Everybody has heard about Moroccanoil Oil Treatment. It’s been one of the biggest raves in haircare for at least of couple of years. It claims to de-frizz, strengthen, condition, revive, silken, impart sheen and smooth. Have you tried it and loved it, tried and it and wasn’t impressed or are you just not interested?

I used last years list and conducted over 100 short interviews over the past few months to come up with this list. It features Mane and Chic reader picks for your favorite products of 2010. Please feel free to send me a list of your favorite products, products you can’t live without and products you think other women need to know about. Disclaimer: Mane & Chic doesn’t necessarily agree/disagree with any of the products on this list. (*) indicate a product was popular, multiple stars indicate even more popularity.

Cleansers
ALBERTO V05 KIWI LIME SQUEEZE CLARIFYING SHAMPOO

Conditioners
ALTERNA CAVIER CONDITIONER

Leave-Ins
ALOE VERA JUICE

Oils and Butters
CASTOR OIL*
COCONUT OIL ******
HAIRVEDA’S VATIKA COCONUT FROSTING
JAMAICAN BLACK CASTOR OIL
JANE CARTER SOLUTIONS NOURISH AND SHINE
OLIVE OIL**
SHEA BUTTER *****

Treatments
APHOGEE RECONSTRUCTOR
CAROL’S DAUGHTER TUI HAIR SMOOTHIE
CASSIA OBOVATA
GARNIER FRUCTIS 3-MINUTE UNDO
KAREN’S BODY BEAUTIFUL LUSCIOUS LOCKS MOISTURIZING HAIR MASK
REDKEN REAL CONTROL HAIR MASK*

Gels
ECO STYLER GEL
KINKY CURLY CURLING CUSTARD ***
ALOE VERA GEL**

Styling Aids

In May of 2007, a Dominican girl that I worked with told me that she used beer to wash out the relaxer in her hair. She said that her hair reverted to its natural state after using a beer rinse. Being the risk taker that I am, I decided to try it. I applied flat room temperature beer to my hair left in for a couple of minutes, washed it out and then rinsed twice with conditioner.Did I notice a difference in my hair? Yes, I noticed more waves, my hair felt like it had more elasticity, but it also felt very coarse. Did it “wash out my relaxer”? No! My ends were still stick straight. The beer rinse had the same effect on my hair that henna does and I’m not particularly fond of henna. I never tried it again, but I might consider revisiting it since I haven’t tried it on my natural hair. Some people claim that it helps their natural curls revert after they have used heat to straighten. In this way it could be very beneficial to naturals.

Click here to see the site where I got the recipe to do my beer rinse.

The Chagrin Valley Soap and Craft website features beer rinse recipes that combine beer and essential oils and jojoba oil.

 The next time you have trouble finishing a bottle of beer, keep the leftovers for use as a hair tonic. The proteins from the malt and hops found in beer coat, rebuild and repair damaged hair. Rinse hair with beer to add body and shine! Beer’s natural ingredients tighten the cuticle of the hair shaft and give hair a beautiful shine.

Last week, I purchased a 33.5 ounce bottle of Giovanni 50:50 Hydrating-Calming Conditioner from TJ Maxx for $12.99. The entire Giovanni line can do no wrong in my eyes. It’s natural and organic and it actually works. What sold me on Giovanni 50:50 Hydrating-Calming Conditioner was the claim on the bottle: “Leaves hair perfectly pH balanced and conditioned”. Lately, I’ve been increasingly concerned with the porosity and pH levels of my hair as I’ve been researching ways to control and mitigate frizz. It is a step that most people don’t consider, but it could have the greatest impact on our hair. Over the past few days I’ve been using Giovanni 50:50 Hydrating-Calming Conditioner as an overnight pre-wash and also as a a rinsing conditioner/co-washing conditioner. I haven’t tried it as a leave-in yet, but I will keep you posted when I do. I don’t have anything negative to say about this product. It smells like typical Giovanni products and works like typical Giovanni products. Honestly, the only difference I’ve noticed between the different Giovanni conditioners is the consistency: Direct Leave In is very light while Smooth As Silk Xtreme is very thick and kind of like a dry cream (if that makes any sense). 50:50 is somewhere in the middle. As far as seeing a difference in how the conditioners perform on my hair, I don’t notice a difference.  They all leave my hair super moisturized and easier to detangle. I guess the ultimate test would be to see how it performs on a wash-n-go. I will probably be finishing off this bottle in the next couple of weeks and I will be buying it again (unless I am seduced by a new Giovanni conditioner).

Ingredients:
Aqua (purified water) , rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, urtica dioica (nettle) extract, thymus vulgaris (thyme) extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) extract, salvia sclarea (lcary) leaf extract, lavendula angustifolia (lavender), tussilago farfara (coltsfoot) flower extract, achillea miliefolium (yarrow) extract, seed extract, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, glycerin, brassicamidopropyl dimethylamine, panthenol, cetrimonium chloride, cetearyl alcohol, hydroxypropyl guar, behentrimonium methosulfate, polysorbate 60, citric acid, disodium EDTA, ethylhexylglycerin, phenoxyethanol, fragrance with essential oils.

If you have specific questions about my experience with this product, please leave it in the comments. If you have tried this product, please share your experience in the comments.

I tried another Wash-n-Go, this time with Suave Almond & Shea Butter Conditioner. I am a conditioner washing freak so whenever I see a cheap bottle of conditioner from a familiar brand, I buy it. Suave Almond and Shea Butter Conditioner was no exception. I quickly read the first few ingredients and figured it would be ok to try. I was pleasantly surprised by what it did for my hair, but I’ve only used it once. I’ll have to finish the bottle before I decide whether or not this is something I would buy again. At under $2 for a 14.5 ounce bottle, I didn’t have anything to loose.


The Claims: Salon proven to moisturize your hair as well as Aveda® Dry Remedy® shampoo and conditioner*†. Infused with 100% natural almond and shea butter, which are known for their rich emollients. The shampoo and conditioner system replenishes lost moisture, leaving your hair well-nourished and beautiful. *Aveda® and Dry Remedy® are registered trademarks of Estee Lauder Companies, Inc. †When using shampoo and conditioner vs Aveda® Dry Remedy® shampoo and conditioner system.

The Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil (Sweet Almond) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice [Aloe Vera], Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil [Lemongrass], Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower/Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Dimethiconol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Fragrance (Parfum), Dipropylene Glycol, Potassium Chloride, Lactic Acid, Disodium EDTA, TEA-Dodecylbenzene Sulfonate, PEG-150 Distearate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.

What’s good about Suave Almond and Shea Butter Conditioner

• Cheap (under $2)
• Detangling was a breeze
• Thick luxurious consistency
• Hair felt moisturized and soft immediately upon application
• Lots of natural ingredients
• Light scent, not overpowering.
• Reduces frizz (if your hair responds to oils and cones, it worked for me)

What’s not so good about Suave Almond and Shea Butter Conditioner

• Contains “cones” as third ingredient. If you are anti-cones this bad for you.
• Contains some undesirable ingredients (but they are listed last). This is bad if you follow a strict natural regimen. The ingredients with moderate hazard levels according to EWG’s Cosmetic Safety Database are the ones typed in red above.

How I used it:

I did a conditioner wash in the shower and detangled with a Jilbere shower comb and Suave Almond & Shea Butter Conditioner, rinsed and added more Almond & Shea Butter Conditioner as a leave-in.

My Results:

Here is my hair right out of the shower detangled with Jilbere Shower comb and Denman brush. Right next to it, you will see a photo of my hair about 2 hours later almost dry. I only used Suave’s Almond & Shea Butter conditioner no gel or any other products. I think it worked so well at reducing my frizz because it has lots of cones and oils in it and my hair responds well to that, but not everybody’s hair will. I can’t say what the long term effects of using this would be since I’ve only tried it once, but I’ll finish the bottle and see what happens.

Tonight I will be trying one of the latest products from the Kinky-Curly line of products called Midnight Miracle. I’ve been lusting after it ever since it came out and now I finally have it. It is an overnight repair treatment, a liquid in the bottle and comes in a pump bottle similar to a foam face wash. I don’t recall ever using a deep treatment in a foam form, so this will be a new experience in that respect as well.

The claims:
A lightweight yet intense overnight treatment. Midnight Miracle delivers a balanced dose of protein and moisture in the form of a thick rich foam. No heat is required to have it work its magic. It penetrates the hair shaft with its exclusive blend of castor bean extract, silk protein and meadowfoam seed oil.

The price:
Midnight Miracle retails for $22 on kinky-curly.com.

The ingredients in Midnight Miracle Overnight Repair Treatment:
Purified water, cetyl alcohol, palma christi (castor bean) extract, holy basil (tulsi) extract, sandalwood, fenugreek, soy protein, hops, meadowfoam seed oil, silk protein, aloe vera extract, yucca extract, dead sea salt, saponified coconut oil, and phenoxyethanol.

The directions for using Midnight Miracle Overnight Repair Treatment:
Before bedtime, shake well and evenly distribute a palmful of thick, rich foam to dry hair. In the morning, wash and style as usual. Midnight Miracle can also be used at any time of the day for a quick mini treatment. Apply and leave in for 10 minutes, rinse and style as usual. No heat required.

I will be using it for the first time tonight and will let you know how it goes tomorrow. Have any of you out there tried Kinky-Curly’s Midnight Miracle? Share your experience in the comments!

Danielle writes:

I first started using Smooth as Silk for co-washing while transitioning this summer. It smelled delightful, I loved the ingredient list and it made my hair ridiculously soft. I initially thought the bottle was a little pricey for the amount of product (I’m used to cheapie conditioners, since I run through them), but the results were undeniable. This product was doing my hair some major favors!

I began to ration it out (broke grad student) and loved it more and more with every use – but it wasn’t until after I BC’d in October that I had my OMFG moment.

I was experimenting with braid outs, and used about a zillion different products to see which one was a perfect fit. After awhile, I decided it couldn’t hurt to try the Smooth as Silk condtiioner. I didn’t think it was a leave-in type product – but when I tried it out I realized I was sorely mistaken. My braid out was extra soft, there was no build up, and my 4a/3c hair had FANTASTIC definition.

I just squirt a half dollar sized amount on a lid and do about 6-7 braids on each side of my head. After I’ve washed with another conditioner and applied coconut oil to my hair, I take a dab of Smooth of Silk for each braid section and let my hair air dry overnight. The results are fab and I have nothing but love for Giovanni for this lol.

In the near future, I will try to use this as a DC treatment with heat. The more I use Smooth as Silk, the more use I seem to get out of it!

I don’t believe I’m protein sensitive, so for any ladies that are loving this product – I would highly suggest they experiment by NOT washing it out! Just my two cents.

Check out Danielle’s blog: www.blackstrands.com.

I was at Target this weekend. I found a new hair product to try: Giovanni’s Organic Hair Care’s Smooth As Silk Xtreme Protein Hair Infusion. I have tried the regular Smooth as Silk conditioner and loved it, so I figured this would be a good one. I love almost everything I try from Giovanni, it’s by far one of my favorite hair brands. By the way, I think most if not all Giovanni products are safe for vegans. So vegans looking for a good protein treatment, this just might be the product for you. I have not tried it yet, but it smells good and not overpowering. It has a citrus scent. I’ll be back with my review after I finish the tube. It’s kind of small: about 5 fluid ounces. I’ll probably only get one use out of it. That’s very normal for me because when I deep condition I cover ever millimeter of my hair from root to tip. Anyway, here is the rundown on Giovanni’s Smooth As Silk Xtreme.

PureOrganic Technology for dry, damaged hair with moisturizing Shea Butter, softening Macadamia and vitamin-rich Kukui oils for smooth, hydrated, rejuvinated hair.

• combs through hair to repair extreme damage
• adds body, shine and smooth-as-silk slip
• revitalizes frayed, raspy, damaged, over-processed or coarse hair
• indulged by professionals
• Shea butter, soy protein and macadamia nut oil combine to detangle, moisturize, rejuvinate and rebuild hair’s raspy, frayed cuticle. The result: repaired hair that’s smooth as silk!

Contains a blend of organic oils, ripe-harvested from renewable plants at the peak of their freshness, cold pressed and refrigerated immediately to ensure maximum purity. Infuses each individual strand of hair with vitamins, nutrients and protein for strength and vitality. Made in USA. No animal by-products, cruelty free.

INGREDIENTS