Thursday, August 11, 2011

Reasonably priced products alert! Check out Pooka.


Hello lovelies.  As my internship ends, reality has set in and I'm slowly realizing that I am once again a broke student (only one more year of this, praise the Lord).

Pooka Pure and Simple is an all natural, handmade beautycare line that was conceived after the creator, Dawn Fitch, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  She decided to take a natural approach to hair and skincare by making her own products.  I was even happier when I realized that the products are *gasp* affordable!

  
 

I had the pleasure of trying the Shea & Olive Hair Butter (4 ounces) and the Nectar Hair Oil & Treatment (4 ounces).  Following are the ingredients for each:

Shea & Olive Hair Butter - Shea Butter, Olive Oil, Beeswax, Rosemary Oil, Lavender Oil, Fragrance
Nectar Hair Oil & Treatment - Avocado Oil, Olive Oil, Rosemary Oil, Lemon Oil, Lavender Oil, Peppermint Oil, Fragrance, Lavender Buds, Rosemary Leaf, Lemon Peel

The first thing I noticed, about both products, was the amazing smell.  Both products smell so crisp and fresh and made me even more eager to try them.  The great thing about the Nectar Hair Oil & Treatment, is that it comes with a dropper, which makes scalp application a breeze!  The Nectar Hair Oil & Treatment claims to stimulate growth which I think is something that should be evaluated on a case by case basis.  As you all know, my hair doesn't "love" oils, so I've been using the Nectar Hair Oil & Treatment for nightly scalp massages.  This product also doubles as a hot oil treatment, which I have yet to try.

I've been using the Shea & Olive Hair Butter once or twice a week as a moisturizer for my twists.  What is great about this product is that it doubles as a body moisturizer as well.

I can easily see both products becoming staples in my hair routine.  Give them a try.  I don't think you will be disappointed.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

ORS Lock & Twist Gel for Two-Strand Twists

Every so often, I like to switch up my products and routine.  I have been craving a product that would leave my twists defined but not crunchy and this has been my quest for the summer!  I remembered that I had a container of ORS (Organic Root Stimulator Lock) and Twist Gel, that I had used only once before and blogged about it.  When I used it, my hair was a lot shorter, so wet sets weren't my friend at the time.  But 2 weeks ago, I decided to revisit it.  Before I shared the results with you all, I had to make sure they weren't a fluke and I used it again this weekend.  Let me tell you....
  = defined, soft, moisturized twists


These two products may have become my go to for my wet twist outs (at least for a little while).  My curls are defined but not crunchy, soft, and moisturized.  Here's the kicker... my hair looked great for an entire week.  Simply retwisting and refreshing with some Moroccan Oil resulted in some beautiful styles throughout the week!
 

So the million dollar question is, what are the ingredients in the ORS Lock & Twist Gel?  Well let me tell you, for the most part, I was pleasantly surprised: Water, Coconut Milk, Soybean Oil, PVP, Polyquarternium 37, Propyl Paraben, Methyl Paraben, DMDM Hydantoin, Propylene Glycol, Fragrance, Sucrose.  For more info on some of the ingredients, I went to my new favorite website.
  • PVP - You many want to stay away from this ingredient IF in shampoos and conditioners as it may cause build-up.  But in gels, it is okay.
  • Polyquarternium-37 - You many want to stay away from this ingredient IF in shampoos and conditioners as it may cause build-up.  But in gels, it is okay.
  • Propyl & Methyl Paraben - Some studies (in animals) show that parabens can lead to breast cancer.  Some feel very strongly about parabens, so please make sure you are fully educated before making a decision about this product or any other product containing parabens.
I have also figured out a way to combat the shrinkage I experience from wet twisting.  After I finish twisting my hair and before I sit under the dryer for a few minutes (I sit under the dryer just long enough to take the wetness out of my twists and I let my twists air dry the rest of the way), I pull my twists taunt, and pin them.  This way, they dry while they are stretched out.