Product review: ORS Aloe Shampoo

This is one of my staple products that I love.

Product review: ORS Olive Oil Creamy Aloe Shampoo

Price: £3.49 Boots (370ml)

Promise: Olive Oil Creamy Aloe Shampoo moisturizes and neutralizes hair leaving it tangle free and soft after every shampoo. When used regularly it can help prevent calcium, magnesium, and iron build-up on the hair and protects it from environmental elements. Olive Oil Creamy Aloe Shampoo is a rich blend of Olive Oil and Aloe Vera that soothes, moisturizes, and protects the hair and scalp.

Ingredients: Water Aqua , Cocamidopropyldimethylamine Propionate , Trideceth-7 Carboxylic Acid , PPG-5-Ceteth-10 Phosphate , Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate , Ammonium Laureth Sulfate , Lauramide Glucoside , Lauryl Glucoside , Polyquaternium-10 , Cocoglucoside , Glyceryl Oleate , Disodiium EDTA , Olive Oil Olea Europaea , Cetrimonium Carboxydecyl , PEG-8 Dimethicone , Cetrimonium Chloride , Sulfated Castor Oil , Lecithin , Propylene Glycol , PEG-12 Oleate , Silicone Quaternium-2 , Panthenol Succinate , Fragrance Parfum , Aloe Barbadensis Gel , Glyceryl Polymethacrylate , Propylene Glycol , Polyquaternium-7 , Cocamide MEA , Glycol Distearate , Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Triethanolamine , DMDM Hydantoin , Methylparaben , Propylene Glycol , Propyl Paraben , Methylchloroisothiazolinone , Methylisothiazolinone , Green No. 3 Cl 42053 , Yellow No. 5 Cl 19140  .......

My thoughts: I have always used this shampoo before and on my HHJ, before my hair journey it was my regular shampoo on wash days, on my hair journey I use it as a clarifying and neutralising shampoo.
I use this shampoo once a month when I clarify my hair, and if I do this I also prepoo before, as it has sulphates. During my relaxer the shampoo usually comes in my No-Lye ORS relaxer box.
This is really a value for money product; it does last for a long time as I do not use it that often. After I prepoo my hair my hair does not feel too stripped when using this shampoo, I think its promise of ‘adding moisture’ is due to the fact that it has clarified your hair therefore moisture can penetrate better on clean product free hair, but on its own it is not moisturising. This poo does the job it is intended for, it removes all product build up in my hair and leaves it very clean.
 Pro

1.        Value for money, goes a long way

2.        Removes all product build up including dandruff

Cons

1.        Contains sulphates – however I think this is a requirement for clarifying shampoos? (correct me if am wrong)

2.        Hair feels stripped if used without prepooing.
I personally feel this is a solid product and would recommend it. I am still on my first bottle which I got this year. I will definitely be repurchasing this product again in the future. I will get it a 4/5 as a clarifying and chelating shampoo, however I would not use it as a daily or weekly shampoo as it does strip the hair.

Rating: 4/5 –

Review of goals #1 of 4 oct goals

1. 1 litre of Water a day - did 6.5 days out of 7, couldn't finish off my half litre on Sunday *sigh*

2. Roll set - check!

This weeks 

1. 1 litre a day

2. Roller set

3. GHE 3 times a week Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday  

Happy hair journeys ladies! :-) 

“ Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. ”— Martin Luther King Jr.

Wash Day - 4 Weeks post

I have been getting inspired again with blogs and Youtube and decided I need to get off my back side and carry on, on a STRONG hair journey. This week I have had an itchy scalp so it was time for a clarifying wash.

1. Sectioned my hair in 4 and applied grape seed oil to my scalp and length and left it in 2 plastic bags for an hour or so.

2. I finger detangled my hair and shampooed it with TREsemme split end remedy shampoo

3. I then used black tea rinse in  spray bottle and targeted my scalp, let the tea run out of my hair then applied TREsemme Split end remedy conditioner for 5 mins and rinsed it off.

4. T-shirt dried my hair for 10 mins and then applied the APH steaming conditioner mixed with honey and put a plastic bag and heat cap for 2 hours and then rinsed off the DC.

5. T-shirt dried my hair for 15 mins and the detangled my hair with Aussie Hair Miracle insurance leave in conditioner and TREsemme split end remedy leave in.

6. Roller set my hair and left the rollers on for the rest of the day, blow dried my hair for 15 mins and took down and rolled my hair, and mimicked a Saran wrap.

Verdict:
1. Shedding - I think my shedding is normal I saw a picture of my shedding pre black tea rinse days and it's normal for me, the black tea did not change my shedding pattern 

2. Honey and DC - this I will do going forward, thought the con am using is so bad, going to throw away the rest of it. It has zero slip.

3. TREsemme split end remedy - the shampoo was very stripping I wouldn't use it again, conditioner wasn't anything special, the leave in was the only product I liked, however I was using sample packed and I haven't seen the retail versions in store yet.

4. Roller set - this is the first roller set this month. I finished it off with a Saran wrap. Overall happy with the results. My hair will be manageable for the rest of the week.

Happy Hair Journey Ladies! :)

'Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.' - Edgar Alln Poe

My product staples – series 3 – the leave in and detanglers

This week I will be discussing leave ins and instant conditioners. I am really enjoying these posts so far I am going to try a milder shampoo and have tonnes loads of moisturising conditioners on my list (#productjunkie)

Leave in Conditioner

I use leave in conditioners after all my washes and for a boost of moist during the week. I have 2 leave in conditioners I use my favourite one is – Aussie Hair Insurance Miracle leave in conditioner – this is a light liquid which is amazing for moisture and detangling, it really does help when am deep in my stretch and start getting matting with my new growth.

I have also recently started using Herbal Essence Beautiful Ends leave in. This is a thicker creamier leave in and can be used as a moisturiser, I like using it for my roller sets in case I decide to finish off with some heat, it has cones that are great as heat protectants.

For a leave in am looking for something that is a great detangler and is moisturising.

Instant conditioners

I always make sure I have an instant conditioner in my product stash. I used them for co-wash, after tea rinses, as pre-poos, the list is endless. My fav instant conditioner is Herbal Essence Hello Hydrations – I have always loved this conditioner even before my hair journey, it really does hydrate the hair, this is my number one instant conditioner staples, with TREsemme Naturals rich moisturising conditioner close behind. TREsemme Naturals is an instant con I use most of, it has cones far down the list.

For an instant conditioner, am looking for something that is not stripping and gives me that needed quick boost of moisture.

These are my go to leave ins and instant conditioners, what are yours?

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :)

'A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you' - Elbert Hubbard

Challenge review month 3

Stretch: My last 13 week stretch ended with me stretching to 13.5 weeks. This time round am stretching till my 1st year anniversary in January, this will make this stretch 19 weeks long, my goal this month was to get to 3 weeks post which I have achieved. The goal for the next month is to get to 7 weeks post
Next month goal – 7 weeks post 
 
Nape: My nape area has been moisturised throughout the month of September, I reviewed my nape after my relaxer, it has definitely grown, I will carry on moisturising it and daily or as needed.

Ends: My ends have really picked! I cut off another 1 inch from them the week after my relaxer and will carry on moisturising them and protective styling to keep them intact. 
 
Protective styling: This month was really hard, I find it easier to style when am several weeks post, so I did manage to do 2 protective styles, but I feel they did not turn out as well as on thicker hair. 

Not the best picture but you can see my faux bob, it was after a long day :)

This is a two strand crown, again the pictures don't do it justice, will have to re-do this one.

 
Hairline: I feel like my hairline has not improved anymore from last month, I continued my castor, grape-seed oil with peppermint essential oil. I did not touch up my hairline on my relaxer day. For now I will continue applying the oil mix, and keep it away from manipulation.

The pictures on top is how my hair line looked like last month, pictures below 

is how it looks like now

 
How are your self-challenges going?
 
Happy Hair Journeys Ladies and Gents! :) 
 
‘Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’ – Psalm 23:4 NIV