Product review: Aphogee Two Step Protein Treatment

I try to do this treatment one week after my relaxer to bring strength back to my hair and to coat my hair with protein to prevent and protect from breakage.

 The Aphogee Two Step Protein Treatment is a serious deep protein treatment. If you don't know what you're doing then it should only be done by a professional.

It instantly stops shedding and strengthens hair. I notice the difference immediately.This is the ONLY deep protein I use.

It's a two step process. First you apply the protein treatment all over your head and then sit under a warm  dryer to allow the treatment to harden usually about 30 minutes.

During this process DO NOT manipulate hair. This can/will cause breakage because the hair gets hard and brittle.

The second step is the MOST important. Use the deep moisturizing conditioner that comes with it to bring your hair back to life. I sit under the dryer for 30 minutes to allow the moisturizer to set.

Because I like/want my hair silky and extra moisturized after this process I added a third step. I use Silk Elements Mega Moisturizer under the dryer for another 30 minutes. When done style as usual.

I tweeted that every time I do one I can't help but think of the two step song and...well...two step LOL!

Product Review No. 8 and....

Motions Moisture Plus Conditioner

Avocado oil and honey infuse each strand with ultra-moisturizing conditioners to detangle, hydrate and add silky shine.Silk protein helps fortify. Panthenol, silicone and glycerin saturate the cuticle to help repair and renew.

I told you all in an earlier post that I was taking it back old school. By that I mean I’m using all the old products that helped my hair grow long in the first place. From 2003 through  summer 2008 I had the best hair of my life lengthwise. It was long, healthy and thick. Life was good and stress was low. Fast forward and all hell broke loose. I was laid off from my high paying job, my lifestyle changed and adjustments had to be made.

One thing that suffered was my hair. I use to go to the stylist every week and left the care of my hair in her hands. So after my job loss, one thing that had to change was my hair appointments. I started getting my hair braided by a family friend and the styles were cute. The one thing that I "forgot" is that I don't wear braids well. My hair hates it. No matter how much I care for it in braids it still results in hair loss. I thought since it had been 10 years maybe that had changed, sadly it had not. During that time, in and effort to get to know my own hair I also decided to go natural. This ended up being a major FAIL! When I removed the braids my hair was a total disaster. I made an appointment and my stylist was like WHOA! What the heck have you done? My ends were raggedy. My hairline was near ratchedness, and the line of demarcation between relaxed hair and natural hair was a disaster! I ended up getting another relaxer and after it was blown out you could really see the damage.

My stylist said it had to be cut and I was crushed. Then my hair was subsequently cut to my neck. I was devastated!! I had not had short hair in forever. Anywhoo, after my cut it has been trial and error trying to find what products work for my hair to get my health and length back.

...Wait this is supposed to be a product review.

I started this post to talk about this Motions conditioner that I worked into my hair journey. There is so much information on the nets about silicone being bad for your hair. Well before I knew this, my hair grew with "cone" products and trying to be silicone free was not working for my hair. I took it back old school and bought this conditioner and my hair has been doing fine since I worked it in. I started using it for my mid-week cowash and condition. So if you don't have a fear of silicone give it a try! It has enough good stuff in it to cancel out the supposedly bad.

Product Review No.6

Giovanni Tea Tree Oil Shampoo VS. Shikai Tea Tree Oil Shampoo

Shikai did not give my scalp the tingly cleansed feeling that GTTO did.

and the winner is Giovanni Tea Tree Oil Shampoo!

Hair Mistakes!

So this weekend I decided to pre poo my hair before I washed. I used VO5 volumizing conditioner and grape seed oil. Umm that was a crazy combo as for as my hair was concerned. My hair was sooooooooo tangled when I went to shampoo. It was crazy! I don't know what happened??

Anywhoo I washed with the Shikai Tea Tree shampoo. It is not as fab as the Giovanni Tea Tree shampoo. I then washed with Creme of Nature detangling shampoo( I'm going to be so sad when this runs out) then I conditioned with my beloved Silk Elements. This softened my hair to butter and made it easier to detangle, but it was still a long tedious process. I lost a lot of hair. *sadface*

I will be relaxing next week due to the texlax relaxer 5 weeks ago. I will then be able to assess the damage to my ends. I hope my hair is not paper thin because of this mishap. Guess who won't be texlaxing or pre pooing anymore? Me!

Product Review No. 5 Giovanni Product

Today I washed my hair with Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo.

Well I have to say my hair does not like this shampoo. I expected something that said "smooth as silk" would have great slip and leave my hair feeling good. Nope! It felt like wet carpet.

I co-washed quickly with VO5 moisture conditioner to counteract the dryness and drawn up mushed feeling my hair had. After rinsing my hair felt back to normal. I'm glad this was a sample and I won't be using it again.

I'm a person with relaxed hair, and this product says it's for chemically treated hair. I have to say this shampoo did not leave my relaxed hair smooth as silk. I keep trying Giovanni products because I've heard such good things!  But I may have to just accept that they are not for me. Oh well on to the next one. LOL!

Product Review No.4 Shi Kai

From the site:

http://shikai.com/index.html

Tea Tree Shampoo: is aromatic and invigorating. The essential oils of tea tree and peppermint leave the scalp tingling and fresh. And our proprietary soap-free ShiKai Extract leaves hair exceptionally soft, shiny and healthy.

Tea Tree Conditioner: contains also contains tea tree, peppermint, Amla and jojoba oils to revitalize and leave hair silky soft, shiny and manageable.

I've mentioned this conditioner a few times in other posts but I haven't done a formal review.

Since beginning my hair journey, I don't have any of the problems I previously had with my scalp. I used to have a real problem with dry, flaky, itchy scalp. My scalp was so easily irritated and it would itch unbearably causing me to scratch until it bled! I use to use special prescription shampoo and an ointment!...because none of the over the counter products worked! Yes it was that bad! I believe I had a hair allergy to my previous relaxer, but it was my stylist's staple so I never said anything o_O! The only problem I may have now is an itchy scalp before a wash day, which brings me to my new found LURVE!!

I was perusing the aisles at Whole Foods and found this trial size version of Shi Kai Tea Tree conditioner and decided to try it. AMAZE!!!

Shi Kai Tea Tree conditioner is amazing!! How can what essentially boils down to a dandruff product be so moisturizing? It is because it contains all the important products that are good for hair! Swoon!

One day before wash day I usually pre-poo with oils and a conditioner and I had read on a few hair blogs that adding tea tree oil to another another oil or to your conditioner would help with itchy scalp. Finding this conditioner relieves me from having to do any of that.

My scalp truly felt amazing after using this product. It did not strip or dry my hair at all. I still followed with my regular moisturizing routine, but as a pre-poo product it will be a staple when I have an itching scalp.

I plan to try the shampoo and may convert from the Giovanni Tea Tree to this.

Product Review No.3 Giovanni Products

On the hair forums I read that Giovanni hair care products are good for all hair types including relaxed hair.  The line is all natural and organic. So yesterday while perusing the aisles at Whole Foods I went down the hair care aisle and saw they had trial sizes. I have had a few problems with itching scalp and bought the Tea Tree shampoo and conditioner.  Each bottle was 1.99 for 2 ounces.

TEA TREE TRIPLE TREAT SHAMPOO
Tri-functional shampoo - alleviates dry, flaky scalp; unclogs pores, removes product build up.

TEA TREE TRIPLE TREAT CONDITIONER
A natural blend of essential oils, minerals, vegetable proteins, tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary, and peppermint oils. Nourishes and restores strength and shine. Tingly sensation invigorates the scalp.

My hair felt really clean! I mean really clean. So that means the shampoo is moisture striping
and clarifying. It seemed good as a clarifying shampoo. I usually only co-wash and I made sure to only wash my scalp but the shampoo that got on my hair did make it a bit dry. However, I really liked the tingle I felt during the wash.  I think I will be able to use just the  tea tree conditioner to co wash with in the future when my scalp feels itchy.

Update: Not able to just use the conditioner it did not get my hair as clean as I needed it to be.

I recommend following up with a good deep conditioner like Silk Elements Mega Moisturizing

 
Overall I liked it!  I think if your scalp is having a real problem with dandruff and/or itching both products together will help! You can check out the products at the link below.

http://www.giovannihaircare.co.nz/products.htm

Product Review No.2 Hair One

I tried the Hair One Olive oil cleanser. It was just okay. It left my scalp really tingly and clean. I liked that. But I think this is best used in the earlier weeks of relaxed hair. It did not give me enough slip, nor did it detangle.Itwas supposed to be for dry hair, but I did not feel that moisturized. I will try it again after a new relaxer which is coming up.

My first Product review

I recently went to S.ally's Beauty Supply and bought some samples of hair products that I've read on hair blogs that are good. I bought Hair One hair cleanser, Silk Elements Megasilk Moisturizing Conditioner, Silk Elements Megasilk Moisturizer Reconstructer. I also bought a full size bottle of ElastaQP Intense Conditioner.

I tried the Silk Elements MMC and it was amazing!!! My hair was super moisturized and I will be purchasing the full size bottle and addding this to my regime.

MMR was a little drying but I will  use it when I need a quick protein boost and then add a moisturizer after. which is what I'm supposed to do anyway.

I plan to wash with Hair One this week to see how it cleanses my scalp.

I used the EQP as a dry conditioner before my cowash this week. It had a strong smell and I wasn't sure if I should keep it on my hair but I did.  SMH.

It wasn't very moisturizing and I won't be using it again. It had a lot of alcohol I could smell it and was VERY drying! My hair was not moist the next day and did not feel good when I rinsed. It did feel strong but I was worried about the chemical smell.

So that's my review! I'm in my 7 week stretch for this relaxer. I learned that I can't stretch long like women with thicker hair. My hair is very fine and "should be treated like delicate silk". LOL! per Haute girl!