Product (Junkie) Overload

_________________________________________________________________________________________           Product (Junkie) Overload

Hair products have been around since the early days of Madame C.J. Walker. This self made millionaire was very innovative in finding and filling a void in the haircare needs of African Americans. Fast forward to the present times and the haircare industry is a very lucrative billion dollar business. There are numerous hair products out on the market, which all promise to give you that wonderful hair you desire. So, whether your hair is straight, wavy, curly or kinky there are many selections to choose from. Just to be fair, there are many products out that reacts well to ones hair type but, keep in mind which products work great for some, may not necessarily work for others.

I am a huge fan of trying new products to see what best works for me, although I am also known to "remix" products as well. This is exactly how some entrepreneurs started out...experimenting in the kitchen. I'm not sure how many hair products I own (too many to count), but here are a few...

                                                                     APHOGEE

(left)

VO5 (Moisture Milk-Strawberries & Cream, my fav)

(right)

Silk Elements (purple bottle-detangler is my fav)

CON (Creme of Nature)

Herbal Essences (Hello Hydration is my fav)

SHAMPOOS

There are various shampoos: moisturizing, conditioning, protein, dandruff, clarifying, color treated etc. Although, shampoos can strip the natural oils in your hair, it's important to put back the oils as well. I tend to either oil my hair the night before I was or add oil to my conditioner.

CONDITIONERS

I have very dry and thirsty hair, which tends to drink up any moisturizing aid that's applied. So I am always drawn to conditions....and lots of it!!! There are different types of conditioners (leave-ins, deep, moisturizing, nourishing, reconstructure etc.) but all serves a similar purpose.

OILS

It's been years since my hair even touched grease but, growing up as a kid was a household staple. I know there might be a debate on 'to grease your scalp or not'. For years I've used oils instead, some absorbs into the hair shaft while others just sit on top of it. Know which ones work best is trial and error, as with most things.I have several favorites but I will get into that on another post but they worked well for me. And let's not forget about essential oils as well (Rosemary, Jasmine, Lavender, etc.) mixed with a carrier oil (Olive, Coconut, Jojoba etc.)

STYLING AIDS

Now I'm not big on styling aids such as moose, hair spray, gels etc..I personally don't like a lot of product that tends to weigh my hair down. I don't wish to dry out my hair by using alcohol based products as well. I understand they are essential to have for various reasons (humidity etc.) There are many styling aids which are made with better ingredients, less alcohol, no mineral oil, paraben-free and so on. The ones with infused herbal agents are worth checking out as well.

Just remember, hair is protein so buying products that's protein based is needed. Knowing the protein/moisture balance is beneficial to the state of our hair. There is a such thing as protein overload, so be careful.

Whether straightening balms, hair thickeners etc., many of these manufactor's products tend to have the same ingredients. Be sure to read the ingredients on the label. The most important thing to remember is, we can buy all the products in the world but heredity, health, diet and hair manipulation play the biggest role.

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