moisturizers

a lot of people having been asking me what i use to moisturize my hair...i dont know if this is for GP or if they really think my hair is well-moisturized. while i do say it's a LOT more moisturized than it used to be, i still don't have that 'swang'. (i only get that from the dominicans.) there are a couple different products i use that i attribute this to.

DCs

• lustrasilk shea butter cholesterol. a pretty good basic moisturizing DC. i bought it because it was inexpensive; i use it cause i like it. the plus side is it's on sale for $1.49 at sally's through the end of this month! i sometimes spike it with EVOO or my herbal oil but last night i just used it straight. great on my sister's coarse 4b hair as well as mine. gotta love the versatility.
• kenra mc. now i have not tried redken products (which are supposedly the holy grail of moisturizers) but this stuff is really great. i got a little sticker shocked when i saw it ($27 a bottle?!) but the fact that it was on sale thru the end of may at trade secret @ 2 for $28 made it hurt a little less. the fact that it works so great really softened the blow. i WILL be buying this again. i like it spiked with john frieda color glazes...leave this combo on for an hour with heat and your hair will rejoice.

leave-ins

• thermasilk spray leave-in/detangler. when i first came across LHCF i searched through my already large collection of hair stuff and found this. i used to use it a lot but then i stopped washing my own hair my first year of college. it gets the job done i suppose but i am more a fan of creamy leave-ins.
• HE LTR leave-in. this is what i bought when i first decided i needed the aforementioned creamy leave-in. smells really good and works well. unfortunately i may not be buying it again. why not? keep reading below...
• giovanni direct leave-in. heard so many fabulous things that i stopped by whole foods the last time i was in charlottesville and picked up a bottle. man, everyone was right. the first time i used it was on my mother's rollerset...i used a dime-sized amount on a section of her soaking hair and her curls came out lovely and for the first time NOT DRY. i bought a spray bottle and diluted some, 2 parts water and 1 part GD, and i use this when my edges get frizzy and smooth them with my denman. love it! i also use this mixture before i blowdry.

oils/butters

• "shea oil" mix. i read of the wonders of shea butter on hair and skin and bought 8 oz of it on ebay. lets face it, all the stuff in wal-mart that says "with shea butter" has such a small amount of it. i read an article on LHCF about whipping it with oils and i tried it with an electric blender. i should have melted it first because it is grainy, but all i have to do it rub it in my hands for a few seconds to melt it. no words can describe it - i love it. this reminds me, i need to blend up some more.
• castor oil. i use this on my ends when i baggy, on my hairline, and on my skin after cleansing. i really like it, especially in my baggy. my hairline does look like it is growing in thicker but i will not be able to assess this for another month or two.
• EVOO. i use this sometimes in my DCs, all the time with the OCM, and as i mentioned in my shea oil mix. what a gem.

other stuff

• sabino moisture block. get a sample quick is all i can say. the thread on LHCF is sooooo long, but read it and you will find you have stumbled upon a miracle. it eliminates the frizz, severely limits reversion when i flat iron, and seals in whatever moisture you put in your hair. i will take some pictures of my ponytail today without MB and tonight i will use it and take pictures of my ponytail tomorrow. i know the difference can be felt, but now i want you guys to see it.
• miss jessie's baby buttercreme. got a heluva deal on this on the LHCF exchange board...a very nice lady bought it and did not like it so she sold me an almost full 8oz tub for 10 bucks, shipping included. beat that, missjessies.com!!! i had been wanting to try this for a while but it was just too expensive. i used it on my sister's hair after washing and drying it in prep for the yarn twists, and it softened her hair right up. what's more, she actually had CURLS. glad she didn't see it, she would live for WNGs. not saying this is bad but i'm planning on growing her hair out for at least the rest of the summer so i can prove to her that her hair CAN grow.
• bb oil moisturizer. i came across this in the craziest way...i was cleaning up my BBS-on-a-rack and at the moisturizers level i tossed everything with mineral oil and petrolatum. optimum oil therapy, pink lotion, and some cheapie stuff my mom bought from the dollar store. i fully expected this stuff to go till i read the ingredients...i tried it and have not looked back since. i was equally surprised that lots of people on LHCF like it as well. go figure.
  

i think this is a pretty good list...if i think of anything else i will add it. if you have tried any of these and have a love/hate relationship going on with them, let me know. HHG!