Product Review: Africa's Best Kid's Organics Extra Virgin Olive Oil Plus Shea Butter Detangling Moisturizing Hair Lotion

I wrote in a post a few weeks ago how my dry my hair was and how I would try some different products. My girl has been telling me about the Africa's Best Kid's Organics Extra Virgin Olive Oil Plus Shea Butter Detangling Moisturizing Hair Lotion for a while. She uses it on her 6 year old's hair, and although her little girl's hair is not relaxed, she believes we have similar hair textures. I finally decided to buy it. I bought it from Walgreens for $3.99.

Product Description
Allows for easy, tangle free combing while restoring a healthy moisture balance. Formulated with shea butter for extra shine and softening. Deep penetrating and helps to prevent breakage. Gentle enough for daily use and is an excellent therapy for all hair types.

•Contains no petrolatum or mineral oil
•Enriched with extra virgin olive oil

Directions
Work lotion into hair, applying from roots to ends. Gently comb through with a wide tooth comb. Do not force comb through. Apply more as needed, to tangled areas and gently comb through. Style as desired.

Ingredients
Aqua (Water) , Propylene Glycol , PEG-150 Distearate , Cetyl Alcohol , Glycerin , Polyquaternium-37 , Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate , Dicaprate , PPG-1 Trideceth-6 , Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean) , DMDM Hydantoin , Cyclopentasiloxane , Cyclohexasiloxane , Phenyl Trimethicone , Lanolin Oil , Glyceryl Stearate , PEG-100 Stearate , Acrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride , Acrylamide Copolymer , Methylparaben , Propylparaben , Stearalkonium Chloride , Fragrance , Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil , Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive) , Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter (Cocoa) , Carota Sativa Seed Oil (Carrot) , Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit (Shea Butter) , CI 19140 (Yellow 5) , CI 16035 (Red 40) , CI 42090 (Blue 1) , Hydrolyzed Glycine Soja Protein (Soybean) , Mustela (Mink Oil) , Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Jojoba) , Tocopherol , Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil (Tea Tree) , Ovum (Egg Powder) , Lactis Proteinum (Milk Protein) , Mel (Honey) , Silk Amino Acids , Cholesterol , Zea Mays Oil (Corn) , BHT , BHA , Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut) , Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil (Safflower) , Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract (Rosemary) , Urtica Dioica Extract (Nettle) , Equisetum Hiernale Extract (Horsetail)

My Experience
When I first opened the bottle, I noticed how watery this moisturizer was. I panicked, because my hair was straight, and I thought it would make it wet and frizzy. After I applied a little moisturizer to each section of my hair, I sealed with coconut oil. When I combed my hair, the comb glided through my hair. It was like my hair was instantly moisturized! I wrapped my hair and when I woke up, I couldn't believe how great my hair looked and felt!

I've been using this product for about 2 weeks, and I can't remember the last time my hair felt this good. I love how it softens my edges and new growth. This moisturizer is really light, so my hair just absorbs it in while still staying light and bouncy. It's not sticky or greasy and it leaves some shine- my hair really shines after sealing with oil! I am currently 7 weeks post relaxer and I think my hair looks like I'm about 3 weeks. My ends feel great too. I really feel like I have a new head of hair!

This is definitely a staple for me. The odd thing about this moisturizer is that it doesn't work well for my one-year old's hair. His texture is much different than mine, but his hair seems to get just as dry. When I put some on his hair, it did nothing.

Pincurl Week

This week I decided to pin curl my hair every night. This isn't that new, but I tried a different method of pin curling every night.

I washed and conditioned my hair on Sunday. Sunday night, I did 7 pin curls (2 on each side, and 3 in the back). This is how my hair came out on Monday:

My hair looks really short here, but I loved it because my hair didn't touch my shoulders. It was rainy and windy on Monday, so I kept the pincurls in with my scarf on, put a hat on my head, and took the pincurls out when I got to work. I feel like this is a protective style because my ends weren't exposed and didn't rub against my shirt.

Monday night, I did 3 pin curls- on on each side and one in the back. Here is how I looked on Tuesday:
The curls were looser, so my hair looks longer, but it's still curly. I got a lot of compliments this day. It was still rainy and windy, so before I left the house, I put my hair in a bun at my nape and put a hat (with a satin lining) on.

Tuesday night, I did only 2 pin curls- one on each side. This is how I looked on Wednesday:
I liked this, because it looked wavy. The only thing I didn't like was that the back of my hair looked a little thin since it had been up to the sides.

Wednesday night I just did one tight bun in the back. Here is how I looked on Thursday:I think this was my favorite look because my hair looked so full and thick. Too bad it was my day off and I didn't have anywhere to go, lol!

Thursday night, I fell asleep on the couch, woke up around one and barely had enough energy to change my clothes, so I just moisturized and put my hair in a loose bun on top of my head. Here is how my hair came out on Friday:

This almost looks like I wrapped it. My hair is a little dirty and weighed down with moisturizer and oil, so even if I did more than a bun the night before, I believe I would have had similar results.

The only products I used was Kids' Organics Shea Butter Hair Lotion (which I'll review soon) and cocounut oil. I liked my hair every day this week, which is the best thing. My hair stayed moisturized and curled, even in bad weather conditions. It's nice to have such versatility without using any heat.

Buns I Want to Try

I'm not sure I have enough hair, but I love these buns! I'm going to try to wear my hair up during the week and down on the weekends (as long as I'm not wearing wool) until the warm weather returns next year.

Just Starting to Deep Condition???

I've been on my hair journey for almost 3 years, and I think I am just starting to truly deep condition my hair! I had a great wash experience last weekend, and I think it was mostly due to the length of time I deep conditioned with heat. I usually spend about 15-20 minutes under the dryer with conditioner in my hair. However, this time, I stayed under over 30 minutes. When I took the plastic cap off, I hardly recognized my hair! It was soft and moist- like butter! Now, I have read about women who deep condition with heat for 45 minutes, but I never did because I didn't think it would make a difference, and I didn't want to devote the time. I am truly a believe now. I will deep condition with heat for at least 35 minutes from now on!

I also used Roux Porosity Control and Infusium 23 Leave-in for this wash. I washed on Saturday, it's now Thursday, and I have loved my hair since. I have been wrapping it every night, which is rare- I can usually only wrap my hair for 3 days before it starts getting limp and flat. At night, I have been applying Hask Pure Shine Polishing Serum and then wrapping. Although it's a serum, it contains some really good oils, and my hair loves it. In the morning, I comb my wrap out, and maybe apply a little coconut or grapeseed oil to my ends. My hair has stayed moist and full.

Fall 2010 Hair Strategy

Although my hair has been growing, I'm not too happy about the condition of it. However, instead of wallowing in self pity, I've been working on coming up with ideas to improve things. My hair has been feeling thin, and doesn't hold a curl or moisture.

I'm pretty sure this is from a combination of porosity issues and hormonal issues. I had a baby a year ago, and for the past 9 months or so, my hair has not been the same. I stopped nursing a month ago, so my hormones are balancing back. Now, that I'm not pregnant or nursing, I have the following plan:

- I need to increase the protein. I'm still not ready for the hardcore protein treatment, so I have been using Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstuctor after every wash. I also have been using Infusium 23 Leave-in, which contains protein. I have seen a difference in just a couple of weeks.

- I started taking hair, skin and nails vitamins and garlic vitamins over a week ago, along with my prenatal vitamins. I am expecting these to curb any excess shedding, and make my hair a little stronger.

- I will use Roux Porosity conditioner after every DC for a while until I notice some results.

- I will try some different moisturizers, paying close attention to the ingredients, so I can figure out what my hair does and does not like.

October 2010 Relaxer

I got a relaxer last weekend. I went 10 weeks. My hair was getting hard to manage, and I didn't want any excess shedding. My stylist used the Mizani Butter Blends for fine hair. I also got a Joico K-Pak protein treatment. She gave me a dusting and said she was happy with the condition of my hair, even though I wish it were thicker. I complained about the black rinse still being in my hair. She said that my hair is dark, but not black, and my roots and ends are my natural lighter brown, so that's a good thing. She told me that the next time I put a rinse in my hair, I should use a light brown. I don't know how well that will cover up my platinum hairs, but I'll try it.

My hair is grazing arm-pit length, but I'm not ready to claim it yet. Reaching my goal length has taken a little longer than I planned, but I'm fine with it as long as my hair is healthy.

I still have a way to go to reach my goals of thick, long, moisturized hair. I'm in the process of incorporating some new products and methods into my haircare regimen...

Locks of Love

Last week my 17 year-old stepdaughter got her hair cut so she could donate it to Locks of Love, which will use it to make a wig for a child who suffers from medical hair loss. I'm so proud of her- she has had hair past her armpits since she was 3. I am so glad that she does not feel defined by her hair!

Here is her hair before the cut, at a prom a few months ago:

And here is her hair after the cut. Her friend made the comment on facebook that she still has longer hair than most black girls, lol!

This is a picture of her braid. It measured almost 10 inches. She was required to donate 8, but she went a little longer.