LUSH Shine So Bright Split End Hair Treatment

This product is magical! Pure magic! The best part about it is that the majority of the ingredients are ALL NATURAL. From the fresh free range eggs to the coconut oil and shea butter, etc etc these ingredients truly mend and hydrate split ends. Of course, common sense tells you that you can’t really fix split ends unless you snip them BUT this product really does help to contain them until you can get a trim AND to hydrate and seal them in order to prevent wear and tear. I got this product at LUSH (can be purchased on the website) for $9 for .4 oz. A little pricy for such a small tin BUT this product has lasted me three months and I use it often! BUT, if you know how to make your own hair care products, take a look at the ingredients and try your luck at making your own–minus the two synthetic ingredients*

This YouTube video demonstrates how to use this product on your hair!

INGREDIENTS

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera) , Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii) , Candelilla Wax (Euphorbia cerifera) , Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Olea europaea) , Fragrance , Neroli Oil (Citrus Aurantium amara) , Grapefruit Oil (Citrus paradisi) , Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeodora) , Fresh Free Range Eggs , Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides) , Hydroxycitronellol , *Geraniol , *Citral , *Farnesol , *Limonene , *Benzyl Alcohol , *Linalool

HOW I USE IT

I use this product all the time whether my hair is curly or straight, wet or dry. When heat styling your hair it’s great to use this on your ends before you blow dry each section, ensuring that your ends stay sealed with moisture and are sleek and shiny. LOVE THIS PRODUCT!

SheaMoisture Tahitian Noni & Monoi Smooth & Repair High Shine Glosser

There are times, hopefully rarely, that a woman will spend hours conditioning and straightening her locks only to finish and realize that she’s missing that extra “oomph!” That last bit of pizzazz that takes a 99.99 to a straight 100. That’s where SheaMoisture, once again, makes my hair and my mouth smile! This high shine glosser truly gives hair that last bit of shine and moisture that it needs after a good straightening sesh. I purchased this product from Target for $10 for 4 fl oz.

INGREDIENTS

Pictured below!

HOW I USE IT

The instructions say to spray product into hands and gently smooth over hair after styling. I repeat, after styling! With heat. Normally, I would use the SheaButter Reconstructive Elixir after heat styling my hair. It’s always has that light weight touch that gives hair a great scent, shine and provides moisture. This spray, however, delivers the same but is specially formulated for wavy, curly and frizzy hair. It contains keratin, monoi oil and Tahitian noni which, combined, are meant to repair dry damaged hair, smooth flyways, and maintain hair health!

This spray is not as lightweight as the elixir, so it’s wise to use about 2-3 pumps for your whole head of hair. And this is coming from someone with thick thick hair. 2-3 pumps gets me right! Great shine, no frizz and a nice scent!

This is a new staple of my heat styling regimen!

Below are pictures of the product and ingredient list as well as a picture of the front part of my hair (severe layers) with the product freshly applied!

SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Reconstructive Finishing Elixir

This “elixir” the perfect finishing touch when heat styling hair! I love to add it after I finish heat styling because it’s weightless and gives me hair shine. I purchased this product from Walgreens for $11 for 4 flz oz. I’ve had this bottle (pictured below) for about 3 months now and I’m still not even halfway through it. Great value, results AND price!

INGREDIENTS

Butyrospermum Parkii Oil (Shea Butter) , Argan Oil , Vegetable Squalane , Carrot (Daucus Carota) Oil , Macadamia Ternifolia (Nut) Oil , Isopropyl Myristate , Avocado Oil , Castor Oil , Sebacic Acid , Sea Kelp Extract , Essential Oil Blend , Tocopherol (Vitamin E)

The mixture of these ingredients are meant to control frizz and seal the hairs cuticles to give hair shine!

HOW I USE IT

I use the product after I finishing blow drying AND flat ironing my hair. I spray about 3 pumps into the palm of my hand, rub them together and distribute throughout my hair. The directions specifically state NOT to use this oil during blow drying or flat ironing. Not sure why, but follow the directions. You’ll be pleased!

Carol’s Daughter Chocolat Smoothing Blow Dry Cream

This is a product that I’ve used several times before, and tonight, when blow drying my hair. This product is very effective in providing smooth hair, minimizing frizz and providing shine! I purchased this product from the Carol’s Daughter website for $24 for 3.9 fl oz. A little expensive but it’ll last you a good while.

INGREDIENTS

Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Isododecane, Butylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polyester-5, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Steareth-21, Isohexadecane Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Fragrance (Parfum), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Panthenol, Sodium Methoxy PEG-16 Maleate/Styrene Sulfonate Copolymer, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Oil, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Sorbitan Stearate, Steareth-2, Jojoba Esters, Dimethicone, Polysorbate 60, Hydrolyzed Silk , PPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether, Polyimide-1, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol, Trideceth-6, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Cystine Bis-PG-Propyl Silanetriol, Octyldodecanol, PVM/MA Copolymer, Polyquaternium-4, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Chlorphenesin, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool

This cream contains no parabens, petroleum OR mineral oil, which is great because all of these can be very drying on hair!! The cacao extract in this product is supposed to smooth the hair, the soy protein is meant to control frizz and the keravis is meant to “rebuild” the hair so it shines

HOW I USE IT

I apply this cream to my freshly washed hair (about a dime sized amount) right before I begin to section off my hair. First, however, I apply a water based leave in conditioner. I like to use SheaMoisture Yucca & Baobab Thickening Moisture Mist when preparing to heat style my hair. I then apply Carol’s Daughter’s Hair Balm to my hair because it contains a good amount of natural oils. I apply just a SMALL amount of this and distribute through my hair as a little bit of this product tends to go a LONG way. Lastly, I apply Giovanni’s Direct Leave In mixed in with this cream. I then begin to section my hair, one section at a time, as I blow dry. Before blow drying each section, I apply a dime sized amount to each section of hair.

While I do think this product delivers on moisture, shine and minimizing frizz , I do have some complaints. First, this product smells wayyy too strong. I can’t quite pinpoint the scent but it’s super sweet and doesn’t go away even when you’re done styling. Second, as you blow dry each section of your hair, you feel a bit of residue from this product on each layer. This DOES go away as soon as you flat iron your hair but it’s a bit bothersome. This could be because the instructions say to use a dime sized amount for the ENTIRETY of your hair and not each section, like I do, but stiill…I have super thick hair and a dime does nothing for me!

For these two reasons, I’m still on the hunt for a blow drying cream/protectant that doesn’t give my hair that “residue” feeling.

Below are my results after blow drying with this product

TRESemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Shine Spray

A few weeks after I got my hair colored (ombre) I realized that I would have to be extra careful when putting heat on my hair. As I had just gotten a new flat iron (which I LOVE) and my ends were in a fragile state, I began to research products to protect my hair when styling with heat. Because my hair is SO thick, when I straighten I have to blow dry my hair first and flat iron second. Takes forever!!
This product came up in my research. In fact, TRESemme has two lines that are dedicated to protecting hair when styling!! This Keratin Smooth line and the Thermal Creations line. I got this product from Walgreens for $6 for 8 fl oz.

INGREDIENTS

Water , Amodimethicone , Glycerin , PEG 12 Dimethicone , Propylene Glycol , PVP , Fragranceparfum , Polysorbate 20 , Cetrimonium Chloride , DMDM Hydantoin , Benzophenone 4 , Disodium EDTA , Hydrolyzed Silk , Hydrolyzed Keratin , Ascorbic Acid , Tocopheryl Acetate , Panthenol , Niacinamide , Biotin

The major selling points about this product for me was the biotin, hydrolyzed silk and hydrolyzed keratin. All of these together work to eliminate frizz and smooth hair!

HOW I USE IT

I use this right before I blow dry my hair and not when I flat iron. When I use this product I like to spray about 8-10 pumps on my freshly washed hair, distributing with a wide tooth comb. Then, before I begin to blowdry each section of hair, I spray about 2 more pumps on.

When I started using this product, I noticed that my hair was smoother afterwards and I did experience less breakage around my ends. The smell is also amazing and not too strong. My only complaint is that I do feel a bit of residue from this product after I blow dry each section. Once I begin to flat iron, this does go away. Nonetheless, while I do feel like this product works well, I’m still on the hunt for a better heat protection spray. I can’t explain it, it’s just that product junkie feeling that there’s something better out there haha.