My Must Have Products :)

   Alberto Vo5 Moisture Milks and Herbal Escapes
     Alberto VO5 Conditioners are my favorite conditioners to use for cowashing!  These conditioners can my purchased for prices as low as 88 cents!  (That's what I'm talking about!  Great products without breaking the bank lol.)  Since I currently do not shampoo my hair,  I love to use the Herbal Escapes Clarifying Conditioner in Kiwi Lime Squeeze, as my shampoo replacement and one of the other two afterwards.  The Kiwi Lime Squeeze conditioner cleans my scalp nicely and does not strip my hair in any way. The smell is nice and refreshing.  This conditioner is able to be used alone as it does not dry out the hair.  It is also silicone-free :)
    Alberto VO5 Moisture Milks "Strawberries and Cream" conditioner is lightweight but packs in lots of moisture for my coils.  It leaves my hair baby soft and smelling sweet!  It  also works great as a detangling aid.  The scent from this conditioner is sweet but not overwhelming. This conditioner contains soymilk proetins, so keep that in mind if your hair doesn't like protein. This is a silicone -free conditioner.  I am currently experimenting with using this condtioner as a leave in as well.  I will be sure to let you know how that works out :)
      Alberto Vo5 Moisture Milks "Passionfruit Smoothie" smells wonderful! It's my favorite scent out of these three conditioners.  This conditioner is light weight and leaves my hair very soft.  This conditioner also contains soymilk protein, so keep that in mind if you are protein sensitive.  It is silicone-free so it doesn't leave any build up.  Alberto VO5 "Passionfruit Smoothie" conditioner seems to activate my coils better than the other two conditioners.  So, for days I want more "pop"  from my coils, I reach for this one :)
 I have used all three of these conditioners together and separately and they are all fantastic.  The price point makes it tempting to collect them all!  (Which I can assure you I will be buying a few more scents soon. lol )

    TRESemme Naturals Conditioner w/ Aloe Vera and Avocado
    This is a lightweight, silicone free conditioner.  I like to use this conditioner as a leave-in because it leaves my hair moisturized and soft for a long time.  This conditioner has amazing slip for detangling.  It even has a nice hold for twists if you do not wish to use gel.  This conditioner can be purchased for around  $6.00.  The bottle is huge so the value is wonderful :)  Although this conditioner is great as a leave-in,  the smell is a little too light for me.  It doesn't seem to linger very long in my hair.  I enjoy fresh smelling hair, so I'm starting to experiment with other conditioners to use as my leave-in.  I also have to be sure to concentrate on the ends of my hair rather than my scalp. I have had the "itchies" from getting too much on my scalp at times. 


    Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner
    I love to use these conditioners as a part of my deep conditioning routine.  I tend to mix them with Castor Oil and deep condition wearing a plastic cap.  This conditioner leaves my fro super soft.  Suave Naturals "Tropical Coconut" conditioner smells wonderful. There is no real reason why I am using the Tropical Coconut fragrance...  it just happens to be the one I have under my sink lol.  I tend to like most of the Suave Naturals conditioners.  This conditioner is thicker in consistancy in comparison to VO5, so it is better to use for deep conditioning.  I have co-washed with this conditioner and although my hair feels nice, it doesn't clean my scalp as well as the VO5.  The price of this conditioner is usually under $3.00.  Another great deal!

---

Avocado Butter
    Avocado Butter will forever be with me!  This butter is just amazing.  It has a thick and rich consistancy so a little goes a long way. Its texture allows it sink right into thirsty tresses.   Avocado butter is excellent for providing moisture, nourishment, and shine.  It makes my hair feel soft and smooth.  It doesn't have too much of a smell, so it would probably work well if you wanted to add essential oils to it for fragrance.  Finding out exactly how much you hair will need is "key "here.  This butter can make your hair feel greasy if too much is used.  I would start out small and work my way up.  When I first bought this butter I was way too heavy handed with it. LOL  My hair soaks up everything so I was still able to wear my "buttery" hair out in public lol.  Even though I over applied this butter in the beginning, my hair absorbed if after 1 day and the greasy feel was gone.  I was left with a soft and cushy fro. This butter is a staple of mine :)
    


Olive oil
    Olive oil?! For me?! Who knew?!  LOL  I can't believe how much I love this oil. What was once seriously disliked by my hair, is now a must have!   I like to use olive oil everytime I cowash my hair.  I like to use it directly on soaking wet hair for optimum moisture benefits.  Applying the oil on soaking wet hair first , allows the moisture from the water to remain on the hair longer.  Water is the best moisturizer for our hair :)  Applying olive oil to my hair before anything else also allows my hair to stay stretched longer.  It doesnt cause my hair to draw up from getting wet immediatly like it used to lol.  My hair "hangs out" out for a longer period of time before "retreating" to my scalp.  This allows me to save time styling my hair because I have more length to work with. I don't have as much trouble sectioning my hair for twisting. I love how this oil makes my hair shine.  (My hair doesn't shine on its own! lol) 

Castor Oil
   The thickness of this oil can be intimidating lol.  "How is the world am I supposed to use this syrupy stuff on my hair?"  was my initial thought when I first bought it.  It took me awhile to make this oil work for me.  Castor oil helps my deep conditioning routine go smoothly :)  It has a very thick and super rich consistancy. Castor oil is known to help thicken the hair.   It can be used directly on the scalp or as a conditioning aid for extra nourishment.  Feel free to mix this oil with your favorite light oil (olive,almond, jojoba etc.) to loosen it up for easier application.   I like to mix this oil along with my Suave Naturals conditioner and deep condition my hair with a plastic cap.  Sometimes I even sit under a hooded dryer for 15-20 minutes for maximum benefits.  This oil is known to detoxify the skin of impurities, so sometimes this may cause itching. 

---

Aloe Vera Gel  
       This gel is fantastic for a light hold without the crunch.  The gel that I currently use is not 100 percent organic so it does not require refrigeration.  I love how aloe vera gel smooths my hair.  It is very light, so at times you may need to use more product than you think.  This gel has little to no fragrance so it shouldn't irritate allergies. 


Eco Styler Olive Oil
      This gel is a little tricky for me. I love how this gel holds down my edges when I want a sleek look.  However, I have not been able to use this get all over my head. It tends to make my hair look ashy and dull .  It also has a "draggy and dry "  feel as I apply it.  This is a very firm holding gel so there is quite a bit of crunch once it dries.   Since my hair needs a ton of moisture to stay healthy, I don't feel comfortable using this gel anywhere other than my edges at the moment.  It is an alcohol free gel but it does have some protein.  So if you are protein sensitive, this gel may cause dryness.  Eco Styler Olive Oil Styling Gel has a pretty strong cologne scent.  I have allergies but this gel doesn't bother me too much :)

Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Styling Gel 
    This gel is light and easy on the hair.  It has a light fragrance but it is not as strong as the Eco styler gel.  This gel gives my hair a light hold so I have to use quite a bit to get my desired results.  I like to use this gel for updos and my edges if I want a slightly stronger hold than aloe vera gel.  This gel can leave a little crunch if too much is applied.  It also contains proteins so it may make your hair feel dry. I find that it doesn't really give my hair shine like it claims but overall it is a decent gel.

    These are the products that are in my current regimin.  What are your favorite products to use? 

Check out my YouTube Video for more info on my must have products :)



Natural Hair 4C- My Must Have Products :)

---