The Favorite Series: Leave-in Conditioner

Happy Labor Day!
Prior to my hair journey, my hair routine was wash, condition and blow dry two times per week. Clearly that wasn't working for my length retention, so the first thing that I changed when I began to take better care of my hair was to cut out heat styling. Although, I must admit it was a hard habit to kick; as of today I have not heat styled my hair in 14 months and I don't see myself heat styling anytime in the near future. I am 100% addicted to air-drying. When I think about how my hair used to look, it occurred to me that I get smoother results from air-drying than I ever did with my blow dryer so I'm gonna stick with it lol. Air-drying didn't always work out for me in the beginning though, but I can honestly say that one day it all turned around.

Rusk Smoother Passionflower and Aloe Smoothing Leave-in Conditioner

This leave-in conditioner is probably one of the most important parts of my hair care routine. It instantly smooths, detangles and strengthens my hair to ensure optimal moisture retention. The first time I started using it was during the winter when I was having a hard time retaining moisture in cold, dry conditions. After a good moisturizing deep conditioning, this keeps my hair balanced with a shot of protein to improve manageability and keep my hair strong while manipulating during damp styling, detangling and air-drying. On t-shirt dried hair, I use this on the length in conjunction with pure argan oil on my ends to get smoother results from air-drying than I have with any other leave-in I've ever tried (and since I'm quite the product junkie I've tried a few ;). Recently I have been working on my rollersetting skills, and I came to find that this works better than any of the serums I have ever tried. It keeps my hair smooth, and makes detangling easier to create smooth, soft, strong sets that last for days without the aid of a setting lotion or other styling product. All in all, this product is just amazing. It has a smooth lotion-like consistency and an awesome light fresh smell. If they were to change the formula of this product I don't know what will become of my air-drying routine lol. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who has trouble with post-wash detangling, moisture retention or attaining smooth hair from air-drying.


Rating: 5/5--Staple!

Claim: Rusk Sensories Smoother Passionflower and Aloe Smoothing Leave-in Conditioner awakens the sense, while smoothing and texturizing the hair. Smoother Leave-in Conditioner contains protective sunscreen, and eliminates static, while providing body and a healthy natural shine. All Sensories products feature Compress Formula Technology. CFT enhances and expands the user's sensory experience. Use 30-50% less product and achieve twice the performance.


Ingredients: Water, cyclopentasiloxane, cetearyl alcohol, dimethicone, propylene glycol, polyquaternium-37, stearyl alcohol, panthenol, behentrimonium methosulfate, hydrolyzed wheat protein, aloe leaf extract, passion flower extract, centrimonium bromide, dimethicone PEG-8 meadowfoamate, PPG-20 methyl glucose ether, cinnamidpropyltrimonium chloride, propylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, hydrolyzed wheat starch, fragrance, PPG-1 trideceth-6, DMDM hydantoin, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, orange 4, yellow 6, hexyl cinnamal, linalool, benzyl benzoate, limonene, butylphenyl methylpropional, hydroxyisohexyl 3 -cyclohexene carboxyaldehyde, citronellol, geraniol, hydroxycitronellal
pH: 7
Type: Protein Containing Leave-in Conditioner

Thanks for reading :),

Product Review: Nexxus Signature Line

Good evening!

If you have ever read any of my wash day posts, especially recently, you'll notice that any of various Nexxus products are featured on wash days. I have to admit, when I first started my journey in 2011, I was not impressed. I was expecting these products to work magic, but after realizing that there is no magic product, I noticed it was more about determining the proper placement of a product in your regimen to obtain optimal results. After figuring out where Nexxus belonged in my hair care routine, these two of us have been madly in love lol. I use and own the bulk of the Nexxus signature line (excluding the styling products, I don't really use styling products at all) and I have for quite some time. This is definitely going to be a long post, but I promise it will be informative =)...

Nexxus Therappe Luxurious Moisturizing Shampoo

This is one of the few sulfate shampoos that I still own. I use this whenever I feel like I have build up or if I have been using a lot of silicone (like if I were to heat style or rollerset). This is a good moisturizing shampoo, with a pearly, somewhat thick consistency similar to that of most moisturizing sulfate shampoos. It smells like fresh coconut and cleans my hair in one lather without over-drying or making my hair feel hard. If you are sensitive to sulfates and silicones, of course this shampoo is most likely not for you. My scalp is sensitive to sulfates so I am just sure to do a hot oil treatment prior to washing and I follow up with my moisturizing sulfate free shampoo (Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo) to ensure that my scalp does not become irritated after use. As far as sulfate shampoos go, this one is pretty good.

Rating: 4.5/5
Claims:  Therappe Luxurious Hydrating Shampoo, now enhanced for superior salon performance and advanced moisturization, is specially formulated with Rosemary, Chamomile and Nettle, gently cleanses for nourished, healthy looking hair.
Ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Polyquaternium-10, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Gylcerides, Fragrance (Parfum), Cocamide DEA, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Coumarin, Panthenol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Methylisothiazolinone, Honey (Mel, Miel), Magnesium Citrate, Allantoin, Propylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 60, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Stearic Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Lipids, Ceramide 3, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil
pH: 7
Type: Moisturizing Sulfate Containing Shampoo

Nexxus Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner

Nexxus Humectress is a hair forum favorite for a good reason. This is the only protein-containing conditioner that actually manages to moisturize my hair. It always adequately conditions my hair without overmoisturizing. Humectress always comes through in the clutch-- during a stretch, after a fresh relaxer and even works magic for post gym dryness. The consistency is similar to that of a lotion, its more of an instant conditioner, but I've also used it to deep condition with and it does an amazing job. My hair always comes out soft, smooth and moisturized, usually I don't even need to use a leave-in before detangling! Humectress is definitely my go-to conditioner for rollersetting, as it smooths and detangles the hair making rollersetting a breeze :). It's also pH balanced and has an amazing coconut scent, that is particularly persistent when heat is used.

Rating: 5/5--Staple!
Claims: Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner, now enhanced for an elevated level of moisturization, is specially formulated with Vitamin E, Coconut Oil, and Honey Extract, provides nourishing moisture, leaving hair luxuriously soft, manageable, and full of lustre.
Ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau), Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Bis(C13-15 Alkoxy) PG-Amodimethicone, Stearalkonium Chloride, Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Fragrance (Parfum), Cetrimonium Chloride,  Dimethiconol, Isostearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, DMDM Hydantoin, C14-15 Alcohols, Alcohol Denat., Limonene, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Sodium Chloride, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Panthenol, Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Propylene Glycol, Red 33 (CI 17200), Red 4 (CI 14700), Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Polysorbate 60, Palmitic Acid, Myristic Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Stearic Acid, Honey Extract (Mel, Extrait de Miel), Ceramide 3, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Lipids, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil
pH: 5.5-6
Type: Moisturizing Deep Conditioner 

Nexxus Keraphix Restorative Conditioner

KerapHix definitely has a special place in my heart lol. During my first moisture overload during my journey my hair was limp, breaking and weak, I wasn't sure what protein treatment to try so I checked the suggested list of products in The Science of Black Hair (if you haven't read it yet, you should read it soon!), and opted to try Nexxus Keraphix to fix my moderate-severe breakage. I skated over to my local rite aid, purchased it, used it and 3 minutes later my hair was soft but STRONG, the breakage stopped and I've been in love with this product ever since. This protein conditioner has saved my hair multiple times and has helped it withstand daily wear and tear without that horrific hard feeling a lot of protein conditioners can give to the hair. Keraphix also has suprisingly good slip and it's pH balanced so the hair comes out stronger but super smooth. It also works in the 3 minutes suggested without heat. Since Keraphix is a medium (can be heavy for some) protein conditioner, if used too often it can put your hair into a protein overload, I would suggest using it no more than twice monthly. This conditioner was a staple from the first time I used it and hopefully they won't change the formula so we can stay together for a long, long time lol.

Rating: 5/5--Staple!
Claims: Keraphix Restorative Strengthening Conditioner, specially formulated with Collagen and Keratin Amino Acids, gently repairs damaged hair for softer, stronger, healthier looking hair from root to tip.
Ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau), Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Aspartic Acid, Quaternium-18, Fragrance (Parfum), DMDM Hydantoin, Isostearamidopropyl Ethyldimonium Ethosulfate, Citric Acid, PEG-9, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, DNA, Panthenol, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Sodium RNA, Zinc Chloride, Rhodochrosite Extract, Magnesium Citrate, Polyquaternium-10, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Sodium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Propylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Polysorbate 60, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Myristic Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Lipids, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ceramide 3, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols
pH: 5.5
Type: Medium Strength Protein Conditioner/Protein Reconstructor

I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this line to anyone in need of a good moisturizing deep conditioner or protein treatment that works quickly and effectively. I do want to include a few notes:
These products are not compatible with no-poo or sulfate-free regimens. The bulk of Nexxus products contain a lot of silicone, and if they are not removed regularly by sulfate shampoo usage build up can form and that can lead to breakage. Also for the protein sensitive or for those currently suffering from protein overload, be careful with the Nexxus signature line. Most of the products either contain protein or natural components that may strengthen the hair and that can worsen the hair's condition if protein is not necessary at the time of use.

Aside from those notes however, this line hasn't failed me yet!

Thanks for reading :),

The Favorite Series: Clarifying (Sulfate) Shampoo

Hey there :),

A few posts ago, I mentioned using a sulfate shampoo after having a bad run-in with a heat protectant, deep conditioner and serum that contained a lot silicone. Silicone, as well as the organic oils i.e. petroleum and mineral oil, can form a tacky buildup on hair that can seal out additional moisture and/or protein from entering the hair shaft. The reason why these ingredients can form this buildup is because they are hydrophobic "water-fearing" molecules; this means that they are not soluble in water so they can't be removed in it, and unfortunately these are also not removed with sulfate-free shampoos either. Due to the structure and composition of silicone and the other organic oils, they do not migrate into the hair shaft (like the natural oils that penetrate: coconut, olive, avocado and argan) and they can create linkages that can create absolute barriers. The barrier property of silicone and organic oils makes them extremely effective sealants, but that same ability to keep moisture in the hair also seals additional moisture out of the strands until these substances are removed from the hair. The inability for additional moisture to enter the hair when needed leads to dry, weak hair and breakage. Here is where sulfates come in; these are the stronger detergents that are capable of removing buildup to prevent the drying and damaging effects silicone and organic oil. Periodically a sulfate-containing shampoo should be used to remove these materials to keep the hair shaft pliable and free to absorb all of the moisturizing and strengthening products you need to maintain the beauty and health of your hair.

Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo


This shampoo works great for removing the build up created by dirt, styling products and the environment. It leaves my hair cleansed but doesn't leave it dry and brittle. It generally can remove most of my build up in one lather, but two may be necessary if gels and heavy oils or butters are a big part of your hair regimen. It's clear in color, has a great lather (like most sulfate shampoos) and a mild, clean scent. I love it's simple ingredients and the fact that it doesn't contain any other additives, so all you're getting is clean hair without all the crap. I use it monthly to maintain the health of my hair and ensure that my silicone use doesn't cause any setbacks.

Rating: 5/5 --Staple! 
Claims: Anti-Residue Shampoo is a shampoo treatment that instantly removes up to 90% of dulling residue caused by shampoos, conditioners and styling products.
It cleans hair thoroughly and easily rinses away. Use it once a week, then go back to your favorite shampoo. You'll find that it works better than ever. Works with all hair types.
Hair is clean and residue-free.


Ingredients: Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Citric Acid, DMDM Hydantoin, Fragrance
pH: 7
Type: Sulfate containing cleanser/Clarifier

Thanks for reading :),

The Favorite Series: Sulfate-Free Shampoo

Hello there :)

Since I started this blog after I established my hair regimen and many months into my hair care journey, I realized that I frequently refer to my favorite products without talking very much about them. I've decided to dedicate a series of posts to my staple products. The full list of my favorite products can be found on my Regimen link in the upper navigation bar. To kick off this series I'm going to talk about my favorite ever sulfate-free shampoo, the Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo.

 This was actually only the second sulfate-free shampoo I tried when I first began my hair journey. I'm a frequent shampooer and I was a die-hard sulfate fan. I have used a good amount of commercial sulfate shampoos, and some of them were beasts. I remember the old days when I was messing with Pantene and Tresemme that would leave my hair feeling like straw. I have an oily scalp and mild shampoos often just left my hair feeling as oily as it did prior to shampooing, if not worse. When I started taking better care of my hair and began researching, I found out about the evils of sulfates (skin irritation, damage to the pigment producing cells = more gray hair, ew lol) and opted to try the sulfate-free, mild shampoo route again. Well, after trying this shampoo I was truly blown away. I had no idea that my scalp and hair could be clean yet supple. This shampoo is so bananas that I can detangle my hair right after the shampoo step. I couldn't have asked for anything better, the search was over!

For my ladies with sensitive scalps, this shampoo has never caused me any problems with regard to irritation and it safely removes natural oils while not stripping your hair completely of the sebum it needs. This product is also barely scented and will most likely not aggravate those with sensitive skin or scalp conditions. I would recommend this product to anyone who is in dire need of a moisturizing, detangling sulfate-free shampoo.

Rating: 5/5-- Staple!!

Claims: Hydrates, smoothes and repairs strands, leaving hair manageably soft.

Ingredients: Deionized water, decyl glucoside (sugar beets), African butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), aloe vera leaf juice, argan oil, panthenol (pro-vitamin b5), rosemary extract, sea kelp extract, vitamin e, lonicera caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower and lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) flower extract.
pH: 7
Type: Moisturizing Cleanser
 
There will be many more posts in this series, but I will also be doing reviews of new products that I'm trying.

Thanks for reading :),