Review: Matrix ExquisiteOil Shampoo and Condition

As some of you know, I am a stylist and therefore, I love to review hair products and try to lead people down the right path.  The one that I decided to review today is Matrix Exquisite Oil.

According to Matrix, the Exquisite Oil Line is described as "THIS IS SHINE REDEFINED. Bring hair back to life with deep replenishment. Unique in nature, this range caters to those seeking replenishment and exquisite shine. Luxurious formulas wrap around strands for ultimate protection and conditioning without compromising the desired style and finish." This line is supposed to be safe for all hair types including fine hair, which I will get to later on.  It is also safe for chemically treated hair.  Now, in this review, I will only be rating the shampoo and the conditioner, not any of the styling aids.  Also, this review is of my own opinion.  Results will vary depending on the person.


Matrix Micro-Oil Shampoo:
This is the shampoo of the Exquisite Oil line.  It is supposed to be moisturizing for the hair and light weight for all hair types.  Matrix describes it as nourishing and leaves hair silky and healthy looking.  For those who wish for the ingredients, they are: "Water/Aqua/Eau, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Coco-Butaine, Sodium Chloride, Laureth-5, Carboxylic Acid, Cocomide Mipa, Amodimethicone, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum/Fragrance, Hexylene Gycol, Polyquaternuim-7, PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate, Propylene Glycol , PEG-60, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Salicylic Acid, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Coumarin, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Benzyl Alcohol, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil/Sweet Almond Oil, Coco nucifera Oil/Coconut Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Hydroxycitronellal, Amyl Cinnamal, Methyl Cocoate, Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Hydroxide, CI 19140/Yellow 5, CI 14700/Red 4, Citric Acid (F.I.L. 051929/2)".  So did it really live up to its claims.  I really wish it did.  When I used it within my hair (I have thick and very dense hair) it wasn't as moisturizing as I thought it would have been.  It weighed down my curls and yet, did not provide any moisture. My hair also became rather tangled and my hair rarely ever tangles.  The worse part about it was the scalp.  Now, I seriously wanted to give this product a chance and I should have known that Sodium Laureth wasn't my friend.  I was hoping that maybe, my scalp would be okay with using it, especially with the moisture that this product claims that it had. Nope.. my scalp hated it. After one wash, my scalp was so dried out. I felt myself always scratching at it, trying my best in order to try my best in order to control the dryness that the product has caused. I wish it wouldn't have done it but it did and it made me fearful with trying the conditioner but, I tried it and my review of it is below.


Matrix Oil Creme Conditioner:
I had hoped for this, due to the problems of the shampoo.  Matrix claims that this product restore manageability to the hair. It is also supposed to help with detangling the hair.  One thing while looking over the ingredients that is an alarm for me is the fact that is mineral oil in it. Now, I don't know about anyone else but I really don't find mineral oil an ExquisiteOil.  I would only be disappointed once more when it was placed on my hair.  Again, it was thick and heavy, weighing down my curl.  Also, it did not help to detangle my hair, only made it worse. I am one of those who loves hair oil (my hair loves it too) but this product was seriously troublesome for me.

I haven't tried any of the other products but just by trying these, it makes me weary of them. I wouldn't personally suggest these products to anyone unless your hair is extremely damaged or thick.

How do you like this product? Do you recommend it to others?  Also, do you have any hair products that you love? Let me know!

The Curly Girl Method: The How-To To No-Poo

So you want to go full on curly girl, eh?  Well, before you go on and jump right in, there are a few things that you need to understand.  Here, I have made a brief introduction about the Curly Girl Method.  Want to know more, check out the website Naturally Curly or the book Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey.

What are some of the things that you need to know about the Curly Girl Method?  It is a method which is meant to condition and make your curls more manageable.  With this method, you will also not be shampooing your hair as often as most people often do.  For me, I shampoo my hair one to twice a week.  Nothing more.  My hair really doesn't require that much cleansing and therefore, I leave it alone.   I will put a note of warning though that this method may not work for everyone and therefore, research is required in order to do this method correctly.  Also, don't give up in a week, it takes about two weeks to a month to notice a difference within your hair.  Your scalp might also get oilier in the beginning however, give it time for your oil production to balance itself out.  It will - it might just take some time.

1. No Sulfates: Yep, you heard me correctly, you need to find a shampoo with no (no minimum) sulfates.  Sulfates can actually be very harsh towards not only the hair but to the scalp, stripping away its natural oils. The one main sulfate to look after is sodium laureth sulfate. However, there are others which can cause damage, including the following: ammonium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate.  One thing to notice is look at a bottle of dish soap.  For the majority of the dish soap brands, one of the first few ingredients is sodium laureth sulfate. Yikes!  Also, by using no sulfates, it should help you to increase the amount of time between shampoos (I can go up to a week without shampooing, you can too!)
2. No Silicones: Believe me, it can be hard in order to find a product without any silicones in it however, if you do a google search or look on naturally curly, you can find a list of silicone free products.  What silicones do is coat the hair, providing a smooth and shiny appearance to the scalp.  However, it also prevents moisture from entering the cuticle, making the hair dryer and thus - in curly hair - creating frizz.  Removing silicones from your hair care can provide the same humidity resistance but without the frizz.
3. Avoid Heat: Hair should be air dried in order to help preserve the manageability of the hair and limit damage.  If you do use a blowdryer, make sure you use a finger diffuser with it and put a silicone free heat protector in your hair.  Also, hair should only be dried up to 80%, in order to prevent frizz from popping up. Also, do not touch your hair when it is wet.  If your hair is crunchy, wait until it is completely dry before scrunching out the crunch.
4. Before Beginning the Curly Girl Method, do a clarifying wash: This will remove any unwanted silicones from the hair and prevent product buildup.
5. Haircut every 4 to 6 weeks: This will help keep your hair in good shape and health.  Depending on the length of your hair and the amount of things you do to it, depends on how often you should get your hair cut.  If your hair is shorter and you wish to maintain the style, I would recommend going in every 4 to 5 weeks.
6. Use a microfiber towel: Or an old t-shirt in order to dry your hair.  Don't rub or ruffle your hair to get out the moisture.  Instead, scrunch it in order to remove the majority of the water without causing frizz.
7. Do not brush your hair: Please, whatever you do, do not brush your hair, for it will cause more tangles and split ends for you. Instead, use a wide tooth comb or your fingers (I prefer this method) in order to comb out your hair.  This will help maintain the health and decrease the damage that could be done.

Hopefully, this was helpful to someone out there.  If you have any questions, please feel free to post below and I will answer them to the best of my abilities!

Review: JessiCurl Rich Collection

You have the right to remain curly!

This is the motto of the brand JessiCurl, the only and only brand that I actually use for my hair.  I am picky with my haircare, only preferring those products that are not only healthy for my hair, but are also going to solve my curly girl problems.  Yes, I am a curly girl and it can get hard at times.  It took me years upon years in order to figure out how to care for my hair.  It was always so frizzy and unmanageable, that I wanted to cry at times.  It was after years of hating my hair that, when I was in college, that I found a website that was my holy grail of all my problems. Naturally Curly helped solved all my fears and eased my worries about my hair.  It helped me to gain confidence and learn to love my hair. Not only that, but it helped me to manage and control my hair. That's right folks, it has helped me to manage my curls!  Now, I will not give it all to this site however, while roaming on their forums, I found a book that many curly girls recommended. Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey, creator of the brand DevaCurl.

Now, after reading the book, which was enjoyable and gave me extremely good information on what to look for, I landed upon a brand named JessiCurl.  Now, this brand?  It fit the curly girl method (no sulfates, silicones, or alcohol) and I loved the story behind the brand.  To sum it all up, JessiCurl was created by the wonderful Jessica McGuinty, who suffered many of the same problems us curly girls have a constant struggle with! And thus, JessiCurl was born!

(Rich Collection Bottles)

Now, I will go into detail about the products and what they can do for people with curly hair.  Please keep in mind that the products I am posting are mainly for people who have thick wavy/curly hair.  Want other suggestions of JessiCurl products, check out this page.

(Hair Cleansing Cream)

Hair Cleansing Cream is the shampoo of the sulfate free cleansing world.  On the JessiCurl website, it is described as "mild and moisturizing shampoo alternative".  And it is as it is described - being mild and moisturizing, without stripping the hair of its natural oils.  One thing that people do not like about this product is that it doesn't lather and therefore, doesn't clean your scalp. First of all, what a big myth!  Just because it doesn't lather, doesn't mean it isn't cleaning your scalp. That is something that people need to understand.  In order to use this product, one must massage into their scalp, which loosens the dirt and oil, causing it to come out.  Also, I usually use this product twice before applying conditioner for you can get a lather, but a very mild one.

(Too Shea Extra Moisturizing Conditioner)

Too Shea is the extra moisturizing conditioner.  According to the JessiCurl website, it is described as "daily conditioning for dry and thirsty curls".  It is pretty thick for a conditioner, thicker than most conditioners that I see for curly hair but it works wonders without weighing down your hair.  I love to leave it in my hair for a good five to ten minutes while I am cleansing my face and brushing my teeth in the shower.  Also, when I get out, I run a small dab throughout my hair, to help keep it moisturized and beautiful!

(Rockin' Ringlet - gold and Confident Coil - white)

When it comes to styling, Rockin' Ringlets and Confident Coils are what gives curls their beautiful appearance.  Rockin' Ringlet "encourages and enhance curls" while Confident Coils "defines touchably soft curls in all climates".  These two works together in order to make beautiful and shiny curls that will really give you compliments!  Not only that, but it holds up well to humidity! When it is humid, my curls are still well formed and beautiful, with little to no frizz.

(before applying hair products - sorry I have to torture you all with my non-makeup face)

(after - with makeup) 

This is what my hair looks like when using JessiCurl.  Beautiful and shiny spirals.  What else is great about this product? You have the option to choose the scent!  I love Citrus Lavender for its refreshing and relaxing scent but for those girls who like something exotic, you might enjoy Island Fantasy.  Oh but let us not forget the men nor the people with has sensitivities within their lives, JessiCurl has an option for you - no scent!  Yes, Jessicurl is really a product who thinks of products for everyone without singling out people.

Now, this product may not work for everyone however, it is something that is worth trying.  Please note, it takes up to two week to one month to begin to notice a difference within your hair.  Your hair may also get oily however, give your scalp time to get used to the changes that are occurring within your routine.  It will slowly even itself out.

JessiCurl can be ordered upon the JessiCurl Website as well as select salons in certain states. You are also able to purchase it within the CurlMart on the Naturally Curly website.  Again, check out JessiCurl and other products and see the difference you can see within your hair!

Soon, I will be adding a blog on how to incorporate the Curly Girl Method into your hair routine.