Products and Reviews

Since January 2013: Experimenting and Loving:


Most of my old products are not used up yet and I am still using them except for Biotin (not available), Odeon Henna and Shikakai Shampoo (not available), Vitale Olive Oil Mayonnaise (will buy soon), Bed Head Tigi Conditioner (stopped using it), Dark and Lovely Corrective Leave-in (won't buy again) !!

VO5 Conditioner: Got this in Tema and I totally love this conditioner!! I have used the Moisture Milks and that will be my staple. I am currently trying out the VO5 with Aloe extracts because I didn't get the Moisture Milks at the shop. I however prefer the way my hair responds to the Moisture Milks and will pick that one over any other type anyday.

T444Z Hair Food: Have been using this since October 2012. I will buy this product anyday!! Not available in Ghana yet but I still have some left in the bottle. As a growth aid, and a thickener...seems to be working!

Jamaican Black Castor Oil: Been using this for a while especially for massaging my scalp. Very thick so I use just a little everyday! As a growth aid, and a thickener...seems to be working!

Haven't seen any major change in the growth rate of my hair though. Still average of 1/2 inch and a little over.

Cheers,
Star.

Still experimenting with hair products to find which ones work best for my hair. Only thing is some of the top products being used by lots of bloggers and youtubers are not available in Ghana.  These are the first set of products I bought and have been using for a while now. Will review each product I try and like immediately and give updates after using it for at least 2 months if I decide to continue using it. Will also state those products my hair totally hated!!

Relaxer: Vitale Life and Body with Olive Oil Lye in Normal Strength (Used no-lyes such as Organic Root Stimulator, Dr Miracles, MVP, Dark and Lovely to name a few over the years as recommended by most stylists but it mostly under processed my hair so I switched recently and I love the results after 2 trials. Just have to base my whole scalp myself to prevent burn. )
Shampoos: Creme of Nature Professional Ultra Moisturising Shampoo with Kiwi and Citrus (My hair loves this...it really moisturises, conditions and detangles.)
Odeon Shampoo and Conditioner with Henna and Shikakai (Leaves my hair soft and detangles greatly.)
Odeon Shampoo and Conditioner with Rose and Almond (It’s really stripping so I use it like a clarifying shampoo once a month.) 

Deep Conditioners: Creme of Nature Argan Oil Intense Conditioning Treatment (Can’t do without this one.. This product does all it promises for my hair!! Leaves my hair shoft, shiny, well detangled, etc, etc, etc. It’s incredible!!)
Elasta QP DPR-11 Deep Penetrating Remoisturising Conditioner (It’s cool but still can’t figure whether my hair likes this or not....kinda reacts indifferently.)
Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise (Not too sure how my hair reacts to this. Been used only twice so will continue to used for a while and see how it goes.)
Vitale Olive Oil Hair Mayonnaise (Have tried this immediately after my last 2 relaxer services and it was great. Made my hair very soft and silky smooth.
  
Conditioners: Silkience Silky-Smooth Conditioner (After searching for months for Sauve Naturals, VO5 and other conditioners recommended by other hair journey bloggers to no avail, I decided to buy this one after reading the ingredients. Have used it on my braided hair for a cowash only once and I could tell it was good but can’t really review it totally until I use it without braids.)
Bed Head Tigi Control Freak Conditioner (Nice ingredients in the list, but my hands hate it...too runny and doesn’t feel nice. My nose hates it......kinda has no smell. My hair hates it.........completely!! But amazingly, my daughter’s natural hair loves it. The results are not awesome on her hair but it’s great. Leave her hair nicely soft. It’s good as a leave in for her cos it’s so watery!! I just add a lil water and .... here comes her curls popping!!

Moisturisers: Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Incredibly Rich Moisturiser (Been using about twice a week after my wash. It is heavy for my hair so I use just a little bit. Still weighs my hair down so I’m gonna change this one as soon as I get the one on my wishlist and it works better.
Hawaiian Silky 14-in-1 Miracle Worker (Just bought this and been using it to moisturise my hair in braids. It feels very good in the hands, not too sticky or oily or heavy. Leaves an amazing shine. A little goes a long way! Can’t wait to try it on my hair only!
Homemade Sheabutter mix (Made my own moisturiser using melted unrefined sheabutter, coconut oil, olive oil and castor oil. It is a great moisturiser. Use this on my hair almost everyday and for my GHE (Green House Effect). It is excellent for natural hair as well and prevents frizz!

Leave-ins: Dark and Lovely Corrective Leave-in (Very popular and easy to find. Had used this for years but will discontinue use as soon as the one I have is finished. It’s an OK product though.)
Infusium 23 Original Formula (This is a protein leave-in and since I’m new to protein treatments, I use this sparingly until I’m sure how many times I can use this in a week. I use after each relaxer service which has been twice in four months. I sometimes add a drop in my spritz which I don’t use everyday. I intend to use it more frequently in future though.)
Natural Oils: The use of oils is completely new to me. I have however tried a few of these oils I found in stores.
Olive oil (Very light and give me hair great shine. Use this mostly on freshly relaxed hair for the first few weeks.)
Coconut Oil ( Haven’t bought a commercial one yet but i currently use the locally produced one in the local markets for pre-pooing. Except the strong scent which needs some getting used to, I believe this works great for me. I use it to seal in moisture after a wash; and when i have damp braids without applying a moisturiser.)
Castor Oil (using this mainly for my edges and my scalp as it is acclaimed to thicken hair.)
Hollywood Beauty Castor Oil (Tried this as there were some nice reviews on it by other user who recommended it for thickening hair. Haven't noticed much difference though)
Serums: None purchased yet.

Gels: None purchased yet.

Vitamins and Supplements: Swanson Biotin 5mg (Have been taking it for 4 months now but I don’t really see any change in my growth rate.)


Products currently being used on trial basis as none is a staple yet. 

                

27 comments:

  1. The vo5 can be found at Accra Mall-the Game. Where did you purchase the CON products?

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  2. Surprisingly, I found it in a small shop in Ashaiman market. The lady told me a friend sent it to her to sell. She still hasn't been able to stock some more since.

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  3. Please do u still use the coconut oil from the market or you bought one, if you did which brand and where did you get some?

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    1. For a while now, I have not been able to get coconut oil in the market where I shop......I used to buy from the women who sell palm oil, vegetable oil and co. It is a great oil to use, a cheaper option too for everything oils can be used for. The 500ml bottle is sold at 2ghc.

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  4. Thanks a lot for replying....i must say your blog is a good find and great inspiration! Keep on doing wat u do! God bless

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    Replies
    1. Thanks dear....you guys keep me going! Hope you recommend this page to some friends too.....sharing is caring......lol!!

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  5. Stella...how is your journey going, i too have purchased T444z and Jamacain Castor Oil...I read a lot about moisturising and sealing and wonder if you can advise....i intend to use the T on my scalp once a week, but on my hairline everyday as well as the Castor oil...hoe did that work for u...i also want to ask which of the 2 products i use on my hair...across the lenght of the hair...is it the oil or the t444z...

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    1. It's going great...just trying to lift my game lest I experience too much post-partum shedding. Both products are wonderful...T444Z is used mainly on the scalp while JBCO can be used on both the scalp and the hair. You can massage T on your clean scalp 1-3 times a week and everyday on your edges and bald areas. I used JBCO more for Green House Effect and sealing ....... across the length of the hair. My advise would be to use T for 1 month - 3 months, and JBCO on the hair. Then you can use JBCO for the next 3 months and see which aids better with growing YOUR hair faster. Remember to use just a little to prevent buildup. Take starting pixs to see your progress with each of the products. You can then decide which to maintain as a growth aid.

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  6. where did u buy the shikaikai thing from in ghana. pls i need to get some. u can reply me on raeychell@yahoo.com.

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    Replies
    1. Bought it at Melcom Stores in Sunyani...havent found it in any of their other branches yet.

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  7. Hi Stella

    I think some of the products you have listed have got silicones, sulphates and Parabens. These ingredients makes the hair dry and eventually begins to break.

    Read the ingredients list on the back of the hair product
    Avoid sulfates in your shampoos. Sulfates are foaming detergents that are found in many commercial shampoos and dish detergents. They can be drying for curly hair.
    Avoid silicones, waxes, non-natural oils, or any other non-soluble ingredients in your conditioners and any styling products. A silicone is any ingredient that ends with the suffixes -one, -conol, or -xane. Waxes are easily identified because they have "wax" in the ingredient name (usually). They are often referred to as ‘cones’. The reason silicones should be avoided in your hair care regime is that they build-up in your hair and cannot be removed by conditioner only or by ‘co-washing’. They can only be removed by sulphate shampoos which should be cut out of your routine as they are far too harsh for curly hair. Effects of sulphate shampoos can include dryness, breakage and excessive shedding and the dreaded...... FRIZZ!!
    The effects of polyquatariums are similar to those of silicones, however, it has been reported that polyquatariums, or ‘polyquats as they are often referred to are harder to remove from the hair than silicones and cause more build-up and block moisture out to a larger extent. Polyquatariums are far easier to identify than silicones. On the ingredients list, they are simply listed as ‘polyquatarium’ followed by a number.
    Some conditioners, list themselves as ‘Silicone Free’, which is a good marketing tool, but add paraffin and petrochemicals to the conditioners, these are just as bad as silicones!!
    Avoid drying alcohols, if at all possible, in your conditioners and stylers. Drying alcohols are commonly found in conditioners, leave in conditioners, gels, mousses, and hairsprays as fillers. For products that you are going to rinse out, this is not as big of a deal, but for products that are going to sit in your hair all day, or for several days, they should not contain drying alcohols. There are also moisturizing or fatty alcohols however, that sound similar, so be sure not to confuse those with drying alcohols.
    Write down the rules for identifying t products on a piece of paper and keep it with you when you go hair product shopping. Remember, sulfates are ingredients that contain "sulfate" or "sulfonate"; silicones end in -one, -conol, or -xane but PEG modified silicones are acceptable; waxes contain the word "wax"; and drying alcohols often contain propyl, prop, eth, or denatured in the name.

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    1. Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks for this information. Im sure my readers would be glad to know all these....I do read my ingredients list...back and forth... but I'm in a country, Ghana in Africa where chances of finding products which contain none of the above chemicals is like finding a needle in a haystack....very slim!! My aim therefore is to find better but affordable products that are readily available in Ghana and contain much less quantities of the ingredients mentioned above.

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    2. I love the list of your products.I am still on the look out for Black Jamaican oil (JBCO),but for now i use Kinky Apothecary Castor Oil.Even though i have natural hair,i 'll stay in touch with your blog.There is a lot to learn here.Keep it up.

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  8. is creme of nature ultra shampoo available in ghana

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    1. Yes it is...but I've only seen it in one shop. Not many bottles though.

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  9. i feel great after reading your post. you have really done a great job on this blog. Suppliers of beds and mattresses

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  10. Hi,

    I can supply Sulfate free shampoos, moisture and protein conditioners, Leave-in conditioners, vegetable glycerine etc, if you are happy to purchase them in bulk.

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  11. i can supply the following:
    Aphogee 2-minute reconstructor,
    V05 products
    creme of nature products
    kera care
    organic root stimulator etc

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    Replies
    1. That will be great.....Please contact me on +233201979795 ..I'm on whatsapp too.

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  12. nyc....i wld want to purchase creme of nature detangling shampoo and conditioner. send me ur num via ma email yaafrimpomaalinda@gmail.com

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  13. please where will i get Jamaican black castor oil in sunyani ghana?

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  14. Is there anywhere o can get herbal essences hello hydration shampoo and conditioner. I head its also good and sulfate free

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  15. Hello, for someone like me in ksi, some of these products are hard to come by...what would u suggest I do? I currently have APL hair n experiencing thinning at the front part n mid-section of my head...any helpful tips?

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  16. What do you think is the best hair mask for hair breakage and split ends? It's something I get asked quite often from my own blog's readers (naturalhealth-naturalbeauty.com), and I would love to know what you might think of it.

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  17. Nice organic product and hope it will in market. really want to use it.
    organic shampoo and conditioner review

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