At one time, women wearing their natural hair were almost begging for more options to use on their naturally kinky, curly strands. The natural hair care game has certainly changed and now there are so many options that it can become overwhelming for some to choose what to use on their natural strands.
Not knowing what works well for your hair can become tricky and one of the worse feelings is to use your hard earned dollars on something you absolutely cannot use, but once you've figured it out you've already used a fourth of the bottle attempting one single style.
A big pet peeve of mine is for a product to fall short from its label description. Over the year, I've used a ton of products and leave-in conditioner is one of my must-haves so I've played around with a few here and there in order to find out which ones my hair appreciates best. I've narrowed it down to 5 that will remain in my rotation and follow me into 2015, or at least for now.
1. As I Am Leave-In Conditioner
What I love most about the As I Am Leave-In conditioner is that it's primary focus is on creating a strong, smooth and tangle-free foundation for styling. As I Am leave-in helps hair retain moisture, shine and helps make hair more manageable by smoothing the cuticle layer. In addition to using as a leave-in, I also use this to refresh and twist my hair at night for 2nd, 3rd or 4th day twists, and it leaves my hair super defined. Although the leave-in doesn't provide a lot of moisture, it does however aid in hair growth, prevents breakage and helps define your hair styles.
2. Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter Leave-In Conditioner
Elasta QP's Olive Oil and Mango Butter Anti-Breakage Leave-Conditioner happens to be an accidental gem that I stumbled upon. I actually picked this up in my local beauty supply store, thinking that I had grabbed the moisturizer instead (it really pays to read folks). The leave-in works as a triple threat, it moisturizes, works great as a leave-in, and even works well as a "styler". I found that I can achieve soft, defined and full twist-outs and other styles when using the leave-in conditioner, and the jar costs less than $10. The leave-in also works very well for detangling.
3. Koils by Nature Moisturizing Shealoe Leave-In
I'm ashamed to say that the Shealoe Leave-In Conditioner is only the second product that I've tried from the Koils by Nature line. I was pretty pleased with the leave-in and the sweet smell made my hair smell delicious. There was no residue left in my hair because it's a pretty light consistency, and with ingredients such as horsetail, nettle and burdock root, the Shealoe not only works well for your hair's appearance but it also works to improve the quality of your hair from root to tip. The Shealoe leave-in contains no mineral oils, parabens, petrolatums, silicones or synthetic colors.
4. Oyin Handmade Hair Dew
When I find products that my hair really loves, I tend to stick with them. As a super huge fan of Oyin handmade products, I usually go for my staple products from their line such as the Burnt Sugar Pomade, Boing styler, and Shine and Define. I purchased the Hair Dew months before I actually tried it and my hair was like, "wait a minute now what is this?!" It makes my hair soft and the scent, oh honey! The smell is absolutely delicious and my hair stays moisturized and doesn't feel sticky. It's creamy and thick, and a little bit goes a long way so the bottle lasts for a good while.
5. My Honey Child Aloe Vera Leave-In
I'm a big fan of My Honey Child, especially because they focus on using quality, natural ingredients and oils to help restore moisture and repair damaged and stressed hair. The My Honey Child Aloe Vera Leave-In did not disappoint and made my hair feel super soft. No sticky residue, no white flakes, just soft, manageable hair. Aloe Vera is great at repairing damaged hair, and also helps to rid itchy, dry scalp. This is another gem I recommend for those suffering from itchy scalp, although the leave-in works well for all hair types.
So what leave-in conditioners have you stumbled upon this year that will be following you into the next year? Which ones didn't make the cut?
