Qhemet Biologics - Multiple Products Review

It is hard to find the time these days but I definitely have been wanting to add some product reviews as I have had the opportunity to try some great new products in the past year.
These are a list of new products I have tried in the past year some with greater success than others:
JBCO (Jamaican Black Castor Oil) Protein Treatment
Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner
Qhemet Biologics Detangling Ghee, Burdock Root Butter Cream, Hydrate and Twist Butter, Shampoo

First let me give you guys a brief breakdown of all my products. I stick to my trusty Dudu-Osum shampoo like white on rice only sometimes mixing/diluting it with my homemade shikakai shampoo usually when my scalp needs some extra tlc (neem oil is the business but that's another post).
Lately though, I ventured away to try Qhemet Biologics shampoo - more on that later.

My other staple is castor oil and my favorite is black castor oil though refined castor oil is a fine substitute.
 I seal my hair every few days with my shea butter/coconut oil/palm kernel oil mix and massage my scalp/prolong washes with the astringent, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties in my essential oils mix (I will do a post on this, I promise - as it as been a godsend).

Other than these staples, I have not been afraid to mix it up where my products are concerned, primarily in these areas:

Conditioners
This is perhaps my favorite part of my hair regimen to change products on because different conditioners affect my hair differently - some make it feel super strong, some super soft, etc etc.

Twisting butters or creams
I love to try different butters or creams for my two-strand twists. I love the different smells like Oyin's Whipped Pudding (yum!) or Qhemet Biologics Amla Heavy Cream which makes the twists feel super-moisturized.
Other than these two areas, I stick to my staples.

So on to my review of Qhemet Biologics.

I initially used Qhemet Biologics products when I purchased their Amla and Olive cream very early in my hair journey and because I liked it so much I recently thought to venture out and try some of their other products particularlyfor a part of my hair regimen that has become increasingly critical - dry detangling.
I had been wanting to try their Detangling Ghee for awhile but the cost is prohibitive and that is perhaps my only negative about this (and all their products). In this economy $16 for a 5-10oz. product is just NOT the business.
But other than that, I do have to say I have had great success with the Detangling Ghee. The best thing I love about it is that a little goes a long way, which while still prohibitive, makes me feel better about the cost.

Qhemet Biologics Detangling Ghee

The Pluses: Has a great balance of water and oil so I don't need to spritz my hair prior to applying the product like I do when I use a pure oil or butter to detangle. Very thick consistency so it definitely coats the hair which I like alot.

Minuses: The cost

Qhemet Biologics Burdock Root Butter Cream

The Pluses: Light consistency - great for re-moisturizing twists.

Minuses: I found the consistency too light to use for initial twisting of my hair when twisting my hair dry. I felt I needed to add something thicker or dampen the hair before twisting to get more moisture. I think it is best for silkier and finer hair types that are weighed down easily by heavier creams. I definitely need a heavier cream to style my hair when it is dry and while the Burdock Root Butter fell short on this the Aethiopika Hydrate and Twist Butter made up for it very well.

Qhemet Biologics Aethiopika Hydrate and Twist Butter

Pluses: Smells yummy but the smell is strong! If you are sensitive to scents you may find it overpowering. Plus it seems to be one of those scents that you will either like alot (kind of sweet-smelling) or may totally turn you off. The consistency is great for twists. Very thick, though more oily/buttery than creamy and great for keeping twists. I would definitely recommend using this to maintain dreads as well as it definitely holds - thanks to the wax it touts on its ingredients list. It also smooths very well to keep the stray strands from fuzzing.

Minuses: The cost. As it is more oily than creamy, I liked it only for twisting. For managing more elaborate or out styles I prefer something with a higher water-based content - more creamy.  Maybe I didn't give it enough of a shot for these types of styles so I will try it again but it is definitely only my fav for twisting right now.

Qhemet Biologics Egyptian Wheatgrass Cleansing Tea (shampoo)

Why can't they just call it a shampoo? Maybe because it has gentler cleansers than the typical shampoo. Anyway here are my pluses:

Pluses: Smells awesome IF you like herb-y scents. Leaves hair feeling clean but not dried out.

Minuses: You get a tiny bit for the cost. I, for one, am not a fan of shampoos in general that come in these tiny containers. I mean come on, I usually need a palmful of shampoo just to manage all this hair on my head and that's if I don't wash multiple times in one wash session and we usually wash at least twice right? I do. So I was definitely not pleased to get this tiny bottle in the mail. I don't expect it to last more than 5 washes so cost prohibitive? Definitely.
To be fair, the amount in the bottle is also my gripe with the Dudu-Osum shampoo. It helps that I dilute it with my own homemade mix but if I used it full concentrate I get probably 5 or 7 washes which is not great when these are products I have to order and give time to receive in the mail. I definitely prefer the bottle sizes you find at your local drugstore.

This is my review guys. Overall I am a real fan of Qhemet Biologics line.  If you can afford it and don't mind the wait to receive the products or the frequently out-of-stock statuses you get from their big vendors, then I definitely recommend at least giving them a try. Of all their products the Detangling Ghee is my absolute fav.

Happy Hair Journey!

Stretching Your Hair

For naturals with hair that shrinks more than 25% when wet, stretching hair and sometimes keeping it stretched between washes becomes a matter of length retention versus broken hair frustrations.
I keep my hair stretched for numerous reasons and if you can relate, you may want to do this activity too.

Here are some great reasons to keep hair stretched:

1. To make detangling easier.
My last post (with video) was about how I dry detangle and why I dry detangle. And I will re-iterate my reasons here: Stretched hair is less likely to knot around shed hair and end up broken during detangling.
If you stretch your hair prior to detangling, like overnight, you will find your dry detangling sessions less frustrating and less likely to end up with broken hairs. I gave some tips on how to stretch hair in preparation for detangling but will elaborate it here later in this post.

2. To show off your true length when wearing your hair out.
Be it two-strand twists or twistouts or some other out styles, nothing showcases the hard work you have put into caring for your hair and retaining length than a stretched out style. Read on for info on how I keep my twists and twistouts stretched.

3. To make trims more precise and prevent over-trimming (cutting too many inches off).
Ever got out the trusty scissors to 'dust' your hair and noticed you cut off more than you intended after you pulled a couple strands of the cut hair straight? I have been there. Cutting shrunken hair can become a nightmare as the hair kinks back on you and you lose a guesstimate on just how much you are really cutting off.
Unless you have an extra pair of hands to keep hair strands stretched and taut while you snip, stretching hair prior to cutting is the only way to eliminate over-trimming and setting your precious length-retention goals months if not years behind. Many naturals blowdry their hair prior to trimming to ensure hair stays as stretched as possible but that's not the only way to prevent over-trimming and if you are not a fan of heat like me, you will be happy to know you can get a successful trim by just stretching your hair prior to cutting.

4. Re-styling dry hair becomes easier. You don't have to deal with tangles as you try to undo your current style for a new one and the shrinkage gets in your way. You won't need a comb to make the parts as the hair gets in your way. Going from one updo to another becomes much easier and quicker to do when your hair is stretched.

So how do you keep your hair stretched?

There are several ways to stretch your hair. Here are some of my favorites:

-Stretch hair after a wash prior to styling
After I wash and condition my hair, I sometimes place it in anywhere from 5-10 plaits or flat twists (not twists as they are not tight enough to fully prevent hair from shrinking). The key here is to get the root stretched as well but when braiding or flat twisting do not pull hair so tight that it feels uncomfortable, as it will cause breakage.
Note: It is always important to make sure you seal very well before you plait (actually before you do any protective styling).
After at least a day, once hair is dry. I will unravel each plait or flat twist and do two-strand twists or whatever protective style I had in mind. At this point the hair is usually stretched enough to see the length I have worked so hard to retain.

-Stretch hair in two-strand twists
Sometimes I co-wash my hair with two strand twists. This is when I have done very small/mini-twists and do not want to be bothered unraveling before washing but hair badly needs a wash.  I am sure many of you contemplated washing your hair in twists but are afraid of the shrinkage and fuzziness that often results.
Here are my tips to counter that:
Group the twists in about four big plaits if your hair is long enough, six if it is shorter.
Do the plaits loosely so the root is not stretched too tight, leaving you room to work your fingers when washing your scalp.
 Then go for it!
 I often do a co-wash instead as I think shampoo exacerbates the tendency for hair to shrink and get fuzzy after wash. Wash the hair with the plaits in or unravel each plait and wash separately but then re-plait right away while in the shower to keep the hair from shrinking too much and to keep track of the sections you have washed.
 As soon as you have rinsed the conditioner out of your hair (and are out of the shower), get the excess water out of your hair (towel or cotton T), add your favorite sealant from root to end, smoothing as you go (the smoothing will help minimize fuzzing of your hair which is caused by the shrinking of the hair) and plait or flat twist the group of twists in each section.
It is important to:
1. Apply sealant right away after eliminating excess water from hair
2. Apply sealant from root to tip (this smooths the fuzzies and minimizes the tendency to fuzz even more as hair is drying)
3. Plait or flat twist groups of twists immediately after applying sealant - notice I said immediately as time matters. The longer you leave your wet hair loose, the more likely you will experience shrinkage and fuzzing of your twists.

Once you have plaited or flat twisted each group of twists, put a silk scarf over your hair. This will help to keep the hair smooth and keep fuzzies at bay. Try not to cover your whole head with the scarf as it will lengthen the time for your hair to dry. You can leave out the parts of your hair that are tucked away in the plaits or the flat twists, like the ends but definitely put a scarf over the parts of your hair closest to the root or the edges of your hair where you have shorter stray strands that were too short to be part of the plaits and will shrink up if left out.

-Pineapple, plait or flat twist hair overnight for stretched twists.
I plait my twists in about 2 sections because I like the spirally look the plaits give my twists the next day. But you can also pineapple in one or two sections. This will help to keep your twists from shrinking due to humidity or any moisture your hair may experience during the day or night so you can enjoy the length you have while your hair is twisted and also gives you more length to place your hair in ponytails etc if you do updos in twists like I do.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I will add some pics of my hair in plaits, twists and pineappled to give you guys a better idea of my technique. In the meantime I hope this breakdown is helpful. Please let me know either way. Feedback motivates me to keep doing these posts and helps me know what's worth elaborating on more or less.

Later, Curlies

Videos: Dry Detangling

Hi Curlies,
Check out my three videos below about Dry Detangling, broken into parts, 1, 2 and 3.  If you find them helpful please be sure to comment as your feedback will motivate me to ramp up my vids from now on. They are time-consuming but if they help, I will gladly do more. I will also work to improve the videos, including the lighting and the length (sorry - I had a lot to fit in to make sure I broke it down for y'all).
Hope you like:

The intro to video - part 1 says 1 of 2 videos but there are actually 3 videos in this post (see two  more below). So correction: 1 of 3 videos, not two. :-)

Dry Detangling

Hello Curlies!
It's been awhile and I know I've been saying that for awhile but alas I have a soon-to-be-toddler on my hands who acts very much like a toddler already so bear with me. I will be back in full form soon. In the meantime I still make a point to pass on my lessons learned in the hopes new natural can have an easier journey sooner than I did and learn from my mistakes.

 I have been natural for going on two years in February and along the way have learned more than a thing or two about what works and what doesn't (for me). When I had a NS-TWA, I did a post on the best way to detangle - in the shower - hair dripping wet, and don't get me wrong, that worked at the time.

I don't know about you but when I first heard of dry detangling, I pictured me sitting at somebody's knees while they raked a brittle comb through my kinked and matted hair with just a tiny dollop of petroleum jelly to save the day (also known as my childhood hair memories).
But fear not, Curlies - this is NOT what I am talking about.

Like many of you, my hair suffered enough as a child at the hands of unknowing, and rushed adults, who in fiercely trying to get a comb through my parched dry hair often ended the hair session by handing me a large clump of shed (*ahem* broken) hair. Of course those traumatic hair sessions are behind me.
 What I am talking about is something new, and it's using patience, gentleness mix in a generous amount of your favorite oils (or butters) a bit of good 'ol water and your trusty and loving fingers to do the work. The result, when you do it right, will be far lessbreakage than even wet detangling can promise.

I adopted dry detangling mainly because my hair grew and with a good amount of hair (haven't measured the length lately), I came upon issues that forced me to revise my strategy and through trial and error managed to adjust my detangling technique to the new length of my hair.
So here I am to pass on a few tips to you: If your hair is at least 5 inches long, you may be finding that shower detangling yields not much less breakage than raking a comb through dry hair especially if you have super-coiled/kinky hair like I have (mostly in the back of my head). If shrinkage is crazy for you as in your hair when wet shrinks more than 50% then I would recommend rethinking your 'detangle when wet' approach.

Once my hair hit more than 5 inches detangling became a nightmare. I made several revisions to get back to my sanity and protect the growth of my hair - here they are:
1. Detangle in sections
2. Detangle on well-moisturized (but dry or at most lightly damp) hair

Yes I SAID dry. I can hear the gasps already. Please don't judge too quickly. Listen up.
The main reason to detangle when hair is NOT wet is to be able to detangle hair in a STRETCHED state. I will say it again in case you missed it: To reduce breakage, detangle hair after stretching.
This of course calls for dry detangling as you know wetting  hair will make it shrink up faster than you can say 'shrinkage.'
This is what I do. A day or two before I will detangle, I stretch my hair by putting it in a ponytail. Before I pony the hair however, I add a generous amount of oils to the hair.
It goes like this: Dampen hair with your spray bottle contents (for me its just water and spearmint oil because the minty camphor feels good on my scalp) and add your favorite mixture of oils in generous amounts (for me this is coconut oil, castor oil and jojoba oil). After I add the oils I baggy the hair to let the natural heat from my scalp warm the oils and soften the hair.
 I leave the baggy on for a good while, its up to you and once I remove it my hair is soft and damp. At this point, I section my hair into large sections and make each section into a ponytail. I don't comb or detangle at this point, I just take a section of hair and put it into a ponytail. I let the damp hair dry in the pony-ed sections.
Once hair is dry the oils should allow it to remain soft (aka moisturized). When you remove the bands, your section of hair should be stretched at least somewhat, making it easier to glide your fingers through.

Detangling on stretched hair also makes it easier to find and remove single strand knots and prevent new ones from forming while you are detangling. After hair is dry and stretched but moisturized, I begin to detangle. Starting with one pony-ed section, I make sure hair has enough oils,  and if not, I add more, mostly coconut oil as it has strengthening benefits.
I then gently use my fingers to separate hair into smaller sections and work on each smaller section one at a time by gently pulling strands apart. All the time I run my fingers down the length of my hair from root to tip, gently but firmly removing shed hair from the section I am holding.
Once I have pulled out all the shed hair this way, I then glide my fingers gently through the section from root to end (yes I start at the root) and when I hit a snag, I patiently work my fingers to clear the knot and the shed hair causing it. If it is the result of or if it causes a single strand knot, I make sure to locate the knotted strand and clip the knot away just above the knot. I do this section by small section until I have done my whole head.
Yes this takes awhile but its worth it when you are done and realize you have not broken any hairs. Because I have a young baby to tend to, my detangling happens over the course of two days or so, not the whole day of course but every time I have a few minutes in the day, either when baby is napping or put to bed.

If hair feels dry or moisture seems to have gone from a section you are about to do because it took you awhile to get to it, just lightly spritz with water (not enough to cause much shrinkage) and continue on.

If your ends are particularly rough-feeling, lightly spritz on that small section you are working with and keep hair stretched by pulling taut but gently, as you work your way through with your fingers, You want to be able to feel the ends of your strands so you can identify single strand knots. If your ends feel too rough you will have difficulty identifying the single strand knots.
After detangling I re-twist and when I am all done, I either wash my hair this way or take each twist into a bigger section and braid it in preparation for washing. After washing, when conditioner or castor oil is in my hair in generous amounts, I run a comb through the section I am working with just once, maybe twice, but this is just to disperse the conditioner or oil as my hair is mostly detangled by this point.

Detangling on dry but moisturized hair as opposed to soaking wet hair means less breakage as hair is in a more fragile state when wet and will stretch more than it should if you rake a comb through it soaking wet. On short hair, wet detangling is still my favorite way to go but with more length comes more tangles and thus more chances for breakage.
I hope this was helpful. If you have any questions please feel free.

Simple Mud Mask for Soothing your Scalp

Does your scalp feel tender or itchy by wash day?

Are you experiencing very dry or oily scalp by the time you get around to shampooing?

Are you experiencing product buildup causing your scalp and hair to look dull?

Well here is a very simple mask I use mostly to soothe my sometimes tender and itchy scalp but that also works great to add shine to my hair - all you need is:
1/4 - 1/2 cup Rhassoul Clay depending on how thick your hair is (Bentonite will work too)
1/4 cup honey
3-4 tbspns pure virgin coconut oil (vatika oil can substitute)
Water to desired consistency

Mix rhassoul clay and water to desired consistency. Add honey and coconut oil and mix until smooth. Use the paste right away as it will dry out if left to sit. Here I am with the paste in my hair.

I apply the paste while my hair is still braided in sections and massage it in to ensure it gets to all parts of my scalp including the parts hidden away in the braided sections:


Apply paste directly to scalp with fingers and once scalp is covered, smooth along hair - no need to apply to hair ends unless you want to. Let sit no more than 3-4 minutes. Do NOT let the mask dry out on your hair.
 
Rinse out the paste while it is still moist. For that added cool feeling on the scalp, pour a jug of cool water with a few drops of spearmint essential oil over your hair and scalp as a final rinse.
I do this mask before I condition but after shampoo. You can do it however you like, just make sure to rinse away all the paste from your hair.
Let me know how it works for you.
To see my growth so far, check me out at fotki.com/demena24.

Snapshot of My Hair

Puff from an old twistout -
Don't be fooled at the length, the shrinkage is crazy

Just Beautiful

I had the chance to try Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Mask a few months ago (the brand offers samples which makes it much easier to try their products if you are unsure you want to drop the amount of money their full bottles cost before you fall in love with them).
I have to say I was skeptical when the bottle showed up. The consistency of the mask appears light - actually reminded me of a cloud and in fact the color of the conditioner is white. My immediate thought was, I bet this is too light for my (4-something) hair.
But I had committed to giving it a try based on the raves of other naturals.
I used it about a week later after a pre-poo detangling session and then a hair wash and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I expected it to sit on my hair and be water-y but it instantly absorbed unto my hair and offered excellent slip for finger and comb-detangling. It also coats very well.
I know this because I accidently got some on my lips (don't ask me how) and after washing it away  still felt a film on my lips. Not good for lips, but for protecting the hair strand -  a good quality. Don't worry it didn't cause any noticeable buildup. It comes either unscented or scented - your choice. I opted for unscented because I put other products in my hair that are scented and the combination of scents can be overwhelming so it was refreshing to have one product that didn't contribute to the cacaphony.
My overall opinion: Love it!
My only hesitation is the price. I am on a budget and just cannot afford the $25-$40 (plus shipping if you are not in NY) a pop for this stuff and maybe I am using too much in my hair but it goes fast as I have alot of hair (longer).
Still, if you are up for spending alot for a product you will love, I highly recommend it. The list of ingredients are awesome and you will definitely be left feeling like you just did something good for your hair.