i love avalon organics conditioner!

i switched to avalon organics conditioner a couple weeks ago, and i’m so glad i did! i found their shampoos and conditioners on sale at whole foods, and decided to give them a try. i don’t know if i’ll be able to use the conditioner at its regular price ($8-$9, depending on where you get it), but i also have a feeling that i won’t be using up the entire bottle too quickly. the product has such a thick and creamy consistency, and it has worked wonders for my hair. EXCELLENT for co-washes, especially during winter and/or in dry climates.

i specifically purchased the revitalizing shampoo with peppermint and nourishing conditioner with lavender. i am interested in the olive and grape seed oil conditioner as well.

product radar: essie “sassy satchel” nail polish

great color for the fall! click here to check out this and other essie nail products.

bq staples: in detail

it’s been way too long since i gave any informative or detailed posts on here, and for that i apologize. i thought i’d give some tips and tricks for each of our staples.

aloe vera gel. i find aloe vera gel to be a lot more helpful as a styling product than anything else, but a lot of people enjoy using it as a moisturizer, when mixed with other ingredients. i use it when twisting my hair, so as to get a more well-defined twist out. aloe is also great when slicking your hair back. wet a boar bristle brush and apply some aloe with a little bit of castor oil. brush, and style. your hair will be smooth, glossy, and healthy looking!
**OT: aloe vera gel also makes a GREAT daily moisturizer, especially if your skin is oily and acne prone.

dr. bronner’s castile soap. this all-natural, vegan, organic liquid soap is truly multipurpose. you can use it to clean your body, bathroom, dishes, and hair. as a shampoo, i highly recommend that you dilute it. (actually, it should be diluted for almost any use.) i use 1 part soap, 3 parts water. dr. bronner’s clarifies my hair really well, and leaves it healthy and refreshed. at the same time, it isn’t drying. it’s hard to explain, because it does definitely clean out my hair, but i’ve never had that “stripped” feeling after using dr. bronner’s.
best scents? i definitely love the peppermint (tingly!) and almond. you can also get lavendar, fragrance free, and others!

vegetable glycerin. this is definitely one of the best moisturizing ingredients out there. i prefer to squeeze a dime or nickel-sized amount on my palm, and some water, rub my hands together, and distribute throughout my hair. a little definitely goes a long way. veggie glycerin is also great when added to a light conditioner (like suave or trader joe’s essential conditioner). it’s a popular ingredient in spritzes as well; try half a bottle of water, 3-5 generous squeezes of vegetable glycerin, 4 drops of rosemary oil, and a little bit of olive oil.
oh! and i like adding vegetable glycerin to my henna mixtures as well.

olive oil. i think olive oil is a little trickier, because a lot of people don’t necessarily have good experiences with using it straight out of the bottle. try using olive oil as a hot oil treatment: microwave a small cup of olive oil until very warm (but not too hot!); apply generously throughout dry hair, including ends and scalp; cover hair with saran wrap or plastic bag; leave in for 20-30 minutes; shampoo out. you’ll notice that your hair is much softer.
you can also try applying a quarter sized amount of olive oil after you’ve washed your hair (as a leave in treatment). this is especially beneficial if you’ve clarified and need something to seal in moisture.
**OT: i’ve replaced regular lotion with extra virgin olive oil. i apply it on my wet skin immediately after i’ve showered, and pat dry with a towel. my skin is left soft, healthy, and vibrant! a little goes a long way.

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as for my own staples, i always recommend trader joe’s nourish spa conditioner to people looking for a moisturizing and detangling conditioner. it’s great for both co-washing and pooing. i use auromere’s tulsi-neem soap almost any time i shampoo, because it does such a great job controlling dandruff. it’s also a moisturizing soap, so it doesn’t dry out my hair at all. i recommend massaging the soap on your scalp and applying another shampoo (like dr. bronners or elucence) throughout your hair, since auromere tulsi-neem doesn’t necessarily cleanse the hair thoroughly.
henna, of course, has always been my love, and i definitely recommend it to anybody looking for a natural hair dye and/or great hair conditioning experience. qhemet biologics heavy cream is AMAZING. that’s all i have to say.

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do any of you have tips and tricks for the products listed above (or your own favorite staples) that i haven’t mentioned? leave a comment! teach us something.

THE OFFICIAL STAPLES

i’m so sorry for taking so long on this, everybody!! here they are. the most popular, most loved, most necessary products among black queens.

above (in order of most popular): fruit of the earth aloe vera gel, dr. bronner’s castile soap, vegetable glycerin, and extra virgin olive oil.

where can i find this stuff? extra virgin olive oil is available in any and all grocery stores. the stuff you cook with works fine. FOTE aloe vera can be found in many supermarkets and grocery stores as well. veggie glycerin can be purchased at health food stores, or online. a lot of supermarkets will carry it as well. the same goes for dr. bronners, but you’ll be most likely to find it in your local health food store or drugstore.com.
honorable mentions: castor oil, coconut oil.

erica’s picks: dr. bronner’s castile soap, elucence moisture balance conditioner, coconut oil, world of curls gel.

shiraz’s picks: trader joe’s nourish spa conditioner, qhemet biologics heavy cream, henna, auromere tulsi-neem soap.

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BIG thanks to everyone who participated!!

ATTENTION BLACK QUEENS: what are your staples?

do you have any must-have, absolutely necessary hair care products? bq wants to know what they are. all black queen members are asked to compose a list of four products at most. preferably, each product should be a shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, and/or hair styling product, but it’s okay if you don’t have four staples. may be you have a favorite conditioner and moisturizer that you could never live without. or, perhaps you only consider one product to be a necessity. that’s fine, as long as you don’t go over the four product limit. we’re just looking for what’s on the very top of your hair care regime.

why? think of black queen staples as an allure-esque reader’s choice type of thing. i’m curious about which products are the most popular among our community, and i think that future black queen newbies can also benefit from this. one of the most common questions in the message board is: where do i start? if these newly natural members are aware of the most popular products in bq, they will be introduced to products and brand names that are more likely to suit their needs. this is also a way to get current members involved, and who knows? it may teach us a thing or two about products we’ve never heard of.

submission is easy. you can list your favorite products as a comment to this blog entry*, you can email me, or you can respond to the message board thread that i started. for more information on how to submit your staples, click here. if you’re not a member and want to get involved, feel free to join our group. (it’s free, and fun!) i’ll announce a deadline around the end of the month, depending on how many entries i’ve received. so open up your bathroom cabinet, and get cracking!!

*this is meant for black queen members only, but i will accept entries from blackQueen:press readers, and/or new members of the group. while no one is excluded from entering their hair care staples, we ask that you are somehow involved with the group or blog if you choose to submit a list.

update on the challenge: end of phase one

the first month of the “does it really work?” challenge has ended, so i’ve got the “after” pictures posted up in my fotki. check them out!

overall, i’m not completely sure if i notice a dramatic difference in my hair’s length. it’s always hard for me to tell, but you can check out the fotki album and decide for yourself. as i’m starting the second month of the challenge, however, i found my scalp to be itchier without the rosemary spritz. my dandruff also seems to be more noticeable, especially around my front hairline. so, regardless of whether the rosemary has made a difference in my hair growth, it definitely is good for my scalp.

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side dish: about a month ago, i went to trader joe’s to get my favorite conditioner, trader joe’s nourish spa conditioner. unfortunately, they were all out and only had trader joe’s essential conditioner. i decided to just get that instead. so what’s the difference? the essential conditioner is much lighter, and doesn’t moisturize that well. however, it gets the job done for co-washing, and smells really good. if i had to pick between the two, i’d definitely choose the nourish spa conditioner, but any no-pooers who are in need of a lighter conditioner should check out trader joe’s essential conditioner.