Hair Care News

Moroccan Oil Series – Product Reviews

Posted on July 13, 2009 with No Comments

Innovation has never been the strong suit of the hair care industry. Instead, companies rely mostly on taglines, bylines, smooth talking salesmen, pretty commercials, and emotion-based marketing tactics to promote their wares that, more often than not, use the exact same formulas and chemicals.

Moroccan Oil

Strip away all the hype, cover your eyes, randomly pick a shampoo, and you’d end up with exactly the same product with only slight differences in ingredients more often than not.

Therefore, the introduction of the Moroccan Oil® brand and its “Series” of products is a refreshing change in a market swamped with bland, over-hyped shampoos, oils, treatments, conditioners, 2-in-1 shampoos and conditioners, and many other miscellaneous formulas that offer the same end via the same means. However, could it be that Moroccan Oil® itself is an overrated product as well? We’ll find out in this review.

One of the things that separate Moroccan Oil® from other brands is its manner of dosage and treatment. In order to get a natural, silky softness that whole generations of hair care brands claim to provide, you need only apply a few small drops (Argan Oil) to clean, wet hair from its roots to its tips. Say goodbye to the greasy feel of other serums that weighs down.

Moreover, this truly revolutionary product line works its concentrated magic by nourishing your scalp with valuable antioxidants like Vitamins F and E, penetrating deep into the roots and repairing all its split ends in one fell swoop. Considering that it does all this in just a few drops, it may not be an exaggeration to refer to this product as a super serum of sorts that works well on all types – especially for shine, faster drying and improved smoothness.

One of the things I think is now so great about their line is that in addition to their best selling Argan Oil treatment, they have now introduced the “Moroccan Oil Series” that includes: a Moisture Repair Shampoo and Conditioner, an Intense Curl Cream, Gold Glimmer Shine, and a Restorative Hair Mask – all with Argan-based formulations or with the use of unique and pretty effective ingredients.

The true test to Moroccan Oil®’s mettle is, of course with its shampoo, how it handles two extreme types—the coarse, dry ones and the thinning, breakage-prone ones. Considering its potency, it won’t really help in restoring follicles that have begun to shed, especially considering the fact that it contains no DHT blockers in its formula.

Furthermore, it caters more to the latter dry type because untangling knots and curls is its specialty. It can be used on any hair type, but the puffier and more unruly, the better it performs.

As for the drawbacks, its subtle, incense-like smell may not be for everyone, especially those who prefer a tropical aroma over its spicy Caribbean coconut smell. Although its benefits reach panacea-like proportions (it protects against ultraviolet rays and pollutants, leaves no build up or residue, and so on), its results may vary from person to person.

Regardless of its shortcomings, Moroccan Oil® remains styling and hair care products of choice for types ranging from thin, (but not thinning) normal to thick and coarse. As such, until a better product comes along, it gets a nigh-perfect 9.5 out of 10 star rating.

Free Up the Frizz and Curls in Black Hair

Posted on June 16, 2009 with No Comments

Well it’s that time of year again. Sticky, Hot, and Humid weather attacking your curly locs and causing them to swell to epic proportion.  Fear not! I think struck gold with a carefree black hair regimen that will revive those curls and make them pop!

My regimen is pretty simple and works well with my naturally curly summer style.

Step#1

I wash my hair with HHP Emu Oil Shampoo. This product is absolutely amazing and gives my kinky curly locs the most beautiful shine.

Step #2

I condition with HHP Emu Oil Conditioner. I typically leave on for 15 minutes and lightly rinse out. That’s right I said lightly! This product also works well as a leave in and works great with Step#3. For those of you who own a hair steamer, HHP Emu conditioner is a wonderful accompaniment. I promise you your hair will be moisturized soft and shiny.  

Step #3

I towel blot my hair and I apply Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding. My all time favorite curl crème to date! But what’s most impressive is that when used with Step#2 your curls are elongated with less bulk and frizz. Best of all your hair will be moisturized from root to tip. Apply Miss Jessie’s liberally and finger style as every curl falls in place and voila! You are done! Optional Product: IC Sparkle Lights gel is a good alternative to Miss Jessie’s.

Optional Step #4

Apply a small amount of Shesentit Seyani Hair Butter for added moisture for those with courser hair.  It helps soften and refresh curls – making dense locks more manageable and feeling a lot better.

Suzanne P.

Suzanne is a contributing editor for Skin Care News Blog.  She is an expert and featured writer in black hair care and black hair styles – having been a stylist and distributor for years.  Her knowledge of products that work is phenomenal and her sense of style amazing.  Stay tuned for more insight from her.

Shampoo for Dense, Coarse or Thick Hair

Posted on May 26, 2009 with No Comments

Two years ago my wife and I were fortunate (blessed) to adopt a 5-year-old boy from Guatemala.  He always has a smile on his face, is inquisitive, humble, smart and has the thickest, densest hair of anyone I’ve ever met.

No kidding – his hair is jet black, stands straight-up and as thick as a carpet.  Whenever he is in the sun, his head absorbs heat like asphalt on an August day and the sweat starts falling, even when the temperature is rather mild.  It is coarse and stiff, and we have experimented with all sorts of shampoos to keep his scalp moisturized and follicles somewhat soft and manageable – what we needed was a shampoo for dense, coarse and thick hair.

Needless to say, we have several hispanic friends – mainly from Central and South America – and many of the “hispanics” we know have similar challenges, whether they’re from Mexico, Guatemala or Venezuela.  And the issue we hear repeatedly is how to maintain and manage hair that is so coarse and thick.

Here is what we have found.  First, maintaining moisture is paramount and the two best products we found for that are those with emu oil or LusterPlex.  LusterPlex, interestingly, was developed by Croda (a personal products research and ingredient company) to increase flexibility, shine and smoothness of coarse or thick hair.  It has become a top active ingredient for use in African American hair products for its’ properties for increasing sheen and reducing breaking.

Shampoos and conditioners with this ingredient work great for hispanic hair (latino, latina) too - I can attest.  Though density hasn’t changed (and I hope it doesn’t for a long time), his hair is much softer and smoother – and doesn’t have that “velcro” feel.  It still gets hot – as a recent trip to the pool proved, but the feel of brittleness is gone and it doesn’t seem to get as dirty as it once did.

The other ingredient I mentioned was emu oil.  Emu oil is great for moisturizing the scalp and works very well in shampoos and conditioners.  It is a very popular ingredient for African American shampoos and for anyone who deals with breakage or coarseness.  It is a great moisturizer – reducing dryness and poor hydration – and works well for those whose locks are thin…it adds body, softness and life.