Product Review: EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner

I purchased this deep conditioner  from Walmart for $9.47. This was NOT an impulse buy! Instead, I think it was a very wise purchase. I was in the process of figuring out whether or not I wanted to make that trip to Carol's Daughter and repurchase the Monoi Repairing Hair Mask (reviewed here), when i decided to see if there were any products out there that had similar ingredients (specifically Monoi), gave great results, but were a tad bit cheaper. After browsing through YouTube videos and blog posts, I came across the EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner. I read some great reviews about it and I was impressed with the ingredients so I made that trip to Walmart. 

Here is what the makers have to say:
EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner is formulated with coconut, jojoba and monoi to replenish hair's strength and restore its natural beauty from overprocessing, damage and dryness. Fortified to balance the hair's moisture level, it results in stronger, healthier, more manageable hair. It is an excellent deep conditioner for all textures and hair types. EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner was made without sulfates and contains no mineral oils (petroleum), dyes or parabens and is cruelty free.

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Coco Nut Oil, Tiare Flower, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-11, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Camomile) Flower Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol , Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid

What I Liked:
I really love how thick this conditioner is! In my opinion the consistency favors a relaxer...maybe a little thicker. I love thick conditioner because I feel like they coat and condition my hair much better than thinner conditioners. This conditioner was no different! I didn't have to use too much of the EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner to coat all of my hair. This was great for me because I am usually heavy handed with conditioner. I  have used this 16 oz. product five times already and I think I can get two more uses out of it. I tried the deep conditioner on both dry hair and freshly shampooed hair with and without heat and I think i like it better on wet hair with heat. 

After deep conditioning for a couple of hours, I don't see very much of the product on my hair. This is great because it means that a lot of the product has penetrated my hair. There are some really good ingredients in this conditioner and they are all natural, so the fact that the conditioner really penetrates my hair shaft sits very well with me! 

After washing out the EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner my hair is so soft and easy to detangle. I have been finger detangling in the shower this winter and this conditioner makes it so easy for me! It makes me feel like I can stretch my relaxer the whole winter with no problems at all ( I am currently 10 weeks post). While rinsing the conditioner out my hair my tangles literally feel like they are melting away from each other. As soft as my hair feels, it also feels really strong. I also do not experience too much breakage while detangling after using this conditioner. Looove!

I also really like the packaging. The jar will make it easy for me to get every single ounce out when it's time. 

What I Don't Like:
I don't really care for the smell. It's not a bad smell, but it's not really too great for me either. It smells like a strong essential oil but I can't really pin point which essential oil it is. The first time I used it, the strong smell gave me a headache, but that was the only time this happened to me while using the product. 

I don't like how the conditioner doesn't penetrate my hair as well if I don't use heat while deep conditioning. Sometimes I don't have time to use heat. The product definitely conditions and strengthens my hair really well without heat, just not as well as when I use heat. 

All in all....
I will definitely be repurchasing the EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner. I won't go as far as to say that I will make this my staple deep conditioner (only because I like trying new conditioners all the time) but I will most definitely keep it in rotation and recommend it to anyone! 

In comparison to Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask, the competition is tight! I think I like the smell of the Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask muuuuuch better. But, I think I like the application of the EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner better. It glides on so easily! Both of the products have similar moisturizing and strengthening properties, but when it comes down to actually making a repurchase, $9.47 for 16 oz. (Eden) definitely beats out $29.00 for 7 oz. (Carol's Daughter). 

Have you used the EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner before? How did you like it?

I've Been Nominated!: Liebster Award

I was nominated for the Liebstar Award by Lesley from Fresh Lengths and Bebe from Hairausforderung . Thanks for the nominations ladies!

How the Liebster Award works:
1. Each person must post 11 random things about themselves (optional).
2. Answer the 11 questions that the tagger set for you.
3. Choose 11 bloggers who you would like to give the Liebster Award.
4. Create 11 questions for the bloggers you have tagged with the award to answer.

Lesley's Questions:

1. You have to pick between wearing no make-up or having no hair products for the rest of your life, which do you choose?
No makeup- definitely
2. What hairstyle do you love to do the most?
Braidouts!
3. Your absolute favourite product? 
Castor Oil
4. Besides the topics you blog about, what else interests you?
Psychology research
5. Do you have any guilty pleasures? 
TV Dramas
6. How will you be spending this Christmas?
With my family
7. Giving or receiving presents? (be honest!)
Giving 
8. TV or books?
Both
9. Something you would like to do in the future? (e.g. travel, jump out of an aeroplane...)
Ride on a hot air balloon! 
10. What's your dream job? 
School Psychologist/Hair Consultant 
11. Why did you start blogging?
I wanted to document my journey and help others like I have been helped on my journey 

Bebe H.'s questions:

1. How old are you?
21
2. Where do you want to be with your career in 5 Years?
I think I will still be pursuing my PhD
3. Do you live in a rented apartment or in your own house?
I am still in school. So I guess I am renting a dorm room lol
4. What's your Favorite Song?
I Will Always Love You- Whitney Houston
5. Forever 21 or H&M, which do you prefer?
Definetely H&M
6. How many times do you changed your hair regimen?
I dont really change the regimen but i changed products often- i like to try new things
7. Your New Year's resolutions?
Overall consistency
8. What's your biggest fear?
Failure
9. How often do you shop for Hair Products in a Year?
Lol. Maybe twice a month...smh
10. If you could be Singer for one day,who would you like to be?
Beyonce
11. Why did you start blogging?
I wanted to document my journey and help others like I have been helped on my journey 

I nominate...

Nik from NikG Life + Style

Shanique from Journey to Waist Length

Andrea from Lengthening Locks

Yulli Blue from Caught Between a Cream and a Curl

Ashley from Ashley the Fashion Guru

Special K from Healthy Hair by Special K

Daisy from Just Daisy

Fiona from Love Your Tresses

Dabs from Naija Hair Can Grow

Miss Music from From Short to Long 

Amber from I am Just a Soul Whose Intentions are Good

Questions:

1. What is your favorite fashion trend?

2. What is the most drastic thing you've done to your hair?

3. What is your greatest accomplishment when it comes to your hair?

4. Do you have any New Years resolutions?

5. What is your favorite nail color?

6. Where is Waldo?

7. Juice or Soda?

8. What languages do you speak?

9. Do you have any hobbies? Share them.

10. Who is your hair idol?

11. Why did you start bloogging?

Heatless Curls: Bantu Knot Out

Interested in achieving curls without any heat? Here is a video on how I do my bantu knot outs! The only styling products I used were the Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter and bobby pins!

All Alcohols Are Not Created Equal

Too often I see people turning away from certain products because of alcohol ingredients. I used to be one of these people before I learned that all alcohol ingredients aren't necessarily bad for your hair.

The Good 
The ingredients that I see most frequently in products include Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, and Cetearyl Alcohol. When I see these on ingredients lists they are usually third or fourth on the lists. All three of these are natural fatty alcohols derived from coconut oil. They are widely used as emollients and stabilizing agents in conditioning and moisturizing treatments. These fatty alcohols give back that soft feeling into the hair by helping the cuticle to lie flat on the surface of the hair. They give our hair a soft feeling and manageability! Other good alcohols include Behenyl alcohol, Lauryl alcohol, and Isocetyl alcohol. These are also fatty alcohols that provide softening effects to the hair.

The Bad
The alcohols you do want to watch out for include SD Alcohol 40, Ethanol, SD Alcohol, Propyl, Propanol, and Isopropyl. These alcohols are used as solvent and they cause products to evaporate quickly. Because of this quality, these ingredients can be very drying to the hair. They can be the culprits of breakage and frizzy hair.

So before you decide to stay clear of products with alcohol in it, try and become familiar with the alcohols that are good and those that are bad. Once I became familiar with these names there were so many more products that I could try out (like i need any more products...). I like to keep a list of ingredients commonly found in hair products handy so that when I am out looking for new things to try out I can make sense of ingredients I do not recognize. The list that I keep bookmarked can be found here.  

The products that you are avoiding may be the products that your hair loves!

Homemade Deep Conditioner: Greek Yogurt Hair Mask

Ingredients used: olive oil plain Greek yogurt, pure honey

I did not have any deep conditioner left for this past wash day nor did I want to go out and buy any, so I decided to try a homemade deep conditioner. I remembered watching a couple of video on Youtube about great results from using yogurt as a deep conditioner and I happened to have plain greek yogurt that I know I would not eat any time soon so I decided to put it to good use. Benefits of yogurt include providing shine, reducing frizz, detangling hair.Yogurt does contain protein and so its properties will help in strengthening hair. It's antibacterial properties will help to soothe the scalp and reduce itchiness. Some people like to add egg to yogurt to boost its potential as a protein treatment and some like to add oils and conditioner for moisturizing purposes. I needed a balance of protein and moisture but a little more on the moisture side so I added honey and olive oil to my Greek yogurt. 

I used about 2 about 3/4 of the container of Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and one tablespoon of pure honey. I mixed the ingredients until I got a nice consistency.

After prepooing with coconut oil and then shampooing, I applied the yogurt mask to my hair in four sections. The mixture was very thick and went on like a mask would. 

I left the mix on under a plastic cap for about an hour while I watched Scandal (phenomenal show!) and then rinsed my hair out with warm water. As I rinsed, my hair felt very soft and moisturized. I was able to finger detangle in the shower and it didn't take much effort because the mask did a good job at separating the hair strands from each other. I did not like the smell of the yogurt in my hair so after rinsing and detangling in the shower I applied Suave Keratin Smoothing conditioner to rid of the smell.  After towel drying, my hair felt very soft and I did notice a very nice shine. 

I am very excited about this homemade conditioner and it is definitely a mix I would use if I don't have my favorite deep conditioners around or I just need a change.  The yogurt definitely detangles, moisturizes and brings great shine to my hair. The one thing I don't like is the smell of the yogurt. The next time I try this yogurt mask I will add an essential oil to mask the smell. 

Have any of you tried a homemade yogurt deep conditioner before? How did you like it?

21 Hair Questions Tag

I have been tagged by Kim at FancyFlairLady to do the 21 Hair Questions Tag. Thanks so much for tagging me, Kim! I tag anyone who reads this post! If you don't have a blog leave your answers below because I would love to know your answers!


1. Why did you start taking better care of your hair?
In the summer of 2010, I wanted a new style so i cut a bob and loved it. I wasn't too happy with the thickness of my hair though, so I started researching how to get it thicker. Researching online opened a whole new realm for me (Youtube, blogs, forurms, etc.) and I was inspired to start a hair jounrey. What really got me going though was a little later in 2010 when I went to a new salon to get a touch up and layers and the lady gave me a hair cut that I absolutely hated. At that point I got really serious about growing my hair long and healthy...

2. What are your 2 favorite hair products?

Grapeseed oil and Elasta QP Oilve Oil and Mango Butter

3. Who's hair did you admire as a child?
A cousin of mine. Her hair was always so thick and healthy

4. What is your ultimate goal length?
Waist Length

5. How are you going to celebrate when you reach your ultimate goal length?

I am probably going to straighten my hair and swing it all about the place all day long.

6. Two styles you want to try at your goal length?
Flexi rod roller sets and a big fat fishtail braid (I love them!)

7. Which do you prefer: Health or Length?

Definitely health

8. Which do you prefer: hair ties with no metal parts or butterfly clips?

I use hair ties most of the time, but recently I have been using banana clip and I think I prefer those.

9. What products do you prefer: salon brands, organic brands, BSS brands, Drugstore brands, or other?

I don't think I can chose one. I have tried all types of different products and have liked a good amount of them.

10. Which product/technique do you think is over-rated?
Green-house effect. It makes my hair too mushy. I prefer to just baggy my ends.

11. Which product/technique do you think is under-rated?

Oil rinsing. The process helps me to seal in a lot of moisture

12. What is your favorite part of your hair regimen?

Co-washing!

13. What is the most annoying part of your hair regimen?

Detangling

14. Oils or Butters?

Oils

15. Buns or Ponytails?

Buns

16. Wigs or Weaves?

Both

17. What is your opinion of growth aids?

I haven't tried too many. But I think its the techniques you use with the growth aids that promote your hair growth and not just the product itself....that applies to any hair product though...

18. At what length do you consider hair long?

BSL

19. When is the last time you visited a salon?

October 2011

20. What do you like to surf most often: YouTube channels, personal blogs, or hair forums? 
It may be a tie between YouTube and blogs. I am a visual learner but I like reading about people's personal experiences.

21. And finally, what piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out on their hair journey?
Try and keep your journey simple, remember that health is much better than length, and try and be patient.


Tag! You're it...

"It's Really Not That Serious": Keep Your Hair Journey Simple

Sometimes we just need a reminder that our hair journeys do not have to be too complicated. We can reach our goals with simple regimens and simple products. As I was catching up on YouTube videos I came across an uplifting video by Shlinda1. She talks about how to have a successful hair journey on a budget and I don't think I could have put it into words any better. She has a great personality and is one is one of my favorite Youtubers to watch! Enjoy!