CG friendly natural products
anonymous_150263
Registered Users Posts: 773
Need some input on natural conditioners and stylers to use from cowash, leave in, and gels. Cheaper options are welcome.
I tried making FSG but it stinks in my hair like vomit after a few hours. And my seeds are good and fresh. I tried a couple of batches and same results each time. So fsg is not an option.
Vinegar rinses do nothing for me
Products I've used ... olive oil works well for treatments, to greasy to leave in. Coconut oil is ok, again doesn't blow me away. Shae moisture style milk is ok, curl enchancing smoothie a bit to producty although it did enhance curl but the souffle was not very good for me. Not aweful just a bit too greasy and 'limp'. I think I like kccc but am still trying to figure out how it works best. "Curls" curl goddess smells heavenly but doesn't do anything to reduce frizz or define and enhance curl
LA looks gels don't work the greatest either. To crunchy and not enough fluff. I like full soft curls. I need a bit if curl enhancements for my 2C on the top.
Oh my hair is mostly 3A. 2 C on top a little 3B at the back and sides. Thick, coarse, and I think higher porosity.
I tried making FSG but it stinks in my hair like vomit after a few hours. And my seeds are good and fresh. I tried a couple of batches and same results each time. So fsg is not an option.
Vinegar rinses do nothing for me
Products I've used ... olive oil works well for treatments, to greasy to leave in. Coconut oil is ok, again doesn't blow me away. Shae moisture style milk is ok, curl enchancing smoothie a bit to producty although it did enhance curl but the souffle was not very good for me. Not aweful just a bit too greasy and 'limp'. I think I like kccc but am still trying to figure out how it works best. "Curls" curl goddess smells heavenly but doesn't do anything to reduce frizz or define and enhance curl
LA looks gels don't work the greatest either. To crunchy and not enough fluff. I like full soft curls. I need a bit if curl enhancements for my 2C on the top.
Oh my hair is mostly 3A. 2 C on top a little 3B at the back and sides. Thick, coarse, and I think higher porosity.
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I am looking for natural products with the least amount of chemicals.I would like brand suggestions. .. I work 12 hour shifts making my oown isn't the best option for me. I did order some dr.bronners castile soap for the occasional low poo but hesitated on their rinses because of the alcohol.
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Has anyone tried the GUD cnditoners? It says made by burts bees?
Tresseme naturals
Suave tropical coconut
Eden body works
Shea moisture
Jane cater solutions
I get so overwhelmed at the stores trying to read labels... it really helps to have input from others.
The best thing to do would be to accurately identify your hair properties and then work with that - if you are not confident of your own assessment have a hair analysis. Also download the free 'Curls on the Go' app and track your dew points/ humidity.
Pedaheh's Hair Blog: GoosefootPrints Hair Analysis with My Analysis Results
As treatments on dry hair olive and coconut oil may give instant gratification to some of us with damaged hair but for others it's largely a preventative measure and about playing the long game. These oils work from the inside so you may not notice superficial results.
Try making okra gel, or try flaxseed again with a natural scent added and/ or a different preservative and/ or a different batch of seeds. I've never heard anyone say it stinks like vomit, that sounds like something is going wrong in the manufacture or with residues on your hair.
How my styler behaves is largely related to which leave in conditioner I use and how much - it's fatty alcohols that give me clumping and hydrolysed proteins that give me soft bouncy curls.
CO-wash: Inecto coconut/ Elvive Volume Collagen
Treatments: Komaza Care Matani, coconut/ sweet almond/ fractionated coconut oils, Hairveda Sitrinillah
Leave in: Fructis Sleek & Shine (old), Gliss Ultimate Volume, various Elvive
Styler: Umberto Giannini jelly, Au Naturale styling gelee
Flour sack towel, pixie diffuse or air dry.
Experimenting with: benign neglect
I'm pretty confident about my hair analysis. The porosity was my only unsure property. I know its not low. I can feel bumps when I slide up and it sinks in water so I think its higher than normal.
I thought too much protein might be a problem so I cut back on that but its starting to get limp so I'm going to buy some gelatin and try a treatment.
I've used EVOO for years my hair always loves it for deep treatments. Just started using the coconut oil and It does seem to help with frizz but I can't use too much. I'm experimenting with jojoba as well.
(My acne prone oily skin is loving the jojoba. My face is less oily now! I dont even have to blot!)
FSG
1/4 c Flaxseed plus 2 c water
Optional (but I always add this): 1 tbsp each glycerin, jojoba oil.
I buy everything at Whole Foods
Optional -A few drops tea tree oil or lemongrass oil (maybe 3-4 drops)
Boil and let cook for till a frothy foam forms on top. It will look like the consistency of egg whites. After straining (I use a sieve/sifter), add the optional ingredients.
Save in fridge. May last 2-3 weeks
ALOE & JOJOBA GLOSSING GEL
3 tbsp avg plus 1 tbsp jojoba or almond or grapeseed oil plus 1/2 tsp glycerin (optional). I use all for my 4a shoulder length (if stretched) hair. Use as both leave in and styler. U can put a few drops of essential oil like Lavender if u want some nice scent.
I missed this. Castile soap is not natural, it's made by chemical reaction in a factory and is highly alkaline so damaging to skin and hair. The closest natural alternative is soapwort extract or soapnuts - these have been used by humans since the stone age and I believe they are on the acidic side.
Porosity and Curly Hair
CO-wash: Inecto coconut/ Elvive Volume Collagen
Treatments: Komaza Care Matani, coconut/ sweet almond/ fractionated coconut oils, Hairveda Sitrinillah
Leave in: Fructis Sleek & Shine (old), Gliss Ultimate Volume, various Elvive
Styler: Umberto Giannini jelly, Au Naturale styling gelee
Flour sack towel, pixie diffuse or air dry.
Experimenting with: benign neglect
Thanks for the info, Firefox. Now I'm more confused :-( I read the other day that since Dr. Bronner's is alkaline it was good for low po hair so I tried it the other day and make hair felt wonderful. I didn't realize it wasn't natural. What about shampoo bars that are saponified (sp) is that a better alternative or similar to soapnuts?
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TO BOTH OF YOU
Soap bars are just a hardened more concentrated version of Dr Bronners, they are still highly alkaline so damaging to skin and hair. It takes my scalp a couple of weeks to recover from dying, which is an alkaline process. To me the skin flora is as important as the gut flora.
Why do you need to open the cuticle? Heat and long process times will aid penetration of any ingredients that can enter the hair - coconut oil on dry hair, hydrolysed protein on damp etc. Most ingredients in deep conditioners do not penetrate. There are two excellent series of articles on protein treating and deep conditioning over on the Natural Haven blog.
It's totally your call at the end of the day, as long as you are aware that damage is caused you can make an informed decision. I just don't see the logic in permanently damaging hair in order to make it more porous to ingredients that, at best, temporarily patch repair the same damage. If you are washing your hair upside down away from your regular shower at least you are not getting alkaline soap molecules on the rest of your body just lower arms and scalp.
CO-wash: Inecto coconut/ Elvive Volume Collagen
Treatments: Komaza Care Matani, coconut/ sweet almond/ fractionated coconut oils, Hairveda Sitrinillah
Leave in: Fructis Sleek & Shine (old), Gliss Ultimate Volume, various Elvive
Styler: Umberto Giannini jelly, Au Naturale styling gelee
Flour sack towel, pixie diffuse or air dry.
Experimenting with: benign neglect
Actually I kinda want to kill what's on my skin because I work in a hospital and after 12 hours in that superbug pool I need a good scrub down. And I don't care how much I follow standard precautions and isolation procedures, Im sure there's some CDIFF, MRSA, and VRE on me somewhere at the end of the day.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00E0FXQKM/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1377475333&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX110_SY165
There's got to be a more affordable alternative. And then I also worry about allergens like a lot of these things have lavender and a little bit is ok, but too much irritates my asthma and can send me in to a bronchospasm.
My grandma is 86 and always used shaklee products. Maybe I'm going to give her a call and see if she can get me in touch with her distributor. She also uses mary kay products. I don't care for pyramidal companies like that, but an 86 year old woman who still drives and only takes one prescription medication must have done something right to be that healthy at that age. I ♥ my grandma.
Fairly gentle cleansing agents can shift a lot of bacteria, a healthy skin flora and acid mantle can protect in much the same way the gut flora does. Healthy skin is a highly effective barrier, I believe in working with it instead of against it. You clearly have the skills and intellect to understand the structure-function relationship if you set your mind to it. Nutrition is key in cancer prevention and hormone balance, and you obviously know to avoid the big risks like smoking, UV exposure and obesity.
It's way too many years since I worked in microbiology (teaching labs anyway), but you might speak to the labs at your workplace or Google for pH that 'superbug' prefers or finds inhospitable - for example here it suggests acid pH's may destroy C. difficile
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1932506/
Or maybe skin friendly antioxidant phytonutrients for MRSA, there look to be other studies on plant extracts on PubMed and Google Scholar
Antibacterial effects of plant-derived ... [Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2012] - PubMed - NCBI
Then there is honey - a natural antibacterial, humectant and acidic, depends how you feel about peroxide
Mechanism of Honey Bacteriostatic Action Against MRSA and VRE Involves Hydroxyl Radicals Generated from Honey
That shampoo/ body wash .... the formula looks decent, the non-ionic glucosides are gentle, not so familiar with the hydroxysultaine but it seems to be a zwitterionic/ amphoteric similar to the betaines which are also fairly gentle. If the pH is low (~4.5 to ~5.5) that would be nice to use, these surfactants become a lot harsher at, say, pH 7 tho. You could adjust small batches with citric acid if you so chose.
Hope I'm not making things worse, do tell me to 'shut up' if I am driving you nuts!
CO-wash: Inecto coconut/ Elvive Volume Collagen
Treatments: Komaza Care Matani, coconut/ sweet almond/ fractionated coconut oils, Hairveda Sitrinillah
Leave in: Fructis Sleek & Shine (old), Gliss Ultimate Volume, various Elvive
Styler: Umberto Giannini jelly, Au Naturale styling gelee
Flour sack towel, pixie diffuse or air dry.
Experimenting with: benign neglect
And I really am in search of safe products to use for cosmetics. The body wash/shampoo seems to be the biggest roadblock at the moment. It is expensive to buy the prepared washes that are soap and sulfate free as well as hypoallergenic. All those "botanicals" can cause skin irritation. Soaponified oils seems to not be causing us any problems at the moment, and the recipes for body wash, shampoo, all seem to use saponified oils as the base (castile soap)
Have you considered a 'cosmetic base' company supplying a sulphate free shower gel 'base'? These tend to have relatively few ingredients, intending for you to add colour/ fragrance/ oils or extracts if you wish. You should have a decent selection of suppliers in the US
Not directly of help to you as it is a UK supplier but just for example, at pH 5.5
"Water, Caprylyl / capryl glucoside, Cocamidopropyl betaine, Aloe barbadensis (Aloe Vera) leaf extract, Quillaja saponaria (Soap) bark extract, Glyceryl Oleate, Xanthan gum, Citric acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium benzoate, Potassium sorbate."
Shower Gel SLS free Extra Mild - Naturallythinking Pure Aromatherapy and Spa
And pH 5
"Water, Lauryl glucoside, Decyl glucoside, Coco glucoside, Cocamidopropyl betaine, Quillaja saponaria (Soap) bark extract, Glyceryl oleate, Xanthan gum, Citric acid, Phenoxyethanol, Aloe barbadensis (Aloe vera) leaf extract, Sodium benzoate & Potassium sorbate."
Shampoo SLS free Extra Mild - Naturallythinking Pure Aromatherapy and Spa
The other option might be to purchase some soap nuts or soapwort extract and DIY, depends how run off your feet you are.
CO-wash: Inecto coconut/ Elvive Volume Collagen
Treatments: Komaza Care Matani, coconut/ sweet almond/ fractionated coconut oils, Hairveda Sitrinillah
Leave in: Fructis Sleek & Shine (old), Gliss Ultimate Volume, various Elvive
Styler: Umberto Giannini jelly, Au Naturale styling gelee
Flour sack towel, pixie diffuse or air dry.
Experimenting with: benign neglect
What do you mean by "cosmetic base" company?
I found this, but it is kind of expensive, and contains wheat protein which I avoid gluten sinsince my husband has a sensitivity.
Here in the UK the company would advertise themselves as selling 'cosmetic bases' like shampoo, shower gel, lotions, conditioner. As I said plain products intended for the purchaser (private or company) to add ingredients but you don't actually have to add anything, they work as they are. Google something like "sulfate free shampoo base".
CO-wash: Inecto coconut/ Elvive Volume Collagen
Treatments: Komaza Care Matani, coconut/ sweet almond/ fractionated coconut oils, Hairveda Sitrinillah
Leave in: Fructis Sleek & Shine (old), Gliss Ultimate Volume, various Elvive
Styler: Umberto Giannini jelly, Au Naturale styling gelee
Flour sack towel, pixie diffuse or air dry.
Experimenting with: benign neglect
I should also tell you they are professional grade and you have to buy them from a beauty supply place (I get them from Sally Beauty Supply online). That said, for professional grade the prices are not bad.
The more I try other things, the more I think I should just stick with Silk Elements and try more of the products, they work great for me, although I do like the Shea Moisture deep conditioning masque I got from CVS.
Just noticed my favorite olive oil conditioner, Silk Elements Megasilk Olive Conditioner is on sale for $5. Going to buy a few bottles (they are really big bottles too, 16 oz.). Also be careful if you buy them, they also have a straightening line, so make sure you are not getting that.
So I went and ordered, I also got the leave in, I think that was the only piece I was missing. When you find good products I guess you should stick with them.
Hi Firefox! **Note- I was attempting to PM you about this but your mailbox is full. I'm sorry to hijack this thread!** I lurk on Curl Talk a lot and I find your comments extremely informative. I am not in the science field but I really like to understand how certain ingredients function, how they react in certain environments, how they can be damaging or helpful depending on your hair/skin type etc. etc...I have researched several of your comments further and have had some quite enlightening realizations. This being said, I am very curious of how castile soap and soap bars can be damaging because of the low PH level. PH is one thing that I have not delved into too deeply yet, and while I know it could be very helpful to me, I find it a little daunting (I imagine testing every single product I use which could take ages but I know eventually I am going to do this).
I use homemade soap (just on my body, not face or hair) from someone I know who makes it. She is quite knowledgeable about skincare and beneficial ingredients found in nature. She makes other skincare besides soap based on Ayurvedic methods, etc. What I am wondering is: her bases are obviously made of saponified oils but she adds different herbs, butters, and essential oils for whatever kind of bar she's making. Could her additives help balance the PH to make them less damaging? Or is all soap with a base of saponified oils damaging? I tried soap bars on my hair a long time ago, but once I realized how they were reacting with the minerals in my water I stopped because I knew they were doing more harm then good. I don't want to be using homemade soap if it is also damaging my skin! But I hate the idea of going back to commercial body washes and the like. Do you have any links to articles that might be helpful to my understanding all of this without it being too far over my head? I do read articles on Science-y blog and Natural Haven often. How do you feel about real "African Black Soap"? Does it fall into the same category as Castile?
I'm sorry this is so darn long! Any information or article(s) you could provide so I can understand this whole soap business would be much appreciated. I really just find it interesting and want to have a grasp on what's going on.
Thanks for your time!!
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Wash: CJ Daily Fix/Giovanni TTTT
Conditioner: Giovanni TTT
DT/PT: CJ Rehab, SSPDT
LI: Giovanni DLI, AO Mandarin Magic- Jane Carter Scalp Nourishing Serum for dry, sensitive scalp
Stylers: AG Re:coil, Mop C Curl Cream, CCClite, Spiral Solutions FHG...Sealing w/ Coconut oil
Finishing product: JC Nourish & Shine, MD Strawberry Smoothie
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