New Products!!

I apologize for not posting sooner. What with applications, college classes starting up again, and everything those entail, the past few weeks have been hectic. As a result, blogging sunk to the bottom of my "To-Do" list, and I kept putting off writing more posts. However, something happened today that warranted one! I'm a member (and devoted reviewer) of TRESemme.com, and as such, I am paid privy to new product lines, special offers, etc. About two weeks ago, I received an e-mail asking if I'd like to receive several TRESemme products to try. The first 300 responders would be given four products from TRESemme's newest line, Nourishing Rituals (which hasn't yet reached stores or even their website). As a moderate PJ, I filled out my information, and ecstatically waited for the new products to arrive. Well, they came today! I excitedly tore open the box, and gasped as I gazed upon four new-found treasures. Here's what I received:

1 8 oz jar Rejuvenating Mud Masque
1 8 oz tube Protein Renewal Creme
1 6 oz bottle Liquid Gold Shine Therapy
1 3.3 oz bottle Cashmere Touch Hydrating Serum

All looked good at first glance, but disappointingly, I can't use the serum because it contains denatured alcohol (which is drying) and crosspolymers (an ingredient that would make my hairs stick together). But the other three look promising. The only two ingredients I'm not sure about in the others are bentonite (a type of clay) and phenoxyethanol (probably a type of alcohol).

The Liquid Gold Shine Therapy is supposed to make your hair shinier, and it's supposed to be applied to damp hair, left in for a few minutes and then rinsed out. It looks like I could use this after my rinse conditioner is out of my hair. The Mud Masque - which has a light scent and is colored green - looks like an amazing deep moisture treatment, so that's going to be my DC on Friday night. From the ingredients list, I doubt that the Protein Renewal Creme will have enough proteins in it to qualify as a protein treatment, so it'll also be used as an overnight DC.

One very pleasing aspect about this product line is the moisturizing oils that are infused into the formulas. Coconut oil and olive oil were in the ingredients list of all the products I received today. I was surprised, because most products marketed towards naturally straight-haired women don't contain these oils. I'm glad TRESemme thought otherwise.

 The feedback TRESemme receives from everyone who volunteered to try these products will most likely determine if the line will sell and where the line will first be available. Needless to say, I'm even more pumped about sharing my opinions on the products with the company and with you!

Hasta luego, chicas rizadas!

My New Go-To DC

Okay, so you remember me saying that I was going to use an avocado/EVOO blend for my weekly deep conditioning, right? Well, as it turns out, I didn't do it for the first couple of weeks of the new year because I didn't have any avocados (lame excuse, but it's true). But, I finally went to the store last week, and I picked up four overripe avocados (being overripe helps them blend smoother, meaning there's less green fibers getting stuck in your curls!). I asked the advice of the wonderful CN ladies about what to do for a homemade DC. They suggested avocado, EVOO and honey, and also suggested that I check out this page for additional recipes. I browsed through those recipes, and an idea popped into my head: Why not combine two different recipes, and create one super-duper moisturizing deep conditioner? So, off I went to my kitchen, excitedly preparing a rich mixture to saturate my tresses in overnight. Here's what I used:

Super Deep Conditioner
1/2 cup VO5 conditioner
5 pumps Aussie Moist conditioner
1/2 overripe avocado, sliced
2 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp honey

I mixed the conditioners in one container and stirred them a bit. Then, I mixed the avocado, EVOO and honey into a blender and pulsed for about 15 seconds, then pureed for about 30 (I need to do more the next time). After that was nice and blended, I scooped it out and added it to the conditioner and stirred for about 2 minutes. I then sectioned my hair (which took forever), lightly spritzed each section with water, and then added a few drops of EVOO to the section as well (as you can tell, I love me some olive oil...). Next, I took a fingerscoop of the avocado deep conditioner and saturated each section with it. Some of the areas in the front didn't receive as much because I ran low, so I took a few more pumps of Aussie and smoothed it over those areas. Then, I took more Aussie and smeared it over my entire head - just to bump up the moisture more. I covered my head with 2 plastic grocery bags and a satin bonnet, went to sleep, woke up, and washed it out. Let me tell you, my hair has not felt so soft directly after a shampoo in a loong time! And the shine my little coils have now...it's unbelievable! I'll definitely be doing this DC as my mainstay during the 12 Inches in 12 Months Challenge.

I did suffer a few adverse effects, however. The most notable being my itchy scalp, especially once I rinsed out the DC. I attribute this to the avocado (I'd read on the TightlyCurly website that it could be irritating and drying), and the different fragrances and dyes in the VO5 conditioner - linalool, hexyl cinnamal, Red 33, Yellow 5, etc. Overall, this has been the best DC ever! I can't wait to try this with bananas or mayonnaise...


What about you, curly girls? Do you make your own hair products? If so, which ones? What type of ingredients do you use? Do you think that they're better than store-bought products? Why or why not?

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