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
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.
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.
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.
Natural Hair wash days, who can honestly say they look forward to it?! I’m yet to meet a natural who LOVES wash day and can’t wait to get to detangling her beautiful curls/coils LOL. I thought I would share my simple natural hair routine to help you build your own if you are looking for one. My wash day routine is simple and sweet and only takes about 1.30 hours when I am not been lazy lol. let’s get started. I will link reviews to the products I mention as well.
Simple Natural Hair Routine
You’ve probably watched a bunch of YT videos showing a ton of different steps/ methods. The issue with that is some of those steps are unnecessary and just add time to your wash day. I learned simple is better and sticking with what works for my hair is also better. My wash day routine is 5 simple steps
Pre-poo– Coconut oil or any oil mix I have. Letting it sit for 10-15 mins
Shampoo– I rotate shampoos as I have a lot to review but I always use them long enough to get a feel of how they perform. My top recommendations for shampoos are the ORS Monoi Oil Shampoo and the ApHogee Deep Moisture Shampoo. Read all about shampoos here
Condition/Detangle– we all know the importance of conditioning and detangling natural hair. I love conditioners with a lot of ‘slip’ which makes it easier to comb through my 4c hair. I always detangle with a wide tooth comb but once in a while, I will also follow it with the Thick & Curly Tangle Teezer. For conditioning, it depends on what I want for my hair. For a quick & light protein treatment, I opt for the ApHogee 2 min Keratin.
Let it sit for 10 -15 mins with a hooded dryer or a plastic cap
Moisturise– I follow the L.O.C method using water as the L and switching different oils and creams. I love leave in conditioners. SM JBCO leave in is an all time fav but I also love the Aphogee Curlific and Cantu leave in.
Styling– because of my work schedule, I opt for protective styling during the week. this means after moisturizing, I will flat twist my hair in prep for a wig. When I do have my hair out, I will use the banding method to stretch out my hair (another post on this coming soon) or do two jumbo flat twists
That’s all folks! my simple natural hair routine with no gimmicks or tricks! Be sure to check out the reviews I have for the mentions I have mentioned! I am working on some more hair posts for my blog- it seems like I have totally abandoned the hair section of this blog lol.
For more hair info, check out these previous posts
The winter for many naturals including myself means protective styling. The cold weather, dry wind and rain plays havoc on my hair so rocking my wigs is a definite. Protective Styling doesn’t mean an absence of a proper hair care routine! In all its greatness, at the end of the day (week), you still have to detangle your fro!
Winter Hair Care
Should your hair routine change in the winter? Yes! Should you even change your products? Not really. I say this because if you are going to have your hair in a protective style, then it won’t matter what shampoo you use.
Your hair routine shouldn’t change drastically! I’m sure you’ve been taking care of your hair all year, a few tweaks is all that’s needed. Just like we focus more on moisture for our skin in the winter, we should focus (more) on moisture too for our hair. I say more because natural hair is already prone to dryness but the colder season can add to this too.
Winter Hair Care Tips
Deep condition frequently, preferably after every wash and with heat. The addition of the heat allows the active ingredients of the deep conditioner to penetrate further into the hair shaft
Scalp massages- essential for keeping your scalp healthy. Massaging stimulates blood flow to the area and with that comes the nutrients that are needed to nourish the scalp which in turn promotes growth. Take advantage of the plethora of growth oils for this
If you are rocking a protective style, make sure you take a break from them e.g. taking out braids after 4-6 weeks, taking off your wigs nightly etc. this ensure there isn’t a lot of tension on the scalp
If you use elastic bands for your wigs, try to use the thicker ones so that the pressure is distributed evenly
Of course, do not forget your silk/satin bonnet when you sleep!
Protein/keratin treatments (which reminds me, I am due a protein treatment!) to rebuild your hair and strengthen it. This prevents excessive breaking and shedding. More on protein and keratin can be read in my previous post here
Product Recommendations
Of course, no post on this blog would be complete without recommending some products!
Hey guys, I hope all is well. I am super late with this review but on the plus side, it means the product has been through rigid testing! This post will be a full review on the Zerreau Shampoo Foam I was sent some months back. The Shampoo Foam promises quick and easy hair cleansing in one quick step! The shampoo foam cleanses and lifts dirt and excess oils without the need for water! It’s suitable for all hair types including natural hair so this review will be geared towards natural hair and how effective it is on it as I am natural (type 4c)
Experience
I have been testing out the Shampoo Foam and using it to stretch my wash days. The foam has a lovely scent and the dispenser dispenses a good amount of it. It’s very straightforward to use: simply pump and apply directly to the roots and scalp and massage!
I have a quick demo below to show you how EASY it is to use!
I love using it when I have my cornrows for my wigs because it means I don’t even have to re do my cornrows (flat twists) and I still have clean fresh hair! It actually leaves my hair soft! I don’t experience any stickiness or dryness after the foam has completely dried and this doesn’t take long! I also haven’t had any irritation from it.
In terms of how clean my scalp is afterwards, I would say it’s pretty good. I use a lot of oils during the week if I have my wigs on and after using the foam my hair/scalp doesn’t feel oily.
Verdict
The Shampoo Foam is a winner in my books! I totally love how easy and effective it is! It’s definitely 4c natural hair approved too! I can also see this as a replacement for co-washing if that’s not your thing or perfect for travelling!
If you have protective styling esp. braids the Shampoo Foam is perfect for keeping your hair and scalp clean and fresh! You guys should definitely check this out!
Zerreau Shampoo Foam is £7.95 and available from Superdrug
Hey guys, how’s everyone doing? Good I hope. Today we will be talking about the Nunaat Naat Cream Blast of Shine conditioner, which is part of their Naat Cream range. The range has 7 conditioners in total and targets a range of hair issues like breakage, dryness and colour treated hair! I purchased 3 of them from the WITJ event last year and overall I have been impressed with all of them. I have reviews for the previous two I bought, check them out by clicking the links below
The Blast of Shine has avocado oil and fruit complex and is perfect for dry and damaged hair. It’s also says it leaves hair shiny and silky and revitalised. It also helps to detangle hair.
Ingredients
The fruit complex has lemon, orange, tangerine, pineapple and passion flower extract. It also has mineral oil.
Thoughts
It has an ok smell, nothing like avocados though lol. Compared to the previous Naat creams I have had, it has less slip but enough to detangle nonetheless. It has a medium thick consistency and yes its completely green!. It works excellent on my 4c hair to moisturise it and makes it so soft. I haven’t noticed shine on my hair after use but on my silky textures wigs e.g. Brazilian hair, it gives it a beautiful lustre.
Verdict
I REALLY love the size! 1kg will last you a while! While I haven’t used it every wash day on myself, I have used it religiously for my wigs and I have only hit half of the tub. I really like its quick action too, 3 mins is all you need, 5 if you want more however I always deep condition with mine anyway. I think it’s a fab purchase and good value for money. I got mine in a deal for 3 for £10 (I am hoping to catch NuNaat at a hair event this summer to buy more) or its £6.99 from Paks
The ORS Monoi Oil collection looks great and features a wide range of products, for a full list of products in the collection, check out my previous post.
I was sent the new shampoo and conditioner for a review a while back and I can finally bring you my thoughts on it. I will be reviewing the Monoi Oil Edge Control too. All the products I have feature Omega 3 & 6 which seems to be the main ingredient and has anti breakage and moisture properties.
The Fortifying Shampoo smells nice and has a runny consistency. It cleansed my scalp and hair really well without stripping it of its moisture. I used a fair amount to get a lot of suds which had a little slip to it which I was able to finger detangle easily with. After lathering my hair felt very soft.
The Fortifying Conditioner has the same scent as the shampoo and has a nice thick consistency. It has a good amount of slip which meant I was able to detangle quite easily with it, both with my tangle teezer brush and my wide tooth comb. The downside is because it’s quite thick I found it difficult to get it out of the bottle- cue hitting the bottle besides the sink and lots of shaking lol. Also it’s quite small- only 296ml! It made my hair really soft though, like butter soft! I always deep condition with heat for about 10 minutes with it.
The Anti Breaking Edge Control Hair Gel – I really like this! It claims to have a flexible hold which I find to be true because my edges are still laid when I take of my wig at the end of the day. It doesn’t melting during the day either! It is soft in the tub which I really like compared to most edge controls which are quite hard. I apply with a tooth brush and smooth it down with my fingers. If I have time to spare I will tie my hair down with a scarf but it’s good to go without that too. I believe its alcohol free (I lost the packaging it came in). I find most edge control gels work on slight damp hair but this works great on both damp and dry hair. Only thing is you can get some white flakes when you use it on top of other products.
Overall Thoughts
I really like this! The shampoo is great for detangling (actually says this on the product) and smells really nice. I really liked how soft it made my hair feel after rinsing. The conditioner is another favourite! The slip it gives is amazing! The only thing I wish they would change is the packaging or the size! I also prefer this edge control to their Olive Oil edge control. With regards to the anti-breakage properties, I haven’t really noticed a difference in the amount of hair shed during wash day- it’s been the same.
Make sure you check out the website for more information on this line and the products are now in stores
Xx
Lord God of Heaven! You are great, and we stand in fear of you. You faithfully keep your covenant with those who love you and do what you command
Hey guys, I hope everyone is doing well! I thought it would be super fun to compile a list of all the well-known terms in the natural hair community and boy do we have a lot! From A-Z, these are some of the well-used terms we like to throw about among ourselves leaving people that don’t know like whatt?? Lol. I also tried to find definitions and videos that explain it in detail! I hope you enjoy (P.S- I am also doing one for beauty)
A – Apple Cider Vinegar aka ACV. ACV has many benefits for your hair, but probably the most used one in the natural hair world is to use it as a clarifier or to balance pH levels. If you can stand the smell (Guys I tried, I really did, and I just couldn’t), buy from Holland and Barrett for £1.75
B– Bagging method/ BSL. The Bagging method is when you cover your hair with plastic bags in order to trap heat to allow your conditioner/oil/treatment to penetrate deeper into your hair (also see Greenhouse effect). It’s a good method to use if you do not have a steamer/hood dryer. BSL– Bra Strap Length- a term used to measure the length of your hair. When you get to BSL it simply means your hair is now reaches your bra strap.
C– Co washing/ Curly Girl Method. Co-washing- using a cleansing conditioner to wash your hair instead of a shampoo. This is said to add moisture compared to shampoo stripping the moisture away. Read more about this and see product recommendations in my Cleansing series post. CurlyGirlMethod– I must admit, I don’t really understand this method nor have I tried it lol but I found a video that can help you.
D– Detangling/ Dusting your ends. Detangling- combing/ fingering through your hair with either an oil/conditioner to help ease out shed hair and tangles. Dustingyourends– quick and easy way of trimming our own hair. After putting your hair in twists, you simply trim a bit of the ends
F– Finger detangling. See Detangling. Instead of using a comb/brush, you use your fingers to detangle your hair
G- Greenhouse effect. See Bagging method. Trapping heat on your hair so that it helps the treatments penetrate your hair.
H- Hot oil treatments/ Heat train/damage. Warming oil and applying it on your hair as a treatment. Warming the hot helps it penetrate deeper into your hair. Heattrain– watch a video of it below. Heatdamage– when you use high heat on your hair for a long period of time usually without a heat protectant, your hair becomes dry, brittle etc and the only way to get rid of it, is to cut it.
I- Indian oiling method/ inversion method. Read more of the Indian Oiling method here. See a video on the Inversionmethod below
K- Kitchen. The back area of your hair. Hair in the nape area that is usually dry.
L- L.O.C method. The method of moisturising dry hair using a Liquid Oil and Cream. This is very effective for dry/4c hair. There are a number of variations to it L.C.O L.O.C.O, see how to do it below. Dark and Lovely have a whole line to help you take out the guess work, read it here
M- Maximum hydrating method. Another method I haven’t used, fear not watch a video below
N -Nappy hair. BS some people call natural hair lol
O- Oil rinsing. After shampooing, saturating hair with oils before applying conditioner to help retain moisture. Or applying oils after you rinse out the conditioner and lightly washing out the excess.
P- Pre poo treatments/ Protective styling. Pre poo treatments- a treatment before you shampoo to help retain/ protect your hair from hydral fatigue, read more here. Protectivestyling– a style to protect your hair from the elements or to prevent you from manipulating it too much which could lead to excess breaking/shedding. This can be wigs/braids/ buns etc.
S- Stretching my hair/ Shrinkage. Stretching- after washing, twist/braiding/threading etc your hair in order to elongate it or manipulate your curls so the lay flatter/longer. This prevents shrinkage.
Shrinkage– natural hair esp type 4 has the tendency to shrink/ lose length when it gets in contact with water. This is perfectly normal and is doesn’t mean your hair is damaged.
T- Threading. Wrapping thread around your hair in order to stretch it. Wash the demo below
U- U part wigs. See Protective Styling. A wig that has a u part style in the front that allows you to leave your hair out. It’s so easy to make, watch a tutorial below
W- Wash and Go/ Water washing. Wash and Go- after washing your hair, applying gels or curl defining creams and allowing it to air dry. WaterWashing– using water only to wash your hair. See a video on it below!
That’s all for now folks! I missed out some letters because I couldn’t think of a term for it in the NHC. If you can think of any, please help us out! Drop a comment below! I would love to get all the letters!
Hey family, I hope you are doing well! I have a product review for you guys today and we will be talking about one of my favourite brands NuNaat!
Learn more about the whole collection by watching the video below, Claire talks us through the whole collection and its uses! This was from the WITJ event in May last year, read my event cover here
So I purchased 3 of the NAAT Creams and I have been using them on and off since then! I have a review for the Garlic and Cupuacu Cream (finished) up (read it here)
Today, we will talk about the Argan Oil & Macadamia NaatCream which has been formulated to provide deep moisture and is ideal for dry hair. It also claims to provide long lasting frizz treatment and restore shine and softness. It gets to work in as little as 3 mins!
My experience
It has really good slip! Something I always appreciate in a conditioner as I use it to detangle. I left it on for 5 mins with a cap and when I was rinsing out it out my hair felt really soft. I like the big size of it! Nunaat got it right for us naturals lool. I am not a big fan of the smell though, it almost smells like medicine or a cleaning product.
I like to use it on ‘lazy’ wash days- days where I need a just condition my hair! So I really like it works in 3 minutes.
Verdict- it’s a good one to have in your collection, especially for slip. it leaves your hair nice and soft and a big bonus to the size meaning it will last you a while!
You must be logged in to post a comment.