Loves it!!!

One of my favorite leave-in conditioners is Giovanni Direct Leave-In. This leave in is awesome!

It's an organic product, which is especially great for the natural kiddies and it really makes curls pop. Since this leave-in has a thick, creamy consistency, I like to apply it to wet hair. It's great after a co-wash or after shampooing and deep conditioning. If I use it and I haven't washed the hair, I just spritz the hair with water then apply. This product provides great slip, so I don't really feel the need to apply additional detanglers to the hair and I don't have to add a moisturizer because the ingredients are moisturizing enough on their own. I do seal with an oil after applying. On Sunshine, I like to seal with carrier oils like extra-virgin olive oil (evoo,) coconut oil, almond oil, etc. I don't partucularly like to use greases because they tend to contain mineral oil or petroleum which can be damaging to the hair. I order most of my Giovanni products online at vitacost.com because they offer it at a very reasonable price (around four bucks and some change) and they have flat rate shipping for $4.99. What I usually do is order a couple of bottles along with any vitamins that I need to stock up on so I can benefit fully from the reduced pricing and flat rate shipping. Did you think I was kidding when I said I don't do full price?! LOL. Anyhoo, this product is great for any hair type from curly to straight, natural to relaxed, black to white - it's good for anyone. Try it and let me know how you like it!

Ingredients: Aqua (purified water) with *rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) oil, *nettle (Uritica dioica) oil, *thyme (Thymus vulagris) oil, birch leaf (Butela alba) oil, *chamomile (Anthemis nobilus flower) oil, *clary (Salvia sclarea), *lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), *coltsfoot leaf (Tussilago farfara), *yarrow (Achillea millefolium) oil, *mallow (Malva sylvestris), *horsetail (Equistetum arvense) oil, *soybean protein (Glycine soja), cetyl alcohol (plant derived), tocopherol (vitamin E), trace minerals, citric acid (corn), sodium hydroxymethyglycinate, grapefruit seed (citrus derived).Certified organic in accordance with California Organic Foods Act of 1990.

Free Of:

No animal by-products. Cruelty free.

Miss Jessie's BOGO!!!

I am so excited that Miss Jessie's is having a buy one, get one sale on their products. I have always wanted to try these products for Sunshine (and for myself) but I refuse to pay full price for anything, so I loves it when the sales come around. I am tempted to get the Value Pack so we can try out all of the products, and then maybe a jar of the Baby Buttercreme. But I've heard good things about the Curly Pudding and Curly Merengue, so I don't know what to do! What's the difference between the three products you may ask? Well, the Curly Pudding and the Curly Merengue are styling cremes. The Curly Buttercreme and the Baby Buttercreme are moisturizers that double as styling creme's. The Baby Buttercreme has a lighter scent than the Curly Buttercreme. Miss Jessie's has a wide variety of products that we really want to try, but the ones mentioned above are what we are the most interested in buying this go 'round. While you can order the products online, most stores that carry Miss Jessie's honor the BOGO. To find a store that carries Miss Jessie's products near you go to the website and click on "where to buy" at the bottom of the page, then contact the store to see if the offer is available there. Let me know which products you like and which new ones you have decided to try!

Detanglers That I Love!!!

Every good hair care regimen for curly haired children should include a good detangler. I prefer a leave-in detangler that is moisturizing and not drying. I also prefer liquids detanglers as opposed to the creamy ones because I usually use a moisturizer afterwards. Also the liquid detangler sprays work better for me than the creamy ones. I have three detanglers that I use alternately.

The first detangler that I love to use on Sunshine's hair is Silken Child Leave-in Detangler. Silken Child is a kid friendly line made by Silk Elements. I love this because it is very moisturizing. It includes great ingredients like silk amino acids and aloe vera and it smells yummy! This is not a "cone-free" products, so please be aware of that. But, I love this for my dd - I even use it on myself sometimes. It is only sold in Sally Beauty Supply stores, but you can also find it in some online beauty supply stores.

The other detangler that I love is Sofn'Free'n'Pretty Olive Oil Detangling Spray. This detangler is very lightweight and gets the job done. I don't think it moisturizes as well as Silken Child, but it does what it's supposed to do and it's pretty easy to find since it's sold at stores like Wal-Mart and your neighborhood beauty supply stores. My only dislike with this product is that it does have mineral oil as an ingredient on the list.

The last detangler that I love is Africa's Best Kids Organics Shea Butter Detangling Moisturizing Hair Lotion. I know, that's a mouth full, right?! Since this one is a creamy detangler/moisturizer, I usually only use it after I wash her hair, or if I choose to use a liquid leave-in that is not doubling as a detangler. This product works really well, but I actually don't use it as often as my other products. I do know that there are many mocha moms out there who love this product for their dd's hair. There are even women who love this for their hair, as well. It works especially well for course hair. Be aware that this product does contain protein, so it needs to be balanced out with a moisturizer from time to time.

I like to detangle Sunshine's hair in sections. So, I'll take one section, get it really wet with detangler, then I comb it out with a wide tooth comb from tip to root. Then I moisturize, seal with oil, and style. What do you use to detangle?