Aunt Jackie's Hair Products

I recently came across Aunt Jackie's products now available in SA. At first glance I was not sold. I like the packaging but the unnecessary colouring of the products just put me off. I think I first came across the images on one of my curl friends pages. If I could readily remember who it was I would thank them now. I have since tried to locate that post that I was almost certain was by Amanda Cooke. Still, here is my take on the products.

What caught my eye about these products is that it is geared at curly hair. It states that it is "For Natural Curls, Coils and Waves". I like the idea of a specific product. I also liked the highlights of "enriched with Shea Butter and Olive Oil", "Sulfate-Free/ Paraben-Free/No mineral Oi/ No Petrolatum".

The Ingredients:
Most of the ingredients check out. There are some ingredients in these products that carry a caution:
PPG-1 Trideceth-6 is an emollient that contains polypropylene glycol and thus also ethylene oxide- which is banned in the EU and Cananda for cosmetic use.

The rest of the issues with the ingredients are around he fragrances which can lead to irritation in people with sensitive skin. Polyquarternium-37 and Amyl cinnamic aldehyde for example. The rest of the ingredients are either in the ok or the good category.

The product line:

In control- Moisturising and softening conditioner

Knot on my watch-Instant Detangling therapy

Curl la la-Definign Curl Custard

Oh So Clean-shampoo

The look:

The packaging has a glass appearance but is in plastic. Not that I mind plastic I was actually surprised by how light it was. This means I am paying less and thats a good thing. I did not like the fact that each of the products has a different colour. I hate unnecessary pigment and fragrances in hair care. Unless I am actually trying to change the tone of my hair the added colours are a wasted add-on and expense. I am not a fan of the candy scents in these products. There are much better ways to apply actual oils to give products a good scent. This felt plastic. 

Price: The products range between R50-70 which seems cheap but in actual fact it is not considering the quantities. 

The Conditioner 255 g for R70

The Detangling therapy sells 177ml at R50

The Custard-R60

 All these measures are about 1 cup size at this cost. 

The feel and act on the hair:

The conditioner- Is light in that it is a lighter consistency. It was also light in action and offered a light hold. I did not feel like my hair was getting what it wanted. My curls did not set into place the way it does with a thicker or heavier conditioner. The conditioner felt like applying yoghurt. It seems to have lots of body but ends up applying like a yoghurt (just watery). The conditioner also did not have good slip. It was ok but not great. Also, for me a good conditioner has to be able to be diluted down for a leave-in application. I hate having to get three products to do a conditioning job. 

So, I added detangling therapy to the conditioner already in my hair and at this point I got a satisfactory weighing down-saturated feel. The detangling (er) itself is very light. On its own it would not have done as well as I would have expected. Or I would have had to use half the bottle to get what I wanted. In the detangling what I need is to get my hair completely covered by product to the point that it foams. Too little product ends up being a wasted washday exercise. So the products have to give a good balance between consistency and quality otherwise this becomes an expensive exercise. 

Curl la la- The custard. 

I liked it. As a treatment after the conditioner and detangling it worked well. My hair clumped easily and my curls dried separately. This in part is due to the Curl memory I have built up, still I liked how the product was able to follow suit. It had good slip and worked well. 

Overall- I would use the detangling and the custard for sure but I would not buy the conditioner again. 

Till next time

Love Naturally

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       Love Naturally

Hair Fall

At birth we are gifted with a head full of hair follicles. These eventually develop and hair starts to grow. For some this is an effortless physiological occurrence until nature takes a turn at old age. For others biology can cause some interruption to this process. Or our hair care practices lead to barriers to hair growth. Assuming that all things are equal and you either a) have a head of virgin hair- unprocessed hair- or b) do process your hair either via straightening, dye, bleach or some other form of alteration. What particularly in these things can cause your hair to fall?

The different types of hair fall

-       Hair fall patches/thinning: hair can completely fall out from the root leaving a bald patch. Or hair onset of sudden or gradual thinning of hair. It can have a genetic, medical ailment, or social trigger (stress). These are forms of alopecia and you need to have it looked at by a doctor.

-       Close scalp breakage: hair breaks off right at the scalp. Hair continues to grow and continually breaks off. No visible bald patches. But hair seems not to get past a few cm at a time. This is most likely friction breakage.

-       Midway length breakage: your hair grows to about 10 -15 cm and the ends split and shed. The hair continues to grow from your scalp but it seems to stay around your shoulders.

-       Full length breakage: your hair grows beyond your shoulders but seemingly gets stuck.

Scenario one: Natural hair

You have a head of natural hair and do not apply chemicals but your hair is breaking.

Scenario two: Processed hair

You do apply a relaxer or a bleach and a colour.

The rules for maintaining beautiful hair:

Moderation

Cleanser

Conditioner

Moisture

Beware of pulling (brushing, braiding, styling)

Beware of heat

Reduce the amount of friction on your hair

Your scalp

Check for lesions and build-up of dry scales or wet scabs.

Check the state of your scalp and make sure that it is clean or free from scales from dandruff, dry scalp and that there are no lesions that can cause infections.

Ask someone to help you look in the hard to see places and see if you have any buildup on your scalp. Sores and blood cloths have to be seen by a medical doctor.

One of two other scenarios is possible. Either you have a dry scaly scalp or you could have excessive oil build-up. Dry scalp issues: if you have a sensitive scalp look into using non-allergenic products. Stay away from menthol, alcohol and strong fragrances in your products. Oily scalp issues: How often do you wash your hair? Over washing can cause unnecessary sebum production that will make your problem worse. Try to keep your wash routine to once per week. Alternatively at least cut down washes and or use a conditioner to wash instead of a shampoo. Try a dry-shampoo or a neutral talk powder to sprinkle and shake through your hair. In both cases beware of skin irritants and check your product labels.

Your hair

The biggest issues with natural hair are tangles, single strand knots, moisture and friction.

Tangles and knots:

Take a piece of your hair and run your fingers down the length of the hair. Feel for snags and or rough patches. Place your hair between the palms of your hands and run your hands from root to tip. It is easy to notice the rough patches as you do this. Feel for knots and kinks. The smoothness of the strands is a good indicator of the health of your hair. If the ends are rougher this is due to split ends or knots. Either gradually trim these or do a once off trim right above the rough patch. A head of curls is very forgiving and natural styling can help to hide some not so perfect strands. However, if you wear your hair straight you don’t have this cover. So consider trimming it. Also, unhealthy hair strands that are put under pressure of heat or tension are more likely to get caught, overstretch and just snap off.

Cleansing:

Keep your scalp clean but do not overdo it. Moderation! Everything works in moderation. If you tip the balance too far in one direction you are bound to have an issue. Remember cleansing is for your scalp. Conditioning and oil is for your hair. Try and maintain the slight acidic balance of a 4.5-5 PH on your hair. This is done with shampoo and conditioner. You can use a conditioner to wash your hair but you cannot use a shampoo to condition your hair. Do use a conditioner if you apply a shampoo.

Please note- if you opt for Apple Cider vinegar for cleansing do not swop this for white vinegar because white vinegar has a lower PH at around 2.4 instead of the 4.25-5.0 range of apple cider vinegar. Always dilute vinegar in water. I prefer rice vinegar for the protein content. If you are interested please refer to my earlier posts.

Moisture:

Natural hair does well with application of oils. The list of oils/butters are endless and while most of them are good: coconut, olive, grapeseed, castor, almond, macadamia, jojoba, even sunflower or shea, mango, cocoa and many more, you only need a little bit at a time. Do not overdo the oil unless you’re planning to use it as a treatment and wash it out. Stick to about 1 tablespoon at a time for a treatment. You don’t want the oils to run off your head onto your face and clothes. Some gels do wonders to help with sealing others can leave your hair felling like it was frozen to a crisp. I love the naturalmente gel glaze.  I also make my own. Aloe vera and flax seed gels are also a great sealant. Hair conditioner is in short water and oils with some other ingredients.

Do note that if you’re a product addict like myself you also need to not mind cleansing. Depending on how much product you apply either weekly or daily you may need to alter your cleansing routine. I do one big batch on a once per week washday. Then I lay off the products until my next wash. This helps to prevent build-up.

Do note that not all gels are compatible with conditioner. If you want to mix the two you need a water based gel to mix with conditioner.  If the gel base is something other than water you can end up with a head of cake. And do not try and mix clay and conditioner. Clay acts to cleanse. It functions to demulsify. What makes it so effective is that it can deconstruct oil and colour bases. It can separate dye/colour and fat from water solutions. Do not try and cross cut a process. You can end up with a massive fuzz ball.

Hair nicks and cracks:

If you have ever tried to grow your nails you will know how easily nails can break off. One minute you have perfectly manicured nails and the next you have a knick that keeps catching on everything you touch. The best way to grow nails is to file the entire edge slightly every 2-3 days. Not much just enough to get rid of minute cracks. Try it and see. The same applies to your hair. The problem is that you can’t sit there with a file and find every knick to neatly file it off. What is worse is that the scales of the hair can lift with the application of heat and products or processes. Should you run your palms down the hair and feel a rough texture you need to give your hair a deep conditioning treatment. Apply your product of and use your hands to smooth down the hair, hopefully getting the lifted scales to lie back down. Try not to use hot water to wash your hair. And always but always use cold water as your final rinse to contract the outer layer of the cuticle and get the scales to go back into their place. Never run your hands or any other appliance in the opposite direction (ends to root). Always go from root to tip, ALWAYS. Do not tease your hair for volume. In the process you are lifting the scales that can catch on the surrounding hairs.

Treating split ends:

If you have split ends, get rid of them. They may never go all the way up your hair but they do tend to get out of formation and can cause knots. I’m not a big fan of regular hair trims. If hair grows at a rate of 2.5cm per month I surely do not want to trim more than that on average. I trim only every 3-6 months if and when necessary. Unless I have a ton of knots.

I prefer to trim my hair when it is fully blown out to reduce the margin of error. Trimming curly hair in a wet state is a real job. Yes, it is possible but you need to accept that you wont get a perfectly manicured look the next time you straighten it.

Beware of braids:

Do not leave your braids and twists in your hair until it is untidy. By the second week of braids and twists stray hairs start to appear around the braid. These can cause the braid to tangle with your own hair and or cause a lock.  I have had the pleasure of this experience a few times. It was not pretty. If you are going to wash braids and twists be extra careful to rinse out all the shampoo. Soap residue and sebum build-up- those white patches often seen on braids and dreadlocks can cause massive tangles. In dreadlocks it is much easier to remove since you do not need to undo the lock. You just need to dissolve the fat. In loose hair it is a nightmare.

Hair accessories:

Beware of what your hair touches:

While it may be appealing to have your hair cascading on your shoulders even this can cause friction. Hair rubbing against your clothes can cause problems for your ends. Headgear also can be damaging. If you are going to wear a hat cover your hair in a satin scarf under the hat. When you go to bed wear a satin scarf or bonnet. If you don’t like either of these then get a satin pillowcase.

Lay off headbands:

Headbands that are textured can cause hairs to break off. If your using a headband do so in moderation and ensure that it is a solid piece of fabric without metal parts.

Use pins and clips that are easy to remove. Flexible ones in general have a lot of give and are easier to pry open for removal. Do not pull out clips without making sure they are open. Some hairclips may be very pretty but if you cant easily open it with one hand you may be damaging your hair in the removal process.

Beware of home craft:

I take particular pleasure in making my own concoctions. However there are some things you need to keep in mind when making a home cooked meal for your hair. Caution with banana, avocado, eggs, milk and yoghurt. Did you know that banana contains seeds? Little tiny black seeds that love to get stuck in hair. Some homemade favourites are easy to deal with. They go on easily and come off easily.  Remember that nature continues to exist long after we stop thinking about her. If you leave organic matter exposed particularly in wet dark places it will mold. Make sure to rinse these types of things out of your hair. Part your hair when you’re done. Feel for residue, look and or ask someone else to look to make sure all of these are completely rinsed out.

When adding water to any mixture (products or other mixes) know that it has a shelf life of about three days kept in the fridge. Outside of the fridge this may be shorter. If you dilute hair products, make small batches so you can use it at once. Do not try to save and leave the bottle of product in your bathroom for the next wash. Diluted products have less preservative quality. Also beware of vinegar-water, tea rinses and clay mixtures. Make a small batch to use and discard the rest. Do not keep it hoping to re-use days later. It will mold.

In my next post I will discuss breakage from chemicals. How and why chemicals can lead to breakage. What you need to look out for and what you can do to control it.

Love Naturally

Silk Helmet Lady

Natural Hair Products: Nature's Gate

These are Sulfate and Paraben Free Natural Shampoos and conditioners. Now conveniently available at Dischem at R60 per bottle. The scents are subtle and they really work well. I found these a few years ago as recommended by Terry La Flesh. I am pleased to see that Dischem has rolled out the entire range of Natures Gate products. Choose your variants between: moisture, strengthening, calming, daily use and even colour treated hair. My favourites are the Emerald green range.

Dr Haushka products

Dr. Hauschka Products

Dr. Hauschka is a German skincare brand developed in the 1950s. It was a pioneer in natural cosmetics developing formulas for both creams and fragrances from purely natural sources. It has been a leader in the industry since. These products combine science and nature to offer the best of both. It is both organic and natural. It boasts a crazy line of awards and certifications from the toughest institutes globally.

I am totally in Love. Just in time for the 14th. So, if you want to spoil yourself have a look at these amazing products that are fast becoming popular in South Africa. Only a few decades later but I will not complain. The skincare ranges are more freely available with even Woolworths stocking the skincare range. The hair care lines still remain a bit of a search. As usual trusted Weleda and similar stores will have these products save for the conditioner.

These online suppliers also do carry it:

www.wellnesswarehouse.com/

www.faithful-to-nature.co.za/

www.absoluteskin.co.za/

www.tocara4.co.za/

www.weleda.co.za/

Jojoba and Marshmallow conditioner

Contains: Marshmallow, oak, nettle for moisture and strength. Also, including Proteins of wheat and milk for protection, elasticity and volume. As well as the following oils: neem, macadamia nut and jojoba for shine and vitality.

Sadly this product is not available in South Africa but I am hunting down a source for it and when I find it I will be sure to shout it out.

The next two products are locally available.

Revitalising Hair & Scalp tonic (Formerly known as Neem Hair Lotion)

This is a great product to treat dry and or oily scalp. It is made of Neem leaf, which aids in keratin and thus great for fine hair. It’s a great remedy for hair breakage. It contains Arnica, birch bark extract that helps to balance the scalp from either a dry or an oily basis. In addition to rosemary, borage and horse chestnut to promote healthy hair follicles.

Price: R 296

Neem Hair Oil (Formerly known as Neem Hair oil)

Purpose: restores shine and controls frizz

Is both a hair and scalp treatment that works on the follicles and the hair. It contains neem leaf that helps build keratin, and so making hair both stronger and softer.

Price: R 395

Spoil yourself or your partner with these great products in the moth of love.

Love yourself Naturally

Silk Helmet Lady

The Product Hunter

I am constantly busy hunting and foraging for quality hair care products. I echo my view that I do have a bias for natural products. Still, when I think natural my next few thoughts are: effort, doubt and crammed spaces.

The raw natural market:

The natural market is rare (pun intended) as opposed to cooked. Natural spaces are little enclaves where masses of remedies are more densely stacked than Faraday station to confuse even the savvy. Often, I have to ask for advise just to get to the right isle let alone decide which unfamiliar product to try. Their sales strategies are often intrusive and pushy and product recommendations are a package deal. If you buy this one you also get that one and you end up with a full trolley. Not at all ayoba! The natural market is a niche. Natural stores thus are small and closed as opposed to a Clicks or a Dischem that is spacious and lit up- a much more impersonal model but the size and offering makes it a lot less painful. For me shopping for house and personal products has to be quick and easy- hit and run. Being at even Dischem for more than 30 minutes is not my idea of fun.

Consider this- supply and demand for big brands tick like clockwork. When you think pain-the last thing you want to hear is try this and if it does not work try that. We are used to convenience and we want instant gratification. We buy what we are used to because we can get it quickly and easily. We do not want to forage we want to hunt. Spot a target and shoot it. That is what consumer behavior comes down to. Take for example Ibuprofen (Myprodol). Have you ever seen an ad for Myprodol on TV? Neither have I. It just does work. When I’m in pain and I want relief I know if I take a Myprodol it is going to do just that. I take it and it works every time.

When I had processed hair product choices were much easier. It seemed that most things worked pretty ok. There were a few misfires but they were very limited. Since I have had natural hair products just don’t seem to work as well. Which is why I started taking a closer look at what my product choices were and asking myself: why are you buying this one? Is it going to work? What is it meant to do? I now have a mount of unused and useless products lying around my house.

A few months into product hunting I am discovering a few more gems and its exciting. Instead of hunting I now forage. I search, then research, then compare and try them. Regrettably, the best natural hair products, I have found, are not South African. They

Quality natural products come with a price tag, what the teens in my family call “nice price”. I (consumer and product addict) know that quality and cost are inextricable. If I was to want a quality pair of shoes I expect the price to have a high cost. A pair of shoes on the outside of my body and has a low impact on my health. If it does not wear well I may just chuck it and get a new one. I can’t do that with my natural hair. Yes, I may potentially be able to cover it up but what remains under the cover would be my reality.  Why then do I want to spare the expense with something that goes onto my skin and hair?

The fancy packaging of professional products and the sophisticated distribution chains cost a “nice price”. The individual ingredients in these products are often not the best. Is it that I truly believe the ridiculous TV adds that never show reality? Clips that never show a woman with hair that looks like mine? One who smiles on wash days and steps right out of the shower and has perfectly dry and shiny hair? Or glossy magazine pages with weaves and wigs advertising hair growth aids and products? This is not limited to ethnic advertising it is a widespread media issue. What really frustrates me is how all skin care advertising starts and ends with how well it will lighten and brighten your complexion. The assumption is that all women want to be light skinned. Similarly, hair ads perpetrate long, bone straight hair to be the queen of female desire.

I wonder to what extent the images in the media reflect consumer truths? Why their line of attack is so limited? Why manufacturers choose to disregard those outside of these apparent mainstream desires? Why there are not more quality locally produced products? Why the locally available products of high quality, albeit imported are not more popular? Does the thought of the ‘natural products’ really repel consumers? Is the demand for these good quality products not high enough to justify the related marketing costs? Why do we buy sub-optimal products? Why there is such lax regulation of the cosmetic industry in South Africa? These questions lead to more questions.

The expectation is that consumers are responsible for their own action. That they ought to choose wisely: good quality and by reputable producers. There is a short list of requirements that manufactures have to fulfill. The biggest problem lays in the small print of product ingredients. I so wish there were a scanner or app that could tell me if a product was passed by some regulatory body. Also that only ingredients listed is what is actually inside.

It is for these reasons that I have decided to go off-road with my product hunt. I spend time foraging, often a laborious task. I come across very pretty pieces of shiny glass.  Sometimes crystals. Less seldom still I find real treasure.

Love Yourself Naturally

Silk Helmet Lady