Honestly when The Cubicle Chick asked me to do a guest post about the five products that had changed (revolutionized) my life, I could only think of 1 off the top of my head:
shea. butter.
Wait, let me start from the beginning, where are my manners?
Hi everyone, my name is Roshini a.k.a. ini a.k.a. Glamazini and I author a blog and produce YouTube videos about my natural hair journey [ini curtsies]. I’ve been natural for 8 years and counting (with a couple failed attempts prior to it sticking) and have had a website/blog for the same length of time … about … my hair.
So as you can see, I’ve had ample time to try a LOT of products and can freely admit now (after years of therapy & light medication) that I am a fully recovered “product junkie”.
So with no further adieu [cue triumphant music] here are the 5 products that have REVOLUTIONIZED [heh] my life!
disclaimer: I am not a professional and all advice given is based on my own personal experiences and long ridiculously lush fast growing healthy natural hair *hee*hee*.
NUMBER 1! … SHEA BUTTER
How do I love thee shea butter? Let me count the ways 
Shea butter is extracted by crushing and boiling the seeds of the African shea tree and collecting the resulting fat. It has many impressive qualities, one of which is as a superb moisturizer for hair and skin. I started using shea butter on my hair circa 2003 and have never stopped. I mix it together with coconut oil (approx. 50/50) and use it as my moisturizer on damp hair immediately after washing and throughout the week to keep my hair (specifically my ends) healthy. For me it can’t be beat! I recall the first time I used it many years ago thinking my hair was “suspiciously soft” LOL. Ironically I just tried a new leave-in conditioner recipe yesterday sans shea butter [gasp] and it’s just not the same so I’m going back to my first love.
NUMBER 2 … OIL
Natural oil that is. Oil is used to add shine and lubrication to hair creating a slip and diminishing the chance of knots and tangles. Better yet oil is used as a sealant to trap moisture in the strand of the hair making it pliable and less susceptible to breakage. My oils of choice are coconut, castor, jojoba and olive. I use all 4 on my hair and jojoba on my face as a supplement to my nighttime moisturizer. Always make sure your hair is moisturized (preferably with water) first before adding oil to your hair because otherwise you’ll be sealing moisture (water) out of your hair and you don’t want to do that do you?
NUMBER 3 … WATER
Drink it, use it, run in it, water is the ultimate product for a healthy life. I know this post is supposedly about only hair but water has changed so much more for me beyond moisturizing my tresses! First off water is necessary for healthy hair, natural or not. I find many of us have been taught otherwise and avoid water while our hair is parched and breaking off. Moisture is imperative to a flexible hair strand that can be preserved on your head (and not on the bathroom floor) for as long as possible. This means not only drinking water for hydration but also applying water to your hair and skin often then sealing it in with a product (like say shea buttter and coconut oil 😉 ).
Oh and when I said “run in it” I wasn’t joking…nothing if more burden lifting and mentally exhilarating than a good ole fashion run in the rain or through some sprinklers. Try it, you’ll like it (and make sure when you’re done you seal in that moisture [heh] ).
Moving right along…
NUMBER 4 … HONEY
Honey is a food made for bees by bees out of the nectar of flowers. They store their honey in hives and humans (beekeepers) collect the honey for human consumption. As a product honey has many notable attributes, 2 of which are antimicrobial properties and as a strong humectant, meaning it absorbs water from the air around it. As you can imagine using honey on the hair can bee (yes bee) a blessing and a curse. On the one hand when used topically it is an incredible aid in moisturization of the strands, but on the other hand it is just darn sticky. This is why I have used honey, along with conditioner and olive oil, in my pre-shampoo deep treatment for years with great success! You mix the honey in, apply to the hair, heat, then wash the honey out. See it doesn’t have to bee (yes bee) that bad. 😉
NUMBER 5 … DENMAN D3 BRUSH
Here is another product that makes me audibly swoon (and might I point out the ONLY life-changing product I’ve posted not derived from nature). The good ole man-made plastic denman d3 brush [swoon]. I have been using this puppy right here to detangle my hair (after the aforementioned pre-shampoo deep treatment) in the shower for approximately 7 years now and would not change a thing. Some prefer a wide-toothed comb, others a detangler pick, yet others a transformed denman but me, I’m a purist … give me the denman d3 straight out the package and pre-shampoo deep conditioned hair and I’ll give you detangled tresses. Remember, always detangle your hair in sections from tip to root: here’s how I do it.
To see all 5 of these products in use in one big swirl of natural hair fantasicalness check out how I condition, detangle and wash my hair (in that order).
Oh and don’t forget to leave a comment below telling me which five products have REVOLUTIONIZED your life (hair, skin etc.) ? 😉
Bio
Roshini is a glamorous amazing amazon (6 foot 1 inch) natural hair blogger & vlogger who has documented her journey on Glamazini.com (previously Roshini.net) for the past 8 years. She blogs about hair, products, tools, experiences, trials, errors, recoveries, other natural hair wearers, makeup and day- to- day life. Her passion is to tell her story while encouraging others toward “life, liberty & the pursuit of nappyness”. Visit her often at Glamazini.com and youtube.com/glamazini and follow her at twitter.com/glamazini.
I must admit when you said to run in water I envisioned someone in a pool attempting to run very slooooowly. Glad you expounded on that point. LOL. You've inspired me to work on keeping my (relaxed) hair off the bathroom floor! (Now where can I get me some of that shea butter/coconut oil/honey mix?)
Thanks for commenting! The shea butter/coconut mix you can make at home :). Here's how I do it http://bit.ly/9AjdOo . If you're not a "at home product maker" there are lots of great small businesses selling their version of this sort of hair juju online. A few that come to mind are:
http://www.nicanaturals.com/ http://www.blackonyxworld.com/ http://www.heavilyrooted.com/
or do a search on "shea butter hair moisturizer" to find more.
(continued)
The honey dealy is an easy at home mix.
1. Take your favorite conditioner, put a good dollup (depends on your hair length…I use approx a cup for 17inch long hair) of it into a container,
2. add olive oil (to your liking…at minimum 2 tablespoons, the more you add the messier this becomes) then
3. add honey (1-3 tablespoons) and mix well.
4. (optional) Heat mixture in the microwave for 15-30 seconds
5. Apply mixture to your dry pre-washed hair focusing on the strands more than the scalp, especially the ends. [if you are natural section your hair into 6-8 first, then apply mixture]
6. Cover with a plastic conditioner cap, sit under your dryer for 15-30 minutes (or walk around your house doing chores) then
7. rinse in the shower and shampoo as usual. [if you are natural detangle with your preferred tool first, keeping the hair in sections, then rinse etc.]
Hope that helps!
I am a shea butter CONVERT all because of ini! I was never a product junkie, but after years of experimenting, a "back to basics" style regime is what works for my hair (and my 18 month old's) Shea butter is an amazing moisturizer and is ALL NATURAL. I've been natural for almost 5 years and I have to ditto everyting ini has listed! Great post!
YAY! LONG LIVE SHEA BUTTER!!! Thanks for commenting 😀
After watching your video on the Shea and Coconut oil mixture I start using too. Everyone who touched my hair asked me what I used – so I have shared your recipe with boat load of people. Thank you Glamazini.
You're welcome 🙂 … thanks for commenting!
Shea butter and aloe vera/water spray
Hi Crystal, thanks for commenting! Do you put the aloe vera into your spray bottle? If so what do you find it does for your hair? Are you using juice or gel?
Love the tips, just starting to leave the silicone over the counter products along on my natural hair so this was great info on things I have heard about, but never knew why they were good.
Hi! I know a lot of people who do not use "cones" as they call them. I've never paid much attention to whether my products have silicones or other "cones" in them BUT obviously I don't have to since everything I seem to use is either from a nut, bush, or bee LOL! Thanks for commenting,
Ini I always enjoy your posts and your youtube vids. I always wondered about the shea butter because by itself it is so STIFF. I might just try it with the coconut oil. THANKS!
Yes, shea butter by itself takes a lot of vigorous hand rubbing to become soft enough to use on the hair and skin. I'm not 100% sure but I believe it's because the melting point is usually beyond room temp but not beyond our body temp. Oils on the other hand tend to have a lower melting point so they make the mixture more viscous w/o having to do all that heavy hand rubbing. Thanks for commenting!
Lovely post Ini
Thanks hun 🙂
The top 4 are definitely in my arsenal of products. I was always skeptical of honey because of the stickiness but I have certainly changed my mind after using it on my hair. I want to try that denman brush I just have not made my way over to Sally's to get one, adding that to my weekend to do list.
That's why the denman saved my life 😛
But seriously, I love it. If it doesn't work for you out the box then go to the "transformation" video I posted above and see how to remove rows of teeth. I've heard that alone has converted many anti-denman naturals over. Thanks for commenting!
I really enjoyed your post. It's nice that people can be thankful for the more natural beauty products like oil and water, instead of mascara and a blow-dryer. The number one thing that I don't leave home without is my lip gloss . Thanks for sharing!
Well if we tell the truth I am sorta a lipgloss junkie, no therapy or meds gonna cure that :-|. Thanks for commenting!
Good post Roshini….. I have to say your pre-poo treatment (although messy), kimmaytube leave in conditioner, apple cider vinegar and peppermint EO.
Thanks! I'm working through http://www.youtube.com/kimmaytube 's leave-in recipe right now 'cause out the gate I'm not getting as great results as I'd hoped. I forgot all about ACV but I haven't use it in years. When I did it made my hair super shiny. Thanks for commenting!
Shea butter by far, closely followed/paired with the oils. The whipped shea/coconut oil mix I use is like butter (pun intended).
LONG LIVE THE SHEA BUTTER!! *ini bows in reverence* … thanks for commenting.
Shea butter is my savior. I went to Ghana in 2007 and stocked up on it, but I honestly never used it (other than the occasional after-shower body butter) until I went natural on NYE of this past year. HEAVEN IN A TUB.
I love all of the above wonderful, natural products but have yet to purchase a Denman. I think that's next on my agenda!
Awesome. How much shea butter did you buy? I'm jealous! Would you believe I don't use it on my skin, only my hair. Thanks for commenting.
Great post! I love your YouTube channel. I like the top 5 you listed here. I use a shealoe mix but only to stretch my hair or if I’m going to be out in the sun since Shea butter can block water. I use Kimmaytube’s leave-in conditioner during the week but it hasn’t been working as well for me since it’s so hot outside now :(. I still can’t believe I used to avoid water so much because my hair loves it.
Thanks for the kind words 🙂 I've never used shealoe but I've heard good things. Since we use aloe vera on our hair in the Virgin Islands (which is where I'm from) I can imagine that shea butter + aloe vera combines to good stuff. I am still working through Kimmaytube's leave-in conditioner. As she posted it I'm finding some pros but more cons. I'm working on my own hybrid version. Thanks for commenting!
Hello all, I just wanted to be Roshini's amen corner:) I have used all these products from the beginning of my natural hair journey, which began 4 years ago! Roshini was my inspiration from the very beginning and as she learned…I learned. I have never really been a product junkie. Once I learned my hair temperment I found the products it needed and stuck to it. Everything Roshini listed has helped me have successful results with my hair. The only thing I have to continuously work on is being consistant with my routine and treatments. Thanks Roshini and the Cubicle Chick for featuring this natural hair vet:)
Oh wow that was nice *blush* … thanks for the kind words hun 😀
Hey Glamazine sent me. I completely agree with these products though I dont use them as often as I should. I am going to step my game up!
Tasha! Girl step it up and get that hair healthy. Thanks for commenting 🙂
Hi. The first four products that have changed my life are as follows; aloe vera gel (2oz), cocoa butter (1oz), castor oil (1tsp), coconut oil (1tsp). I blend them with a hand mixer until the texture resembles pudding. Finally, the fifth product that changed my life is vegetable glycerin (1 tsp diluted with 1cup of water in a spray bottle). btw…Glamazini sent me.
Hi, thanks for commenting. Nice mix. I used to use glycerin in my spray bottle and still have it but don't use it as consistently as in the past.
Shea Butter and Olive Oil has transformed my life. I use the two together for moisturizing my skin and hair (before I locked it). I love it so much that I no longer use lotion. I can truly tell the difference in my skin after continued use. I ♥ it!
I keep hearing about OO on the skin and I'm curious. I may try this during the winter and see what happens. Thanks for posting!
I have to book mark this post. I'm still learning in the natural hair department. As a matter of fact, on my way to barber shop in the next few days to chop it back off. I love my denman brush though. Heaven sent for curly hair. I love mango butter as well on my hair. Go Glamazini!
I bought A bottle of natural vally coconut oil but did not use it because of the salt in it. What about the one that you used ini, is there any sodium in it and does it affect ur hair?
@san —————–>
I use Spectrum Naturals (pictured above) and Whole Food’s 365 brand coconut oil. I just checked and there is no salt in them. Hope that helps!
I used Shea butter the first time I transitioned. I’m gonna try the Shea/Coconut oil mixture and the honey/oil conditioner. Thanks for the tip 😉
@PhenoMonique ——————–>
Awesome, I hope you like it and it works well for your hair 😀
Great post & very informational. I still have yet to get my hands on a denman brush. They are hard to find where I’m at. Wal Mart doesn’t sale them, and Sally’s Beauty Supply has very few, & they’re like $8. Which I don’t know if it’s a good price or not.
@Ashley
I can’t remember how much I paid but I do think $8 is a good deal.
The treatment above is over all natural that can gives natural beauty of the hair. Chemicals that can be ruin soon on your hair can be avoided by human.
Hey thanks for the post! I am excited to try shea butter! Coconut oil is my favorite go-to for my bleached blonde hair, so if shea butter is better… well it must be amazing! One issue though- the sealing of water with an oil. This is not possible. Lipids (oil) are hydrophobic by nature, (this is why salad dressings separate), and thus the water molecules will dissipate off your skin after an application of an oil. The oil is very moisturizing though! And proper hydration is very great for the appearance of skin. I will try sealing water in with coconut oil topically though because I am very curious of how this has worked for you. Thanks again!
Hi, thanks for commenting & glad you enjoyed the post. I must respectfully disagree. Oils can not add “moisture” to hair (or anything) because moisture = water. Oil help seal moisture previously added in the hair (hence the need for it to not mix with the already applied water). Oils can however add slip and suppleness to an item (hair included) so that may be what you are noticing. I always add water before sealing with any product -or- seal soon after I’ve added water to hopefuly trap the moisture already in the strands.
I check the thread here as well as the links!! its awesome guys!! god bless!