Shampoo
- Blended Beauty Soy Cream Shampoo (so gentle it can be used daily)
- Jane Carter Solution Hydrating Invigorating Shampoo (I use this to remove product build up)
- Cush Cosmetics Mango Babassu Shampoo Bar (amazing! and great for travel)
- Curl Junkie Daily Fix Cleansing Conditioner
Conditioner
- Blended Beauty Cleansing Conditioner (Co-wash)
- Jane Carter Solution Nutrient Replenishing Conditioner OR Curl Junkie Argan and Oilve Oil Daily Hair Conditioner (Condition)
- Blended Beauty Herbal Reconditioner or Curl Junkie Curl Rehab (Treatment/Deep Condition)
- Blended Beauty SilkShake (by far, the best leave-in conditioner I have ever tried so far. I use it when in need of a creamy leave-in Conditioner)
- Alba Botanica Leave-in Conditioner (another excellent creamy Leave-in Conditioner). It is fragrance free;therefore I can use this underneath any styling product.
- Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-In Conditioner (I use this when in need of a fresh & light leave-in Conditioner or for refreshing my 2nd day hair from using the Jane Carter Solution Curl Defining Cream.
- Curl Junkie Smoothing Lotion OR Curl Junkie Beauticurls Leave-in Conditioner OR Curl Junkie Argand and Olive Daily Hair Conditioner
- Kinky-Curly Knot Today
Moisturizer
I believe that water is truly the only thing that moisturizes hair in general;however, having said that, it is really important to choose products that are efficient in sealing moisture and oils and butters are excellent to seal moisture. Here is my pick!
- Blended Beauty Butter Me Up!
- Desert Essence Jojoba Oil or Aura Cacia Avocado Oil
- Afroveda Curl Define
- Mango Butter (love it for both hair & skin!)
Styling
- Blended Beauty Curl Styling Butter (for wash & go)
- Jane Carter Solution Curl Defining Cream (a simply truly amazing and naturally derived product. Excellent for wash & go and quite affordable considering the size and quality of this product) . It works very well with the Jane Carter Leave-in Conditioner for second, third... day hair. Your wash and wear style, or twists will last you days. Personally, I think it is simply "The best darn curl creme period" (sorry Miss Jessie's!)
- Blended Beauty Happy Nappy Styles or Afroveda Hemp Seed Butter (for twists, twists out or braid out).
Gel
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Blended Beauty Jelly Cream or Blended Beauty Curly Frizz Pudding (both are cream gels)
Finishing Aid
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Jane Carter Solution Nourish & Shine
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Blended Beauty Natural Hair Oil
Treatment
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Blended Beauty Natural Hair Oil (use it as a pre poo treatment, a hot oil treatment, or as a finishing aid for shine!)
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Jane Carter Solution Scalp Renew
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Blended Beauty Herbal Reconditioner OR Curl Junkie Curl Rebab
Favorite Tool
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A D3 Denman brush! (excellent for detangling and even more so for defining curls!)
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Ouchless, Wide Tooth Comb
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My Love Thy Hair Recipe!
Wash
Once to twice a week I shampoo my hair with one of my favorite shampoo. During the summer or when I choose to shampoo my hair every other day, I use a Cleansing Conditioner (Curl Junkie Daily Fix -Cleansing Conditioner). With the use of a Cleansing Conditioner and mild, moisturizing and sulfate free cleanser, I ensure that my hair will retain its natural moisture level;therefore, avoiding any breakage.
Conditioner/Detangle
- I then follow with one of my favotire conditioner. I leave the conditioner in my hair for about five minutes before I rinse it out.
- I then follow with one of my favorite Leave-in Conditioner. I apply the Leave-in Conditioner evenly throughout my hair and I devide my hair in 4 to 6 sections. I proceed to detangle each section with a wide tooth comb, followed by my Denman Brush (starting from the ends the roots). I then apply a moisture sealant such as an oil or a hair butter of my choice.
- I then decide whether I want to style my hair with a styling product or simply wear my hair as is (with the leave-in Conditioner for a more natural look).
Since I mostly wear my hair in a "wash & go" style (because I am lazy), If I decide to go with a styling product (for extra defined curls and hold), I opt for one of my favorite styling product.
Deep Conditioning
On a biweekly basis, I deep condition my hair with one of my favoriite Deep Conditioner (applied in the shower with a shower cap on for about 15-20 minutes). I then detangle my hair with my Denman Brush (with the Conditioner still in my hair to avoid excessive hair loss).
Treatment
Every month, I do a treatment by applying a hot oil treatment such as Blended Beauty Natural Hair Oil, or Jane Carter Solution Scalp Renew before I shampoo my hair. Make sure you massage your scalp to promote hair growth!
I then Shampoo my hair, rinse and follow with a Deep Conditioning Treatment (Blended Beauty Herbal Reconditioner or Curl Junkie Curl Rehab). I leave the treatment in for about half our (with a plastic cap on). I then rinse my hair and apply my leave-in Conditioner. If need be, I will detangle my hair (as stated above).
My Love Thy Skin Recipe! Shea Butter is extracted from the pit of a fruit that grows on the Magnifolia tree which begins to bear after about fifteen years, in Central and West Africa. The pits are removed from the fruit, boiled and then sun dried for several days until they are completely dehydrated, and the butter is extracted by hand. Shea Butter is graded raw, refined and highly refined. Some of our butters are highly refined and others are raw. Shea Butter has healing, skin protection and moisturizing properties, and it contains natural sun protection. Used daily on the face and body it drastically reduces sun exposure, which in turn slows down the aging process due to external factors. Unique to Shea Butter is it’s high content of non-saponifiable fats. This natural fatty acid action penetrates the skin at a cellular level, contributing to the regeneration process of dry and wrinkled skin. It also helps to heal scars, burns and stretch marks. Additionally, Shea Butter replenishes elasticity, nourishes the skin with vitamins A, E and F, treats skin irritations, cold sores, itching, eczema, burns, dermatitis and skin discolorations.
Nubian Heritage
Nubian Heritage has perfected the art in using unrefined shea butter in their soap, lotions, body wash and of course infused shea butter!
What is Shea Butter?
My personal favorite collection: Raw Shea Btutter (Infused with Frankincense & Myrrh) smells devine! (they all do actually). I really like Shea Butter it does wonders for my skin, but it's rather singular sent can somewhat be unpleasant. With these Infused Shea Butter, I no longer have to worry about the scent because they all smell wonderfully yummy!
Another favorite of mine, the Jane Carter Solution Nourish and Shine! great for your hair, but wonderful for my skin as well. It makes my skin feel so so so soft! a little goes a very long way.
As a Facial Soap, I use the Black African Soap or the Honey and Black Seed Soap to take care of any acne or blemishes. If I need a fresh morning boost or need to help lighten my acne scars, I also use the Lemongrass and Tea Tree Oil Soap.
What is African Black Soap?
African Black Soap is made from roasted cocoa (chocolate) pods, plantain skin extract and papaya enzymes. The plantain skins are sun dried and then mixed with palm and palm kernel oils. This is where the soap gets it’s rich color. Plantain skins are rich in vitamins A, E and iron. The soap has medicinal and antiseptic properties and is very gentle in character. It is highly recommended for: sensitive skin, oily skin eczema, acne, blemishes, skin irritations and psoriasis.