KINKY/CURLY MAGAZINE: October 2009

African Black Soap, 100% natural

Actually, I'd be an equal-opportunity dater (if I weren't already married to a delicious Black Man), but it made a great headline.

I've been using this for a year to cleanse my face. I bought it from a woman named Zee at Discover Mills, in Georgia. She now has her own store, Zee Craft, where she sells the best Shea Butter as well. She told me Black Soap would clear up my skin, and it did. Wanna know what else? It is a GREAT shampoo! I just pinched of a small piece and lathered it over my hair in the shower. Once my hair got really wet, I rubbed the soap directly onto my hair, and worked it in.

Product reads:
African Black Soap is made in West Africa from palm oil, palm kernel oil, and water. The aroma and deep rich color result from the centuries old extraction process that blends the two ingredients together, resulting in the finest skin cleanser available.

Usage:
Relieves acne and removes blemishes, prevents rashes, itching, dry, and scaly skin from developing
Cleans pores and rejuvenates the skin
Clears up eczema
Body cleanser

This soap is dark brown in color, like the photo above. IT IS NOT BLACK! If you are using a black (dyed) bar of soap, THROW IT AWAY! This soap is soft and maliable, like Play-Doh. You can pinch of a small piece to use. One tub will last forever.

From my friend at naturallycurly.com, to you. Thank you, S.L. :)

These are just notes I've kept for myself over the years.....maybe something will help you.

Hair Care Products
(for natural hair)
- avoid silicones which can leave the hair dry: -sane, -xane, -cone, including cyclopentasiloxane
- amodimethicone is a cone that is water soluble with trideceth-12
- look for cetrimonium chloride for detangling
- fatty alcohols (i.e. cetyl, cetearyl, stearyl, etc.) combined with hard water leave the hair feeling waxy
- avoid stearalkonium chloride (cheap softner that is toxic and an irritant)
- dannon full fat yogurt to loosen curl pattern (leave on for over an hour, lactic acid helps to loosen curls)
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CLEANSING / LIGHT CONDITIONERS (for no poo method, look for ones without protein and stearalkonium chloride)
- Suave (Citrus Smoothie, Mango & Peach) => not as good as VO5
- VO5 (Vita Burst, Tea Therapy, Strawberries & Cream, Sun Kissed Raspberry - Vanilla Mint or Kiwi & Lime for clarifying) => contains stearalkonium chloride
- Curlicious Curls Cleansing Cream => great cleansing, a little thick coming out of the bottle
- Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Shampoo => leaves a coating on hair, do not repurchase
- MyHoneyChild Olive You Scalp Cleanser
- MyHoneyChild Jamaica Island Scalp Cleanser => works well but used a whole bottle in one washing, try again
- MyHoneyChild Banana Creme Scalp Cleanser
- MyHoneyChild Jamaica Island Conditioner => good moisturizer
- MyHoneyChild HoneyNutt Conditioner
- Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream
- Naani's Naturals Fallen Moisturizing No Sulfates Shampoo
- Nature’s Gate Asian Pea & Red Tea Rejuvenating Conditioner => good
- Nature's Gate Jojoba or Aloe Conditioners => do not like Herbal because of smell
- Whole Foods 365 Citrus Grapefruit Conditioner => good for cowashing
- Shikai Daily Moisture Conditioner
- DevaCare No-Poo => don't like consistency
- DevaBrown Chocolate Lust
- TIGI Bed Head Moisture Maniac Conditioner => really like, moist hair
- TIGI Catwalk Oatmeal & Honey Treatment Conditioner
- TIGI Bed Head Superstar Sulfate-Free Shampoo
- Mop Top Gentle Clarifiying Shampoo
- Mop Top Daily Conditioner
- Oyin Handmade Honey-Hemp Conditioner => absorbs well, good leave in
- Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner => good conditioner
- John Masters Organics Citrus & Neroli Detangler => good conditioner
- Modern Organic Products Mixed Greens Conditioner for Normal to Dry Hair
- Wen Fig Cleansing Conditioner
- Hair Rules Daily Cleansing Cream => don't repurchase

DEEP CONDITIONING
take regular conditioner and add olive oil, avocado oil, coconut milk, shea butter, avocado butter, castor oil, liquid lecithin and/or honey for extra conditioning and softening
- coconut milk => moisturizes, softens, smooths, and detangles
- Hair Rules Quench Deep Conditioner => don't repurchase
- Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment => overnight treatment, smells bad, don't repurchase
- Back 2 Basics Pomegranate Moisture Conditioner
- Karen's Body Beautiful Luscious Locks Moisturizing Hair Mask => nice conditioner, use the whole jar at one time
- Curl Junkie Hibiscus & Banana Deep Fix Moisturizing Conditioner => nice moisturizing conditioner
- Black Earth Herbal Conditioner
- Blended Beauty Herbal Reconditioner => really like but one jar equals one treatment
- Blended Beauty's Volcanic Mask => a clay mask for the hair
- DevaCare One Condition => don't like the smell but works pretty good
- DevaBrown Chocolate One Condition
- Jessicurl Too Shea Extra Moisturizing Conditioner => light conditioner
- Jessicurl Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment => good deep conditioner
- MyHoneyChild Honey Hair Mask => good conditioner
- MyHoneyChild Olive You Deep Conditioner => good conditioner
- MyHoneyChild Banana Creme Conditioner
- MYHoneyChild Coconut Papaya Hair Paste => left white pieces in my hair, must use heat, good conditioner, used the whole jar for one treatment
- Jane Carter Solution Nutrient Replenshing Conditioner => ok
- Jane Carter Solution Scalp Renew => good deep treatment oil
- Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Hair Moisturizer => hard to get out of bottle
- Shikai Intensive Repair Conditioner
- Aubrey Organics Island Naturals Conditioner => very thick, didn't really like, don't repurchase
- Mop Top Deep Conditioner => ok, don't repurchase
- Generic Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm => moisturizing
- John Masters Organics Lavender & Avocado Intensive Conditioner
- Ion Color Solutions Color Defense Intense Moisture => use after Aphogee
- Joico K-Pak (protein)
- ApHogee Treatment (protein)

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONERS
coconut oil is very drying to the hair
- Hair Rules Nourishment Leave In Conditioner => don't repurchase, has silicones
- Giovanni Direct Leave In => one of the best leave in conditioners!!
- Black Earth Protective Mist Bodifier => absorbs well in my hair
- Oyin Handmade Greg Juice => absorbs well, smells funny, don't repurchase
- Oyin Handmade Juices & Berries => absorbs well, smells funny, don't repurchase
- Oyin Handmade Whipped Pudding => contains beeswax, smells good, a little thick
- Wild Growth Hair Oil
- Jessicurl Stimulating Scalp Massage Oil
- Jessicurl Aloeba Daily Conditioner => ok daily conditioner, doesn't absorb as well as other products, don't repurchase
- MyHoneyChild Type 4 Hair Creme => don't like the feel in my hair, don't repurchase
- MyHoneyChild Curl Activator
- Qhemet Biologics Castor & Moringa - Softening Serum
- Blended Beauty Happy Nappy Styles
- Organikah Whipped Hair Butter
- Carols Daughter Hair Milk => doesn't absorb well in my hair
- Curl Junkie Curly Boost Curl Enhancing Spray
- Curl Junkie Hibiscus & Banana Honey Butta Leave In Conditioner => very thick, doesn't absorb well, do not repurchase
- Curl Junkie Coco-Milk Conditioner
- Knot Today => okay but don't repurchase
- Curls Milkshake => okay but some cones in new formula, don't repurchase
- Jane Carter Solution Scalp Nourishing Serum
- Modern Organic Products Leave-In Conditioner
- Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Milk => contains a wax
- Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Cream => nice hair cream, lots of good scents
- Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Butter => like a pomade
- ABBA Nourishing Conditioner => not as good as KBB hair milk
- Afro Detangler => good texture, really like, great for twists
- Long Lovely Locks Curly Custard => lots of butters

STYLING PRODUCTS
- Hair Rules Kinky Curling Cream => contains mineral oil
- Hair Rules Hydrating Finishing Cream
- Curls by Sister Smith Wet Set Hair Pudding => good for twists
- Fantasia IC w/ Sparkle Lites or Color Treated (blue) => gummy, doesn't work well in my hair
- Kinky-Curly Curling Custard => too crunchy and drying on my hair
- Aubrey Organics B5 Design Gel => gummy, doesn't work well in my hair
- Crinkles & Curls by Black Earth Products
- Jane Carter Solutions Wrap & Roll => doesn't work well in my hair
- Jane Carter Solutions Nourish & Shine => good pomade
- Curls by Sister Smith Wet Set Hair Pudding
- Oyin Handmade Burnt Sugar Hair Pomade => nice pomade, good shine, like the smell
- Oyin Handmade Shine and Define Styling Serum => good for twists
- Carols Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey => greasy feeling but works well on skin
- Curly Custard Maximum Definition Hairdress (naanishoppe.com)
- Miss Jessie's Curly Products => not recommended because of ingredients
- Aveda Be Curly Curl Enhancing Lotion => too drying
- Clinique Defined Curls Curl Enhancer
- KMS Flat Out Relaxing Balm
HAIR OILS
- Castor oil, for growth - stable (no exp), cold pressed is best
- Jojoba oil - stable (no exp)
- Grapeseed oil - 1 yr exp
- Almond, Sweet oil - 1 yr exp
- Apricot oil - 1 yr exp
- Dabur Vatika Hair Oil, for growth
- Neem oil, for shedding
- Amla oil, for growth
- Tamanu oil, for inflamation - 6 mon - 1 yr exp
HAIR COLOR
- Bigen (47) => too harsh, don't repurchase
- Clairol Professional Beautiful Collection (B18D Darkest Brown)
- Robert Craig
- NaturColor (naturcolor.com)
- ColorFix (you can do a partial color correction with by mixing the solutions with shampoo. It only lightens the color & you will not have to re-color)
Curl-ease Towel (for curly hair) => great towel