6 Products for Scalp Psoriasis Relief On and Between Wash Days

I'm no stranger to scalp drama.

Since 9th grade (don't ask what year that was, just mind your business 😭), I've been dealing with psoriasis on my skin — and especially my scalp. When my scalp flares up (like it is now), these flakes show no mercy. They come for my hairline, for the areas behind my ears, along my nape, and of course, anywhere I might even consider parting for a style. And now that we’re in the middle of fall and staring winter in the face, that’s exactly what I’m up against.

Psoriasis tends to be tougher on us in the fall and winter months, when days are shorter and direct sunlight is sparse. In the spring and summer, sunbathing and soaking up Vitamin D helps tremendously with keeping psoriasis plaques at bay. And as we stare down November (honestly I can’t believe I’m saying that 😭), this is the time of year that I get desperate for solutions and relief.

Honestly, I can deal with the plaques themselves. I can live without parts and protective styles. But what I absolutely cannot handle is the near constant itching, and the flakes falling everywhere as a result. It's annoying and sometimes embarrassing, but not as severe as it could be — so I'm thankful for that.

Luckily, I've found a good selection of products that provide relief from those annoyances — keeping me from scratching my scalp like crazy and washing my hair every other day.

I hope they can bring you some relief, too.

Between Wash Days, Try:

Sunday II Sunday Root Refresh Micellar Rinse

Over the course of the last month, I’ve been using the Sunday II Sunday Root Refresh Micellar Rinse along with the Soothe Me Daily Scalp Serum as a part of my nighttime post workout scalp care routine. I’ve noticed that with regular use, my scalp isn’t nearly as dry between washes, and any itching I do experience is almost immediately relieved.

When we sweat, our thick, dense, textured strands trap dirt, bacteria, and salt against our scalp — leading to itching, dryness, and flakes. Over time, the high salt content of sweat can actually dehydrate our already difficult to moisturize hair, leading to brittleness and breakage.

For me, this is where the Root Refresh Micellar Rinse absolutely SHINES. While the most straightforward solution for removing dirt, bacteria, and salt from the scalp is to co-wash or shampoo, over-manipulating natural hair can lead to even more breakage and damage down the line. Sunday II Sunday Root Refresh Micellar Rinse is the perfect alternative. It’s formulated with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients like apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, and myrrh to gently cleanse and purify the scalp between wash days.

After my workouts or any time I have a case of the itchies, I spritz my scalp directly with the Root Refresh Micellar Rinse and massage it in. The sweet relief is near instantaneous.

Oh and by the way, if you ever wondered what a waterless or dry shampoo for natural hair should look like, it looks exactly like Root Refresh Micellar Rinse. 

Sunday II Sunday Soothe Me Daily Serum

If the Root Refresh Micellar Rinse is like a shampoo substitute, then the Soothe Me Daily Serum by Sunday II Sunday is definitely the conditioner. It’s jam-packed with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and scalp soothing extracts like cordyceps, turkey tail mushroom, and peppermint. When I do a full review, we’ll take a further dive into the ingredients Sunday II Sunday formulates their products with. They’re super fascinating and honestly unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

And y’all know I’ve seen a lot of ingredients over the last 8 years.

The Soothe Me Daily Scalp Serum is clear, lightweight, and does a great job at tackling itching and dryness between wash days. Because of thick psoriasis scales, oils don’t always penetrate all the way through to the scalp — and minutes later, you’ll end up with itchy scalp all over again. Soothe Me Daily Scalp Serum is water-based, it penetrates easily, hydrates my dry scalp, and gets to the root of my itchy woes to provide relief that lasts.

As a matter of fact, I'm using it right now as I type.

 

Curls Blueberry & Mint Tea Hair Growth and Scalp Treatment

I’ve raved about this product since it was released because it contains one of my absolute faaaaavorite ingredients for tight, sore-feeling scalp — menthol.

Yes, the same menthol that’s in Vick’s vapor rub.

When my scalp feels dry and tight, or gets a little sore (my roots feel tender when my hair enters a growth spurt, and psoriasis exacerbates that), I always reach for the Curls Blueberry Mint Tea Hair Growth and Scalp Treatment. It works like a charm every single time.

I'm always adding a bottle to my drive-up order at Target.

If you love a cool tingle, this right here is the one! Catch my review on the Curls Blueberry & Mint Tea Hair Growth and Scalp Treatment here.

On Wash Day, Try:

TPH by Taraji Never Salty

Confession: I used to throw major shade at scalp scrubs. I never understood their purpose, and I was very much of the mindset that your fingers could get the same job done without wasting extra time fussing around with goopy scrubs.

I’m not above admitting when I’m wrong. So, I was wrong. And it was Never Salty from TPH by Taraji that helped me see the light.

This scrub y’all, is life. The cool tingle is next level, courtesy of my (already mentioned) favorite ingredient,  menthol. Never Salty also contains apple cider vinegar, peppermint,  sweet almond oil, and coconut oil — softening, soothing, and invigorating the scalp as it helps to lift stubborn flakes. The scrubbing sensation feels heavenly, and the oils prevent the scalp from feeling stripped after rinsing.

I bought one tube from Target, and went back for three more the next day. It's that good.

Home Health Psoriasis Medicated Scalp and Body Wash

I've gone through my fair share of salicylic acid shampoos and cleansers over the years, and most of them weren't much to write home about. But then I stumbled across the Psoriasis Medicated Scalp and Body Wash by Home Health on Amazon.

Of all the psoriasis shampoos I've tried, this one is the absolute best at lifting flakes and scales. I use the pump to apply it directly to my scalp and let it sit for 30 minutes or so with a shower cap, just like I would a deep conditioner. After 30 minutes has passed, the scales come up with minimal effort. This is such a critical function for folks with psoriasis — trying to lift scales forcefully can cause scratches and bleeding that leads to a vicious cycle of even more inflammation, scaling, and hair loss.

For loosening scales, the Psoriasis Medicated Scalp and Body Wash is that jam. I love that it contains absolutely no artificial fragrance or colors. But be warned, it is not friendly on natural hair. It has no slip, and can leave you in a bad bind if your hair is super tangled before you use it.

Which leads me to the final must-have on my list:

Be Kekoa Be Clean Cleansing Conditioner

Yes, my absolute most favorite, undeniable holy grail nearly 6 years and running is also one of my must-haves for handling scalp psoriasis.

And here's why.

As a co-wash, it absolutely has that lovely itch-soothing tingle I love, and does a great job at softening psoriasis scales for removal. When I don't want to go all-in with a shampoo (either the Home Health Psoriasis Wash or Be Kekoa's own Be Clair), Be Clean is what I reach for. But beyond that, I've found that it's absolutely essential to use Be Clean before I put the Home Health Psoriasis Wash on my scalp.

As I mentioned earlier, the Home Health Psoriasis Medicated Scalp and Body Wash has zero slip. Like, none. Not even on detangled hair. It's a medicated shampoo with sulfates, and not at all designed to be friendly for natural hair. So in order to not destroy my strands, I coat and detangle my hair with Be Clean Cleansing Conditioner prior to using the Psoriasis Medicated Scalp and Body Wash. Important to note: I don't rinse the Be Clean out before applying the Home Health Psoriasis Wash.

The end result? My scalp gets the attention it needs, without making my textured strands suffer. For more on my love affair with Be Clean, read my review here. 

from The Mane Objective https://ift.tt/3jxuaHF

My Quarantine Regimen for Healthy Natural Hair Growth

I can’t believe it’s basically August.

Us LA folks have been at home on punishment since March, and by the looks of it, we're on track to spend the rest of 2020 that way. 😭 Through it all, I can’t unerscore how incredibly blessed I’ve been in this season — to be able to work from home, connect with clients under Christina Patrice Creative, and of course, work behind the scenes with Samuel on Station 1923.

Admittedly, I haven’t had a bunch of free time to play in my hair, but perhaps it’s for the best. And even though I've had less time to play with and in my hair, I feel like my hair is in the healthiest growing phase I've had in a while.

I specify healthiest growing phase because my hair has been through some rough patches in the last few year, most of which were resolved by my 2019 cut with Brandie at Be Kekoa. My last cut with Brandie was in ye olden times, February of 2020 Pre-Corona. My cut in February was all about restoring shape and fullness, so that my hair could grow out and reach its full potential.

And while on quarantine, it most certainly has. 🙌🏽

In the past five months, my hair has grown considerably — although my shrinkage is at the peak of disrespect, so you can't really tell. My curls look and feel healthy, my wash and go's look full, and best of all, I don't have janky splitting ends that need to be cut every month.

So what's the secret?

A handful of regimen changes. While not wild or drastically different from my norm, the tweaks I've made to my wash day and styling regimen while in quarantine have helped me greatly to:

• retain length
• reduce frizz
• enhance definition
• reduce split and breaking ends
• preserve the health of my hair long-term

Even though its been some months since I've sat in Brandies chair, my hair is at a place where I don't need to have it trimmed, and I don't really feel compelled to grab the scissors myself. Here's what I've been doing:

Change #1: Wash Day is No Longer an ALL-DAY Affair

Wash day is something like an olympic sport in the natural hair community. From overnight pre-poos to multi-day drying, time-consuming doesn't even begin to describe the effort some of us put into our hair. While my wash day was already whittled down to the basics (cleanse, deep condition, style), the styling portion always got me. Even though I could get my wash and go styled in under an hour, the dry time on that mamma jamma was insane.

You mean to tell me I gotta spend 1 hour styling, 2 more hours under the dryer — and still go to bed with wet hair? And y'all KNOW how annoying and hard it is to sleep on wet hair. Even with my wig net method. 

So I stopped doing it. Jesus didn't die on the cross for me to go to bed with hair that sounds like stirring mac and cheese.

After my cleansing and deep conditioning, I apply my leave-in in the shower, twist my hair in about 8-10 chunky sections and... go on about my business.

Usually that means I go outside to work out, and let the fresh air and sunshine do what it will in terms of air drying. And I don't need to tell you that hair dries a lot faster when there's not 15 layers of gel on top of it. 😭

But what does this mean for my wash and go styles? I'm glad you asked...

Change #2: Damp/Dry Styling

I know what you're thinking. You're wondering who's writing this blog post, and what they've done with Christina.

I promise, it's me.

Yes, the same Christina who's been saying since like 2014 to style on soaking, drippity, wet-wet hair. I'm now telling you that as of July in the Year of Our Lord and Corona 2020, I no longer style on wet hair.

Why? It all comes down to time and results.

Truthfully, I always shied away from damp or dry styling because I thought it would leave my hair frizzy and undefined. The lie detector test determined that was a lie:

So now that I've gotten the technique down and my style results are the same as, if not better than, the wet styling results, I have no reason to go back.

As far as time is concerned, can we talk about the fact that MY HAIR STARTS DRYING BEFORE I CAN EVEN FINISH STYLING? Not that dry from the mid-shaft down business, but dry-dry. Fully dry. As in after about an hour or so of air drying without even trying, my hair is done.

I don't go to bed with wet hair anymore. Praise Jesus.

I'll update you all with a video tutorial and breakdown of my damp/dry styling method soon, I promise.

Change #3: Apple Cider Vinegar
Although the products I've used in my regimen have remained somewhat consistent (save for a few that I'll explain in a bit), I have focused on adding two ingredients to my regimen — apple cider vinegar and rose water.

Back in 2013 I sang the praises of ACV in the form of a spritz, and about two months ago, something prompted me to revisit that post. If you choose to read it, please don't judge the VERY 2013 photos and graphics. Thank God for growth.

Anywho, I began incorporating apple cider vinegar into my regimen as a rinse using a 1:3 ratio. After rinsing my deep conditioner, I use an applicator bottle to apply the diluted ACV from scalp to ends before adding my leave-in.

My hair has felt phenomenal ever since.

In case you were wondering, I use the Kirkland raw, unfiltered, and organic apple cider vinegar from Costco because it comes in a 3-pack of 32oz bottle for about $7 or so.


Change #4: Rose Water-Based Mousses
Up until about April or so, I never really "got" mousses. I just chalked them up to being lightweight stylers that could never work for my hair. And well, that's only partially true.

While my hair could NEVER hold a lasting wash and go with mousse alone, I found the perfect way to incorporate it into my regimen with one caveat — it must contain rose water.

Why?

Rose water hydrates and soothes the skin in hair, and contains a wealth of antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, pH balancing, soothing, and blood-circulating properties. It's full of antioxidants and essential fatty acids, and aids in repairing hair porosity issues.

Anecdotally, I find it to help with hydrating my hair, keeping my hair shaft smooth (especially my ends that tend to get rough and gnarly), reducing frizz, and enhancing shine.

After my wash day twists are dried, I typically style my hair the next day or so. I'm in no rush, because well, where am I gonna go? We're in quarantine. Per section, I use 1-2 pumps of mousse to reactivate my curls and start the styling process.

Since April, I've only rotated between two mousse products to do this: Be Kekoa's Be Free Rose Water Mousse, and tgin's Rose Water Curl Defining Mousse. They both contain rose as the second ingredient, have great slip, and play well with my leave-ins and curl definers of choice. I'll do a review on the Be Kekoa Be Free Rose Water Mousse soon. You can check out my tgin Rose Water Curl Defining Mousse review here.

What Hasn't Changed

My Overall Regimen
Everything I covered in this post in my Natural Hair 101 series still rings true. I still alternate between co-washing and clarifying, and I deep condition with heat. And yes, I still proudly use silicones. 🙃

How I Preserve My Hair
Everything I outlined in this post in terms of preserving my wash and go's still rings true. To avoid too much stress on my strands, I don't band every night. In fact, most nights after I go through my gel cast break and stretch, I just use this gigantic banana clip I got at Ulta forever ago, cover my hair with a scarf, and call it a night.

I don't refresh between wash days, because my hair never really calls for it anymore.

During workouts, I've recently gravitated toward using the Puff Cuff, which I picked up at Sally Beauty some months ago. I have the largest one, but I know they come in multiple sizes.

My Products and Brands of Choice
Ever since my Natural Hair 101 series using the same products for three months, my outlook on being a product junkie has changed considerably. I switch things up sparingly when a product catches my eye — but by and large, I use the same things.

I'm sorry if it bores y'all. Here's what I use about 90-95% of the time:

Be Kekoa

Be Clair Sulfate-Free Clarifying Shampoo

Be Clean Cleansing Conditioner

Be Slay'd Edge Control

Mana Butter
Be Free Rose Water Mousse
Be Lola Intense Hydrating Mask
Be Curl-licious Hydrating Leave-In Conditioner

Soultanicals

'Fro Despair Vitamin Hair Repair Deep Conditioner
Whatever else I can get my hands on, honestly. It's rough in these streets and y'all snatch up ALL the Soultanicals whenever Ayo sends that email. 😭

tgin

Honey Miracle Hair Mask

Curl Bomb

Green Tea Leave-In
Curls n' Roses Rose Water Hydrating Hair Mask
Curls n' Roses Rose Water Curl Defining Mousse
Curls n' Roses Rose Water Smoothing Leave-In Conditioner
Curls n' Roses Rose Water Curl Defining Styling Gel

Alikay Naturals
Lemongrass Hold It Styling Gel
Lemongrass Slay & Lay Edge Gel
Botanicals Hair and Scalp Balm (review here)

Zotos Professional All About Curls
All About Curls Collection Review

WetLine Xtreme Gel
Because I still got some with the green lid on it.

That other 5-10% of the time, I may be using products from another brand that I enjoy, trying something new, or using an occasional treatment.

That's it y'all, that's the tea! Got any other regimen specific questions? Feel free to drop 'em here or on Instagram! Stay safe, sane, and masked up!

from The Mane Objective https://ift.tt/2EyyWpB

Review: tgin Curls n' Roses on Low Porosity Natural Hair

I know y'all knew this was coming!

As soon as @bronzegirlwithcurls slid in my DMs with that screenshot to Ulta's website, I've been determined to get my hands on the tgin Curls n' Roses collection. The Curls n' Roses collection was designed to provide all natural hair textures with lightweight definition and volume — with a special focus on fine, low density, and low porosity hair.

Although my hair isn't particularly fine or low density, it is low porosity and I live for amazing curl definition. In this review, I'll be breaking down the details you really want to know:

• Do the Curls n Roses products work?
• What's the difference between the original tgin Moist Collection and Curls n' Roses?
• Is this really a new collection, or is it the same ol' same with a few extra ingredients?
• How do I know which products to use?

If you've been wondering the real deal about Curls n' Roses by tgin, read and watch on!

[EMBED VIDEO]

Rose Water Sulfate Free Hydrating Shampoo

Cost

$14.99 for 13oz

Where to Buy

All Curls n' Roses products are available exclusively at Ulta.

Active Ingredients

• Water
• Rose Flower Extract: Derived from rose petals that works to hydrate and soothe the skin and hair. Contains antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, pH balancing, soothing, and blood-circulating properties along with antioxidant Vitamins A, C, D, and E, and essential fatty acids.
• Extracts of Acai, Ginger, Lavender, Calendula: Stimulates and encourages hair growth while providing antibacterial and scalp-soothing support to hair follicles. Fights signs of aging and damaging in hair.
• Marula Seed Oil: Lightweight oil packed with nutrients and fatty acids that fight aging and signs of damage.
• Sugar Cane Extract: Moisturizing ingredient and humectant derived from sugar cane.
• Sugar Maple Extract: Natural antibacterial and exfoliant that aids in repairing damaged caused by free radicals.

A note on extracts:

The FDA requires that cosmetic products display their ingredient list in descending order of predominance. Therefore, whatever ingredients are at the top of the list are present in higher quantities. As the list goes on, the ingredients' presence in the product is less than the one before it. This is why I stick to "Active Ingredients" in my reviews — the first 5-7 ingredients listed will have the greatest impact on your hair. That miracle extract listed as 17th will not — and you're just paying for the name on the label.

What's interesting about tgin's Curls n' Roses formulation is that most of the products contain a core blend of extracts listed in the same order — rose, acai, ginger, lavender, and calendula — which is why I chose to put them all together. I don't actually know if tgin uses a single blend of all those ingredients, or if they're mixed in individually. What I do know is that they consistently appear at the top of the list — which means they're in significant enough quality to follow directly behind water.

That said, I wanted to make sure that in my ingredient breakdown, I also included the "other things" aside from the extracts that have an impact on the hair.

Protein Free?

Yes

Curly Girl-Friendly?

:::scratches behind ear:::

To be honest, I don't know how much longer I'll include this section in my reviews. Call me biased or whatever, but I never found the curly girl method to be of any use. Shampoos, sulfates, and silicones all have their place in a healthy hair regimen — and I will always, always, ALLLLLLLWAYYYYYS advocate for a clean scalp.

That said, the Rose Water Sulfate Free Hydrating Shampoo doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is — a shampoo that gently cleanses the hair and scalp.

The Good

One of the first things that stood out to me about the entire Curls n' Roses collection is the fragrance. It's floral, but not Church-Mother-on-the-Front-Pew floral. It's gentle and sweet without being overbearing. It lathers up well, which is something I always appreciate about tgin's shampoos. It also does a great job of cleaning the hair and scalp without making them feel squeaky and dry.

The Bad

To be honest, I don't have anything "bad" to say about the Rose Water Sulfate Free Hydrating Shampoo. It doesn't strip the hair or scalp, and does a great job at removing the gobs of product I apply to my hair. It's not super slippy (but then again, it's not really supposed to be as a shampoo), but doesn't exacerbate tangles. 

What's the Difference?
As far as cleansing ability, it's very similar to the Moisture Rich Sulfate Free Shampoo. Both lather, cleanse, and prep the hair for deep conditioning quite well. The one difference I have noticed between the two is that the Moisture Rich Sulfate Free Shampoo does a bit better of a job with de-frizzing my hair.

The Bottom Line
For the shampoo, I'm going to defer to my fine-haired and low density sistas. As someone who's hair can handle a bit more (have you seen how much gel I use? 😂), I can't speak directly to the benefit of a lightweight shampoo. But by no means is it a bad shampoo.

Would I Buy Again?
To be honest, probably not. And it's not because it's a bad shampoo. Personally, I prefer tgin's Moisture Rich Sulfate Free Shampoo as my non-clarifying shampoo option. 

Rose Water Hydrating Hair Mask

Cost

$17.99 for 12oz

Where to Buy

All Curls n' Roses products are available exclusively at Ulta.

Active Ingredients

• Water
• Rose Flower Extract: Derived from rose petals that works to hydrate and soothe the skin and hair. Contains antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, pH balancing, soothing, and blood-circulating properties along with antioxidant Vitamins A, C, D, and E, and essential fatty acids.
• Extracts of Acai, Ginger, Lavender, Calendula: Stimulates and encourages hair growth while providing antibacterial and scalp-soothing support to hair follicles. Fights signs of aging and damaging in hair.
• Marula Seed Oil: Lightweight oil packed with nutrients and fatty acids that fight aging and signs of damage.
• Aloe Vera Juice: Acts as a natural conditioning agent that restores the hair's sheen, luster, and shine. It not only makes the hair soft, but it also enhances strength and suppleness.
• Coconut Oil: Oil high in saturated fats (which is why when cold, it is solid). One of the few known oils to penetrate the hair shaft and truly moisturize hair. Coconut oil helps to moisturize, seal, and prevent breakage.

Protein Free?

Yes

Curly Girl-Friendly?

Fine. I'll indulge you guys. It contains cyclopentasiloxane and dimethicone as the very last two ingredients on the list.

The Good

Like it's nutrient-dense counterpart Honey Miracle Hair Mask, the Rose Water Hydrating Hair Mask is thick, rich, and packed with good for hair and scalp ingredients. It smells amazing, has tons of slip, and leaves hair feeling soft, hydrated, and shiny without weighing it down. Honestly, the Rose Water Hydrating Hair Mask is one of my favorite products in the entire collection. It will detangle, bless, and nourish your strands from root to ends in 30 minutes or less. 🙌🏽

Having multiple textures and porosities, it can be hard to find products that treat my trifilin' sections just as well as they treat my not-so-trifilin' sections. I never ran into that issue with the Curls n' Roses collection — especially with the Rose Water Hydrating Hair Mask. Y'all saw how my hair looked in the video before I started wash day! The Rose Water Hydrating Hair Mask was CLUTCH in terms of reviving the disaster atop my head. And did I mention how BOMB it smells?!

The Bad

While I absolutely LOVE the Rose Water Hydrating Hair Mask, I must admit that for me, it doesn't pack as much of a de-frizzing punch as I had hoped. And in all honesty, I'm not mad about it. The Rose Water Hydrating Hair Mask is designed to provide lightweight hydration for finer and lower density hair. I don't particularly fit the bill on either of those, so some extra frizz is to be expected. Had the product been made any heavier, it would likely not work for those with fine and low density hair. 🤷🏽‍♀️

What's the Difference?

Both the Honey Miracle and Rose Water Hydrating Hair Masks are thick, rich, nourishing, and smell delicious — but that's about where the similarities end. The ingredient lists are totally different. How they perform is totally different. The end results on the hair are also totally different. Honey Miracle is humectant and oil rich — honey, glycerin, olive, jojoba...and the list goes on. Rose Water Hydrating, however, leans on lighter weight ingredients and extracts to hydrate the hair. In the end they both work — but in different ways. It all boils down to what your hair needs.

The Bottom Line

The Rose Water Hydrating Hair Mask is a rich, penetrating deep conditioner that can correct a whole host of hair woes — especially for low porosity. If you have challenges getting deep conditioners to penetrate, or feel like as soon as you rinse, the softness goes down the drain with it, definitely give the Rose Water Hydrating Hair Mask a try. Oh, and for those that care — it's glycerin-free!

Would I Buy Again?
Yes, yes, yes, a million times yes. Before this review was even a thing, I had already ordered 2 jars from Ulta. And I'm gonna send my mama some for her cute lil' TWA.

Rose Water Smoothing Leave In Conditioner

Cost

$14.99 for 13oz

Where to Buy

All Curls n' Roses products are available exclusively at Ulta.

Active Ingredients

• Water
• Rose Flower Extract: Derived from rose petals that works to hydrate and soothe the skin and hair. Contains antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, pH balancing, soothing, and blood-circulating properties along with antioxidant Vitamins A, C, D, and E, and essential fatty acids.
• Extracts of Acai, Ginger, Lavender, Calendula: Stimulates and encourages hair growth while providing antibacterial and scalp-soothing support to hair follicles. Fights signs of aging and damaging in hair.
• Marula Seed Oil: Lightweight oil packed with nutrients and fatty acids that fight aging and signs of damage.
• Aloe Vera Juice: Acts as a natural conditioning agent that restores the hair's sheen, luster, and shine. It not only makes the hair soft, but it also enhances strength and suppleness.
• Cocoa Butter: Antioxidant and mineral rich butter derived from the cocoa bean known for its ability to moisturize, protect, fight damage, and improve elasticity.

Protein Free?

Yes

Curly Girl-Friendly?

Yes

The Good
Y'all know I LIVE for a good leave-in, and let me tell youuuuuu — the Rose Water Smoothing Leave In Conditioner does NOT disappoint.

At all.
In the slightest.
Period.

It's got crazy slip. Imparts tons of moisture and hydration. Smooths my frizzies while still penetrating even the lowest porosity sections of my hair. It plays nicely with other gels and creates the perfect foundation for my wash and go styles.

The Bad
NOT. A. THING. You hear me?! Nothing.

What's the Difference?
To be honest, I had the hardest time differentiating between the Rose Water and Green Tea Leave Ins. They're both so so so so sooooo good that I can't really call it. Of course, there's a difference in fragrance and texture — with the Green Tea Leave In being a little thicker and richer than the Rose Water Smoothing Leave In. But by no means should you count it out. At the end of the day, you can't go wrong as long as the bottle says tgin.

The Bottom Line
Just do yourself a favor and grab the Rose Water Smoothing Leave In Conditioner, k?

Would I Buy Again?
In a heartbeat.

Rose Water Curl Defining Mousse

Cost

$14.99 for 8oz

Where to Buy

All Curls n' Roses products are available exclusively at Ulta.

Active Ingredients

• Water
• Rose Flower Extract: Derived from rose petals that works to hydrate and soothe the skin and hair. Contains antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, pH balancing, soothing, and blood-circulating properties along with antioxidant Vitamins A, C, D, and E, and essential fatty acids.
• Extracts of Acai, Ginger, Lavender, Calendula: Stimulates and encourages hair growth while providing antibacterial and scalp-soothing support to hair follicles. Fights signs of aging and damaging in hair.
• Marula Seed Oil: Lightweight oil packed with nutrients and fatty acids that fight aging and signs of damage.
• Maltodextrin/VA-Copolymer: Naturally derived hair styling polymer.
• Cetrimonium Chloride: Compound close in composition to Behentrimonium Chloride. In addition to having the same penetrating, conditioning, and anti-static properties, centrimonium chloride has been scientifically proven to strengthen the hair when activated by heat.

Protein Free?

Yes

Curly Girl-Friendly?

Maybe? Contains a water-soluble silicone (coco glucosides hydroxypropyl dimethicone copolymer).

The Good
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not really a mousse girl, so my understanding and experience in this area is a little shaky. I will say that I liked how the mousse kept my curls clumped together during the styling process, which definitely lent itself to more frizz-free results.

I also noticed something else.

You know how as you style in sections, the parts you're not working on tend to dry out? Whenever I combined the leave-in and mousse, all my hair stayed soaking wet until the very end. No need to spray or re-wet. Where I'm from, we call that a win! 🙌🏽

The Bad
I couldn't find anything wrong with the Rose Water Curl Defining Mousse in terms of how it applied or performed in my hair. It didn't make my hair feel sticky or weird, so nothing to report here!

What's the Difference?
While I do have the Honey Whip Hydrating Mousse in my stash, I can't say that I've done too much with it to rightfully compare it to the Rose Water Curl Defining Mousse. They both appear similar in consistency, but have very different ingredient profiles. For starters, Honey Whip contains more humectants (like honey and agave) while the Rose Water Curl Defining Mousse relies on the blend of extracts we discussed earlier in the post.

What does this mean for your hair? Sorry sis, I couldn't tell ya.

The Bottom Line
One of the reasons I'm a lil' late in posting this review is because I wanted to thoroughly test each product — and one of my points of comparison was testing wash and go performance with and without the mousse present. As it turns out, I liked my results more with the Rose Water Curl Defining Mousse included — my hair had more definition, lasted longer, and even had a lil' extra shine to it. For those reasons, I can definitely say it's worth the buy and try.

Would I Buy Again?
Yes! Next up, I'm going to try the mousse on a different kind of style — so I'll report back and let you guys know how that turns out!

Rose Water Curl Defining Styling Gel

Cost

$14.99 for 13oz

Where to Buy

All Curls n' Roses products are available exclusively at Ulta.

Active Ingredients

• Water
• Rose Flower Extract: Derived from rose petals that works to hydrate and soothe the skin and hair. Contains antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, pH balancing, soothing, and blood-circulating properties along with antioxidant Vitamins A, C, D, and E, and essential fatty acids.
• Acai Fruit Extract: Powerful, antioxidant rich extract that revitalizes the hair and fights signs of aging and damage.
• PVP/VA Copolymer: Form filming vinyl polymer used as a hair fixative and binding agent (aka provides hold). It's a common active ingredient in many gels and styling product formulas.
• Polysorbate 20: Emulsifier that enables oil and water to mix. It helps product disperse, is a thickener, and stabilizer of essential oils.
• Extracts of Ginger, Lavender, and Calendula: Stimulates and encourages hair growth while providing antibacterial and scalp-soothing support to hair follicles. Fights signs of aging and damaging in hair.

Protein Free?

No. Contains hydrolyzed wheat protein.

Curly Girl-Friendly?

Yes

The Good
Listen, the results speak for themselves.

The first thing that caught my attention about the Rose Water Gel is the consistency. During my unboxing on IG Stories, I caught a jello jiggle wiggle motion that I hadn't seen from tgin before. Curl Bomb is a thicky-thick gel (which I love, and we'll get to that later), but The Rose Water Curl Defining Styling Gel is thick and wiggly. The consistency reminds me of Camille Rose Naturals Curl Maker, without the tackiness.

The Rose Water Curl Defining Styling Gel is thick, has tonssssss of slip (be careful, it might just slip outta your hands 😭), and provides lasting definition with the perfect gel cast to definition and volume ratio. In these photos y'all, my hair is on DAY ONE. My hair never looks like this on the first day. Y'all have seen the videos and pictures. Day one hair for me is flat, crunchy, and and you can practically see through it.

This hair? This day one hair? Simply phenomenal. Volume without sacrificing definition. Just enough crunch to let me know that day 3 and 4 hair is on the menu. Bawwwdy and bounce. Just excellence all the way around.

The Bad
Not. A. Single. Thing.

What's the Difference?
I hope it's clear by this point in my review that the Curls n' Roses collection is not just the tgin Moist Collection with some extra extracts sprinkled in. Curls n' Roses is a completely different collection that stands on its own two — and that becomes even more clear when you compare the Rose Water Curl Defining Styling Gel and the OG Curl Bomb Gel. Curl Bomb is thick-thick and a lil' stiff, Rose Water Gel is wiggly with tons of slip. Curl Bomb feels heavier, whereas Rose Water Gel is lightweight and dries with more volume and a bit more gel cast. Both great gels  — but your choice ultimately depends on your preferences and styling goals.

See my Curl Bomb review here!

The Bottom Line
When it comes to finding a gel that's strong enough to provide multi-day hold while not leaving your curls flat and ramen-like on day one, the Rose Water Curl Defining Styling Gel is about as close as it gets. This is the gel you can use on your hair the same day that you need it to look good. No styling and waiting 3 days to get that perfect hair day over here!

Would I Buy Again?
Sure would. Glad I bought two bottles from Ulta online, too!

Well, that wraps up this review! I hope you found my insights helpful and if you have any questions, you can always drop them here or on my Instagram! Catch y'all in the next one — and be sure to let me know what Curls n' Roses products you decide to try out for yourself!

This post was produced in partnership with tgin. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own! You guys already know that, though.

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Recipe: Gluten Free Air Fryer Chicken Wings that Actually Taste Like Fried Chicken

Y'all.

Get in here.

I think I cracked the code.

These wings are crispy, golden brown, and have the perfect ratio of crunchy exterior to juicy interior that you'd expect from some wings fresh out of the deep fryer.

Except there's no deep fryer. No getting popped while cooking. No lingering smells of fried oil for 3 days after the fact — and no reason to feel guilty about cooking them as often as you'd like.

And did I mention these wings are gluten free? Oh yeah.

I've had an air fryer for quite a few years now, and hands down, it's one of my favorite kitchen appliances (though the Instant Pot is a close second). It's versatile, magical, and makes transitioning to healthier eating really easy.

To achieve perfectly crispy and juicy wings, there are a few tricks of the air fryer trade and a few special ingredients involved — which I detail in the step-by-step instructions. One of the most important components of these wings is the Station 1923 Brown Sugar Smoke All-Purpose Rub — crafted by none other than my fiancé Samuel.

Brown Sugar Smoke is sweet, savory, and flavorful with bright notes that really give these wings that extra oomph. Use a little, use a lot — I promise you won't be disappointed. Grab yours here.

Now let's get into these wings. All flats for me, please. 😂

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp Station 1923 Brown Sugar Smoke
• 1 tsp chicken bullion (I used Trader Joe's Vegan Chicken-Less Seasoning)
• 2 tsp onion salt (I used Trader Joe's)
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground sage
• 2-3 lbs of chicken wings (I used Costco brand party wings)
• cooking spray (or Misto with your oil of choice) 

Note: you'll need to repeat all seasoning measurements twice — once in the flour, and once on the chicken.

Tools and Utensils

• air fryer (I have this one, but XL)
• storage bag
• large mixing bowl
• small or medium mixing bowl
• cutting board, plate, or parchment paper
• measuring cups and spoons
• tongs
• tray, dish, or wire cooling rack
• paper towels

Instructions

Prep
Wash your chicken and pat dry to remove excess water. Place inside large mixing bowl and set aside.

In a gallon-sized storage bag, add your rice flour, corn starch, Brown Sugar Smoke, chicken bullion, onion salt, granulated garlic, and sage. Seal the bag and shake to thoroughly mix. Upon opening the bag, you should be able to see the seasoning.

Crack your eggs into the small or medium-sized mixing bowl and beat until they're fully mixed.

Season
Add mustard to chicken wings, adjusting the amount if you plan to cook more or less. Mustard should form a thin coating on the outside of the chicken and be visible, but just barely. I promise, you won't taste it in the end.

Add your second round of Brown Sugar Smoke, chicken bullion, onion salt, granulated garlic, and sage directly to the wings and mix until all wings are coated evenly. Feel free to add more of each to season to your particular tastes. Just be careful with the chicken bullion — it's salty and can begin to overpower the other flavors.

"Batter"
Set up a mini assembly line for yourself in this order: bowl of chicken, bowl with beaten eggs, storage bag with flour, plate/parchment paper/cutting board.

Dip each wing individually into the beaten eggs, then drop them into the storage bag of flour until you reach 6-7 wings. Once there are 6 or so wings in the bag, seal it up and shake to evenly coat all wings in the flour mixture.

Open the bag and remove wings one-by-one, tapping them gently to shake loose the excess flour. As you place them on the plate, parchment paper, or cutting board, tap them again before laying down to remove more loose flour.

Repeat for remaining chicken wings.

Set
Pre-heat your air fryer to 400 F.

While the air fryer warms up, let your wings to set for about 10 minutes (if you don't want to leave them out, in the fridge is fine). This allows the moisture from the wings and the eggs to be absorbed by the flour, which will contribute to a crispy, battered-like exterior. About halfway through the 10 minutes, flip them over.

The wings will still have some spots of white flour, but should for the most part, look like they have a yellow-y batter on them.

"Fry"
Once your wings are set and the air fryer is hot n' ready, it's time to go! Lay your wings inside the air fryer, leaving enough space between each one for hot air to circulate. For me, that means cooking about 6-7 wings at a time.

Next, grab your cooking spray, and spend a few seconds spraying the coating of the wings. Give a lil' extra squirt to any areas that still look powdery and white.

Close your air fryer and cook the wings on 400 F for 6-7 minutes, depending upon their size and thickness. After 6-7 minutes, open the air fryer, gently shake to loosen any stuck wings, and flip them over.

Coat with more cooking spray, again paying attention to any powder, white areas. Cook for another 5-6 minutes.

The sweet spot for my wings was 13 minutes per batch — but yours could take less or more time depending upon their size and thickness. When cooking your first set, pay extra attention to how long your wings take — and base your total timing on that.

While your first batch of wings cook, get a tray or dish and line it with a few paper towels — just like you would from deep frying. Alternatively, you can set them on a wire cooling rack. The goal is to preserve the crispness of the wings while the other batches cook.

Optional: set wings in oven on a low temperature (180 F) to stay warm while the rest of the wings cook in the air fryer.

Enjoy!
Sprinkle a little more Brown Sugar Smoke on top of your wings as a "finishing salt" (or "fried chicken dust" as @mrsewill calls it) and serve. I paired our wings with gluten-free waffles, creamy grits, eggs, and a strong cup of coffee.

Brunch is served, my friends.

Hot Tip: If you end up with leftover wings, just pop them in the air fryer for a few minutes to reheat. Fresh, hot, crispy wings will be yours to enjoy all over again! 🙌🏽

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Review: Wash and Go with KeraCare GelEssence

Since WetLineXtreme decided to roll out a product reformulation that absolutely nobody asked for, I've been on the hunt for an affordable, accessible replacement wash and go gel to add to my rotation.

Of course, EcoStyler will always be there (hey red lid!), but something a lil' more forgiving in terms of moisture and playing well with other products is always a priority.

And that's exactly where my hopes landed with KeraCare's new GELESSENCE collection.

One day, I was scrolling on the 'gram, minding my curly business, and bam! I got served with an ad that hooked me in right away. Four bright jars of gel. Available at Target, too. I had to investigate. The KeraCare GELESSENCE line contains four different gels — a Moisturizing Gel with Jamaican Black Castor Oil (pink), a Strengthening Gel with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (yellow), an Anti-Shedding Gel with Biotin (blue), and a Super Hold Gel (purple).

At my local Target store, I was able to get my hand on the pink Moisturizing Gel and the yellow Strengthening Gel. I was hoping to come across the Super Hold Gel, but perhaps I'll just order that from the KeraCare website down the line.

Anywho, I was hype to at least have half of the collection in my possession. Next up was the work of figuring out:

• Do these gels actually work?
• How do they compare to WetLine Xtreme?
• Is there any actual difference between the two?
• Could they become a part of my wash and go gel rotation?

If you're wondering any of the above yourself, keep on reading!

Cost
$4.49 each for 16oz

Where to Buy
Select GELESSENCE gels are available at Target, on the Target website, and at KeraCare.com.

Active Ingredients
Note: The ingredient lists for these two gels are very similar. Where the Strengthening Gel has extra virgin olive oil and apple extracts, the Moisturizing Gel has Jamaican black castor oil. Everything else is the same. Dassit. Not gonna get into what that means right now, but I just wanted y'all to know!

• Water
• Glycerin: Generally vegetable-based humectant that absorbs and retains moisture from the air.
• Betaine: Amino acid that acts as a humectant and anti-irritant in hair products. Betaine molecules are great for hydrogen bonding, which helps them retain water and impart hydration and moisture to the hair. It also cancels out the "stickiness" of glycerin in product formulations while smoothing over areas of damage on the hair.
• Polysorbate 20: Emulsifier that enables oil and water to mix. It helps product disperse, is a thickener, and stabilizer of essential oils.
• Olive Fruit Extract (Strengthening Gel): Extract rich in fatty acids and Vitamin E. Great for hair growth, moisturizing, nourishing, and protecting the hair. Aids in strengthening hair and preventing hair loss.
• Apple Fruit Extract (Strengthening Gel): Pholyphenol-enriched extract believed to promote and stimulate healthy hair growth.
• Jamaican Black Castor Oil (Moisturizing Gel): Oil derived from roasted Jamaican castor beans believed to stimulate hair growth and promote scalp health. Also serves as a sealant that helps the hair retain moisture over long periods of time.
• Carbomer: Blend of acrylic acid monomers that acts as a viscosity controlling agent (thickener).
• Aminomethyl Propanol: pH adjuster and buffering ingredient

Believe it or not, my hair is 100% dry here.

Protein Free?

Yes! All GELESSENCE gels are protein-free.

Curly Girl Friendly?

At this point y'all, I gotta be honest. I don't know. And quite frankly, I don't think anyone should be riding the curly girl method wave anymore... in light of what's happening with the brand that created it. Don't come after me with pitchforks and torches — I'm just connecting the dots. But that's another story for another time.

For those that care, these gels are silicone-free and do not contain drying alcohols. 

The Good

To get a good feel for both GELESSENCE gels, I repeated this experiment twice on both sides of my hair — once using a leave-in, and once using the gel alone with no leave-in. For the first go-round, I parted my hair down the middle and applied one on each side. On my left, the Strengthening Gel. On my right, the Moisturizing Gel. I used Miche Lavish Leave-In underneath, and applied both gels on soaking wet hair using my Felicia Leatherwood Detangler Brush method. Once complete, I sat under my hooded dryer to lock the style in.

The second time around, there was no leave-in — just damp hair. Same sides. Same Felicia Leatherwood Detangler Brush method.

Performance-wise, I had a very hard time separating the two GELESSENCE gels on both occasions. I LOVED the thickness, texture, and feel of both in terms of applying them to my hair. They both played nicely with my leave-in, and left no weird flakes or globs. Upon drying, I really liked how my hair looked on both sides. Both the Strengthening Gel and the Moisturizing Gel did the thing I love about carbomer-based gels — clumping my curls and leaving them feeling supple and plump when dry.

With or without a leave-in, neither of them left a true gel cast. There was an ever so slight crunch, but nothing like what I'm used to in terms of thick gels. With the absence of a true gel cast, both sides of my hair felt incredibly moisturized... a little too moisturized. Sticky, if you will.

But take this with a grain of salt — because I also use a TON of gel. On the up side, my curls didn't frizz up or lose definition easily. In fact, they pretty much looked the same on days 1-3. And by day 3, most of that sticky feeling had dissipated.

As a note, I did use the Strengthening Gel alone (no leave-in) on some chunky twists I rocked during the first week of #TheRonaLockdown. The twists were soft, shiny, and held up nicely with minimal stickiness. Like because I used less gel on them than I would a wash and go. Check it out:

The Bad
The first time around, I attributed the sticky feeling to the super-moisturizing combo of the leave-in and gel. But the second go-round with gel only quickly proved that idea wrong. Looking back at both ingredient lists, I shouldn't have been surprised — glycerin is the second ingredient. But if your hair loves glycerin (or you're not like me and use appropriate amounts of product), this probably won't even be a factor.

The only other thing I did lightly take issue with is the fragrance of each gel. I'm a fresh and natural kinda girl — perfume-esque isn't really my jam. While neither GELESSENCE fragrance is strong, they're both a little too flowery for my liking. If I had to pick, though, I'd go with the fresher smell of the Strengthening Gel over the Moisturizing Gel. The Moisturizing Gel is just a little too church-vestibule-on-Sunday-morning perfume-y sweet for my liking. 🙈

What's the Difference Between Them?

To be brutally honest, aside from fragrance and color, not too much. Perhaps there's more to the story with the Anti-Shedding and Super Hold Gels. But as for these two, I found them on par with each other moisture and performance-wise. The only differences I experienced were in fragrance and color.

The Bottom Line

If you love thick, humectant-rich gels (think Camille Rose Naturals Curl Maker, Uncle Funky's Daughter Curl Stimulator), then you'll probably love the GELESSENCE Strengthening and Moisturizing Gels as an affordable alternative. But if you're used to some crunch, some hold, and a gel that makes you wrestle (but gives you amazing results), the quest to replace WetLine Xtreme shall continue.

Would I Buy Them Again?

To be honest, no — primarily because I have no plans on changing how I style my hair. For the amount of gel my curls require to stay defined for longer than one day, the GELESSENCE gels will always give me sticky results. More than likely, I'll pass these along to my mom who prefers moisturizing gels for her low cut, type 4 coils.

But for me, it's a no, dawg. Have you tried the KeraCare GELESSENCE gels? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

For more wash and go tips, check out these posts:
How to Perfect Your Wash and Go
Tips for Managing Hair with Two or More Textures
My Curl Defining Method

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