Sometimes you just want to try something new…or you’re just a product junkie. Either way there are some key ways to avoid wasting time and money on product that were not formulated for you. Searching for product reviews on YouTube is definitely my first step. Remember knowing your porosity and width help with selecting a shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizer, while your curl pattern can help when selecting your styling products, so consider those variables when watching product reviews. After doing that, here are the other three ways that rarely fail me when trying new products.
Survey the ingredients lists of your Holy Grails
Itching to try a new product, like the SheaMoisture Fruit Fusion Coconut Water collection or the Camille Rose Sweet Ginger Cleansing Rinse? Well, before you fill your online shopping cart, review the current products in your arsenal. Are there common denominators in the first five or six ingredients of the products you love? If so, keep those in mind. I know my hair loves shea butter, glycerin, fatty alcohols, argan oil, and avocado oil. If I do not notice one of these ingredients within the in the first listed, then I move on to something else.
Use shampoo & deep conditioners for damaged hair
Even if you have freshly trimmed, virgin hair, using shampoos for damaged hair can add great benefits. Shampoos for damaged hair tend to be gentler, which means having a clean scalp without the dryness, tangles, and matting. The SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Shampoo is great for thoroughly cleansing the scalp without stripping the moisture from the hair. The SheaMoisture Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Renewal System Hair Masque is formulated to nourish color-treated hair and also has hydrolyzed rice protein to add strength. Since damaged and color-treated hair tend to be more prone to dryness and breakage, using these products give you those added benefits even if your hair is normal. Textured hair can always benefit from an extra boost of moisture and protein.
Read more: Does Natural Hair Need Proteins?
Look for slip in deep conditioners and stylers
Slip is not optional, especially with Type 4, kinky hair. No matter how great a deep conditioner or styler is, if there isn’t an ease of application and distribution, then I am likely to break my own hair due to the tension from tangles. Not only do I scan for product reviews that mention slip, I also look for these ingredients help to reduce an immense amount of breakage during the detangling process:
- aloe vera
- behentrimonium methosulfate
- cetearyl alcohol (fatty alcohol”>
- cetyl alcohol (fatty alcohol”>
- cocos nucifera (coconut”> oil
- marshmallow root
- lemongrass
- shea butter
- slippery elm
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Do you have a rule of thumb when it comes to buying new curly hair products?
This article is not sponsored by SheaMoisture.
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