Moisture, Moisture, Moisture!

Even the best conditioners are only designed to work for about 4 days. If your wash cycle is longer than 4 days or if your hair is in need of a boost during this time, a good quality hair moisturizer is key. Regularly moisturizing my hair and following with a light coat of oil, have made an incredible difference in the manageability, texture, and elasticity of my hair.

A good moisturizer is water based and void of cheap fillers such as petrolatum and mineral oil. However, finding a moisturizer without these ingredients can be more elusive than finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But, you know your hairmakeuplove guru would not leave you hanging, now would I?

Here are my faves:


1) Organic Root Stimulator Carrot Oil Creme - This is my staple moisturizer. I love how light it is and how it really gives my hair moisture without weighing it down. I apply it to my hair in dime-sized amounts as needed.


2) Giovanni Direct Leave-In Conditioner - This may not have been designed as an everyday moisturizer, but leave-ins work great as moisturizers. They generally have higher quality ingredients and they have light enough formulations to be used on a daily basis. Giovanni Direct Leave-In is one of the best that I have tried and who doesn't love a multi-tasking, overachiever?

hairlove: Organic Root Stimulator Replenishing Pak

Lest you think that I've only been thinking about makeup lately, it's time for some hairlove. My favorite conditioner right now is Organic Root Stimulator's Olive Oil replenshing conditioner. It is sold in these handy little packets, which are perfect for commitment phobes.
Description:

• Deep Penetrating Conditioner.
• Helps restore, moisturize, & rebuild damaged hair.

As an African America woman with relaxed hair, I need a lot from my conditioner. Our hair can be some of the driest and most damaged around, so extra care must be taken to maintain the proper moisture and protein levels to prevent breakage. This conditioner does just that with a wonderful balance of moisture and protein. I use this as my moisture based conditioner once or twice a week during my deep conditioning treatments. (I apply this conditioner in sections to my towel dried hair and cover with a plastic cap then sit under a heat source for 15-20 minutes.) It has a nice citrus smell that is not overpowering and leaves my hair incredibly soft and easy to detangle.

The "paks" can be purchased at your local drugstore, Target, Walmart, or beauty supply store for prices ranging from $.99 - $1.49. For those of you who are ready to settle down with this wonderful conditioner, it is also available in full sized bottles at your local beauty supply store and soon in stores everywhere.

Ingredients:
Water Aqua , Soybean Oil Glycine Soja , Glycerine , Olive Oil Olea Europaea , Hydrolyzed Collagen , Quaternium-80 , DMDM Hydantoin , Amino Silk Acid , Dimethicone Copolyol , Orange Oil Citrus Aupantium Dulcis , D'Limonene , Panthenol Vitamin B5 , Dimethicone , EDTA , Chamomile Extract Anthemis Nobilis , Sage Extract Salvia Officinalis , Nettle Extract Urtica Dioica , Rosemary Extract Rosmarinus Officinalis , Aloe Vera Gel Aloe Barbedensis , Yarrow Extract Achilea Millefolium , Kiwi Extract Actinidia Chinensis , Polyquaternium-37 , Trideceth-7 , Triethanolamine , Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans , Methylchlorosothiazolinone , Methylchlorothiazolinone , Yellow No. 6 CI 15985 , Yellow No. 5 CI 19140