Mmm, smells like coconut love

A few weeks ago my husband stumbled upon Suave's Tropical Coconut Body Wash and we have been in coconut heaven ever since. I say we because it smelled so incredible that I couldn't let him have all the fun. For once his frugality has paid off (I shop to balance quality and price, he wants to know: how cheap is it?) because I have been in love since. The rich smell permeates the house long after you have left the shower without being at all overpowering. I wouldn't call it a moisturizing body wash, which is what I normally go for, but it not drying either. I just follow it with my usual post shower routine of Jergen's Shea Butter lotion and a few spritzes of good ole Johnson's baby oil (I transferred mine to a spray bottle for easier application). If moisturizing then sealing works for your hair, why not your body, right? I was previously cycling between Dove's Deep Moisture body wash and Olay's Body Wash plus Body Butter Ribbons (which unfortunately leaves an oily film on your hands... ick) but this stuff is cheaper and just as fabulous.

All of this led me to try Suave's Tropical Coconut conditioner which I got on sale for about $1.50. I've used it mixed with coconut oil as a prepoo (pre-shampoo treatment) and as a quickie conditioner in the shower. I must say this stuff is wonderful! It really is an instant conditioner because all I did was apply it on my hair and rinse it off about a minute later and my hair felt so incredible. I could not believe it. I normally use Nexxus Humectress as my in shower conditioner (this used to be my staple deep conditioner but I have since found things I love even more so I am using it up) but this Suave works just as well (if not better, shhh) as an instant conditioner. And you cannot beat the price! Mind you, I would not use this as a deep conditioner without some finagling but as a instant or a conditioner wash? Puhlease! This stuff is the ishh. Sorry, Brooklyn moment. Either way, it has the same great smell as the body wash too, so all I need is a coconut body lotion and I'll have the trifecta of coconut deliciousness.

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Cetyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Fragrance (Parfum), Distearyldimonium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, 2 Bromo 2 Nitropropane 1, 3 Diol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Propylene Glycol, Silk Amino Acids, Honey (Mel), Nettle (Urtica Dioica) Extract, Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) Extract, Coconut (Cocoa Nucifera) Extract

Recession Proof Your Beauty Routine: Hair Edition

Right about now, everyone is feeling the pinch and looking for ways to save. So, how could I not provide you with tips on how to still get your beauty fix without going broke? I am starting a series on how to “Recession Proof Your Beauty Routine” that will give you tips on how to still look fabulous while staying on a budget, something we all should be doing regardless of how the economy is performing (this is the financial analyst in me talking now).

Anyway, first up is hair care. The nature of our hair often requires more hair products and higher quality hair products to maintain. Though, I will not dispute the fact that the more expensive products are often of higher quality, with greater concentrations of the key ingredients, there are still ways to save.

First, consider taking things into your hands… at least partly. If you add up how much you spend on salon visits, it can easily be a couple thousand dollars per year. I recommend leaving the chemicals to the professionals, however, you can learn how to wash and style your hair yourself. This can save you tons of the money in the long run and it can be very satisfying knowing that you are not dependent on a stylist for your hair care. If you can’t imagine only going to your stylist for relaxers and hair color, consider only going to the salon for every other wash. This will still result in a big savings.

Secondly, try looking at those cheapie conditioners in the grocery store with a new eye. Cheapies like Suave, VO5, and Tresemme are not only great straight out of the bottle for conditioner washes and leave-ins but, if you are willing to become your own kitchen chemist, you can turn these into great deep conditioners as well. Think of the conditioner as just a great base to work off of. Try adding oils like olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil or jojoba oil to your cheapie conditioners to give them more punch. Also, you can try adding an egg to a cup or so of your favorite cheapie to turn it into great protein conditioner.

Thirdly, know where to spend and where to skimp. If you do have a little extra money to spend, I would recommend spending your money on conditioners as these can have the greatest effect on your hair’s health. You can rotate your newly upgraded cheapie conditioner with your salon quality conditioner, to extend your buck even further. Where I might skimp would be on shampoos. The main issue with cheap shampoos is that they can be stripping to your hair; however, you can counteract this effect somewhat by doing a pre-shampoo treatment (prepoo). This will leave a coat on your hair that will provide a barrier against the harsh effects of the shampoo. You should also be sure not lather your hair until you get to that squeaky clean stage (this should be a must no matter what shampoo you choose); two lathers should be more than enough to cleanse your scalp. You can also try rotating your shampoo washes with conditioner washes (where you use a cheapie conditioner in lieu of a shampoo).

Lastly, know a hair care bargain when you see one. There are a lot of hair care gems out there that are both affordable and high quality.

Here are my all-stars:

1) Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner and Hair Mayonnaise– You guys already know I love the Replenishing Conditioner but the Hair Mayo is a wonderful protein treatment as well.

2) Giovanni 50/50 Balancing Conditioner and Smooth as Silk Conditioner – These are my favorite moisturizing conditioners for the latter weeks of my relaxer cycle. They leave my hair incredibly soft for days for about $6.99 at your local drugstore, ULTA, Target, or even grocery store. Look for this stuff on sale too. My local grocery store had these on sale for $5.99 yesterday. If you cannot find it in your local stores, try purchasing this online at Vitacost. It is ridiculously cheap there even after you factor in shipping. Vitacost has great prices on hair oils as well.

3) Aphogee 2 Minute Keratin Reconstructor – This a great light protein treatment that you can find in your local beauty supply store. I often use this in my post relaxer hair care routine.