Jane Carter Solution Nourish & Shine Product Review

I have heard so much about the Jane Carter Solution line, so I decided to give a few products a try. The first one that I picked up was Nourish & Shine.

PRICE: This little jar will put you back about $22. (YOWZERS!!!)

PRODUCT CLAIMS: "You have never experienced a product as fabulous as Nourish & Shine! We blend all natural vitamins and essential oils ot create this incredible hair nourisher. It completely melts in your hair and adds amazing shine and never leaves your hair feeling greasy or limp. Nourish & Shine helps reduce  dryness on your scalp and your skin!"

INGREDIENTS: This little baby is packed with some good stuff. Although it does use regular shea butter as its base, the combination of shea butter with mango butter, illippe butter, and essential vitamins and oils for hair gives it a little something something extra.

MY EXPERIENCE: The directions on the bottle say to only use about a pea size amount. I was extremely skeptical that such little product could do all that it claimed to do, but to my amazement it did. When using it to take down my twist-rod sets, it made my hair feel extra soft and it made my look extra shiny. It looked really really healthy. When I used it in the mornings to re-moisturize and refresh my hair, it softened my hair and added some more shine to it. One of the best things about it is that a little goes an extremely long way. I've had this tube for about 3 months now and just look how much I have left! 

Totally worth the $22 in terms of how long the product lasts.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The product definitely did what it said it was going to do. It's a really good product but isn't necessarily my favorite. When the product does run out, I don't think I would necessarily make it a priority to repurchase. It's a good product to have around, but it just isn't one of my staples (well, at least not now anyways...).

FTC Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review. I purchased this product myself. All opinions are my own

Giovanni Direct Leave-In Product Review

One of the first lines of products that I learned about when doing my initial product research was Giovanni. Immediately, I ran to my local Target (Walmart also carries this line, but Target has sample sizes) and looked at what this line had to offer. I picked up some sample sizes of a few products, including this one, and gave it a shot. Initially, this was my leave-in before I tried Kinky Curly Knot Today. To give an accurate review, I decided to revisit this product since I still had a quite a bit left in the bottle.

PRICE: Like other products from this brand, a full size bottle will cost you about $8.

PRODUCT CLAIMS: The bottle states the following: “To create condition and style, you need to go directly to the source. Direct Leave-In Weightless Moisture conditioner penetrates into each individual hair to provide exactly what’s needed, every time. This leave-in treatment uses enriched proteins to repair hair as you go through the day. It also plumps hair so it feels thicker, more bodified. Styled. Weightlessly. By infusing each strand with proteins, hair goes directly to style”

INGREDIENTS: Like the other products from Giovanni, the ingredients within this product are mouthwateringly good. Something that I didn’t notice before (out of pure ignorance of hair care product ingredients) is that this product contains Aloe Vera juice, which makes me excited. Aloe Vera juice is an ingredient that naturally has a pH of about 4.5, which is great for sealing moisture into the hair. Since my goal is to retain as much moisture as possible, I’m glad that I took the time to revisit this product. This leave-in does contain protein, so for you protein sensitive curlies out there, this may not be the product for you.

MY EXPERIENCE: When I first started using this product a while back, I was really kind of indifferent to it. It was the very first leave-in conditioner that I had used ever so I wasn’t really sure what it was supposed to do and the results that I should be seeing with it.  It did make my hair moisturized and shiny. When I used this product again last week, I could definitely tell the difference between this and KCKT. It's a bit thicker than KCKT, but absorbs into my hair about the same. It takes a bit more product to detangle which ultimately weighs my hair down. It did make my hair soft after it dried.

FINAL THOUGHTS: While this product is certainly good, I find that my detangling time is just so much shorter with KCKT. It is definitely a product I would recomend to someone who would like to try it, but KCKT is just much much better for me.

Hair Therapy Wrap Product Review

One of the things that I heard a lot about on natural hair blogs and YouTube channels was the Hair Therapy Wrap. A while back, I decided to snag one and give it a try.

Price: This will run you about $24.95 from Amazon.com.

Product Claims: “The Hair Therapy Wrap applies gentle heat for up to 30 minutes, encouraging conditioner to penetrate the hair follicles. Helps activate treatments, hot oils or reconstructors and can also help control dry, flaky scalp. You can use the Hair Therapy Wrap while bathing, relaxing, or around the house.”

Process: There is very little assembly required to use this product. It comes with 3 large gel packs and a cotton cap with three pockets on the inside of it. Simply place one gel pack in each of the pouches and you are practically ready to go! 

Once the gel packs are placed within the pouches, place the entire wrap in the microwave and heat for a total of 90 seconds in 10-second intervals. After the gel packs are heated up, wrap is ready for use! Fit the cap on your head (with the loose end in the back), twist the extra cloth until it’s tight against your head, and then secure the cloth to the front of the hair wrap.

My Experience: This product gives great heat, just as much as you would get from using a bonnet dryer or any other electric deep conditioning cap. What I love the most about it is that it’s cordless. This allows you to walk around and do whatever it is you need to do. Great for multi-taskers like me! The only downside is that there isn’t a lot of heat to be given for the nape area. The heated gel packs reach all other areas of my head except for this area.

Final Thoughts: After using this product for a while, I can definitely say that I’m a fan! Although I would like the gel packs to extend to the back portion of my head to ensure that my entire head is being heated evenly, I think that it is definitely a keeper! Well worth the money too!

Giovanni Smooth as Silk Conditioner Product Review

This is the deep conditioner that I have been using since the start of my transition. I thought I should tell you all about the product that I’ve been using before I start trying new things for DC.

PRICE: Just like its counter parts, this will run you about $8 for an 8oz. I found a 33.5oz bottle for just $13 at Marshalls.

PRODUCT CLAIMS:  “Smooth as Silk Deeper Moisture Conditioner makes your hair feel so smooth, so silky, so amazingly detangled. It works only where needed to create a silky-smooth palette that’s repaired, renewed, and aredy for you own unique kind of style.”

INGREDIENTS: Like most of the other products from this brand, the ingredients are absolutely delectable. What I love most is that the first ingredient listed after water is Rosemary Extract. Rosemary extract is known for stimulating hair growth. What kinky curly coily head doesn’t want that? Like all products from Giovanni, this product does contain protein, so for all you protein sensitive heads out there be weary.

MY EXPERIENCE: In all honesty, it took about a month before I really started seeing a difference in my hair. (Proof that you have to use a product for a little bit to see what it can really do for you). My hair was softer once I rinsed it out in the beginning, but it wasn’t nearly as soft as it is now. Now when I put my hair in 4 big twists to DC, by the end of the 30 minutes my hair is so soft that the twists untwist themselves. Even after I rinse the conditioner out, my hair remains extremely smooth and soft to the touch. This product gives EXCELLENT slip, which makes it a dream to detangle with. Additionally, my hair does seem to have a little more shine to it after I rinse it out (not a significant difference, but a difference none the less).

FINAL THOUGHTS: I like this conditioner (obviously since I’ve been using it for the past 8 months lol). One of the great things is that this DC not only increases moisture in the hair but it also has some protein, which my hair loves. This product will certainly stick around for a while, but I prefer to use a product that was meant to be a deep conditioner (this is meant to be a rinse out conditioner).  I am certainly still open for trying other deep conditioners.

FTC Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review. I purchased this product myself. All opinions are my own

Kinky Curly Knot Today Product Review

Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner has been raved about across many hair boards, many hair blogs, and many YouTube channels. So when I saw a bottle at my local Whole Foods, I couldn't help but give this product a try.

PRICE:  Just likes its shampoo counterpart, this will cost you about $12 a bottle.

PRODUCT CLAIMS:  The bottle states "Knot Today is a creamy, herbal conditioner and detangler designed to smooth the cuticle and remove knots, snarls, and tangles from thick curly textured hair."

INGREDIENTS: Simply put, these ingredients are amazing! It's wholly organic which provides the hair with yummy nutrients and includes the ingredients necessary to do exactly what the packaging says its going to do. This one is already looking like a winner!

MY EXPERIENCE: Love at first try! This product absorbed really well into my hair. It was something like the perfect consistency of a leave-in conditioner. It's thick enough to provide a whole lot of conditioning power to my hair yet thin enough to not weigh my hair down. Just like the bottle stated, this product made my post-shampoo detangling process extremely easy. It cut my detangling time in half! Each time I used this product, I got the exact same results which is awesome!! I even switched it up midway through my experimentation and went back to using my old leave-in. I could definitely tell the difference. This product also gave GREAT definition to my curls. Remember that very small section of hair that I cut to be fully natural? Well this stuff made it curl and coil right on up! I can only imagine what it would do to the rest of my fully natural hair.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I absolutely ADORE this product!! I have momentarily claimed it to be my staple leave-in conditioner. One of the best things about this product is that a little goes a long way, so the bottle lasts for a really long time, which definitely justifies the price of it. Once my current bottle is empty, I will certainly be purchasing it again!

QFPMS: Giovanni Smooth As Silk Shampoo

When I first decided to transition to natural hair, I immediately went out and purchased new products, all of which had been recommended by others on various blogs and YouTube channels (something I don’t suggest that others do…). One of those first products that I purchased was Giovanni Smooth as Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo. After using it for a while, I can honestly give my thoughts on the product.

PRICE: This will only run you about $8 a bottle. It is sold at most drugstores, including Walmart and Target. This was definitely a HUGE plus for me.

PRODUCT CLAIMS:  The bottle states in part “Smooth As Silk Shampoo has a pearlized formula that glistens in your hand and transforms your hair into a silky palette that’s ready for anything.”

INGREDIENTS: One of my favorite things about this product is by far the ingredients. With loads of yummy treats for your hair, such as Rosemary extract, lavender extract, and Valencia orange extract, it is bound to have some powerful conditioning power on your hair. It also contains vegetable protein. If you are protein sensitive, this may not be a good thing, but my hair loves protein. On the downside, however, this product replaces sulfates with an equally harsh cleaning agent, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate. It isn’t, however, in nearly the large quantity as found in most other commercial hair care products.

SB: Want to see what the ingredients in your hair care products are supposed to do? Check out this awesome ingredient dictionary at www.tightlycurly.com/ingredients/. It includes even the most uncommon of ingredients!

MY EXPERIENCE: When I first started using this product, it seemed just like any other shampoo that I used in the past. There wasn’t anything special about it. As time went on, my hair felt a tad drier than I would like after using it, but nothing that a pre-poo treatment couldn’t counteract. 

FINAL THOUGHTS: This shampoo is just ok. There isn’t really anything special about it to me. I’ll continue to use this product until the bottle is empty, but beyond that, I’m not too sure that I would re-purchase it again. If I was in a bind and needed a shampoo immediately, this is a good option, but it definitely isn’t my favorite.

FTC Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review. I purchased this product myself. All opinions are my own.

QFPMS: Kinky Curly Come Clean

One of the first products that I purchased when I decided to transition to natural hair was Kinky Curly Come Clean. I heard tons of good things about the Kinky Curly line, so I decided to give it a try. I headed to my nearest Whole Foods and picked up a bottle. {Note: Kinky Curly is now sold in many Target stores. Check here to see if it is sold in a Target store near you.}

PRICE:  This will run you about $12 a bottle.


PRODUCT CLAIMS: The packaging on the bottles states that "our exclusive blend of mandarine orange extract will gently clean your hair and scalp of buildup while sea kelp will maintain its proper moisture balance. This sulfate-free shampoo is perfect for dry, damaged hair and is gentle enough for daily use."


INGREDIENTS: This is mostly organic product. Since I have decided to use mostly, if not entirely, organic products on my hair, this is a major plus! This product is also sulfate-free which makes me very happy! It does, however, contain c14-16 olefin sulfonate, a cleanser that is known to be somewhat drying. It also contains cocamidopropyl betaine (coconut derived), a very gentle cleanser commonly used to counteract the dryness of harsher cleansers, so my guess is that the ability of the product to retain moisture in the hair while cleansing will vary from person to person (depending on how sensitive one's hair is to harsher cleansers). 


SB: Want to see what the ingredients in your hair care products are supposed to do? Check out this awesome ingredient dictionary at www.tightlycurly.com/ingredients/. It includes even the most uncommon of ingredients!


MY EXPERIENCE:
I first tried this product when I was 3 months into my transition (which means I had barely an inch of new growth...). At the time, I loved this product! It did exactly what it said it would do. It cleaned my hair and left it very soft and moisturized. Since this wholly organic product is on the expensive side (it'll cost you about $12 a bottle), I chose to put it on hold in the cabinet while I tried out other inexpensive shampoos. The next time I tried this shampoo ( a few weeks ago), my results were definitely...different. Instead of feeling completely moisturized like it had before, my hair had mixed results. On my relaxed ends, it felt completely moisturized. On my new growth, however, it felt dry and brittle.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Although this product did make my hair feel drier than I would have liked, it certainly did get my hair and scalp clean. I probably wouldn't use this on a regular weekly basis, but I wouldn't certainly use it for deeper cleanings. I can't quite say whether it would be a staple deeper cleaning shampoo, but it will certainly be in my rotation.


{FTC Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review. This product was purchased by myself. All opinions are my own.}