Review/Deal: Sally’s Salon Services Herbal Complex Conditioner

After browsing my local Sally’s beauty supply store looking for a decent ‘on the ground protein conditioner’ (didn’t find any by the way), I decided to make a purchase I’ve been putting off for a while. You see I had been eyeing a 5 litre keg of conditioner. 5 litres? Yes 5 litres. 

Like most curly/coily hair ladies, I can never have enough conditioner. So much that I usually prefer to buy my conditioners in litre sizes. Also with Tresseme Naturals 900ml conditioner offers at shops becoming a rarity and gradually increasing in price. It was time to invest in a better solution for Dafro. With 5litres at £11.99. That works out at 1000ml/1litre at approximately £2.40 for a great quality conditioner!! Thankfully I didn’t need to have a Salon Pro card of sorts to make this purchase.

Product Features of Sally’s Salon Services Herbal Complex Conditioner

• To be used after any colouring or bleaching treatment
• Formulated with Vitamin E which is a powerful antioxidant with hydrating properties.

This is probably that ‘treatment’ the stylist says is natural and strengthening for your hair whilst she massages your scalp, you know the one in the nameless bottle that you wonder about? (Off course only at the non- exclusive salon, because the exclusive ones only use branded recognized products *sniffs*)

Nehuuu..With this manufacturer recommending that this was to be used after a colouring or bleaching treatment - processes that are potentially detrimental to the hair shaft due to their bond altering effects. I knew I had to be on the right path.

They did not sell smaller samples of this conditioner, so I couldn’t tell it’s efficacy. There were no reviews online at the time of writing, so not much else to go by apart from my understanding of ingredients.

The ingredients list is relatively simple, but what I love even more is that the MAIN agents are within the top 5. This means that these ingredients exist in a much higher concentration. How many times have you picked up a conditioner purporting itself as argan/aloe/shea/potatoe e.t.c based only to note disappointingly that the supposed main ingredient is actually at the bottom of the ingredients list.

Welll that wasn’t the case with this one. What was the seller for me? The aloe vera gel and henna. 

Yes definitely CG, if you are into that.

Ingredients

Aqua (Water), Cetearyl Alcohol (fatty emulsifying conditioning agent ), Steartrimonium Methosulfate (anti-static smoothing agent (STM)), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera Gel) Lawsonia Inermis (Henna Extract),Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Parfum (Fragrance) Citric Acid (preservatives) Magnesium Chloride Magnesium Nitrate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone (preservatives)  CI 19140 CI 42090 (colouring)

Texture

Medium-light texture.

 

Smell

I think of lime and greens with this one. I guess they were trying to go for a ‘herby’ smell. Either way I like it.

On my hair

It gave me great slip and allowed me to finger detangle fairly easily. Infact it was surprisingly very slippery and sudsy! Wow! I like very much. It smoothed down my hair quite a fair bit too. Overall it did a good job for me far more than I expected. But the killer for me, was the reduced amount of shedding I got. I got significantly less shedding that I usually do. Despite having not washed my hair in a few days.  Whenever this finishes I will definitely be returning back to Sally’s to stock up.

I doubt I shall be having any cold sweats as a result of conditioner shortage any time soon. Tressemme can move over.

Staple Hair Products For My Coily, Kinky Type 4 Hair Easily Bought On The Ground (UK)

I was thinking of following up my initial post March favourites, but thought that maybe redundant because most of the products in my March favourites are also in my April Favourites and will most likely be around for the following months. I have a few new additions, so let me know if you would like a more in-depth review if  there isn’t one already on my blog.

 It’s fun to try new products, but it’s important to have those staples you can fall back on when you can’t be bothered to experiment/just don’t have the time, suffered adverse reactions from past product experiments, are just done with product experimenting (a phase I go through from time to time) or simply broke! Lol.

For new naturals, I understand how expensive it can be to find moderately priced products that are easy to get and effective, I've been there. So for that reason, I would like to share my staples that have been chosen for being: 

1. Effective on my hair. (You know the saying, “What works for me and so on”)
2. Possessing moderate - cheap prices.
3. Easy to pick up on the ground. (Yup no shipping, online transactions. Attainable same day!)

So from L-R; 

Schwarzkopf Gliss Oil Nutritive Shampoo Cleans effectively without stripping. Costs £1 and can be found at Poundshop/99p stores.

Tresseme Naturals Silicone Free Conditioner: Crazy Slip, conditions wonderfully leaves my hair soft during and after rinsing. Between £2.50-£5.00. Lowest during BOGOF sales at Superdrug, Boots, ASDA, Sainburys, Tescos.

Andrew Barton SOS Help Me Twice a Week Conditioning Mask: crazy slip. Effective for Dafro as a co-rinse, leave-in (combined with castor oil) and deep-conditioner. Smells like cookies/gingerbread. Found only at ASDA to my current knowledge and some smaller pharmacies with a much smaller range. Buy mine priced 2 for £6/£8 during ASDA offers

Vatika Egg Protein Hair Mask: Does a good job of strengthening my hair, without giving me hard hair. Ok slip. Suds easily so I use as a co-wash and rinse out. Buy from black hair care shops and even spotted at Superdrug. Costs between £3.50 - £4.99.

Ecostyler Pink Gel: Cheap effective styling gel. Clumps, defines, weighs down & holds my coils in place keeping tangles away during WNG styling. Smells like tea-tree oil. Gives me multiple day hair. Gives firm hold, not too hard hold like Olive/Krystal/Argan versions. Can pull back a decent bun with this unlike the Blue Ecostyler. 946ml massive tub costs £2.99 from my local black hair care shop.

Aloe vera Gel: smooths down my cuticles like no other, especially when they are quite bushy. Gives very light soft hold for WNG. Great base staple leave-in when mixed with castor oil. £4.99 from Holland & Barratt. I bag these and stock up during the BOGOF/ Penny sales.

Hawaiian Silky Curl Activator “Dry Look”: always layered with castor oil, makes my coils clump like crazy and keeps my hair moisturised for at least 2 days. Smells like candy. Costs between £3-4 for a 454g tub. Also available at my local black beauty hair shop.

Castor Oil: All round staple for it's Conditioning/Detangling/Sealing properties. I can buy this stuff from the local shop, but since the dude and myself use this from head to toe, I buy it in litres. Can be found at my local hair product shop in 250ml bottles priced at £2.99. Even spotted at some branches of Tescos in Asian food aisle. (I buy my litres off Ebay/Amazon)

Umberto Giannini Scrunching Jelly:  Lovely styling gel for my WNG. Great effective coil clumper. Gives me multiple day hair. Available from boots just under £5 for 200ml tub. A bit pricey so I stock up during 2for1 offers.

Recent additions not in pic: 1/05/2012
*Sally's Salon Services Herbal Complex Conditioner.
*Taliah Waajid's Mist Bodifier Spray as a refresher.

Current Hair Product Favourites March 2012: Updated

SHAMPOO


Review: Elucence moisture benefits shampoo = A*

Pros: Very concentrated so a little goes a long way. Lots of lathering action.Leaves hair feeling very moisturised during & after rinsing. Very slippy, I can actually detangle with just this in my hair. pH balanced. Smells like peaches, gorgeous scent!


Cons: May not be the best clarifier, though in it's defense thats not it's purpose.Stings like b****h when it comes in contact with eyes. Have to order online, not on ground in shops in London.


Ingredients: Prunis Persica (Peach) extract, Pimpenella anisum (Anise) fruit extract, Panax Ginseng root extract, Ginkgo Bilobika extract, cetraria islandica (Irish Moss) extract, saccharomyces cerevisiea (Brewer's Yeast) extract in purified water, sodium myreth solfate (coconut oil-derived). C14-16 olefin sulfonate (mineral-derived_, cocomidopropyl betaine (coconut oil-derived)hydrolyzed wheat protein, tocopherol acetate, Panthenol (provitamin), glycol distearate (fatty acid-derived), polyquaternium-10 (polysaccharide celulose, DMDM Hydantoin, methlyparaben (USP), propylparaben(UPS), benzophenone-4 (UV absorber), fragrance, D&C orange 4CI 15510


Review: Swarzkopf oil nutritive shampoo = B+

Marketing speech: Reduces split ends up to 85%, for Shiny hair from root to tip. Easy to get from pound shops or Savers. Ingredients: Includes Argan oil as the fourth ingredient after water! (take that Kenzia!), macadamia nut oil, olive oil,sesame seed oil, castor oil a whole host of other oils! It also contains hydrolysed keratin (though down the list) for strengthening the hair  fibers.
Pros: Cheap as chips. Clarifies without stripping. Nice citrusy scent. Packed full of great oils and proteins! Claims to help prevent split ends!As well as create shiny hair. Well thats another story entirely, because my hair isn't the kind to to *shine* but have have a sheen.  What got me attracted to this shampoo initially was the impressive ingredients list.  It is packed full of so many oils. Which is great for me, because I am not always one for mixing stuff in the kitchen and all that. I just prefer to have my products deliver  what they promise solely.  This is a cheap, effective shampoo that cleans my hair without stripping it.
Cons: Not as moisturising as elucence, not slippy either. Has SLS & cones (though water soluble) so not CG friendly if you are into that.

CONDITIONER


Review: Tressemme Naturals Silicone Free Nourishing Moisture Conditioner = A

Pros: Clumps my coils like no man's business, The Slip is crazy, my hair feels like butter, After rinsing out my hair still feels so so soft. This is Holy Grail for the slip alone. Price is great for quantity, easily and readily available.  Frequently subject to BOGO or 1/2 price offers in supermarkets or Boots/Superdrug

Cons:As a leave -in, occasionally irritates my scalp. 

Ingredients:Water (Aqua), Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Fragrance (Parfum), Lauroyl Lysine, Caprylyl Glycol, Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Aspartic Acid, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Citric Acid, Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice. USDA Certified Organic Extracts: Aloe Vera, Sweet Orange, and Avocado. 

Review: Dabur  Vatika  Virgin Olive & Egg Protein Hair Masks =  A-

Pros:Very sudsy, slippy,  I use these interchangeably. My coils clump like crazy after using them. I use these for co-washing and  deep - conditioning and my hair always feels great afterwards! Readily available at most Asian-run Beauty supply shops. Approximate price range £3.50-£5 a tub.

Cons:The scent may be a bit strong for some but fortunately it doesn't last very long after rinsing out.

Ingredients for Olive :Aqua, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Olea Europaea (Olive), Fruit Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Almond) Oil, Lawsonia Inermis Extract, Parfum, Magnesium Nitrate, Magnesium Chloride, Methylchloroisothiazolionone, Methylsothiazolinone, Citric Acid, Cl 16255, Cl 19140, Cl 14720, Cl 73015, Cl 28440.

Ingredients for Egg Protein:Aqua, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Parfum, Honey Extract, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Marrow Extract, Egg Powder, Olea Europaea (Olive), Fruit Oil, Magnesium Nitrate, Magnesium Chloride, Methylchloroisothiazolionone, Methylsothiazolinone, Citric Acid, Cl 19140, Cl 42080, Cl28440, Cl73015, Cl16255, Cl14720.

Review:Aubrey Organics GBP & Honeysuckle Rose Conditioners = A*

Pros: Lovely scent, great slip, one of the few conditioners that leaves my hair moisturised for days! Fantastic as a co-wash, rinse-out & deep conditioner

Cons: Gradually rising price range (sigh* I remember when these were between £5-£6!! Now price ranges from £9-£12!), so I'm careful not to get too hooked on them. Too thick and pasty to leave-in on my hair. Even when watered down can leave a dull grey/white cast.

Ingredients: Coconut fatty acid cream base, organic aloe vera, wheat germ oil, milk protein, organic rosemary oil, organic sage oil, horsetail extract, coltsfoot extract, nettle extract, glycoprotein, balsam oil, aubrey's preservative (citrus seed extract, vitamins A, C and E)

N.B: I have noticed the ingredients are different on these conditioners. Sometimes there is a label on the side of the bottle with separate ingredients. I wonder if anyone else has noticed this.

Review: EO Essentials Organic Conditioners = A*

Pros: I love these conditioners. Like really really love these conditioners! Very very rich and moisturising conditioners. Stellar ingredients.So far my faves have included the coconut, coconut and hibiscus, rose & hibiscus, lavender and aloe. They make fantastic rinse outs/leave-ins & deep conditioners. For my type 4 hair, these conditioners deliver exceptional long-lasting moisture past day 1 if layered with castor oil as a leave -in.

Cons: Not a lot of slip, so can't detangle with them the scent can take a while to get used to. For example I can only use the Lavender conditioners during winter. As I tend to have a greater tolerance for such deeper scents during the colder months.  It is not always readily available at TKMaxx (£7-£8 for 32 fl oz/960ml), where I purchase them. Original price online is twice/three times what I would usually get them for! 

Ingredients for EO Essentials Organic Coconut Conditioner: 

Review: Garnier Triple Nutrition Conditioners for Dry/Damaged Hair = A-

Pros: Fantastic, Oil packed conditioners! Lasting moisture, Good slip, Causes major clumpage of coils.Readily available at decent prices £1-£3 at supermarkets or Boots! 
Cons: Can lead to breakouts & irritate scalp if not rinsed out properly! Frequently gets re-packaged/re-formulated. I prefer the lighter green packaged conditioners to the darker green conditioners. As the latter has less oils in my opinion.


Ingredients:Water,Cetearyl Alcohol,Palm Oil,Behentrimonium Chloride,Apple Fruit Extract,Glycerin,Parfum/Fragrance,Stearamidopropyl Dimethlamine,Niacinamide,Pyridoxine HCI,Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Shea Butter,Citric Acid,Olea Europaea Oil/Olive Fruit Oil,Sugar Cane Extract,Benzyl Alcohol,Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride,Avocado Oil,Black Currant Seed Oil,Lemon Peel Extract,Linalool 


Leave in/Moisturiser


Water **

Abundant, Free, Essential daily for Dafro.


Review: Aloe Vera Gel & Castor oil mix = A

Pros: AVG seals the cuticles & corrects the pH balance. castor oil lubricates the hair strands and helps seal in & attract moisture with it's humectant qualities. Cheap and very effective for me!
Cons: None.!




Review: Hawaiian Silky Curl activator gel & castor oil = A

Pros: Loving Hawaiian Silky's Gel Activator *Dry look* I can put this on damp hair, then 'seal' in with castor oil. Otherwise Dafro get's crispy dry by the end of the day! It gives me more than a day's moisture!!! Easily accessible from my local BSS.Cheap. Love the scent!
Cons: Takes a few attempts to master the right quantity to use, otherwise it's grease stains everywhere!
Ingredients for Hawaiian Silky :Water (Aqua) Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, PEG-75 Lanolin, Hydantoin DMDM, Polysorbate-20, Triethanolamine, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Carbomer, Angelica Archangelica Root Extract (Angelica Archangelica), Articum Lappa Root Extract (Articum Lappa), Chamomilla Recutita (martricaria) Extract (Charmomilla Recultita), Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract (Symphytum Officinale), Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Extract (Viscum Album), Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract (Urtica Dioica), Avena Sativa (Oat) Meal Extract (Avena Sativa, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract (Rosmarinus Officinalis), Saliva Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract (Saliva Officinalis), Nasturtium Officinale Extract (Nasturtium Officianale), FD&C Yellow NO. 5 (Cl 19140), FD&C Red No. 40 (CL 16035), Fragrance (Parfum)