Natural hair care – sarah fynn

Crème of Nature Argan Oil Moisture and Shine Shampoo Review

Crème of Nature has been a brand that’s been around for a while! I love their products especially the Argan Oil Collection! It performs well and it smells great. Whilst I haven’t tried a lot of products from the brand, what I have tried I have loved! One of my fav spray leave-in conditioners is from Crème of Nature, check out the review here

Today’s post will be a full review on the Crème of Nature Argan Oil Moisture and Shine Shampoo. This is a sulfate free shampoo that promises to gently cleanse the hair, help detangle whilst adding shine, softness and strength to the hair. It’s been formulated with Argan oil from Morocco.

Experience

I have had this shampoo for a while and I have been using it on and off as I had older products to get through. For the last month and a half though, I have been using it consistently and I am now out of it. This shampoo has the same great scent as the rest of the products in the Argan Oil collection.

The shampoo has a thick consistency and a fair amount gives a lot of suds. I really like this shampoo because it really softens my hair. I have been wearing my hair out a lot lately and been quite lazy to moisturise it, actually I have chosen a slick bun as my protective style so it’s quite difficult to properly moisture without having to take it apart and start again so it’s safe to say going into my weekly wash days, my hair has been dry. The shampoo gently cleanses my hair and scalp and softens it.

In terms of detangling, I think this shampoo provided enough slip for finger detangling which I absolutely love. It always makes subsequent detangling with conditioner and a comb easier and quicker even when my hair is tangled quite a bit. I think I took a while to use it because it thought it wasn’t suitable for natural hair so I was only using it on my wigs for a while. It also performed really well on them

Verdict

An excellent choice of shampoo for all hair textures including natural hair. I really like how it softens my hair and helps me detangle it. The scent is a bonus. One thing I will comment though is the texture of the shampoo changed in the last few months I was using it HOWEVER I have also used it on and off for 2 years (don’t judge me) or maybe longer and once a product is opened there is a best before time period to use it by. It still worked absolutely fine anyway but just something to note if you have had this shampoo for a while and it looks like it has changed textured.

I will recommend this.

Crème of Nature Argan Oil Moisture and Shine Shampoo is £4.99 at Superdrug

The Best Shampoos For Natural Hair

The co-washing crazy seems to be dying down now. Whilst I never believed the hype, I did try them out. It took me a while to actually get a co-wash. I only got one last year which was the Cantu Cowash which I wasn’t so fussed about! After trying a few more last year, for me it’s just hype and never replaced my traditional shampoo.

Which Shampoo Should I Use?

There’s a lot of different shampoos for diff hair concerns e.g. moisturising shampoos for dry hair, clarifying shampoos for excessive build up. I try not to be too particular with these and almost always get moisturising ones. For my texture (4c) which tends to be dry, I always need all the moisture I can get.

What About Sulfates? Should I Get A Sulfate Free Shampoo?

Basically sulfates are responsible for the lather in shampoos and have been known to dry out hair too, try to go for a sulfate free shampoo if you can (a lot of the newer shampoos still sud up quite well without sulfates) however don’t beat yourself up because you found out your fav shampoo has sulfates. It won’t hurt because you’re going to follow up with a conditioner! P.s some shampoos that has left my hair really soft has had sulfates in it compared to the ones that didn’t. No shade though lol

What Are The Best Shampoos For Natural Hair?!

It’s safe to say by now, I love shampooing my hair and I have put a lot of shampoos to the test! Here are my best picks that cleanse your tresses without leaving it in a dry mess.

ORS Monoi Oil Anti-Breakage Shampoo

ORS Curls Unleashed Shampoo

Shea Moisture Super Fruits 10 In 1 Shampoo

Mizani True Textures Moisture Replenish Shampoo

ApHogee Deep Moisture Shampoo

Remember to shampoo at least once a week to remove excess build up and follow with a deep conditioner. You can also do a pre-shampoo treatment with an oil too.

That’s all folks! The best shampoos for natural hair that will help cleanse the scalp and hair. A clean scalp and hair are essential for healthy hair so do make sure you are cleansing properly and frequently!

If you are Christmas shopping, I hope you took my inspiration from my gift guides! I am spilling the beans on the best gifts and where to get them! I have guides for skincare, Customised Gifts and Black British brands. What’s that I hear? You want to get me something as well, aww how sweet! My Christmas wish list is here

Countdown to Christmas!

Winter Natural Hair Routine

Winter for me means protective styling and serious haircare. My hair 4c coarse texture tends to shed more during this season so it’s all about more moisture and all the treatments I can get. I am sharing my current natural hair routine with you guys hopefully it helps!

Winter And Hair

It’s no surprise that the winter takes a toll on our hair and skin. In my Protective Styling and Haircare post, I spoke in depth on how you can combat the effects of winter and how to keep your fro in check all season long! Check it out after you read this post!

My Routine

I am not going to lie and say I do a whole bunch of things! Like everyone else I have to balance work and free time. Weekends are my free time and I usually have a bunch of things to do so I don’t really want to spend it on my hair (I love my hair but….)! I tried and tested a few techniques and I think I finally for the right formula.

I shampoo my hair every 2 weeks now followed up by deep conditioning. This is key for retaining moisture and repair my hair. I use different shampoos as I do a lot of reviews but some of my all-time favourites are Mizani True Textures Moisture Replenish Shampoo & ORS Curls Unleashed Shampoo! I’m currently testing the very new Dermalogica Hair Shampoo

In between shampoos, I swear by Zerreau Shampoo Foam to gently cleanse my hair and scalp! I have a full review and demo here! I realised my hair and scalp loves to be clean and missing a wash day for my hair means extra tangles etc but the foam tackles product build up! After this I usually follow with my scalp oils (my DIY mix- castor & almond oil with peppermint essential oil) and a leave in conditioner- I choose this depending on what I am feeling like lol but I have been reaching for my Cantu Natural Hair Leave In these days.

During the week I like to go in with oils and dampen my hair when am in the shower. It’s literally the quickest way to add moisture to my hair. I also use my DIY water spray bottle which is water, my oil mix and some more peppermint essential oil.

I always sleep with a satin bonnet- no questions asked.

Important Things To Note!

I always add heat to my deep conditioners by using a hood dryer attachment to my blow-dryer. This has made such a difference to my hair and it leaves lets you get the best of your deep conditioning sessions
I always finger detangle when I am shampooing my hair. I like shampoos that are quite slippery so it makes finger detangling a bit easier.
I then detangle with my wide tooth comb when I add my deep conditioner. It’s quicker and easier because of previous finger detangling. ( I don’t trust finger detangling ALONE for my hair texture)
I do protein treatments every 8- 10 weeks to strengthen my hair
I also take multi vitamins for all round health

That’s all folks! I don’t really use a whole bunch of products or do a lot to my hair although it doesn’t seem like it. This works for my hair and my whole wash day is literally 1 hr 30mins! If you find which techniques work for you just stick with them and don’t let the trends fool you. I like to try trends once in a while because I’m a blogger but once I realise it’s just hype I’m like meh lol.

Christmas shopping? Read THIS

His love keeps me on my feet

The Best Leave In Conditioners for Dry Natural Hair

In my protective styling and winter care post, I spoke about how the winter takes a toll on our fro. The elements play a huge part on the moisture levels in our hair so it is essential you do everything you can to maintain it. Why? Dry hair leads to shedding/ breakage which isn’t a sign of healthy hair.

LOC, LCO or LOCO?-Liquid Oil Cream

Whether you rock your braid outs or a wig this season, proper moisturising will ensure your hair is as soft as it can be. Following the LOC method or any of its variations (depending on your hair texture) will lock in optimum moisture and ensure its looking its best.

The LOC method allows you to layer different types of products for max moisture. It’s good to experiment with the order in which you layer your products to know which works best for your hair. For instance, for my 4c hair, I do LCO because I found that order works best for my hair.

What’s the Best Leave In To Banish Dry Natural Hair?!

These leave in conditioners will give your natural hair some serious moisture and softness. Ask yourself, are you ready to let dryness go? Lol

ApHogee Curlific Moisture Rich Leave In

Are you ready for softness? Like really ready because this leave in conditioner will do just that! it smells BOMB too, just read my full review of it here

Shea Moisture Black Castor Oil Leave In Conditioner

I know. I know you think SM products are super hyped up products but it’s for a good reason. The SM jbco leave in conditioner leaves your hair silky and soft and it’s actually one of the leave-ins I use without following it up with an oil. My full review is here

Cantu Natural Hair Leave In Conditioning Cream

Cantu leave in cream is probably the most affordable and popular leave in conditioner in the natural community! I was a huge fan of the leave in until the released a version for natural hair then I became a super fan LOL. This one is great because it has all the goodness of the leave in and no nasties! Guess what? I have review for the naturals range here

ORS Curls Unleashed Shea butter & Mango Leave -in Conditioner
I tend to reach for creams for my hair but this leave in lotion is super! Pleasant smell and makes your fro so soft! The Curls Unleashed range from ORS is a win win for us! Check out my review here

Ask yourself again, are you really ready to let the dryness go? Lol. I hope you find this post helpful! There are a ton of products out there so I hope this helps you to choose the right ones. Let me know which leave ins are your favourite!

Countdown to Christmas! Are you Christmas shopping?! Don’t forget my gift guides to help you this craziness! What are you looking for? Skincare sets (I got you), an extra special treat? Check out my Customised Gift Guide or looking to support small business? I got you too! Read my Black British Brands for more!

Summer Empties

My first ever summer empties post! I love reading/seeing/watching empties post across social media and the blogosphere so I decided to do one this summer but I have collected a lot of products over this month alone I decided to split them into two separate posts: one now and one at the end of summer.

I will link all the reviews I have done for these products, mine you I have a lot of reviews so please do check out my Review Index for reviews on these and more! Let’s get started

HAIR EMPTIES

I don’t have a lot of empties for hair( so many half used stuff smh) but I have run out of a few of my favourite products!

Shea Butter Cottage Bentonite Clay – I love doing Clay washes once every month and Bentonite Clay is my weapon of choice. I really love how it makes my hair feel. I also use it for face masks too. If you haven’t tried clay masks you totally should! Review

Dark & Lovely 3 in 1 Shampoo- my 2^nd bottle and so bummed I have run out of it! Read my full review on this and other products in the line here, the Billon Hair Potion is something I am using now, I’m on my second bottle and I hope to bring a review soon.

Palmers Cowash- another second bottle empty! I totally loved this over the Olive Oil Cowash. Read my thoughts on it here. Another great product from Palmers is the Manuka Honey Range, in particular, the spray leave in was one of my favourites, full review of the line here

Cantu coconut mist- I had a love/hate relationship with this product. Read my thoughts on it and reviews on other Cantu products here

Finally samples from Curl Harmony’s Curl Reviver and Beunique Mango Twist Styling Cream

BEAUTY EMPTIES

I was gifted the Sukin Rosehip Oil Day Moisturiser and finally run out of it! Its 120ml so it lasted a really long time, I have been using it from October last year!

Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist- this will be my 3^rd finished bottle of this stuff! I totally love this, read a review on it and other setting sprays here

Superdrug Vitamin E Refreshing Toner Mist- another product I had a love/hate relationship with. On some days I felt like it clogged my pores other days it was fine. Definitely won’t repurchase. Superdrug Micellar Water- my second bottle of this stuff and the 1^st micellar water I ever tried! For a review of this plus of micellar waters click here

Gosh Velvet Primer- one of the 1^st primers I ever used. I love this stuff. I have also had it for a while now so in the end, I had to pump out the last remaining product to throw away 😦 but it was very comparable to the Body Shop InstaBlur primer. Read reviews on primers here

Pixi Glow Tonic- first ever acid toner I used I totally loved it. Read a full review here. I got a dupe of this but it is so cheap& ineffective I had to look for another alternative. I would definitely repurchase this!

Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Gel- another 1^st timer with this product and make up removing gels in general. Loved this product and would definitely get a bigger size, a full review is here

Pure Micellar wipes- I love micellar technology so I had to pick these up and they didn’t disappoint! Full review here. It’s my 3^rd finished pack!

Finally Avon Cherry Body Mist, a random lip balm, random hand cream I picked up in Spain and had for ages! Sure deodorant and the Clinique High Impact Mascara I have had for ages! I love mixing cocoa butter lotion in my shea butter mix for my skin, this one from Queen Elizabeth is an old fav!

That’s all for now, I can happily throw these out and start over again! I actually never knew how many products I got through in a month so it was really fun to do! I will definitely try and do more!

Which products have you been loving this summer? X

A wandering soul is not lost, it just hasn’t found a resting place

ORS Curls Unleashed Leave In Conditioners Review

ORS Curls Unleashed is a collection formulated with natural ingredients and suitable for natural hair textures. To find out all the products in the collection, read my previous post here

I was sent and have been using 2 of the Curls Unleashed leave in conditioners and I can finally bring you a review! At first I was confused as to why they have two different ones: won’t they work the same? But after using them for some time, I have been able to notice a difference between the two. The product’s I will be talking about are the

Curls Unleashed Cocoa Butter & Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Crème

Curls Unleashed Shea Butter & Mango Leave In Conditioner

Curls Unleashed Cocoa Butter & Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Crème

This comes in a tub and it’s described as an extra rich hair softener and moisturiser. It also claims to moisturise, define and elongate natural hair (when used in conjunction with other products from the Curls Unleashed range).

Experience

Tbh I didn’t like this leave in the 1^st few times I used it and I realised it was because I was using it wrong. They recommend you use it on damp hair however I was using it on soaking wet hair. This made my hair dry the next day, almost like I didn’t apply any leave in conditioner! I completely wrote it off because of this. It wasn’t until I decided to compare it to the other leave in that I started to use it differently.

I now apply it on damp hair or towel dried hair and it works really well to moisturise my hair! I apply a good amount and it is easily absorbed into the hair and smells quite nice. The texture/consistency is thicker than the other leave in. After using it on damp hair, I really like it! My hair doesn’t feel dry the next morning but soft and well moisturised. The scent lingers after the hair is dried.

Curls Unleashed Shea Butter & Mango Leave In Conditioner

This one comes in a bottle and described as a hair softener and moisturiser. The texture/consistency of this is much lighter, almost like a lotion. It smells AMAZING! I use this on damp hair and it easily absorbs into the hair! My hair feels very soft and stays soft!

I loved this one from the very 1^st use! The smell and how light it is.

Difference – I noticed my hair was a little bit softer after using the Shea Butter & Mango (lotion). It’s also lighter on my hair.

If you have extra dry hair, I recommend the extra rich leave in which is ‘heavier’ and would probably work better for you than the lotion leave in. Tbh honest both are great, just make sure you use it on damp hair lol.

Both products are sulfates and parabens free.

What are leave in conditioners and how are the different from other conditioners? Find out about the types of conditioners and their purposes here

For more information, please visit the Curls Unleashed website

Read my review on the Curls Unleashed Shampoo & Conditioner on BrownBeautyTalk

Curls Unleashed Cocoa Butter & Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Crème is priced at £6.99 at Paks

Curls Unleashed Shea Butter & Mango Leave In Conditioner priced at £ 6.39 at Boots

What are your favourite leave in conditioners? Xx

Love Sarah

Nunaat Naat Cream Blast of Shine Review

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

Garlic and Cupuacu Naat Cream

Argan Oil and Macadamia Naat Cream

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 whole range and uses

Catch you guys later x

ORS Scalp & Wellness Oils- Extra Virgin Olive Oil

ORS released the Scalp & Wellness Oils range last year which has 10 oils in total for healthy hair and scalp. I received the Extra Virgin Olive Oil last year which I have been using and I can finally bring you a full review!

The full range of oils are

ORS Hair & Scalp Wellness Oils – Castor Oil
ORS Hair & Scalp Wellness Oils – Argan Oil
ORS Hair & Scalp Wellness Oils – Indian Amla Oil
ORS Hair & Scalp Wellness Oils – Black Seed Oil
ORS Hair & Scalp Wellness Oils – Coconut Oil
ORS Hair & Scalp Wellness Oils – Jojoba Oil
ORS Hair & Scalp Wellness Oils – Tea Tree Oil
ORS Hair & Scalp Wellness Oils – Virgin Olive Oil
ORS Hair & Scalp Wellness Oils – Saw Palmetto
ORS Hair & Scalp Wellness Oils – Shea Butter Oil

The Extra Virgin Olive Oil is perfect for adding extra moisture to dry thirsty hair. They recommend you use it as a pre-poo treatment before shampooing.

Ingredients

In addition to Olive Oil, I noticed it also has sweet almond and corn oil, both of which have great benefits for hair. It has a lot of added parfums in the ingredients which make sense because the oil has a very strong sweet floral scent to it (it doesn’t smell like olive oil to me). It also has a few colouring dyes in it and Vitamin E.

Thoughts

I have been using this as a pre poo oil for a while now and I really like it. After applying it, I wrap my hair with cling film and let it sit for 15 to 20 mins before cleansing. It works really well to soften my hair prior shampooing (many times I have use it on extra dry thirsty hair). Throughout the cleansing process, my hair remains soft and I still smell the oil afterwards (sometimes).

Verdict– it’s a great pre poo treatment and the 90ml bottle lasts a while even though it looks small! I definitely recommend it.

ORS Scalp & Wellness Olive Oil is priced at £4.99 at Boots

Essential Wash Day Steps

Today’s post will focus on the important steps that should be incorporated into every wash day regime. Every step has its own benefits but overall, they work together to maintain healthy hair, maximise growth and minimise breaking/shedding.

Pre-poo– applying an oil to the air prior to washing. For extremely dry hair, you can opt for a hot oil treatment for deeper penetration. Pre-pooing is every important because it protects against hydral fatigue and helps to keep your hair moisturising during the cleansing process. Try the Eden BodyWorks Coconut Shea Hair Oil for this step. DIY oil mixes are excellent for pre pooing.

Cleanse– are you more of a shampoo or co wash type of natural? It is important to properly cleanse your scalp to get rid of excess oils, product build up and dirt. You can cleanse using a shampoo, try for a sulfates free shampoo like Crown Pride Olive Conditioning shampoo or Shea Moisture Super fruit Complex, a cowash or a clay wash

Deep condition– after cleansing, it is important to deep condition to soften and moisturise your hair. This helps to prep the hair for the styling but it’s also important for reducing shedding and breakage. If DIY conditioners are not your thing you can try the Curl Harmony Intensive Repair Conditioner, this is super thick and perfect for 4c hair! ( check my review on CH products in my Review Index, discount code at the end of the post) Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil treatment masque ( perfect for heat or colour treated hair) or the Super fruit complex masque

Moisturise – moisture, moisture moisture! Whether you use the L.O.C method or just a leave in conditioner. This step is important for preventing excessive dryness which will lead to breaking/shedding. I swear by the Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor oil leave in conditioner which leaves my hair soft and well moisturised.

Styling– this step is optional. After moisturising, you can ether prep your hair for a protective style, or allow to air dry on its own. You can also style ( braid/twist/bantu knot outs etc) for curl definition using a curl gel/butter etc. I usually skip this step but a lot of naturals swear by the TGIN Twist and Define Cream or the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie

Of course detangling is very important on wash day! I didn’t add it as a separate step because you can either do it through out wash day, or dedicate a step to it. Find out which works best for you? Do you prefer detangling before or after you cleanse? Or do you prefer to detangle as you go along your wash day? Whichever way you choose, make sure you detangle properly and are using products that give you ‘slip’ to prevent excessive shedding/breaking.

I tried to give some product recommendations if you are in the market for new products to try. Click on the links to take you straight to the products! I have tried and tested most of the products mentioned, be sure to check my Review Index for all the reviews!

Curl Harmony discount code- SARAH

Catch you soon!

Palmer’s Olive Oil Co Wash Review

Hey guys, it’s been a while, how you doing (*Wendy Voice*). I have a new product review for you guys, it’s the new Palmer’s Olive Oil Co wash. Let’s get to it

The Co wash has no nasties like sulfates, detergents, mineral oil, petrolatum, phthalates etc and its ideal for curly natural hair. It says it won’t strip chemically treated hair or hair that is dry, damaged or fragile.

Palmer’s also says the co wash will replace your shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner and detangler- that’s a lot of claims for natural hair! It’s made with a blend of olive oil, vitamin E, keratin proteins and natural herbal extracts.

What Do I Think?

Let’s talk about the smell and texture. The scent reminds me a lot of medicine lol. It has a medium consistency so it’s not too thick or runny. Now unto these claims:

I think as a shampoo it has mild cleansing properties which is perfect for low product build up. Remember co-washing is primarily for hair and shampooing focuses on your scalp. As a conditioner/deep conditioner, I really wanted more from it and I have used it both ways. Initially my hair felt soft but as I was washing the product out my hair didn’t feel as soft anymore. I always follow with a conditioner afterwards because I feel as though my hair is not conditioned enough when I use this alone.

For a detangler it hasn’t got the best slip, I had to use a lot of product but still struggled with my wide tooth comb, especially at my roots and my hair has never been extremely tangled when I use it. I feel like it gives me just a little bit more slip when my hair is damp/wet before applying it.

How I use it

I usually wet/dampen my hair then apply this GENEROUSLY to it (it also gives you recommendations on how many pumps to use). After detangling, I let it sit on my hair for 10 to 15 minutes then I rinse out with warm water and apply a bit more to cleanse it further.

Verdict– I don’t like it for my hair type, 4c texture. As my hair is coarse and very kinky and coily, it’s prone to tangles so I make sure I detangle properly each wash day. It hasn’t got much slip so I won’t recommend you detangle with a brush like the Tangle Teezer (Thick &Curly Tangle Teezer review) if you use this as your detangling conditioner, learnt the hard way lol. This Co wash is supposed to replace your detangler, shampoo and conditioner but I found as a detangler I was disappointed with it. As a cleanser its ok and as a conditioner I wasn’t too impressed.

I think it will work great for looser textures/ curl patterns but for me, I prefer the Palmer’s Coconut Co wash (Review), which has a lot more slip and makes the same claims.

Priced at £5.99 on Feel Unique

That’s all for now. Tell me your favourite co washing conditioners so I can check them out!

Also be on the lookout for my massive Birthday Giveaway next week! You wouldn’t want to miss out on that!

I post a lot on Instagram, come join me there if you haven’t already, my birthday giveaway will be opened on there!

As always, with love

Sarah