip loose ends because they would hang at the ends of my natural curl pattern. 

No matter what this kit claims, the system is way more permanent that I like. I love my natural hair and hate having to work this hard to get back to that state. 

So, just a warning from someone who wanted a "temporary" straightening: this might have results that last way longer than you like. Once I get my curls back, I will just stick to flat-ironing for results that I KNOW will be temporary.

                               ******************************************

I love wearing my hair "natural", but there are times when I want a different look. 

When I was in Texas, my niece braided my hair with extensions. That was a nice no-care 'do for a couple of weeks, but because I wanted the 'no care' part, a couple weeks is all my hair could take. Coming back to Alaska, my hair was drying out and starting to get some damage. The braids came out and I was back to my natural 'do.

Since my hair did dry out, I was only wearing high-moisture "maintenance" styles for several days. Bor-ing!

Last week when I was Christmas shopping, I saw this interesting product:

This is called a "Texture Manageablitlity System" (or just TMS). Here is some detailed information about the product but, basically, what it does is allow a user to easily swap between a curly or natural look and a straightened look. In theory.

I really liked the idea because, of course, I don't want to use a chemical relaxer on my hair. Another benefit was the price. I picked mine up at Walmart (of all places to discover something new) and paid just under 8 bucks.

One thing to mention right off the bat is that I thought the product was made by the same company that produces a popluar line of hair care items. The box looks very much like this company (which I won't name). From what I can tell though, from checking the box and product site, this isn't by any company I've ever heard of. Not sure what that will mean to other users, but I just wanted to mention it.

Let's look at what comes in the kit, then I will go over what I thought of as the Pros and Cons during my first use.

The only parts of the kit I had to use right away was the special shampoo and conditioner (labeled 1 and 2 in the photo). The packets labeled A and B are the anti-reversionshampoo and conditioner to be used for maintenance.

Okay, let's do the rundown:

PROS and CONS:

• It's fairly easy to use this. With relaxers, users have to worry quite a bit about timing the process (for safety) and protecting the scalp and skin (for safety). With the TMS, I did have some sensitiity to the processing conditioner. There are warnings that this might happen, which is why gloves are provided. This was my first sign that, while this might be less harsh than a common relaxer, there was still some "processing" going on. (Check the FAQs and you'll see why.)
• The conditioner is obviously the main component of the product. But, first, I had to use the special shampoo. I didn't like how it made my hair feel, After the first wash (you're to wash 3 times to start the TMS), my hair felt like soft steel wool. I'm not tryining to be funny. The purpose of the shampoo is to "clean" the hair of any product buildup, but my hair felt as if it had been stripped to the point of damage.
• After applying the conditioner, my hair seemed to revive a little bit, but it was still not feeling great. I was beginning to wish I had done a strand test of the entire process. Since I didn't do that, I will suggest it to future first-time users. Just to see what you think before going whole hog.
• My main concern (after I had used the product) was whether or not I could use any of my regular shampoos without interfering with the results of the TMS. I ask this (despite the fact that the kit includes anti-reversion shampoo and conditioner) because I normally use a gentle and extra-moisturizing shampoo bar. Good news: there are a lot of questions addressed in the FAQs. Bad news: there are a lot of questions addressed in the FAQs. I felt like I was having to hunt down basic information...
• When you spot this in the store, the main attraction of the product is that you will be able to go from not straight to straight. That's the basic appeal, right? So, I was concerned when I saw other reviews that mentioned some problems with that. This issue is even addressed in the FAQs and users are advised, in this case, to wash vigorously and do a 30-minute deep conditioning. That doesn't sound too bad, but I haven't tried reverting back yet so I don't know.

NOTE: I started this post right after using the TMS process, then I got really sick with a nasty virus that's still kicking my butt... Ugh.

Anyway, It's been a couple of weeks, but I'm back to finish off this review. Maybe being productive will help me feel better.

I have wetted my hair 3 times since using the TMS because I have done some deep conditioning. My hair has reverted back to pre-treatment texture when wet. I can use the flat-iron to get a smoothed style. I still think that I would have been able to do this without the TMS, but some other users might need the help the system provides in straightening.

My hair does better with a flat-iron straightening than with any relaxers or other "systems". Since I have rarely used a flat-iron before now (and never a decent one like the one I have), I won't know if the TMS affected the results. I will come back and do another update several weeks down the line if that is the case.

One thing I want to say for those who, like me, prefer not to use straightening relaxers (of the traditional kind), is to try just using a good heat protecting product and a flat-iron. That way, with zero treatment chemicals, you might be able to switch between kinky-curly and straight. 

When I was using relaxers on my hair, I had quite a bit of breakage during combing/brushing. With the flat-iron, I get very little breakage. My hair seems to be doing very well so far. Of course, I use moderate heat and always use a protectant (I like Aussie's Hair Insurance). I also make sure to use a good oil on my scalp. 

This is what my braids looked like:

Loved them, but my hair wasn't getting enough moisture :-(

My natural look is my favorite

But it's nice to switch things up a bit. To paraphrase a Pin I recently saw: When you feel like crap, slap on some lipstick and... well, something. Can't remember what.

Yeah, I know. I look about as good as this virus feels. Still, you get the idea. I can actually go from natural (kinky/curly) to a straighter, smoother look.

One last thing about switching up styles: going natural is the easiest. I can just twist/coil my hair for a few hours (or overnight), untwist and go. Plus, a lot of moisture is built into the style. Even though I can moisturize my scalp with the "straight" look, I can't do as much for my hair. So... I will probably only go straight for a couple weeks, then do my natural thing for a couple of months. Summer will be okay for doing the straight look longer, but winter time is too dry for my hair and skin.

I guess I would say that the TMS is a good system, depending on your hair type and needs. Also, just know what you're getting into first. Check the product's site and the FAQs before purchasing.

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Miss Jessie's Leave-In Condish

Yes, I know. I have had very poor results with a couple of Miss Jessie's products. Very poor. In fact, the only reason I decided to give yet another Miss Jessie's items a try at all was because I cannot believe such a successful brand is all bad.

Let's recap the instances I've had my feelings hurt, hopes crushed, and hair (and wallet) left in need:

• There was the time I tried "Pillow Soft Curls" only to discover that the 'pillow' referenced had to be a stone one from Wilma Flintstone's bed... (although, as a conditioning treatment, P.S.C. worked better.)
• Then I mentioned (or ranted) about the high cost of such products.
• Latest was when I obviously wanted to believe in Miss Jessie's the way I once believed in a bad relationship... Yeah. Pillow Soft Curls didn't teach me nothing; I just had to try the "Jelly Soft Curls" because, you know, "Baby, I swear I won't_____ anymore." (And you can fill in that blank with whatever the last lie is that you were told...

And, by the way, falling for the lies of that dang Miss Jessie didn't teach me quite enough. I rebounded by running into the arms of Miss Jessie's less well known cousin, "Aunt Jackie". sigh.

If this were a history of my past romantic entanglements, I'd be swearing off men and entering a convent. Really. Seriously. HOWEVER... I might have a cold heart when it comes to certain men, but I'm warmer blooded when it comes to my hair. Which is why I did pick up the "Leave-In Condish".

 Also, the 8-ounce bottle was cheap. And I'm on write-cation. And I can spend $10 on a hair product when I am on write-cation and not really writing as much or as well as I thought I would be. So there.


I picked this up for about $10.00 at a Target here in Texas. I've never seen this item in Anchorage stores but, no doubt, the price would go up by two or three bucks on those shelves.

As usual, the first thing I did when I got the product was to smell it. It smells like that plain old bath bar soap that you get when you stay in cheap motels. Just so plain and funky that you automatically think that it's either really cheap stuff or that it will strip all the sebum right out of your skin and hair.

Maybe the mix of ingredients???


Of course, the smell had me thinking that I was about to be disappointed once again... But, nope. Once I got past the smell to give the product a try, it wasn't half bad.

I think I already mentioned that the air here is extremely humid. I have been calling it "no-lotion" weather. The thing is, it's great for my hair and skin but it also makes my hair resistant to styling. The only way I can get my hair to hold a nice twist-coil wave is to wash it. That's because my hair tends to dry out when I wash it (which is why I am careful about using the right shampoo).

Since the Leave-In Condish is to be used on damp (not wet) hair, I did a co-wash with the cleansing conditioner I told you about yesterday, then I let it go from wet to damp. I applied the Leave-In and waited for that to dry.

Result: quite stiff.

I then used a spray bottle to fine-mist on some water that I massaged into my hair.

Result: much better. Actually, my hair felt quite soft and moisturized.

Next, I did my twist-coils and let them dry.

The final result was not bad at all. My hair was not stiff or sticky at all, though it was a little bit over-dry. Since it is so humid here, I expected better. However, I do have very dry hair after washing.

Overall, I have to give this Miss Jessie's product a 9 out of 10. I'd even give it a 10 if not for that icky, soapy odor. (I will resolve that by adding to my water mister a touch of the yummy-smelling Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner, or some of my Vanilla Grapefruit Fragrance.)

Also, please notice what is not in this particular product: sulfates and other no-no's for (especially) natural hair.

So, yay to Miss Jessie's for finally having a product that lives up to the labeling & goes easy on the average wallet.

At some point, I will compare the results I'm getting with products here to the ones I get in Alaska's drier climate.

Peace
--Free