What those "hair supplement" companies DON'T tell you!

Hairfinity. The Mane Choice. Both of these companies are very well known companies in the natural hair community. Both offer hair products and tools to many women who have natural hair. What they are both very well known for are natural hair supplements that they offer to all ethnicities of women. You see their ads all over Instagram and Facebook, and based on the stories and "testimonies" listed on social media , you are then lured into the buying trap that these companies want you to be in.


A little background about my hair: I have very THICK, type 4 hair. With low porosity and its extremely dense. When I say my hair is thick, its extremely thick and shrinks like no ones business when water hits it. When trying these hair supplements, I was hoping that they would boost my already fast growing hair, and help me to retain some length that I "thought" I wasn't keeping.

Now I'll admit, I was one of those people who fell into the "trap". I had studied and researched Hairfinity and The Mane choice both for a quite a long time before I decided to make a purchase from both of them. I decided to give hairfinity a go first, and bought one bottle to start, just to see how I liked it...
I started taking hairfinity late fall, early winter of 2013. As indicated on the bottle, the directions are to take 2 capsules by mouth daily.( preferably with meals). As I did so, I immediately noticed two side effects from Hairfnity that I did not like. 1. Increase in Migraines (I already had a problem with migraines before starting this supplement) and 2. Acne/break-outs. My skin went crazy when I started taking these pills! I'm talking 1-2 new pimples a day. Now I'd say that my skin was is usually pretty clear and smooth and I don't have a hard time keeping it that way. As far as the migraines, I usually get those 1-2 times a month, because they are controlled with a prescription medication I am currently taking. When I started the hairfinity, I had a migraine every other night! I thought to myself, this is crazy! Nevertheless, my hair was growing slightly faster than it was without the supplements. I decided that I would not repurchase Hairfnity after finishing the first bottle.

A few months went buy, and I was still seeing posts from The Mane Choice on Instagram. I was pondering the thought of possibly trying this supplement, because maybe it was a little bit different from hairfinity. I decided to give it a go on a whim, because I felt like I had nothing else to loose. Boy was I WRONG. I will say that I didn't have the same horrible side effects with The Mane Choice vitamins as I did with Hairfinity. No breakouts and no added migraine headaches. But something just wasn't right with my hair over the course of a couple weeks, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I kept complaining to my mother at the time, that something just was NOT right with my hair. It wasn't responding to product like it used to, and it wasn't as thick and full as it usually was. At the time, I contemplated the big chop again, because I was so frustrated. We went over a few things that we thought could be causing the problem and left it at that. Never did we think to question the supplement I was taking. During this time, my hair was growing. I did notice the length, but the thickness just was not what it used to be. By now, I had finished  the first bottle and was on my second bottle (the last bottle). Then, one morning it HIT ME. The hair supplements were causing my hair to thin!!!! It had to be the hair supplements. I can honestly say over the course of the months I was taking the pills that this is when I saw the biggest difference in my hair. The thickness was there but the length had drastically been affected by these supplements.
Now I don't know about anyone else, But Id rather have thick, full healthy hair than long, thin, brittle hair. I'm not sure what chemical in this supplements caused the body and thickness of my hair to be affected, but let me tell you I am not liking it. 

I stopped taking the supplements the beginning of this week. I will come back to you guys in one month to show the difference in my hair as far and thickness and body. Let me just say that I am in no way trying to bash or discredit any of these companies, but I thought it was important to let the natural hair community and my followers know about this. Most of us are so consumed by getting fast, quick results, and getting long, luxurious hair fast that we will take anything and try anything to get it. What's most important is letting your hair do its own thing naturally. Drink water, eat right, take daily vitamins not aimed at hair growth, but aimed to aid the body. I fault myself from gearing away from what's important in my natural hair journey and what I want you all to take away from my posts. Healthy hair, is the best hair, no matter the length. Length will come if you do what you need to do for your hair.

Check back with me in a month guys, and I will do a follow up on how may hair is doing since I have completely stopped the hair supplements. Thanks for reading, feel free to ask questions and comment!

-Dani

Alikay Naturals Lemongrass Leave in Conditioner & Essential 17 Growth Oil

Hello guys,

Coming back to you with yet another product review! As a stated a few posts ago, I had so many products to try from purchases made on Black Friday. This was one of the many purchases made, and I have had the chance to use these 2 products for a couple of months now. My mother purchased these products for me, along with a sample of the yogurt smoothie.

Around Black Friday, Alikay naturals was only available online on the alikay naturals website. It is now widely available in select target locations nationwide, as well as the target website! I'm so happy that these products will be available at a target store near me, and I'm about to tell you why.. :-)

Let's start with the Lemongrass Leave In. 

This stuff is amazing. Simple as that. It has a medium consistency, not watery but not super thick. Kind of like watered down vegetable oil. It comes with a spray bottle, which is very convenient. The smell is  of course, of lemons. It's light and airy, but not to strong for those of you with sensitive noses. It's comprised of natural ingredients (essential oils,water and glycerin just to name a few). 

I usually use this product in a combo called the LOC method ( I have a post explaining this), and this is the  Liquid (L) I use. I leave my hair soft and shiny for days. I will say, if you use way to much it can leave the hair feeling greasy and oily. I use this soaringly on my ends and then seal with oil/cream or both. This product will run you about $13 at target or on the alikay naturals website. You get and 8 oz bottle, which should last you a long time even if you have a lot of hair, like me :-).

(Sprays as a mist, and comes out clear into my hand! )

Now on to the Essential 17 hair growth oil...

Another amazing product. This is a blend of 17 natural oils, all blended up in an 8 oz jar. Oils like:Emu oil, Rosemary oil, Jojoba oil, olive oil, Sweet almond oil, Horsetail oil and peppermint oil are comprised into this product. It can be used as a sealant to seal in moisture, it can be used to add shine to dull hair, hot oil treatments and as a deep conditioner.

I use this to seal my hair every other day. I also use it to oil my scalp every now and then to avoid dandruff. 

This can be used for ALL hair types, so ladies take advantage! This can also be purchased on the alikaynaturals website, or target.com. You get and 8 oz bottle of this oil for about $15!!!!! 

Let me know how you guys like these products! How do you use your lemongrass leave in and essential 17 growth oil? Please comment and subscribe! 

-Danielle

Carols daughter Monoi products: Review

Hello everyone!

I'm back, to do a long awaited review on the Carols daughter Monoi products. This review will be posted in sections over time, because I tried each of the products at different times. For Christmas, my awesome mother purchased a BUNCH of products for me to try, and these products were included in that bunch. 

I recieved the following:

-A bottle of the monoi sulfate free shampoo

-The monoi repairing conditioner

-The monoi repairing hair mask

(Later on in the month, I purchased the monoi oil, and the monoi anti-breakage spray.)

First up is the carols daughter monoi sulfate free shampoo!

The sulfate free shampoo is a non sudsy shampoo, with the most awesome smell. The smell is hard for me to describe, but it's not to strong and also not to faint. 

This product is marketed to ALL hair types, and hair textures. So no matter your ethnicity or hair type, this product will help you with excessive shedding and hair breakage. 

 

I always start the hair cleansing process by pre-pooing my hair with coconut oil, and also detangling. This helps to take out any shed hairs, and coat my hair strands to prepair for the shampoo process. 

I sectioned my hair into 4 sections and proceeded to work in the shampoo. Immediately after applying the shampoo, I could feel a big difference in my hair, Strong, fortifying and repairing. While all of this was going on, my hair was still soft.  Because I felt like the shampoo did it's job initially, I did not proceed to use the hair mask or the conditioner the first time around. I didn't want to overload my hair with to much of a strengthening  product, which could potentially cause breakage.  I rinsed out the shampoo normally, and proceeded with my normal conditioning routine. 

This product is a thick, creamy consistency that comes in a 8.5 fl oz bottle.  For this bottle size, the cost is $20.00. This is very pricey, considering how much of the product you receive and how much you may have to use.  This depends on how much hair you have, the thickness and porosity. Other than the price, I give this shampoo a 4/5 stars. It does a great job of strengthening and repairing hair, while preventing breakage up to 98% after the first use! (As listed on the bottle)

This can be purchased at Ulta, carolsdaughter.com and other hair care websites. 

Please comment, rate and subscribe! Reviews coming soon for the other carols daughter hair products. 

Thanks guys!

Danielle 

Guest Feature: Meet fellow natural Bianca!

1. Please introduce yourself!

 

My name is Bianca Young. I am 25, married and a mother of an outgoing little diva. A few things about me that basically sums me up; Proud Christian, I love serving & encouraging others (in ministry, church or community give back), family time (most of my weekends), fashion (my back ground is in visual art & fashion merchandise), I love to help people find items/looks/styles that enhances their wardrobes. I currently work at Express home office and outside of work in my creative zone; I collaborate with photographers, make-up artists, hair stylists and create style shoots or model look books. Last but not least, I am working on a site with my fashion partner that will have style tips, blog, natural hair channel, DIY, etc.

 

 

2. Why did you decide to go natural/ become chemical free?

I decided to go natural for one main reason, it was a fear of mine, sounds crazy right?! Well it wasn’t in my mind, I thought that if I went natural my hair would never get really straight again, and it would be a mess all the time. Of course no one should allow fear to control them from doing anything because 9 times out of 10 its false. So that gave me the green light to go chemical free! It’s been 4 years and I wouldn’t have it no other way!

 

3. How would you describe your natural hair texture?

My natural hair texture is type 3c – Curly Kinky Hair. Somewhat spongy when wet with a good conditioner in!  

 

4. Describe your most recent style regimen within the last month.

My most recent style that I’ve been wearing is a two strand twist out mixed with a few flat twist. I would keep that style in for about 2-3 days; adding a little oil, water and curl cream to keep it fresh.

 

5. What are your go to hairstyle(s)?

 

My go to hairstyles are full twist outs, half of my hair up in the back and the curly bang out in the front, last the natural bun!

6. Do you have a specific wash regimen?

 

I don’t have a regimen that’s a routine but I have different regimens that I do depending on what my hair needs at the time. Usually if I’m wearing it natural (not blown out) I would wash it once a week, shampoo if needed but mostly a co-wash with one of my favorite conditioners.

 

7. What are some of your favorite hair products?

Shampoo: Argan Oil by One & Only

Conditioners: Herbal Essence Honey I’m Strong, Argan Oil by One & Only.

Curl cream: Shea Moisture Enhance Smoothie,

Leave-In: Cantu Argan Oil leave-in conditioner or Design Essential leave-in

Oils: organic coconut oil, pure olive oil

 

8. Do you have any natural hair goals?

 

The first few years of going natural I didn’t have any hair goals, just for healthy hair. Now I would say it’s still to have thick healthy hair, but I do want to see more length by 2014 summer.

9. Do you have any advice for other new naturals or those aspiring to be natural?

 

The grass is definitely greener on the other side! Once you go natural it’s a lifestyle, more than the hair. I will be honest, when you first are transitioning over to natural it will be challenging and rough, but many trials and errors will help you better understand your hair and love it. Your hair is going through a whole new transition process, so it will take time and patience.The best thing to do is, tons of research! There is a worldwide natural community; hair blogs, YouTube (blessed my life), books, magazines, social network etc. Last but not least it’s not about length it’s about healthy hair; giving special TLC to what God has blessed you with! All natural hair types.

 

   10. How can you be contacted?

 

 I can be contacted personally 216-253-6023 or bianca_charles88@yahoo.com. Social network: @1bianca/ twitter: @queenbabyb3. My business site/blog and info I’m working on is:www.clashingeko.com, Bianca@theclashingeko.com

Buns, protective styles and such...

Hey guys!

As of lately, I haven't been doing much with my hair. I've been wearing it in buns through the week and wearing braid outs on the weekends. The weather here in Cleveland has been kind of funky. Random rain showers, humidity and rainy mist have caused me to stop wearing my hair out so much. When any type of moisture comes in contact with my hair, it shrinks up like nobody's business. I'm used to it, but it's kind of annoying especially when I take the time to braid it so it can be in a stretched out style. Shrinkage comes with the natural territory and sometimes it can be a pain in the butt! 

Buns are my best protective style now days, especially when I use the dreadlock hair I purchase from my local BSS (beauty supply store) to add to it.  When adding the extra hair my ends are protected and I spray my hair with water daily. 

I will be doing a review on the Eden Bodyworks hair glaze I purchased about a month ago, and more guest features from fellow naturals will be coming soon! 

Stay tuned,

-Dani

Protective styling!!!!

Hey all! 

So, like I've stated in a previous post, I'm gonna start back with the protective styling. Today I wore a Upart wig with a closure, which was made for me by one of my high school friends. It's a great way to protect all of my hair, and change up my style a bit with straight hair! This is my first time wearing a u part wig, or any wig for that matter, so it's taking some getting used to. I had to make the part look a little more realistic by adding makeup to it, and also I'm not the best braider, so my braids are really fat underneath lol.  I plan on wearing this on my family trip to Atlanta for the 4th of July. So we will see how it holds up. This hair is 3 bundles of 14,16,18 inch hair with a 10 inch closure. My hair is braided in cornrows underneath. 

My best friends wedding & roller set woes...

Hi all!

Yes, yes I know. I've been dropping the ball when it comes to my blog! My apologies!!!! Things have been so hectic lately! Work, school, participating in my BFF's wedding and other things. But I promise *scouts honor* to do better when it comes to posting. I will try to post at least once a week and keep you guys updated on my hair, products and anything that's changed.

So this past weekend I was In my best friend India's wedding. It was a wonderful wedding to say the least, and she made a beautiful bride! Now, as far as Janice (my fro) goes, I decided to wear a roller set for the wedding. I did this because: #1 I've never tried this style before, and #2 I needed a low maintenance style due to the weather we were expecting that weekend. (Rain, humidity, wetness. All bad for natural hair styles :-/ ). I went to a best cuts salon, in Cleveland. I went there because since I've been natural I don't have a beautician to see and I THOUGHT it would take a short period of time to get in and get out. Well I was WRONG. I waited 2 hours before I even sat in the chair and it took about 1 and 1/2 hrs to complete the set and get me under the dryer. * I reminded myself once again why I went natural, and why I hate salons* moving on...

The roller set came out ok. It wasn't what I expected, but then again, I'm not really sure what I expected.lol I have fluffy, coily, curly type 4 hair that's shrinks to the heavens when wet. So when the roller set was done I had MAJOR shrinkage. It held up pretty well that day and the next day, which was the actual day of the wedding. I did get a lot of compliments on it, which was surprising because after a while I felt like it was frizzy and limp. Next time I decide to do a roller set, (if and when I do), I will definitely be doing my own at home and not going to the salon EVER again! Not sure what products the beautician used. But I'll post some pics below!