All Aubrey Organics Conditioners

wild~hair · 06-22-2008, 05:52 PM

Please report on your experiences with Aubrey Organics conditioners — the good, the bad and the ugly.

As many of you know, I love the AOHR, but I'm starting to come to the conclusion it's too heavy for summer use.

I've tried Island Naturals, but it doesn't work as well as the AOHR. It's not as curl-enhancing for me, plus it stinks! Yes, the AOHR has a "distinctive" scent as well, but the Island Naturals makes me want to

!

I want to try White Camelia, but I can't find it anywhere locally. I may have to order it from Aubrey direct.

Then there is the the Swimmer's Formula, the GPB [what does that even stand for?], Rose Mosqueta, and many others.

Please share with us! If you can provide details — hair type, details of usage — all the better!

Thanks!

LoloDSM · 06-22-2008, 06:39 PM

I have AOHR, White Camellia, and GPB.

I wrote a glowing review of GPB somewhere below. BPB stands for Glycogen Protein Balancing. I LOVE this conditioner.

I like the smell and use it a couple times a week. I have fine/thin 2B/3A hair that soaks it up.

I also like the WC better than AOHR. I don't love the smell but after a few uses, I don't notice it so much. It is very slippery and I actually have trouble rinsing it off my hands after applying it to my hair. I could see my hair being over-conditioned if I use this too often, but right now I like it a lot.

Mo_Gemini22 · 06-22-2008, 07:03 PM

I've used the JAY Desert Herb conditioner and White Camilia conditioner. I like them both. I didn't have any bad results. Left my hair soft and I can comb through my hair! I haven't tried the very popular AOHR.

Riot Crrl · 06-22-2008, 09:39 PM

Unfortunately I've only tried the same ones that you've tried, with about the same results. Plus, what is up with the tiny grains in the IN?

sunshower · 06-23-2008, 12:29 PM

wellll...i am a 3c/4a, so let's get that out of the way first.

very long, very thick, and very dry.

i have used and loved AO shampoos and conditioners for years. they changed their formulas on most of them a couple years ago, and IMO some have gotten better and some have gotten worse. my absolute favorite conditioner is the GPB. it is the one conditioner i have used consistently ever since i started growing out my relaxer. i've been using it for nearly 10 years with great results. it is a protein-rich conditioner, so beware of that if you're sensitive to protein. my hair likes protein, so it makes my hair strands super-strong and resilient. i use it with heat as a DT at least once a month.

my other two staples are the Honeysuckle Rose and the Swimmers conditioners. to me, the Swimmers is very similar to the old Jojoba and Aloe formula, which used to be my absolute favorite back in the day. on the website, they say it's the vegan alternative to the GPB. i just started using it a few months ago, and i am in love! it makes my hair soooo soft and silky when i use it, just like the old J&A used to. and i am not a swimmer, btw.

i have tried the White Camellia, and i did not like it at all. it was nowhere near as moisturizing as the HR, and the smell was disgusting. even if i did like the conditioner, i would never use it just because of the smell. blech!

i like the Island Naturals, but i have stopped using it since i started using the Swimmers. my hair actually felt softer with the HR than with the IN, but it's still a good conditioner. the scent isn't my favorite, but i can tolerate it.

mslanee1 · 06-23-2008, 02:19 PM

I got the AOHSR because everyone rants and raves about it. But after several tries, as a cowash, as a DT, as a regular conditioner, and as a detangler. I HATE IT! I don’t like the smell, its hard for me to detangle, and once my hair dried it was not nearly as soft as I get with other conditioners. I would not repurchase, further more I am considering swapping what I have left.

wild~hair · 06-23-2008, 09:50 PM

Thanks for all the replies.

And thanks to our new AO expert, sunshower! Wow!

Keep 'em coming ...

empressri · 06-24-2008, 10:30 AM

i LOVE the HSR. in my experience you have to have shampooed your hair thoroughly before you use it. it doesn't work well when cowashing on my hair if i have product buildup. also, the longer i leave it on, the more my hair becomes detangled and it feels softer.

i have the white camellia, and i want to get the GPB next. will post reviews once i try the WC

sweetseven · 06-24-2008, 11:29 AM

I've only tried HSR, not too sure what to think of it. I loved it when I first tried it a few months ago, made my hair so soft, I even like it's smell (which seems to be rare).
Unfortunately the last few times I tried it, it gave my hair that spongy feeling, I guess it makes my hair overconditioned. I thought that would never happen with my hair...

Last Saturday I gave it another try after I did a protein dt, again overconditioned hair. I guess I should put this away till winter.

Would love to try the GPB, is it CG as well?

LoloDSM · 06-24-2008, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetseven

Would love to try the GPB, is it CG as well?

Yes.

myCelia · 06-24-2008, 12:48 PM

I really like AO Rosa Mosqueta conditioner (my review here) - dare I say, even more than AOHR.

hockeymomof3 · 06-25-2008, 04:44 PM

I would love to try this one:
http://www.aubrey-organics.com/produ...at=6&subcat=20

Has anyone used it? It says it defines curls! I've never seen this one before....AO Green Tea Cream Rinse??

confusedmaiden · 06-25-2008, 05:08 PM

I'm not sure what "type" of hair I have. Basically I have waves/loose ringlets in the back, stringy large ringlets in the front, a really frizzy canopy and a pretty straight-ish underside. Not sure what that means, but I think I'm more of a 2 than a 3. Medium thickness.

I have tried AO Chamomile shampoo - was actually pretty disappointed. It didn't clean as well as I would hope, lots of hair fell out, and it really dried out my hair.

Tried AO GPB conditioner - at first was very impressed. Though I really dislike the odd smell, that was the first time in years I didn't lose one strand of hair during the conditioning process. I could use it as a co or even as a DT. But I found, as time went on, that it had a tendency to build up on my hair. Sometimes it can be a bit too heavy and was better for when my hair is particularly dry.

Tried the AO B5 design gel. It's basically just Aloe vera gel with some oils in it. I liked it a lot - it wasn't much for hold, but it did reduce much of the frizz if I put it in my hair while its still sopping wet (and only then, otherwise, it stiffens up my hair).

Tried AO Sea Buckthorn leave-in liquid conditioner and curl activator. Hated it. It made my hair look greasy. Worse, the smell is awful. I believe it has egg proteins in it, and that's exactly what it smelled like. When I went out on a hot day my head smelled like rotten eggs. I actually went back in and washed it out of my hair with the chamomile shampoo, using the GPB as a leave in. Perhaps people with thicker/curlier hair than mine would like it better, but I'll never use it again.

Tried the AO White Camellia and Jasmine Shine Spray. Now this one, I believe, has a shampoo that comes with it and you're supposed to use it as the co after washing with the shampoo. I didn't get the shampoo. But I tried this as a co after washing my hair with the Chamomile shampoo one day, and I didn't feel like it was enough conditioning used that way. However, I have had pretty good results when I use it to spot-zap some frizzies, as my hair is drying and after product is applied. I'd get it again.

I like AO. I would love it if they came out with more styling products. Seems easy to find natural shampoos and regular cos, but I'd like a bit more options for those of us who don't want to put regular gels/styling products with tons of artificial junk in our hair.

wild~hair · 06-30-2008, 02:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by empressri

i LOVE the HSR. in my experience you have to have shampooed your hair thoroughly before you use it. it doesn't work well when cowashing on my hair if i have product buildup. also, the longer i leave it on, the more my hair becomes detangled and it feels softer.

Yeah, I've noticed this as well. Cleansing has become an important part of my routine since incorporating AOHR. I never have to use sulfates or anything, but I've gone from using Devacurl No Poo most of the time to using a coco betaine about half the time.

Along those lines, I'm now trying out the Rosa Mosqueta shampoo and I like it. It is extremely cleansing, however, so I find I need to use a very small amount and dilute it with some water. And I always follow it with a vinegar rinse to bring the PH back into balance.

confusedmaiden: rotten eggs, that's not okay! I wonder why AO has such insane scents for their products?!

myCelia: you've definitely got me intrigued with your review of the RM conditioner.

Snarls · 06-30-2008, 09:38 AM

What this thread needs is some naysayery!

I've tried almost all of the Aubrey conditioners. Repeatedly. I loathe them all.

I hate the way they smell.

I hate the heavy concentration of oils.

I hate how they always separate in the bottle and you have to shake the living beheezles out of the bottle and it still doesn't mix up right, and if the bottle is full just forget it. Also, some are just too thick to remix by shaking (that rose m. one, it's like putting a stick of margarine on your hair) (imo)

I can get maybe good results from using an Aubrey conditioner ONCE. Then it's instant buildup. I also get skin irritation from all the herbal oils in there.

I really want to like these conditioners and I secretly hate all of you who can use them!

amaralice · 06-30-2008, 03:10 PM

A GPB review: Love it. Have used it for 2 mos now (still on 1st bottle). Like the smell (it is heavily scented). My hair drinks it up - I tend to use a lot. I use it as a DT not a co-wash (mostly due to the price - I use a ton of co-wash and it's just as easy to use Nourish). Never tried to co-wash w/ it. It detangles nicely for me (especially after it's been under a cap). It just feels incredibly rich in my hair. I do have to add other things to get the moisturization I need (olive oil, mud/honey). I've never tried the AOHSR or any others. Placed an order for HSR, still waiting for it.

wild~hair · 06-30-2008, 03:29 PM

Castella, I have a total love/hate thing going on, so I hear ya.

For the last month I've been trying to figure out how to get AOHR to work for me again. It was amazing at the end of winter, but it's not the panacea I thought it might be. Hence this thread, actually.

But! I can still sorta see AOHR working its magic, under the strange poufy-ness I've been having. So I'm trying to cleanse better and layer it with other products. Will report back ...

Thanks for the GPB review, amaralice! Boy, people who use that stuff really seem to love it. I should add it to the list.

Keep 'em coming ladies!

tinabcurly · 06-30-2008, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Castella

What this thread needs is some naysayery!

I've tried almost all of the Aubrey conditioners. Repeatedly. I loathe them all.

I hate the way they smell.

I hate the heavy concentration of oils.

I hate how they always separate in the bottle and you have to shake the living beheezles out of the bottle and it still doesn't mix up right, and if the bottle is full just forget it. Also, some are just too thick to remix by shaking (that rose m. one, it's like putting a stick of margarine on your hair) (imo)

I can get maybe good results from using an Aubrey conditioner ONCE. Then it's instant buildup. I also get skin irritation from all the herbal oils in there.

I really want to like these conditioners and I secretly hate all of you who can use them!

Another naysay-er here! I'm envious that you all get great results. Grrr.

I've tried AOHR & ended up with some kind of protein attack after a few days. Took a week of DTs to fix. Plus the smell is so overpowering I gag in the shower.

Tried Island Naturals once & the smell is spiced beer to me. Not good, even in a frat house. Did nothing special so I never tried again.
They're up on the swap board if anyone wants 'em!

Petal · 06-30-2008, 04:41 PM

I just tried the Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner and OH MY GOD. It's by far the richest, thickest, most moisturizing conditioner I've ever tried. I'm glad I bought two bottles cause I'm never going back!

I wanted to do a DT but I was in a hurry and I rinsed it out quickly and still gave me great results and detangled my hair (6th day hair and EXTREMELY tangled) easily. Nice scent too, very subtle.

Two thumbs up!

amaralice · 07-01-2008, 07:15 AM

Almost forgot: Thank you sunshower for your review. My instinct is to stay w/ the GPB and you totally validated it. If it's worked for you for 10 years that's plenty proof for me. It must have strengthened your hair for it too be that long!

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunshower

wellll...i am a 3c/4a, so let's get that out of the way first.

very long, very thick, and very dry.

i have used and loved AO shampoos and conditioners for years. they changed their formulas on most of them a couple years ago, and IMO some have gotten better and some have gotten worse. my absolute favorite conditioner is the GPB. it is the one conditioner i have used consistently ever since i started growing out my relaxer. i've been using it for nearly 10 years with great results. it is a protein-rich conditioner, so beware of that if you're sensitive to protein. my hair likes protein, so it makes my hair strands super-strong and resilient. i use it with heat as a DT at least once a month.

my other two staples are the Honeysuckle Rose and the Swimmers conditioners. to me, the Swimmers is very similar to the old Jojoba and Aloe formula, which used to be my absolute favorite back in the day. on the website, they say it's the vegan alternative to the GPB. i just started using it a few months ago, and i am in love! it makes my hair soooo soft and silky when i use it, just like the old J&A used to. and i am not a swimmer, btw.

i have tried the White Camellia, and i did not like it at all. it was nowhere near as moisturizing as the HR, and the smell was disgusting. even if i did like the conditioner, i would never use it just because of the smell. blech!

i like the Island Naturals, but i have stopped using it since i started using the Swimmers. my hair actually felt softer with the HR than with the IN, but it's still a good conditioner. the scent isn't my favorite, but i can tolerate it.