Sealing has never been a practice that I was consistent with. Even now, the idea of sealing my ends seems like an extra step in my wash and go routine that I do not feel like altering at the risk of oil running down my back and clothes. I never understood the purpose of layering oil on my hair if my moisturizer or leave-in conditioner is already formulated with oils and butters until our writer Janelle researched and wrote an article exploring the concept of sealing, and it was then that I saw the error in my ways.
Read more: My Moisturizer Has Oil in It: Is Sealing Necessary?
For the past two weeks I have been wearing natural two-strand twists to pull my hair away from my face. I usually prefer flat-twist outs when it comes to stretched styles, but I wanted to wear a twist pin up so I opted for natural two-strand twists on wet hair. When I removed my twists after three days, my hair was soft from roots to ends, which was awesome. Usually it is a struggle to maintain moisturized ends but this was not the case. The ends tend to be the driest and most porous since they are the oldest part of the hair, but now I have found three products that leave my ends feeling like a fresh trim.
Obia Twist Whip
Ingredients: Aqueous (Purified Water”> Extracts: Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera”> Oil and Lavandula Officinalis (Lavender”> Oil and Cymbopogon Flexuous (Lemongrass”> Oil, Unrefined Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter”>, Palm Oil (Elaeis Guineensis”>, Vegetable Glycerin, Ricinus Communis (Castor”> Seed Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetearyl Alcohol, Magifera Indica Seed Butter (Mango Butter”>, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Astrocaryum (Tucuma”> Seed Butter, Glycine Soya (Soybean”> Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E”>, Gluconolactone and Sodium Benzoate, Fragrance (Parfum”>
First, let’s address the smell. The aroma of this Twist Whip is refreshing and pleasant with the citrus scent of lemongrass. It is a light cream that has great spreadability and only requires a small amount for application. The more I shingled the product through my hair, the more defined and polished my curls felt. While I was twisting my hair, my ends naturally curled into little buds once I reached the bottom, which is always a good sign that the product is pH balanced. After leaving the twists installed for three days and unraveling them, the first thing I noticed was shine. I had grown accustomed to accepting that my fine, 4a, kinky coils will naturally look dull but now I had shine. I know oils, elixirs, and natural sheen sprays can be a quick fix but I never really noticed a difference. The second thing I noticed was the definition. I am not used to achieving the same quality of a flat-twist out with a twist out so I was elated. This product is the best styler I have used for stretched styles, bar none.
Elaine Hair and Body Pomegranate Mango Butter
Ingredients: Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa”> Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter”> Fruit,Cocos Nucifera (Coconut”> Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut”> Milk, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba”> Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor”> Seed Oil, Tocopheral (Vitamin E”> Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, and Tapioca Starch.
This butter is fantastic, especially if you are looking for something very fragrant. Both the Peppermint Lavender Butter and Pomegranate Mango Butter smell very delightful. I have used the Pomegranate Mango Butter to seal my ends and it too is light on application like the Obia Twists Whip. The consistency is thick like a standard butter but it melts relatively easily between your fingertips before applying it to your ends. This is also great for the body.
Belle Butters Unyevu Butter
Ingredients: shea butter, raw pressed mango butter, refined avocado butter, apricot kernel oil, neem oil, sunflower oil, fragrance, vitamin E (preservative”>.
This is the best hair and body butter that I have used that does not leave me feeling greasy. I have not had the best of luck with butters, as they can be too thick and heavy for my fine hair, but this butter is fantastic. I have noticed that there always seems to be an issue with quality control when it coms to butters; they are either gritty, too hard, or have oil floating to the top, which are all a complete turn off. I do not have that issue with this butter. It feels more like a thick cream instead of rock or gritty beads I have to melt in the microwave or rub in my hands for a minute before applying it to my skin and hair. If you struggle with extremely dry heels, this is a great product to apply before bedtime.
Want to know what all three of these products have in common? The blessing that is called mango butter. I remember my long-time love affair with Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter Moisturizer when I was relaxed and here we are again. They say you know something is for you if you let it go and it comes back so it was clearly meant to be (I don’t actually believe that but it fits for the sake of this article”>. My true love has returned.
Above is a photo of my twist out after I slept on it but in the video below you can see my first-day results using Obia Twist Whip.
What are your favorite products to seal your ends with?
