the battle of the cleansing conditioners

Being that I've got some crazy curlage going on top of my head, I'm always about trying different products to tame them into submission. I've done a fair amount of research on how to best take care of them, I've even written a blog post here for your perusal! So since I've gotten the rules down, it's time to talk about the tools, aka the products!

It's become pretty common knowledge now that cleansing conditioners are the way to go. They supposedly clean your hair without stripping the oils essential for keeping hair (especially curly or coarse textures) moisturized and frizz-free. There are tons of cleansing conditioners out there from various price points and I've deemed myself your fluffy-haired guinea pig to save you some time, money and bad hair days. I've done the dirty work for you and picked three, one from each price point (drugstore, pricey, luxury) to review.


drugstore. Herbal Essences naked cleansing conditioner $4.99
Since this is the cheapest option of the three, you're going to get what you paid for. I'll say the pros first. It made my hair feel smooth and soft and had a pleasant smell that didn't linger. I actually repurchased it because it was such a good deal and I wanted to try the lavender scent. Sadly that's where the pros end. Now for the cons... I originally bought the one for colored hair but it didn't seem to hold my color that great at all (I recently box died my salon ombre to a darker brown). I used it for maybe a month and my color noticeably was fading. Although, I cant totally blame the conditioner because my previous ombre color was blonde so fading was expected, but it didn't help. Also dimethicone is a listed ingredient, which is a silicone-based chemical that adds a film over your hair to make it feel smoother and silkier. It's not that it's bad for you hair but it creates a greasy film buildup. The label says it's more of a treatment and shouldn't be used as a consistent product, which kind of defeats the point of replacing shampoo & conditioner, right?

pricey. DevaCurl no poo & one condition $40 (for both)
Now this duo I love. It is on the pricier side for both products combined, but I think it's of greatest value out of the three. The two 12 oz bottles lasted me about two months, which is amazing for my thick mane. I typically run out before the month ends, but you need so little of each product that it lasted me really well. The No Poo is a cleansing conditioner, and the One Condition is a daily conditioner. But get this, no silicones! It made my hair feel amazing instantly and never any greasy build-up. It's suggested that you use the products together and I always have, but knowing how great the No Poo made my hair feel, I would say that it would be fine alone for those with finer hair on the wavier side as opposed to coarser, curlier hair. For us, I would definitely say go for the one condition too. They sell small 9 oz. sample sizes too for $9 if you want to test it out.

luxury. Wen by Chaz Dean sweet almond mint cleansing conditioner $32
This is my more recent experiment. I've only bought this about two weeks ago. There are a lot of things I love about this product and it's certainly got a lot of hype around it. I've always wanted to try it and I watch a Chaz Dean hairstylist Anna Lee on youtube with her photog hubby Jesse. They make the cutest vlogs here (i'm obsessed). So that added a little fuel to my Wen fire. I bought the sweet almond scent ,which is supposed to be geared towards normal hair (not oily or dry). It smells wonderful and manages to linger for a long time without being annoying or overpowering. My hair felt super soft and my hair dried wonderfully without using any other product (just one pump of the conditioner as a leave-in). It does contain that silicone, but the people at Wen insist that as long as you massage it thoroughly into your scalp and rinse it out completely you wont get any film build-up, which I haven't. My only really complaint is that you have to use so much of the product per use. I have pretty long hair so it says to use 24 pumps.. that's just crazy to me. In three uses, half of the 16 oz. bottle is gone and for $32 a bottle, it's hard for me to justify. using Wen is supposed to reduce the amount of time you have to cleanse your hair, but still I'm not totally sold because of the price.

Phew! that was a lot of esplainin to do, but I just can't help myself! forgive meee.

So to round this all up: I would probably say Deva Curl is my favorite because it's cheaper, lasts longer, has no silicones & I haven't seen Wen do any better, except on the scent front. With Wen I don't need a styling cream like I do with the other two & it's one product instead of 2 or 3. Finally the Herbal Essences, I wouldn't recommend using it like the others but as more of a treatment, or to use it as a daily conditioner with a shampoo. But beware of the film build-up & use a clarifying shampoo every week-two weeks.

Well that's it then! Hope I helped a little to navigate the maze of cleansing conditioners out there. Let me know if you have any that you recommend. I'm always looks for new ones to try out!

ttyl :)
madeleine

calling all curly heads.

Yes my cherubically haired compatriots, this post is dedicated to you… or should I say us ;) I am going to give you the low down on how to best care for and style your kinky tresses. But first, story time!

As previously mentioned I have curly hair and let me tell you dealing with it throughout my adolescence was a challenge. My mother has beautiful, stick straight hair, so when she birthed this thick curly-haired daughter, the poor woman was at a complete loss as to managing it. For the majority of my younger years my hair remained in a blasé ponytail, so naturally I yearned for more of a variety of hairstyles as I got a little older. This resulted in the purchase of a straightening iron… and that’s when the monster was officially born. I became a straightening fiend. Every day I would iron my curly locks into pin-straight reformation, until I eventually got the keratin permanent straightening treatments. This went on until I was 20 years old. The summer before my junior year of college I realized that I didn’t even remember what my natural hair texture looked like and I was tired of the needless time and money I invested in straight hair. So it was then I decided to go natural, and it was the best decision I ever made!

So with that entertaining and informative preface out of the way, we can get to the good stuff!

Tip #1: keep ‘dat moisture

How you treat your curls in the shower can heavily affect the end product. The structure of the curl is very delicate and you want to try and maintain and enhance said structure from beginning to end. 

One big component to keeping the structure of your curl is moisture! So in the shower you should use products that wont strip your hair of its natural oils and that will add moisture to your hair so as to prevent frizz later. You want to avoid products with parabens or sulfates and also gravitate towards shampoos that don’t lather, because that is what strips the oils from your hair. Also take advantage of the deep conditioning treatments and masks that are everywhere, but avoid the ones with waxes because those just coat your hair in an allusion of softness and moisture, when they actually do the opposite. UGH the deception!! 


Tip #2: comb it wet & your curls be set

Brushing curly hair is only permissible in or just out of the shower. Brushing the curls breaks up its natural structure and doing so when dry gives you terrible fluff and frizz. So it’s best to get those knots out in the shower. Afterwards you run your hair under the water again so that the curls can re-collect naturally. 

You can brush your hair out of the shower while still wet, but then I’d strongly recommend running it under the faucet or using a wide toothed comb so that it doesn’t interfere too much with your curls’ structure.

Tip #3: dry with care

So now that your curls have survived the shower, the challenge of drying them stops you dead in your tracks. Don’t fear though, this part is easy as pie… mmm pie… So first, ditch the towel. Towels are too rough and heavy on curly hair and will ruin that flawless curl you just worked so hard on in the shower. Opt for an old cotton t-shirt. Flip your hair over your head and use the tee to scrunch the excess moisture from your hair. Cotton will absorb the water, while the soft texture of the tee wont disrupt the structure. 

If this option doesn’t appeal to you or if you want faster results, use the diffuser attachment on your hairdryer. Although heat isn’t recommended for consistent use because it can lead to damage and frizz, if you put the dryer on low heat and hit it will cool air throughout the drying process your curls will remain intact and beauteous. Diffusers are good because instead of blasting concentrated hot air on your curls, the attachment directs the air to gently travel throughout greater sections of hair. If you hairdryer didn't come with a diffuser you can buy the attachment separately, just make sure it fits the nozzle of your dryer.

To correctly diffuse your hair flip you hair over your head and use the teeth of the diffuser to gather you hair, section by section, to push it towards your scalp and hold for a few moments. Only use your fingers to help direct your hair while drying. No brushes allowed ladies! Once dried to your liking, flip your hair back over and behold your beauty!

Tip #4: keep it light

So lets talk about some products, because who are we but mere product junkies, enthusiasts if you will! The key to finding the right styling products for your curls is that you want to use as few as possible. The fewer products you use, the bouncier and happier you and your curls will be!

Personally, I hate products that leave my hair feeling tacky, crunchy and weighed down. And trust me I’ve tried them all, from low end to high end and I’ve found two styling brands (so far) that I swear by. DevaCurl is my end all, be all, favorite forever. This brand turned curl maintenance into a hard science and developed amazing products. For styling I love the Light Defining Gel because it’s just that, light as air! Just squeeze about a quarter size amount of product into your hand, flip your hair over your head (one more time! Phew!), and scrunch evenly throughout your wet hair. The gel forms a hard barrier around the curl so that as it dries it maintains its structure. Then when dry, just scrunch your hair with your hand and the barrier breaks away and your left with perfectly bouncy, soft, frizz-free hair. I swear it’s all I need, so easy and works like magic! There is also a stronger version (Ultra Defining Gel) if your hair has a coarser texture. They have so many products I love, but that may be a whole ‘nother post. 

Another styling product I like is by S Factor and that is their One Curl at A Time Curl Serum. It has the same glorious berries and cream smell as all their other products and it works beautifully on my hair. I apply it the same as I do the DevaCurl gel and it gives me soft and shiny tresses. I would say that it does not mix well with bedhead, so I would recommend putting your hair up with one of those ribbon hair ties during the night. Also, while my hair is voluminous, the texture of the strand is relatively thin and soft and the product works great. But, I don’t recommend this particular product to women with coarser or really thick hair because it is very light in formula. This is the only curl product I’ve used from S Factor, but I’m definitely tempted to try more. 


I hope this helps all my curly friends out there and inspires you to embrace your natural hair texture. Although this appears to be a lot of potentially overwhelming information, this whole process takes me maybe 20 minutes from the moment I step into the shower to when I’m done styling and ready to start my day. So have fun with it and good luck!

Tell me what tips and tricks work for you, I’m always looking for more suggestions and knowhow! 

:) ttyl,

madeleine