Now that my Sisterlocks are mature, I don't use any Sisterlocks™ products to maintain my locks. I have tried many other shampoos & conditioners in the past, and some were good, and some for example the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Retention Shampoo & Conditioner weren't. Below products on the other hand turned out to be my favorite out of the bunch I have tried in the past.

I just love how it smells, and how healthy my scalp looks after using it. Below is my full review of OGX Shampoo & Conditioner (Anti-Breakage Keratin Oil). After my experience with these two products, I really want to try others from the same line, but I feel why mess up a good thing...right? If any of you have tried any of OGX shampoos, I would love for you to share your feedback on the ones you have tried (I'm sure others would appreciate it as well).
Claims
Like all other OGX products, the Anti-Breakage Keratin Oil Collection is packaged in eco-friendly bottles manufactured from materials containing recycled post-consumer resin.  OGX salon-inspired formulas contain exotic active ingredients, use a unique blend of sulfate free surfactants...plus, they smell absolutely amazing. OGX bottles are made from recycled, post-consumer resin. The labels are printed utilizing environmentally friendly inks and compostable label film made from an annually renewable resource corn, not from petrochemicals. The products are not tested on animals, a fact they are proud of and will not change. And OGX's continued mission is to never sacrifice performance in their quest for sustainability.

Like
- Smells GREAT!!!
- Moisturizing
- Cleans
- Suds Action is a Plus
- Mid-Range Affordable
- Contain Keratin Proteins & Argan Oil

Dislike
N/A

This has now replaced my long love affair with Miss Jessie & my wide range of clarify shampoos & conditioners.  It was truly a difficult parting in the beginning from Misse Jessie (*sniff...sniff*), but it had to done due to the fact that I'm locked, and I do like seeing some sudsy action.

This product is sooooo good, and I just love washing my locks with it. Whenever I used these products, my scalp just look so healthy and well moisturized. My Sisterlocks looking shinny and feeling light were a total surprise at my end. This product has both the moisturizing action I need (due to the fact I’m color my hair), and it cleans really well (as shown on my 5K dye run experience).

Even though Miss Jessie moisturizes really well, I could never use those products alone without having to clarifying my hair for my monthly appointment with my consultant (to retighten the roots).

So if you looking for a moisturizing shampoo & conditioner, that cleans really well, than I can wholehearted recommend this. As for preventing breakages, I'm locked, so I can't tell you if this really prevent breakages, but I do love the fact that it has Keratin proteins, and I have used it on my daughter hair with great result. Since I'm very careful with my little girl hair anyways, I didn't notice any less shedding then the usual. So I can’t really say this product prevent breakage.

Running at the Run or Dye 5K was a very fun and exciting experience, and I will always recommend to try it at least once, and only if you are into running (or walking). I sign on pretty early at $25, but I personally don't think it is worth at $45 if you sign up later.

Would I do this event again? The answer is no, and that is due to two things. The first is that they didn't do any "timing" on that location (they don't do it period, and I totally missed that fact in their FAQ'S), and the second was no medals for actually participating in the 5K. I admit that I was spoiled with my last 5K, and I honestly had a higher expectation with this one.

Below are pictures of my dye experience. It was a VERY messy experience. The dye also became yucky toward the end, since I ran the whole thing. I believed I beat my last 5K time (I had to base it on my own numbers). My timing was 28.5 (note: last time I timed myself, I end up having a faster time when the official result was release).  If you are curious on how well the dye came off my Sisterlocks, please continue reading.

I was very picky when I got my Sisterlocks installed, so I never really like sleeping on them while they were wet. I do have friends and guests who have experience the "moldy" smelling locks, and the usual reason was either they did not let their locks completely dry after washing them or they have't completely washed out the products that were used on their locks prior.

If you have 4 type of hair, detangling is a MUST! It helps lesson the amount of hair that you shed, while you are combing out your hair. The only hair you should lose is the hair that sheds naturally every month. If you walking away with a HUGH lump of hair, after a comb out, then you are doing something wrong.

I really hate when I hear certain hair type can't grow long. It just not true! Certain hair type can grow as long as the next person, but in order to see the length, you may have to do more work than someone who has a looser hair type. You just have to accept that some hair type just requires extra tender loving care in order to bloom. Below is the step by step instruction on how to detangle your hair or your daughter's hair for hair retention.

Material Needed
- Shampoo & Conditioner
- Wide Tooth Comb

Step 1. Shampoo  - I prefer doing my detangling in the shower, and while I'm shampooing. You can do it while using your conditioner, but I find when I do it while I shampooing, the hair is much cleaner and product build up are none existing.

I really love the smell of this. It doesn't give the tingle feeling like my other Rosemary shampoo but it does a great job of cleaning my locks. Below is the review of Suave Professionals Shampoo and Conditioner (Rosemary and Mint).

Claims
Salon quality shampoo and conditioner system proven to moisturize your hair as well as Aveda Rosemary Mint shampoo and conditioner. This normal conditioner is infused with 100% natural rosemary and mint, which are known for their invigorating properties. It effectively conditions as it detangles for hair that's soft and shiny.

Like
- Cleans & Lathers Really Well.
- Smell GREAT (smell less minty then my previous clarifier)
- Very Affordable
- I like that it has Rosemary, Eucalyptus, and Jojoba in it.

Dislike
- Smell barely last more than a day.
- Not a good "moisturizing" Shampoo or Conditioner

Conclusion
Though this product claims to be a "moisturizing", my other products left my locks feeling way more softer to touch then this one. This shampoo is definitely a more striping shampoo then Suave Clarifying Shampoo. Even though I don't consider this to be a moisturizing shampoo, I think it makes a great clarifying shampoo, with the most AWESOME light and pleasant smell ever. I WISH the smell would last as long as Suave Clarifying Shampoo.

Suave Rosemary Mint is readily available at my local Wal-Mart (or Target) at a much affordable price ($2.50 a bottle), so my decision to switch over was an easy one. My old clarifier shampoo could be only found online or at a local Sally Beauty Shop, and they are really expensive with the amount I use.  To see the result post about this Shampoo, click here.

Do I recommend this product? It really depends on you and your current lifestyle. If your locks are short, and you not as active as far as GYM etc. are concern, then I truly believe the Suave Clarifying shampoo would be enough for you, and you wouldn't need to go with the most expensive version on the Suave line.

If you are like me, who is very active (GYM), washes their locks with a moisturizing shampoo, and have longer locks that tend to collect debris, then I do recommend this product. If you are more incline to spend a little more, I would highly recommend the Aura Rosemary Mint Shampoo vs. this one.

I notice I had some build up on my last "update" post, and it really did bug the heck out of me. I didn't have time to address the issue then, since I'm in the process of moving, and thing just kept creeping up.

Well I continue to wash with the Suave Clarifying Shampoo, since I still have some left, but it never really took care of the issue, no matter how hard I washed my hair, so I figured at some point; I'm going to need to do a BSW & ACV. Well it seems I don't need to do that. I happen to notice Suave has a professional line that has Rosemary Mint, and it said it is comparable to Aveda. Below are the results of the wash with that brand of shampoo.

BEFORE


AFTER


BEFORE


AFTER

I ran out of my favorite shampoo two months ago, so I decided to give Suave Clarifying Shampoo a try, and see if it can replace the more expensive shampoo that I use now. As you know, I have used  Aura Rejuvenating Shampoo since I got my sisterlocks installed 3 years ago, and I really loved it ever since. Currently I’m running through bottles quicker than I want, so I was hoping that the Suave Clarifying Shampoo & Conditioner would be a nice replacement.

Claims
Bring out the natural beauty of your hair with this pH-balanced deep cleansing formula that helps remove residue without stripping moisture.

• Longer lasting fragrance*
• For normal to oily hair
• Hypo-allergenic

Like
- The smell is just divine and it last for days!
- Cleans really well and not as striping as my other shampoo*.
- Conditioner is light and does soften my sisterlocks.
- The COST is the biggest advantage to this product. You can find the Shampoo and the Conditioner for $1 at your local dollar store.

Dislike
- Not as striping as my other shampoo (I know it weird) but it just doesn't clean as good as my other shampoo.
- Conditioner is hard to find at the local store.

Conclusion: I like this shampoo, and I don't know if I should consider using this product for a couple of month, and then switching to the more expensive brand for a month or two. I'm really on the fence with this one. The other shampoo is a MUCH better as a clarifier than this one, but the other shampoo will no doubt get more expensive as my locks get longer.

In the end, the Suave is looking more and more attractive in the long run, but  if you looking for a really good clarify, I can't recommend this as a complete replacement. If you used this shampoo, I would love to hear your feedback on what you think of it as a clarifier.

Now that my third year anniversary is coming up, I'm reminiscing on the earlier years of being sisterlocks. Below are the lists of things I miss as I continue to go further in my sisterlocks journey.

1) Drying time. My sisterlocks use to dry much faster without a dryer, and now it seem that a dryer is becoming a much needed item for longer locks. When I do braids out or even add curlers to my locks, it now takes more than 12 hours to dry (and that is without the dryer).

To speed up the drying time after washing my hair, I would first dry my sisterlocks for a couple of minutes in the dryer, before I even do one single plats or add the curlers. If I don't do that, it will take at least 10-12 hours to dry. It’s frustrating when you spend 10-20 min doing plats and your locks are still damp in the morning (*ugh*).

2) Thickness. My thickness is gone when I don't have a braid out or curls. When my hair was a newbie, I use to love how thick and full it was while straight. It had those nice little curls at the end that I really made them different & unique. Now for the most part the curly ends are gone.

3) Speed. I really miss how fast it was to add curlers or even do plats on my sisterlocks for a style. I have been lazy lately because of how long it now takes to do plats or add curlers on my hair.

I now understand why my consultant hardly does anything with her hair. It must take forever to put curlers on her long sisterlocks, and I imagine the drying time is a beast.

4) Color. I really miss my auburn color, but I refuse to bleach my sisterlocks in order to get that color. So far I have been using my color spray off and on when I have a bout of color-sick (new word. Like homesick ^_-).

I love the jet black color because my sisterlocks looks so much heather in that color, so even though I miss my original color, I still be sticking with my current jet black. I have been tempted to try the color purple (temporary spray) since it look so hot.

5) Washing. I LOVE washing my hair, but man the amount I use to shampoo and condition my hair has me going through bottles like nobody business. I can see why my consultant washes her hair once a month. I miss those days when a medium size drops would take care of the washing for the day. Now I use two medium size drops (twice) to really get a nice soapy action.

These are the many things that I miss, but I have a lot of thing that I don't miss, and I will share some of that in my future anniversary post.

I'm glad to say that that the residue and film left by the got2b Guardian Angel Heat Protect N' Flatten was successful removed by my clarifier shampoo. To read more about what I'm referring to click here. I'm extremely relieved that it wasn't an issue to remove the residue from my locks. I guess the ingredient in that product can be easily washed away. I don't know if I can still recommend this product to lock wearer.  Below are the comparisons of the issues I had.

Last week I flat ironed my sisterlocks, and I had used a heat protecting spray on my locks. Usually got2b Guardian Angel Heat Protect doesn't leave much of residue when washed out, but something happen differently this time. Today I went swimming with my daughter and when I came out, I had residue and a thick film (barely seen) on my sisterlocks.

I'm not really concern about this residue, because if I have to, I will do my BSW & ACV rinse to get this residue out. I'm more concern if this doesn’t wash out after my usual clarify wash. As I'm looking at the pictures right now, I can't honestly recommend got2b Guardian Angel Heat Protect as a heat protector for locks.

If this residue DOES wash out, I may have stumble upon something interesting about this protector. So far my sisterlocks are soft right now, and not as rough as it usually is after a swim in chlorinated water, I may have found an accidental protector for my hair while I swim? I will give you an update about this issue on a future post.

Have you guys ever looked at the ingredients in shampoo or conditioner and wonder what the heck they are? Hopefully this post will give you an in-depth understanding of what certain ingredients are, and why they "supposedly" bad for you. Now the reason why I added a quote on "supposedly" is simple. My mind frame on shampoos and conditioners are pretty simple. When I buy a "simple" product for my hair, my main concern is as follow. Does it leave ANY build up or residue on my hair? Does it do what it claims to do? That it!

So all this organic blah blah on "hair product" is not a deal breaker for me where shampoos, conditioner, settling lotion or even moisturizer are concern. I start to get concern when a product is marketed as "structure changing" for example a hair dye. I know I'm strange but that how it is for me. So I decided to educate myself on what ingredients are, especially the ones that are found in common used products.

Bad ingredients & the why

Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES) AKA Detergents
This common ingredient act as detergent in many of the shampoos we use. With the aid of DEA & TEA, it forms a foaming/sudsy action many of us love. The reason why you see this in so many shampoo products is because this ingredient easily binds to oil (Sebum) and stripes it away. Sebum, which your scalp naturally produces, is an oily coating that tends to collect dirt, styling products, scalp flakes, etc.

Why it is bad
- Cause hair loss
- Skin Irritation
- Cause Cancer

Similar: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Xylene Sulfonate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate


Diethanolamine (DEA) and/or Triethanolamine (TEA) AKA Foaming/Lather Agent
This ingredient act as a foaming agent with the combine use of deterrent (SLS, SLES) to make the lather that appears when you shampoo your hair.

Why it bad
- Cancers of the stomach, esophagus, liver and bladder.

Similar: PEG-5 cocamide


Sulfur (Salicylic Acid) AKA Dandruff Remover
This ingredient is use to shed dead skin cells from its top layer of the scalp by increasing the amount of moisture in the skin thereby dissolving the substance that makes the cells clump together

Note: I debated on numerous occasions about adding this to the "bad" list, since most dandruff shampoo contain diluted sulfur to help prevent and control dandruff. But I did see it on the "bad" list, so I had to add it.

Why it bad
- Couldn't find any information on why it was bad.

Similar: Selenium Sulfide


Tetrasodium EDTA AKA The Remover
This ingredient is use to separate and remove calcium and magnesium from water while shampooing your hair.

Why it bad
- Breaks down the skin's protective barrier, goes right into your bloodstream

Similar: Edetate Sodium


Propylene Glycol (Propanediol) AKA Moister Keeper
This ingredient is used to keep products moist.

Why it bad
- Skin Irritant
- Linked to Cancer
- Endocrine Disruptor and Neurotoxin

Similar: 1,2-propanediol, Propane-1,2-diol, Glycerine


Final Thoughts: Most of these ingredients are notes as being bad, but have not shown consistent result in the lab to support many of the claims on "why" they are bad. I had to look elsewhere to even get the "why it is bad" information, since Wikipedia explain that the toxicity level of any of the above ingredients are either low or very hard to reach. So basically the ingredients for the most part are dilute enough to be safe. In addition, a lot of these ingredients needs to be combining with other chemical to form any of the aliment mention above, which for the most part shouldn't be in your shampoo or conditioner product since most of the company pay chemist to make sure the chemical they combine are not toxic. So please look at the above list as interesting information and not the solid case for any health related issue or cause.

The only ingredients that I found that was "bad" and may have cause the "natural" shampoos & conditioner crazed was Ethanolamine Lauryl Sulfates which introduced Nitrosamines into shampoos ( Nitrosamines has been linked to be a cancer forming agent) That incident happen 20 years ago and that how SLES came about today. Ethanolamine Lauryl Sulfates right now is not being use in any shampoo as of today. If I’m going to be honest, our shampoos and conditioner is the safest product on the market right now, and if a certain shampoo does it for you, keep it and move on.


Other Ingredients

Tocopherol AKA Vitmains E
This ingredient is added to shampoos to give shine to dry/damage hair. This ingredient also helps with the growth of hair as well as preventing hair loss.

Similar:  Tocotrienols

Glycerine AKA Moisturizer & Preservative
This ingredient is added as a humectant (absorb/draws in water from the air).

Similar: Propylene Glycol

Cocamidopropyl Betaine AKA Thickner, Stablizer, & Pereservative
This ingredient is added to make your product thicker which reduces the amount of harsher detergents needed. Consider this as a diluter with a punch because of the fact that it has anti-static element as well as the fact that it also humectant.

Similar: Benzine Sulfonates, Emollient Isopropyl Palmitate


Surfactant Ammonium Xylenesulfonate AKA Thickerner & Mixture
As we all know, oil and water don't mix, this ingredient helps mix all the special effect like perfume or any odd ingredients together.

Similar: Glycerol Stearate

Wax Glycol Distearate AKA Special effects
This ingredient is what makes the shampoo and conditioner look all nice and pretty by making them look opaque and pearlescent. It also help liquid comes out of the bottle easier.

Sodium Chloride  AKA Table Salt
This is ingredient makes the mixture thicker and is used with the combination of other more expensive thickeners to help keep the salt level low.

DMDM Hydantoin AKA Preservative
Is a preservative that is found in many shampoos which prevent fungal and bacterial from forming. This ingredient releases formaldehyde which kills or make environment less favorable for microorganisms.

Similar: Imidazolidinyl, Isothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Sodium benzoate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol

Citric Acid AKA a pH balancer
Since most shampoos are made to be slightly acidic, this ingredients help bring that the acidic level and close down the cuticle after it was raised. This is ingredient commonly found in conditioner.

Similar: Sodium Citrate

Dimethicone AKA Silicone Oils
This is mostly found in conditioner and it basically oils to keep the hair cuticle smooth and slippery.

Similar: Cyclomethicone, Siloxane Polymers


Quaternary Ammonium AKA Anti-static Agent
This ingredient likes to bind to the protein found in our hair to create a smooth surface, which help reduces the buildup of static electricity. It acts as a lubricant which aid in the detangling of your hair.

Cetrimonium Chloride AKA Thickner
This ingredient is a thickener which is used to detangle and smooth out the hair. It also have anti-static element and used to keep the mixture together,

Similar: Stearalkonium chloride, disteardimonium chloride, quaternium-5 or quaternium-18, polyquaternium-10

Conclusion: Most cheap shampoo that you buy will have at least one or more of the "bad" ingredients mention above. For example, Suave Shampoo Daily Clarifying which is very popular in the dreadlock community has more the one of the ingredients mention above.

If a shampoo or conditioner that you have has any of the above ingredients, and you have not suffered from any hair loss or dry hair, then don't switch. I learn more then I needed to know about ingredients found in Shampoos & Conditioner, but I think the fact that I'm more educated now on them makes me less of a push over when it comes to marketing technique. I perfectly fine with my sets of shampoos & conditioner for my sisterlocks and I hope you guys are too.

Note: What I note as "similar" mean they act the same way of the original main ingredients. What I note as "AKA" (Also Known As) is a simpler word of what it actually is vs. the complex ingredients name. This post is purely research combine to make it simple for anyone to understand. I can't guarantee that I have everything 100% right. So if you want to add something else, please leave a comment below.

I won the above shampoo and conditioner in a contest thrown by Jungle Barbie. I decided to release a review of these two products after a couple months of use. These two products are not recommended for newly install sisterlocks. I also decided to do some research on ingredients that are founds on our daily hair care products. I was under the impression that natural shampoo didn't produce any suds. This shampoo and conditioner did.  Once I have a complete understanding of common ingredients found in beauty products, I will then share my findings with you guys. Below are my thoughts on the shampoo and conditioner.

What it Claims
Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo
Gentle, all-natural shampoo will help soften, moisturize and repair damaged, over-processed hair.
Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioning Milk
Moisturizes and repairs dry, lifeless, over-processed and damaged hair.

Likes
 - It cleans without striping (Shampoo)
 - It softens and retains moisture (Conditioner)
 - Sudsy (Shampoo & Conditioner)
 - Love the fact the conditioner can be used as an optional leave-in

Dislikes
 - I hate the smell. (It has a natural organic musk that I'm not feeling all.)
 - It has super strong smell. I don't like STRONG smells.
 - Crumps of the conditioner can get caught on the locks. I believe that is due to the pump, which helps with wastefulness, but leads to dry crump being stuck at the pump end.

I will continue to use this shampoo and conditioner after I run out of Misses Jesse. Would I buy this product in the future? Most likely not and that is solely due to the smell. I know they have other shampoos and conditioners on the Shea Moisture line, and if they have one that smell more feminine and light, then I would buy that instead. Do I recommend this? Yes, I do. I think the shampoo and conditioner will work great for a guy. If you are a female, I honestly don't see you liking this strong smelling product on your locks, unless you like wearing man cologne (I do have a friend that does lol).

Note: When using these type of moisturizing shampoos (Miss Jesse or Shea Moisture) you will have to clean and rinse out your locks thoroughly. I highly recommend a clarify wash once a month, especially if you wash your locks more than 3 times a month. This will prevent build up from happening, especially with these heavily marketed moisturize products.

I use to wonder about the washing and rinsing habit of hair salon. My hair stylist would wash my hair with warm water and then do a final rinse with cool water (which felt great). Even though I stop gong to the hair salon after going natural, I kept with the same washing process for years, and I had no idea why (same idea for the chlorine after rinse). So I did some digging around and found the reason behind the cold rinse. I found out that washing your hair in warm water (with shampoo) opens the hair shaft. Rinsing your hair with cool/cold water afterward will help close and seal the hair shaft. Pretty cool huh!

If you ever have a chance.....try the cool water rinse. I usually do this....
Once I have completely washed my sisterlocks with shampoo and conditioner (in warm water) I rinse my sisterlocks with cool/cold water to seal in the protein, moisture, etc. I also notice when I'm rinsing out my sisterlocks with the cold water, my hair is much more shinier, and the color is more rich & vibrant.

Here are recent pictures of my sisterlocks after a clarifying wash. Please note: These pictures are taken after my temporary instant amber hair highlights (if you need any additional peace of mind before trying that hair spray).