Review-Suave Professionals Almond & Shea Butter Conditioner

I've been MIA for a while but that doesn't mean I stop taking care of my hair ;)

Ok.....so maybe this time that was the case, but I promise to pieces it won't happen again. I got really lazy yall. And that should not have happened. What am I talking about you ask? Well once I twisted my hair this last time (this would have been week 4 but I took them out), I kept it that way. I only washed and styled once and ironically it was the day of my surprise grad party (thank you bae!). Considering that I hennaed before a twist set, I should have taken greater caution with my hair; especially since its been hot as all hell lately. The last few days of this twist-set were dry-like, which prompted me to wash and condish immediately.

While I was out shopping for items for my upcoming venture to Disney, I happened upon a 2 for $4 sale of different hair care items such as the titular Suave conditioner. I was intrigued because it has shea butter and almond in it. And its specifically a moisturizing conditioner. For the most part it has nothing but lovely ingredients in it and I was amazed at how much better my hair felt after using it.

This is what I did:

I co-washed with Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut conditioner to let whatever twists I couldnt manage to find and undo, become undone easier. This also helped me detangle my dry twist-out.

Next, (after rinsing the condish out of course) I washed my hair with Neutrogena T-Gel shampoo; per instruction of my dermatologist for my sebhorreic dermatitis & acne issues (no more acne yall!!) and proceeded to use my newfound friend.

I applied the Suave Professionals like I would any other conditioner, making sure to cover every spot possible. I have thick hair...and lots of it.... so this took a good minute. Once it was on, I just at for 10 min (it was hot in my house so I didnt need a cap for this one lol) and rinsed. I was amazed at how moisturized my hair felt. I was soooo relieved to find that my hair could be salvaged. Just imagine what my hair would have felt like if I used an even more extravagant method of deep conditioning!

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil (Sweet Almond), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) (Shea Butter), Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Jojoba), Aloe (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera), Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil (Lemongrass), Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil (Rosemary), Chamomilla Recutita Flower/Leaf Extract (Matricaria), Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract (Lavender), Dimethiconol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Fragrance, Dipropylene Glycol, Potassium Chloride, Lactic Acid, Disodium EDTA, TEA Dodecylbenzene Sulfonate, PEG 150 Distearate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

For now, my hair is in a very messy puff. Terrible I know but I am too lazy to even be bothered with twisting it right now. Besides, they would have to come out sooner than 3-4 weeks b/c I may be taking grad portraits (my hair looked so fly straightened in my other professional grad pics (fresh off the stage pics.....coming to the site soon!) I wanna do it again! lol) and I may just keep it like that until orientation and stuff is over for Disney (if it keeps up in that hot A Florida weather, sheesh!)

So ladies, if you're not against conditioners that don't have 100% all natural ingredients or you wanna feed into your PJism, go ahead and buy this heavenly conditioner.

Hop over to your nearest Kmart to indulge in the 2/$4 deal :)

Later days~~

Skin Crisis Averted

This stuff is the best!!!!!!

Hello natural night-owls!! lol I am rarely up at this hour (I likes my sleep, 8 hrs please...haha) and I have never blogged this late before either but everyone is alotted a few random moments every now and then. A few posts back (try last month....lol) I ranted about the issues I was having with my skin. I was trying everything. Neutrogena products, Clean & Clear, my tried and true Proactiv (worked wonders when I started having skin issues in 05-06), and anything else in-between. Well, my dear-sweet-fiance' was always raving about the Dudu Osun Black Soap that he uses. I never used it even though he kept telling me to (I'm so hard-headed lol) just like with Shea Butter; he always told me to use it because its 1) it's natural, 2) it has so many healing properties and skin/hair health benefits, and 3) its just the bomb! The thing is, you really shouldn't use things on your body that you wouldn't put into your body (i.e by eating)--I've always known that, and it's something that should just be like "well, duh!" but everyone doesn't see it like that. I finally gave in to the shea thing earlier this year and I loved it! Best thing ever! But....I didn't stick with using it on a daily basis, I only used it every so often and continued using commercial lotions by Jergens, Johnson & Johnson, etc. *Slaps hand* Bad, I know. But that is going to change.

Back to the soap...........

So by a twist of fate--if you will--a very generous and kind friend of ours gave me a bar of the Dudu Osun soap and some Chinese Ginger Tea when I got sick a few weeks ago. My face was still breaking out like crazy (this was way after my 1st skin crisis post) so it only meant that I needed to try this famous black soap. Ladies.....(and Gents if you're there.....) this Dudu Osun is the TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol I kid you not. Using this soap, you won't need to worry about that dry after-feeling you get from processed, chemical-laced soaps. I won't lie, I love Dove to death---why I didn't wanna let go and use my new find---but even the Sensitive Skin formula left my face dry a lot of the time. With the black soap, I can wash my face and not have to worry about putting on lotion, moisturizer, etc. Even without using Shea after washing with Dudu, my skin felt amazing and has a brilliantly healthy and natural glow. I saw my blemishes fade and the dark spots began to disappear. I figure in a few more weeks, my face will be flawless once again. And I owe it all to my newfound loves: Dudu Osun Black Soap and Shea Butter :) I just bought a 32.oz container of dark yellow shea butter (I hear the darker, the better (ie more vitamins, etc)) and two boxes of Dudu Osun from a vendor at the African World Festival in Downtown Detroit, all for $15--2 for $5 soap and $10 for the large shea container, not bad at all)

I can't wait to see how my skin progresses! I'm also going to modify my vegetarian diet to make sure I get all the nutrients I'm supposed to get

Buenos Noches Amigos!

P.S: Below I am going to list the ingredients in the all-natural Dudu Osun Black Soap and the benefits of Shea Butter.

***Everything as listed on the box/label***

Tropical Naturals Dudu Osun Black Soap:

Ingredients-Pure Honey, Shea Butter, Osun (camwood), Palmkernal oil, Cocoa pod ash, Palm bunch ash, Glycerine, Aloe Vera Juice, Lime juice & oil, Lemon juice & oil, Water & Fragrance.

Dudu Osun is the age-long African black soap made the traditional way by hand from PURE NATURAL INGREDIENTS AND HERBS from the tropical rain forest and savannah regions.

No artificial colors; no preservatives; Bio degradable. Product of Nigeria

http://www.tropical-naturals.com/

African Shea Butter:

100% Natural

African Shea Butter is made from the nut of the African Shea Tree. It contains a rich amount of unremovable fatty acid which renders it far superior to Cocoa Butter an other natural vegetabl butters. This fatty acid is crucial to rejuvenating and moisturizing the skin. Shea Butter provides all the essential vitamins needed to make skin look and feel smoother, softer and most importantly, healthier. Its theraputic properties protect the skin from wind, cold, sun, and it helps heal wounds faster. Shea Butter stimulates cellular activity, fights the effects of aging and repairs rough, damaged skin.

Usage:

1. Treatment of dry skin, eczema, and minor burns.

2. Pain relief from swelling and arthritis.

3. Improves muscle relaxation and stiffness.

4. Sunscreen, due to its rich content of vitamins E & F

5. Treats dark spots, skin discolorations, stretch marks, wrinkles, and blemishes

6. Massages, diaper rash, and as a hair conditioner.

Shea Butter does not expire. Store in a cool place.

Product of Ghana