Garnier Fructis Repair and Shine Conditioner

I tried a new conditioner, I'm awaiting my ingredients for my homemade conditioner and so searched for a cheap co-wash conditioner without silicones and parabens and I found Garnier Fructis Repair and Shine Conditioner. It smells lovely, cleaned just as well as shampoo, and gave my hair a good shine.

INGREDIENTS
Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Elaeis Guineenis (Palm Oil), Behentrimonium Chloride, CI19140 (Yellow5), CI15985 (Yellow 6), Niacinamide, Ribes Nigrum Oil (Black Currant Seed Oil), Saccharum Officinarum Extract (Sugar Cane Extract), Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Olea Europaea Oil (Olive Fruit Oil), Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Pyrus Mallus Extract (Apple Fruit Extract), Pyridoxine HCI, Persea Gratissima Oil (Avocado Oil), Butyrospermum Parki Butter (Shea Butter), Citric Acid, Lemon Peel Extract, Glycerin, Fragrance

WHAT SOME OF THE UNPROUNOUNCIBLES ARE!

Behentrimonium Chloride
Cationic quaternary ammonium compound (docosyltrimethylammonium chlorid) made from colza oil (canolla oil) with potent conditioning effect. Potent conditioner with antistatic & detangling properties, able to restore & rebuild damaged hair (due to colza oil it does not coat but penetrates & substantiates the hair shaft), softening effect, antimicrobial properties.


Niacinamide
(Viatamin B3),

Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Origin: A synthetic compound derived from stearic acid, a fatty acid. It is an emulsifier that is made from vegetable based components and is safe for the environment and for your hair.

Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride
Antibacterial properties soluble in water

Linalool
one of the natural constituents of lavender essential oil, can also be manufactured synthetically

Pyridoxine HCI
Vitamin B6

Citric Acid
Inherently natural as it occurs in citric fruits, produced by fermentation of carbohydrates, Acidulant (useful to adjust pH of products to make them more acid / less alkaline), chelating effect (neutralizes minerals to enhance activity of antioxidants & preservatives)

War on my TWA

The week I declared war on my hair!

If I haven't mentioned it before I am a school teacher, and therefore I don't have enough time or the inclination to wory too much about my hair in the mornings. Now that Christmas holidays have begun I've decided that it's time to see what I can do with my hair and to try and go gel free.

I'm trying to go cold turkey and not use any gel and see what else I can use to define my curls. The link with the gel is that #1 I can't get Eco Olive Oil in the UK, #2 Eco Clear is a little drying and #3 gel just increases shrinkage and my hair has less body.

So what have I done this week:

1. I've co-washed Faith in Nature's Jojoba Conditioner, and then just added Jojoba Oil and let my hair dry - this made my hair soft and when I rinse with cold water my curl pattern holds better, but the next day I had to co-wash again to revive the curl.
2. I blow dried my hair (first time since 2nd BC in August!), I liked it but heat = damage in the long run, so then I put African Essence gel on the dry hair and used a bristle brush in a circular motion all over my head to make the curls pop. It looked good but the gel is very drying.
3. I co-washed with Faith in Nature Jojoba Conditioner, put in Giovanni Smooth as Silk wrap head with cling film, put my head scraf on and went to bed. In the morning rinsed out with cold water last, then put in jojba oil, sprayed with Naturally Sexy Moisturising Spray , and then put on Naturally Sexy Styling Cream added a little cold water and added Oyin Shine and Define. I then used the bristle brush in a circular motion all over head, the longer you do it the more defined the curls they end up looking like finger curls. I liked this best will have to see what it looks like with 2nd day hair.

Homemade Hair Gel

I'm going to make my own hair gel! Ordered the ingredients but they wont arrive until the new year so I'll keep you posted. I'M SO EXCITED!

Going cone free! week 2

On Saturday 12th December, I did a deep condition I mixed Giovanni Smooth as Silk Conditioner with Curls Coconut Sublime, coconut oil, olive oil, mayo, honey and baking soda, I left this in for about 3 hours with a plastic bag on my head. I then rinsed this out with a little extra Coconut Sublime, and used Giovanni Direct Leave-in Weightless Moisture Conditioner, sprayed a little H20 and veggie glycerin/oil mix, and I also used Oyin's Whipped Pudding (shea butter). So basically I used a cream leave in conditioner, water and oil products making sure that my hair get maximum moisture, I also rinsed my hair with COLD WATER. I got this advice from Nikkimae2003 on YouTube and more specifically this video



My hair still isn't perfect but it is definitely more moisturised and getting softer and my hair is soft when I wake up no more straw! I definitely think no cones is the way. I've since seen I few videos on YouTube talking about the Curly Girl Method so I'm gonna look that up and see what it's saying. I'll keep you posted.

Going cone free! Week 1

I've decided that I'm going to go cone free, right now I've bee cone free since Monday 7th December. Why have I made this decision you may ask? My main reason for this is because my hair is seriously lacking moisture and I believe that cones in products that I have using are stopping moisture getting to my hair. When I go to bed I tie my hair with a satin scarf thinking that that is all my hair requires to make sure that it doesn't go dry. I've been so wrong! Every morning I've been waking up and my hair has been so dry, like straw y'all and I've had enough.

So last Monday I shampooed my hair with my favourite shampoo Dr Bronners, I wanted to make sure that all cones were washed out. Once I rinsed I then sprayed my hair with my water, veggie glycerin and oil mix (rosemary and peppermint), then I used Giovanni Smooth as Silk Deep Moisture Conditioner as a leave in, I was staying at home so I didn't apply any styling products.

The next morning I sprayed my hair with H20 & veggie glycerin and again used the Giovanni Smooth and Silk, then I used my Eco Styler gel, in the evening I did the same with out the Eco Styler. I did this every day until Saturday morning, I felt that putting in conditioner every morning and evening was necessary to put the moisture back into my hair.

My hair does feel softer and more moisturised, and the no cone method is working.