HAIR CONDITIONERS – sarah fynn

Cantu GrapeSeed Shampoo and Conditioner Review

The Cantu brand has a special place in every black girl’s hair product collection. I’ve known of Cantu even from my relaxed days and I have used many of their products.

The new Grapeseed collection features 7 products in total and I received 5. For this wash day, I decided to add the new shampoo and conditioner to my routine.

Conditioner

My hair has been in braids for 4 weeks prior so I wanted to start with detangling first. The conditioner is light and runny and has enough slip. I used a good amount on each section of my hair, using a wide tooth comb from the ends to the roots of hair. The conditioner smells great and does a good job of detangling. Since I was using this just for detangling, I didn’t leave it on my hair too long but after I washed it out, my hair felt softer

Shampoo

The shampoo lathers up well and felt gentle on the scalp. It’s formulated with shea butter and grapeseed oil. I loved it. It rinses out easily too. I always go in with 2 washes and it didn’t dry out my hair. The lather is produces was ok for finger detangling.

Verdict

This collection is for curly, coily and wavy hair and it worked really well for my 4c hair. It’s a good shampoo and conditioner if you are looking to try some new ones. I’ve had no issues with it. I love the scent and the performance did not disappoint me

Cantu GrapeSeed Shampoo is £7.99 on lookfantastic

Cantu GrapeSeed Conditioner is £7.99 on lookfantastic

Crème of Nature Pure Honey Conditioner and Edge Control Review

Crème of Nature have a lot of products on the market, my favourite one being the Argan Oil Spray leave-in conditioner. Their Pure Honey collection is a full collection featuring both hair care & styling products. I was gifted the collection back in 2018, and whilst I have only gotten round to using the conditioners, I have been using the edge control for a while. Today’s post will be a full review of the conditioner and edge control.

Pure Honey Moisturising Dry Defense Conditioner

What the brand says

SEAL IN MOISTURE FOR SMOOTH & SOFT HAIR: Lock in moisture and control frizz with our Moisturizing Dry Defense Conditioner infused with Pure Honey, Certified Natural Coconut Oil and Shea Butter.

PRODUCT BENEFITS: Locks In Moisture, Smoothes & Softens, Controls Frizz & Untangles

NO Sulfates*, NO Mineral Oil*

Experience

I have used the conditioner a few times in my wash day routine. Its 355ml and I have been able to get 4 uses out of it. This conditioner smells amazing and the packaging is quite cute( reminds me of milkshakes from Asda lol).

It’s a thick and creamy conditioner which has a good amount of slip for detangling. After shampooing, I divide my hair into 4 parts, then work the conditioner into each section separately, taking my time to detangle and comb through, from ends to the root of the hair. The conditioner provides slip for the comb to glide through my hair easily without tugging and breaking. I leave this on for about 5 mins when I don’t want to deep condition and it rinses away easily. My hair is left softer and conditioned.

Moisture Infusion Edge Control

What the brand says

SLEEK EDGES WITH 24-HOUR HOLD & CONTROL: Infused with Pure Honey, Certified Natural Coconut Oil and Shea Butter, Moisture Infusion Edge Control provides the perfect hold and control for sleek hairstyles.

PRODUCT BENEFITS: 24-Hour Hold & Control, Brilliant & Healthy Shine, Anti-Frizz, Non-Flaking, Non-Sticky, Non-Greasy

NO Sulfates*, NO Mineral Oil*

Experience

Here’s the tea, everyone talks about the Argan oil edge control from Crème of nature and I’ve heard of how amazing it is (I’m yet to use it). I was pretty excited then to try this one because it should be good as the Argan oil one right? This edge control is the classic ‘I will hold you down for 10 mins tops’ lol. The hold isn’t great and doesn’t last. The edge control doesn’t leave white flakes and doesn’t leave your edges looking shiny lol but the ‘perfect hold’ they promise isn’t there, at least not for my 4c hair

Verdict

For my dry 4c natural hair, I love the rinse out conditioner! The main things I look for in a conditioner are slip and softness and the conditioner delivers on those. As for the edge control, I’m not surprised because a lot of edge controls don’t work for my edges. If you have finer or relaxed hair it may work but for my 4c hair, the hold lasts about 10 mins before it curls up and goes back to normal.

These products are available from Superdrug.

Garnier Ultimate Blends Maple Healer Conditioner Review

Garnier is one of my favourite drugstore brands, the skincare range is affordable and has many effective products, I have also used their some items from their body care range and I liked that too. Their haircare range however I approach with caution because I have natural afro hair and most likely some of the items may not be geared towards my hair texture and type.

To date, I have only used the Garnier Mystic Olive Oil collection which was gifted to me and I really like it. You can find my reviews here. A few years ago, I went to a Garnier event and I was gifted some more hair products, because of my good previous experience with them, I was actually looking forward to the products.

The Maple Healer collection is made for very damaged hair and has castor oil and maple sap to revitalise and intensely repair the hair. The Intense Repairer conditioner has no parabens and promises to leave the hair feeling stronger.

Experience

I was given the shampoo, conditioner and balm which I have been using slowly. The conditioner comes in a huge 400ml tube and has a creamy texture. It smells great lingers for a while but isn’t overpowering.

I find that the conditioner has enough slip for me to detangle with. I have natural 4c hair which is thick, shrinks and gets tangled quite easily. This conditioner helps me smooth my hair and run my comb through it. I leave it on for 5 – 10 mins before rinsing. It really makes a difference! My hair is left soft and feels conditioned

Verdict

I have to admit I have been quite lazy with my hair and washing it every 2 weeks instead of weekly. This means going into wash days, my hair is usually quite dry (I do slick buns), so I can really tell a difference in the feel of my hair. I really like this conditioner. If this is the only conditioner left in stores and wondering how it will work for our hair, get it, it works. I also really liked the intense balm (review on my Instagram). I’m yet to try the shampoo.

Garnier Maple Healer Conditioner is £3.99

We are leaving in a time where things aren’t normal and won’t be for a while, but we will get through this!

Cantu Cleanse and Care Hair & Scalp Masque Review

The Cantu Cleanse and Care hair and scalp masque is made wit bentonite clay and proms to cleanse and care for the hair and scalp with stripping natural oils. I’m not sure when these were released but I got this very late year after I attended an event.

Experience

I was confused as to where to add this product in my wash day routine because it says cleanse on the packet it sounds as if it has some cleansing properties however the directions state to apply to clean damp hair. I applied the product after water rinsing my hair (my hair was just in a slick bun for a few days so I didn’t have a lot of product build-up).

The product has the same scent as other cantu products, the added bentonite clay didn’t make a difference to the scent. The product was creamy and felt more like a deep conditioner. It didn’t have any slip so I did not detangle with it. It promises nourished strands and a revitalized scalp but honestly I don’t know if it made a difference or not

Verdict

I have used bentonite clay before so I was looking forward to using this product. I was a little confused as to where this would fit in in my wash day routine but I used it after rinsing hair with water. I didn’t experience much benefits, maybe some softness but nothing to write home about. There is no slip for detangling. My hair or scalp didn’t feel cleaner. I’m not sure if this product also comes in a bigger size but for me, I had 2 packs and used both in one wash day so I don’t know if the benefits come from continued use.

Do you need this product? Probably not.

Cantu Cleans & Care hair & scalp masque is £2.99 at Boots

Organix Quenching Coconut Curls Shampoo and Conditioner Review

Let’s take break from skincare reviews and focus on hair care. Today’s post will be a full review on the Organix Quenching Coconut Curls Shampoo & conditioner. I was gifted this product a very long time ago and I have only gotten round to using it.

Organix Quenching Coconut Curls has coconut and citrus oil as well as sweet honey to help enhance natural curls and boost shine. It promises to soften hair whilst gently cleansing and conditioning it

Experience

Shampoo

The shampoo has a very thick consistency and smells great (tropical coconut obviously), it produces a lot of lather even with a fair amount and surprisingly I can finger detangle, even comb through (slowly, gently and in smaller sections) with the foam. I always do a double rinse and this shampoo leaves my hair and scalp well cleansed but not stripped. The shampoo rinses clean and easily

Conditioner

Following with the Quenching conditioner, this product has the same pleasant scent as the shampoo and a thick creamy consistency. Again the conditioner offers a good amount of slip for detangling using a good amount. Whilst I like the shape of the bottle, because of the thick consistency of the conditioner, the shape made it slightly difficult to squeeze out especial when I was trying to get the last bits of it lol. I usually leave it on for 10-15 mins, and it rinses well and leaves my hair soft.

Did it enhance my curls? No, but most shampoos that claim to do this never do on my kinky hair anyway. Did I see some kinky curl definition? In some parts yes (a few strands clumped together) which just means my hair is well hydrated and moisturised but it wasn’t a wash and go defined curls. I wasn’t expecting curl definition anyway.

Verdict

It’s worth using definitely, it leaves my hair which tends to be dry well conditioned and moisturised. I like the slip from both the shampoo and conditioner so it means I can detangle as I go along. The shampoo does well to cleanse excess product build up and dirt and the conditioner provides enough slip to detangle and helps to soften the hair. They both smell great but don’t linger too much. Will you get curl definition no, at least not for 4c hair anyway.

These are available on Boots for £6.99 each

L’Oréal Extraordinary Curl Nourishment Conditioner review

The first of its kind from L’Oréal, the Elvive Extraordinary Curl Nourishment collection has been specially formulated for drug afro/curly hair. The collection has a shampoo, rinse out conditioner and hair mask. I was gifted the shampoo and conditioner some time ago (about 2 years smh) and I am only getting around to using them. This post will be a full review on the Curl Nourishment Conditioner which I have been using for the past 2 months.

The Curl Nourishment conditioner has been formulated with alma oil and 6 other oils and promises to provide supreme nourishment, vibrant shine and defined curls

Experience

This is a creamy thick conditioner that feels luxurious and smells great. I find this conditioner provides enough slip for detangling my hair.

The L’Oréal Extraordinary Curl Nourishment Conditioner pairs very well with the shampoo and leaves my hair feeling very soft and conditioned. I use a fair amount on each section on hair and use a wide tooth comb from the ends to the root for detangling. It rinses out well and clean.

Verdict

There isn’t much I can say about the conditioner other than I really love it. It leaves my hair very soft and conditioned plus it has enough slip for detangling. It pairs well with the shampoo but also other shampoos I have used it with.

I think it’s one of the better conditioners in the drugstore: it’s accessible and affordable. It also comes in a big tube of 400ml.

I cant find this online on Boots/Superdrug but you can get it in stores.

Read my review on the shampoo

I will work on an updated drugstore natural hair product list soon, for now, check out my best conditioners here

Catch you later

Garnier Ultimate Blends Mystic Olive Oil Review

Garnier is probably one of my favourite drugstore brands, their skincare collection is budget-friendly and effective. I have never tried any of their haircare products, I tend to stick to products made for natural hair but I received a beautiful package from them last year (or was it the year before? its been a while basically) so I decided to give it ago. I have had the Garnier Ultimate Blends Mystic Olive Oil Collection for a while and I have been busy using it so I can how share my full thoughts on it and how it performs on natural afro hair

What is it?

The Garnier Ultimate Blends Mystic Olive Oil has been formulated for dry brittle hair and blended with virgin olive oil and safflower seed oil. Made with no parabens and promises to nourish and smooth hair without weighing it down. It leaves hair easier to detangle and soft to touch.

Garnier Ultimate Blends Mystic Olive Oil Collection has a shampoo, Rinse out conditioner and a hair balm/treatment

Experience

Garnier Ultimate Blends Mystic Olive Oil Shampoo

The shampoo has a lovely scent comes in a generous 360ml bottle. I wasn’t expecting much from this shampoo but I have been pleasantly surprised by it and I really like it. It suds up well, a little goes a long way and it helps me finger detangle my hair! I can tell it adds moisture to my hair as my curls look so defined with it! for a shampoo that suds up a lot, it doesn’t leave my hair and scalp dry at all. My hair is really left softer and well cleansed. This shampoo also works great on curly hair extensions and straight hair textures as well.

Garnier Ultimate Blends Mystic Olive Oil Conditioner & Hair Balm

I didn’t use the conditioners a lot on my hair because I didn’t expect much once again so when I did finally try it on my hair, I only had enough for two applications! It does provide enough slip to detangle with and really helps leave my hair soft and conditioned! I used this mostly on my wigs and it conditioned them really well and gave a lovely lustre to them. The balm does work like a hair mask/treatment so it penetrates deeper and left longer on the hair than the rinse out conditioner. (post explaining the difference between deep conditioners and conditioners here)

Overall thoughts

I really love this collection and the Olive Oil makes this superb for dry natural hair. My 4c hair is dry and very brittle so this collection was the perfect antidote for it. I wish I used the conditioners on my hair earlier so I could have benefited from them too but ah well my wigs got most of it. I love all 3 products but I think the shampoo a bit more as it leaves my hair super soft, cleansed and the fact that I can finger detangle with it is a huge bonus!

Do I approve it for natural afro hair? Yes and Yes! The products are very affordable and they work. They also work great for curly hair extensions so if you are looking for something to help maintain your extensions without drying them out (because most of the time shampoos and curly hair doesn’t go well) then this collection will work great.

Garnier Ultimate Blends Mystic Olive Oil products start from £3.99 at Boots

Palmer’s Olive Oil Formula Replenishing Conditioner Review

The Palmer’s Olive Oil with Jamaican Black Castor Oil haircare collection has been designed for unruly frizz-prone hair. It’s has a moisture-rich formula for strong shiny hair. Last week, I reviewed the Smoothing Shampoo from the collection and how much I enjoyed using it. Today’s post will focus on the Replenishing Conditioner.

The Palmer’s Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner has been formulated without sulfates, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil and gluten. Every product in the collection including this one has been made with 100% pure olive and Jamaican black castor oil. The addition of jbco is the main difference between the new olive oil formula and the old collection. Remember the old collection has the solid green packaging. I have a review on the old Olive Oil Cowash. A review on the new one will be up soon too.

The Replenishing Conditioner promises to increase moisture levels, smooth out frizzy hair and leave hair soft and shiny. The conditioner has a thick (medium thick) consistency and dispenses easily from the tube it comes in. When it was time to detangle, the conditioner provided just enough slip to comb through my hair with a wide tooth comb with (some) ease. This conditioner really impressed me with 1st use and I will tell you why. Going into that wash day, my hair was super dry, I hadn’t washed it for 3 weeks and moisture was basically none existent. I was also slightly nervous, I didn’t know what to expect as I was very short on time that day. I should have used something I knew softened and conditioned my hair but I went ahead with the conditioner…

While the Smoothing Shampoo did a lot to help me finger detangle and add some moisture and softness, I knew I needed something more to restore softness and penetrate deeper into to my hair. After combing the conditioner through my hair, I let it sit for 5 – 10 mins (literally) without heat. My hair felt SOFT. And SOFT. I’m really not sure what it did to my hair lol. It felt really soft and conditioned. I was SUPER IMPRESSED. 5-10 mins with no heat and I get this cloud of softness?!

Whatever it did to my hair, it lasted throughout the week! Sometimes I find that my hair loses that ‘just been conditioned’ feeling after a couple of days. But not with this conditioner (I would also say my moisturising routine helped but it’s mostly down to the conditioner I believe) my hair was still soft and conditioned. I remember feeling super happy with my hair that week and I couldn’t stop playing with it. The conditioner didn’t disappoint on the next use too.

There are only two things I don’t like about the Palmers Replenishing conditioner. 1. The scent. It has a slightly different scent to the Shampoo and Leave in conditioner. I like those scents but this one smells slightly off lol. It doesn’t linger though so I can forgive that. 2. The size. The shampoo is a massive 400ml but the conditioner is only 250ml. I would have preferred it the other way round. The size also means it has lasted two full washdays with a little left for a 3rd wash.

Verdict

I love this conditioner and it’s something I would buy. I feel it’s perfect for 4c natural hair: it really penetrates the hair and leaves a lasting softness to it which we are always after. The addition of pure jbco will help maintain healthy hair and scalp too. I was very impressed with it from the very first wash and the second time around it didn’t disappoint too. I also like the amount of slip the conditioner gives- it’s perfect for detangling. I just wish the product came in a bigger size. I suppose if you didn’t detangle with it, you would use a smaller amount which means it would last you a bit longer but still a bigger size would be better.

I love this conditioner and I am looking to purchase it soon!

Palmer’s Olive Oil Formula Replenishing Conditioner is £4.19 at Superdrug. Its part of the 3 for 2 offer on black & Asian Haircare products.

I will be reviewing the Spray Leave-In Conditioner next, watch out for that post!

PR sent

The whole collection

ApHogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor Review

Last week, I spoke about the ApHogee Protein Treatment and its benefits for all hair types. This is a hard-core protein treatment that is only recommended for severely damaged hair and every 6-8 weeks. A ‘softer’ treatment for weekly use will be their Keratin Reconstructor which is a blend of keratin amino acids, botanical oils and vitamins that work perfectly on dry, brittle hair.

Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor

As with all ApHogee products, it’s been pH optimized and contains their exclusive propHytamine complex which is a combination of proteins for added strength, emollients for shine and humectants for softness. The Keratin treatment is recommended for weekly use and eliminates dry, itchy scalp, repairs damaged hair and restores softness. It also claims to repair heat and chemical damage and help restore hair after swimming and use of hard water. Bleached, permed and relaxed hair can also enjoy its benefits.

Experience

ApHogee hit the nail on the head with this treatment! It has a good amount of slip for detangling. It also has a pleasant smell almost like coconuts. What I really like about this is how soft it makes my hair. After using this, my hair feels very soft and healthy with reduced breakage/shedding. They recommend you leave the treatment on for 2 to 5 minutes- severe cases. I also like the fact that this is a one-step treatment compared to the Protein 2 step treatment. The big size is a bonus you get 473ml which will last you a while. It works perfectly well on natural hair too in my experience, I know a lot of people were wondering if it’s for relaxed hair only.

Overall verdict- 5/5

For more information on ApHogee products please visit their website

Keratin Treatment is £ 7.19 at Pauls Hair World

A full review on the Deep Moisture Shampoo will be up soon!

How do you deal with breakage and shedding?

ApHogee Two Step Protein Treatment

Protein treatments, your hair needs a protein treatment. I need a protein treatment etc etc. everybody talks about how much they benefited from a protein treatment but never why they did it.

In the simplest of explanation, your hair is mostly made of protein and from time to time (especially before a harsh treatment) you will need to ‘top up the protein’ to strengthen it.

But I deep condition every wash day!

Whilst that is good, you need to find a balance of protein and moisture treatments for optimal hair health. If you are experiencing excessive breakage/ shedding or dryness, it may be an indication you need a protein treatment. Protein treatments are quite risky to do at home, especially if you are a 1^st timer, a simple mistake can have dire results so I will always recommend you go to a professional for it. However if you are confident you can do it, ApHogee has the two step protein treatment which has excellent benefit for all hair types!

The ApHogee Two Step is a hardcore protein treatment and is only recommended every 6- 8 weeks and to be done by a professional. It is specially formulated to work with heat to infuse protein into the hair and reduce breakage. I have been using this since January, once every 8 weeks or more and I have noticed my hair health improve a lot. My hair wasn’t in bad shape but this has taken it to the next level.

I was very nervous when I first bought it, I watched countless of videos and read the instructions many times because I did not want to mess it up. It’s also worth mentioning that after a hardcore protein treatment like this, it is important to balance it with a moisture treatment (protein makes your hair slightly hard) and the second step in this process is the balancing moisture conditioner. I have a lot of moisture conditioners but I wanted to make sure I use products that have been formulated to work to together ( they make a huge difference in the end result) especially with this protein treatment so I bought the matching conditioner and a shampoo too( I recommend you do too, most shops sell the treatment in a pack anyways, I got everything for £17.99 I think).

Process

The instructions are quite easy to follow, just make sure you run everything through in your head lol before you do and watch countless of videos. I always part my hair and apply the protein step by step and gently comb it though. You are to shake well (makes it frothy) and apply. I pour mine in a spray bottle which makes it easier, its still a messy process and not the most pleasant smell.

After this, you use heat to ‘activate it’, I use my blow-dryer until all the protein is dried and my hair is rock hard (I DO NOT manipulate the hair in anyway!). Then completely rinse and add the balancing conditioner, then rinse. Whilst my hair doesn’t feel really soft after the treatment, I notice my hair feels stronger and shedding/breaking is reduced. I have also noticed my hair is retaining length and thickness a lot more.

I only do this once a while, a more appropriate treatment for weekly use will be their Keratin Treatment, which I will talk about in another post.

I will definitely recommend the ApHogee 2 Step Protein Treatment if you want to do a protein treatment at home but if you are not sure please visit the salon.

You can get a pack with the Protein treatment, Balancing Moisturiser and Deep Moisture Shampoo for £21.95 on Amazon. This will last you a while since you’re only using it once a while.

Have you benefited forma protein treatment? Let me know!