Most Essential Products I want to Try For My Hair/ Beauty Regimen

I've been looking everywhere for the best products that will work for my hair. Currently, I use Bio Infusion Olive Oil products (I won't be purchasing these anymore). They are really meant for women who have relaxed hair, even though they claim that women with natural hair can use these products, too. I like the way my hair looks when I use the leave in conditioner and the hair serum for shine. I feel that natural hair needs natural products and chemically treated hair needs chemically based products. Here are the products I would like to try for my hair and skin:

1. African Black Soap: Everywhere online, bloggers, vloggers and commenters have sworn left and right that it is an elixir for hair and skin. Since I have eczema, I plan on trying this on my hair and skin. I hope that it makes my hair soft and gets rid of my scalp problems.

2. Shea Butter: This is a type of solid oil used along with black soap. It can be melted and used for the hair and skin. It's been said that it works for dry skin. I am going to order it to see if it really works on my hair.

3. Eco Styler Hair Gel:  This will be the only hair gel that will work for my hair type without making my locks feel crunchy and without it flaking. I read reviews on Amazon.com about this product and the reviewers swear by it.

4. Yes to Carrots Conditioner: Currently I use Suave as a co-washing conditioner (the coconut version) and I do not think I'll buy any Suave products for my hair. I keep expecting cowashing to cure or at least treat my scalp problems when I am too far gone in terms of the dandruff. I saw Yes to Carrots at my local Walgreens and I wasn't sure if it would suit my hair type. I read that this product will work for cowashing. Today (9/13/10), I might buy a small bottle of Yes to Carrots or Yes to Cucumbers just to see which product works for my hair.

5. Head and Shoulders Two in One Shampoo and Conditioner: I swore to myself that I will use an all natural method of curing my dandruff problem that I had since forever. I tried this product on my hair, it worked and it made my hair feel soft and free of dandruff. I will use this when I wash my hair once a week before a deep conditioning treatment. If I don't like this product anymore or if they discontinue it, I'll use black soap to make a shampoo or try the eczema line of the SheaMoisture brand.

6. Coconut Oil: This should be a staple for those who have afro textured hair, curly hair or porous hair. It can be used when mixing products, or on its own as a natural hair conditioner. Coconut oil is also edible and can be used in vegan recipes in place of shortening, because it's a solid oil.

7 Cocoa butter/Mango Butter: These, like coconut oil and shea butters are solid oils that can be use to moisturize hair. These products can be used as substitutes for shea butter for making hair products. Some people do not enjoy the smoky scent of shea. These can be found at health food stores or on Amazon or Ebay. I'm willing to try all the solid oils on my hair when I get a chance to order them. I think making hair products will be better than just buying shampoos and conditioners that I'm not sure about.

8. Henna/Ayurvedic Products: My friend who is vegan swears by the Ayurvedic diet. Many women who wear natural hair swear by the Ayurvedic hair regimen. I will try both the diet and the hair products. I plan on doing henna treatments on my hair when it gets longer, or I should say the six months mark since I cut my hair.

9. Essential Oils: These are important for mixing shampoos and conditioners. Some essential oils can help treat hair and scalp problems such as dandruff and alopecia.

I want to make a disclaimer that all the products listed in this post can be used for any hair type.
Eventually, I will be reviewing these products. My goal is to NOT become a product junky, because it is important to experiment with hair products and at the same time, you want to go easy on the pockets and space.

Skin, Hair and All Regimen

I'm aware that I'm getting much older. I need to look better. I watched a video yesterday by a YouTuber about eight rules of being beautiful. The one that I question the most is wearing makeup. I find this to be controversial, because I had one guy friend telling me that I need to wear makeup and another one telling me that I don't need makeup. The one that says that I need make up believes that super models are the most gorgeous women in the world and the other feels like women with natural, average curves and medium in height are the most beautiful. Not to mention they are from two different countries, Canada and US respectively. I'm not saying that what men say really matters. I'm not saying that a man's opinion does not count. To some degree, every woman, no matter who she is, desires to be desired by the opposite sex or the same sex. I believe also that we can improve ourselves.

I want to perfect my skin, hair and teeth before choosing makeup. My goal for this is to cowash my hair three times a week and wash my skin twice a day and moisturize it. I want to wash my hair once a week and deep condition when I wash it. I could also skip cowashing and shampoo and condition my hair once a week. I was told that washing my hair type once a week keeps it from drying out and breaking. To protect my hair, I will sleep with a wrap or a satin bonnet. When I don't want to wear my hair out I will braid it in a circle and cover it with a scarf. Not brushing or combing it will keep it from breaking and getting knots at the end. I will also work on maintaining my nails and the skin on the rest of my body. Although I look very young for my age, I want to maintain that youth in appearance. When I order the black soap and shea and the other items on this list, I will try them for thirty days to see if I like them, if I do, I will continue to use these products.