ACV Rinse Pros
Simple Recipe

ACV Rinse Cons
Didn't work

The Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse didn't do anything for my scalp or my hair. My scalp was still just as oily as before and my hair still had product in it. Other people have used the rinse and their hair was stripped, but not in my case.

Baking Soda Cleanse Pros
Simple Recipe
Got the build up out of my hair

Baking Soda Cleanse Cons
It was uncomfortable the do this in the bathroom sink lol

When I did the cleanse I could see the residue and flakes from my locs in the mixture. After washing and conditioning my hair, it was a lot shiner and healthier. The cleanse removed the bit of product build up that I had in my locs.

I can't judge on how it cleansed my scalp since it was done in the sink and it was difficult to clean. It removed a bit of oil but not a significant amount.

Either way, it was still a lot more effective than the ACV Rinse and I plan to do it once or twice a year.

Black Soap Pros
All natural
Affordable
Effective

Black Soap Cons
A bit drying on the hair
Scalp was oily the next day

Shampoo Pros
Affordable
Effective

Shampoo Cons
Can be drying to the hair
Usually has sulfates (unless labeled as sulfate free)


I've tried Raw African Black soap for my face and scalp. My face loves it (especially when I follow up with shea butter) but it may be too drying for my scalp and hair. It cleaned my scalp well but I think it may have done too good of a job. My scalp produced even more oil than usual as punishment, so I was back to square one.

I'll just stick to using sulfate-free shampoos. It may not necessarily be completely natural but it's what works better for my hair.

 

Commercial Facial Cleanser Pros
Effective

Commercial Facial Cleansers Cons
Can be expensive
Only a little bit of product in the container
Can contain harmful chemicals


Raw African Black Soap Pros
Affordable
Great value (a little goes a long way)
Effective
All natural

Raw African Black Soap Cons
Can be a bit drying


Raw African Black Soap is the only thing I use to clean my skin for the rest of my life.
Commercial skin cleanser were effective, but to be honest they always dried my skin out too much. I've had other cleansers leave residue on my face, causing my acne to become worse.

I tried Black Soap after my cousin recommended it to me. She uses it on her face to remove her makeup and she attested to it being a good cleanser.

My acne improved significantly since I started using Black Soap, but I saw the most improvement after incorporating shea butter. These two work well together, as if they were made for each other. Black soap is a bit drying to the skin, but shea butter restores moisture. They are truly my holy grail products for keeping my skin healthy.

Commercial Facial Moisturizers Pros
Effective
Smells good

Commercial Facial Moisturizers Cons
Can be expensive
Only a little bit of product in the container
Can contain harmful chemicals


Raw Shea Butter Pros
Affordable
Great value (a little goes a long way)
Effective
All natural

Raw Shea Butter Cons
Some may not like the smell


My skin loves shea butter and so does my wallet. I've had the same container of shea butter for over 2 years and I use it on my face every day. I also occasionally use it for my hair.

Commercial skin moisturizers were effective, but my skin always looked dull. I switched to raw shea butter after seeing so many naturals boast about how it helps their hair and skin. I love it because it gives my skin the proper moisture it needs as well as a healthy glow.

As another perk, my acne improved A LOT since I started using shea butter along with Raw African Black Soap. These two products together saved my skin.

The only downside to shea butter is that if you're used to your facial products smelling like flowers or a tropical island, it could take some time to get used to the earthy smell of shea butter. I never cared for smelling like fruit so it was cool with me.

Giovanni's Pros
Great for cleansing an oily scalp
Feel-good tingle
Affordable

Giovanni's Cons
Can be drying to most hair types


Trader Joe's Pros
Great cleanser
Feel-good tingle
Cheaper than Giovanni

Trader Joe's Cons
Can be drying for some hair types

These shampoos are so similar that for some people it's almost hard to tell the difference. They both stimulate your scalp, smell fresh, and may help with flakes.

In my experience Giovanni's shampoo cleans my scalp better. I have to use more of the Trader Joe's shampoo to get my scalp clean. Because of this, using Giovanni is a better value for me.
I like to dilute Giovanni's shampoo a little because it is a tad thick. It truly lasts longer for me than Trader Joe's version.
If you don't have a scalp with a lot of build up from oil, sweat, etc, then Trader Joe's version would be sufficient for you (and it is cheaper than Giovanni).

Bottom Line:

Use Giovanni's for a deeper clean. If you don’t need a deep clean then Trader Joe's is fine.

Eco Styler Pros
Cheap (huge 32 oz tub for about $5)
Maximum hold
No flaking (in my hair)
Nice, light smell

Eco Styler Cons
Leaves a "gel cast"
Makes my hair feel dry

There are plenty of people who use Eco Styler gel to retwist their locs. It's no surprise since you get a lot for a cheap price. Personally, I loved Eco Styler gel when my hair was loose, but for loc maintenance I don't like it all that much.

It does hold well, but I don't need maximum hold on my roots. I also found that over time my roots were starting to feel dry even though I was moisturizing my hair between washes. Not to mention that I have an oily scalp so my roots being dry is a sure sign that something isn't right.

This is because Eco Styler gel leaves what some people call a "gel cast." The gels coats your hair strands and then hardens, creating a barrier against anything else you'll try to put on your hair. If you have ever used Eco Styler to define your curls, you know this is why hair tutorials tell you to scrunch your hair so it won't be hard. You're breaking up the gel cast a bit.
Eco Styler gel has helped me achieve many sleek ponytails, but it's not ideal for retwisting my locs.

Taliah Waajid Pros
Good hold
No flaking (in my hair)
Nice, light smell
No gel cast
Doesn't leave the hair feeling dry

Taliah Waajid Cons
More expensive especially if you're heavy handed (6 oz jar for about $7)

I found out about this gel from watching Damian Walter's videos on YouTube. He uses the "tight hold" version of it in his clients' hair when retwisting their locs. He went over the pros of using it and I was sold. At the time my locs were 2 months old and still developing, but I could still tell the difference in my hair after shampooing the Eco Styler out of my hair and then using the regular Taliah Waajid Lock It Up gel. When I come from under the dryer, my hair holds well but it isn't hard at all. My roots feel moisturized and healthy which means I'm happy.

One thing to remember about the gel is that you don’t need to put a lot. For me, one jar lasts for 3-4 retwist sessions so I actually don't mind the price.

Bottom Line:

Even though Eco Styler holds better and is cheaper, I prefer Taliah Waajid Lock It Up gel for the quality and because it doesn't make my hair dry.

Hairburst Pros
Contains effective ingredients like biotin and folic acid

Hairburst Cons
Pills are large/hard to swallow
Complaints about the smell of the pill
Expensive
Vegetarians should know, contains collagen and gelatin

Note: Supplement facts are NOT listed on their website

Hairburst is a UK-based company that was previously known as "HairVits." They sell vitamin supplements that promote hair growth. Hairburst contains effective ingredients such as biotin and folic acid, but unfortunately for vegetarians, it also contains collagen.

Customer complaints are mainly about the size of the pills which makes it difficult to swallow. Some have also commented on the bad smell. The dosage is 2 capsules per day, so they need to be enjoyable to take for better user experience. I agree with the customer reviews because I could not take the pills consistently due to these reasons.

As a side concern, the supplement facts are not listed on their website. To find the supplement facts, I had to rely on users who posted photos of their Hairburst bottle and a third party site that typed out the supplement facts. I believe that it is irresponsible for a company to not have supplement facts available on the website. If someone wanted to consult with their doctor before taking these vitamins, they wouldn't have an easy way to provide a label.



Hairfinity Pros
Contains effective ingredients like biotin and folic acid
Affordable

Hairfinity Cons
Contains horsetail which is possibly unsafe
Pills are large/hard to swallow
Complaints about the smell of the pill
Vegetarians should know, contains collagen and gelatin

Hairfinity is a vitamin supplement that helps with hair growth. While it does contain effective ingredients such as biotin and folic acid, it also contains ingredients that can be harmful to your body and to the hair growth process.

Horsetail is not a recommended ingredient to include in multivitamins. According to WebMD, horsetail is possibly unsafe when taken by mouth long-term.
Consuming horsetail can cause your Vitamin B1 levels to drop. This is because Horsetail contains a chemical that breaks Vitamin B-1 down, causing a deficiency. If you don’t get enough B-1, you can experience symptoms such as difficulty breathing, heart damage, mental sluggishness, and hair loss. Having Horsetail in a vitamin that's supposed to promote hair growth is counterproductive. This may be why many Hairfinity users are reporting hair loss over time.

Hairfinity also contains substances that come from animals such as collagen and gelatin. This is not a vegetarian-friendly vitamin.

Based on my experience as well as customer reviews, the vitamins are large and smelly, making them hard for a lot of people to take consistently. The smell could be due to the fact that ingredients that derive from animals degrade quickly, and therefore smell bad. This could be said about Hairburst as well.

Bottom Line:

I found both pills to be difficult to take consistently and therefore I can't recommend neither of them.

Coconut Oil Pros
Can actually moisturize hair
Gives the hair great shine

Coconut Oil Cons
Can solidify in your hair when it's cold
A bit pricey

Coconut oil is one of the few oils that can actually moisturize your hair instead of just sealing it. It's very versatile and gives great shine to the hair. For people with dry scalp issues, it could help tremendously.
The only issue is with coconut oil is that you can really only use it when the weather is warm. When it's below 70 degrees, it can solidify in your hair and there will be white specks all in you hair.

Africa's Best Oil Pros
Inexpensive
Great sealer
Gives the hair a great shine

Africa's Best Oil Cons
Strong smell that some may not like

This oil blend works well as a sealer, and for a hot oil treatment. It cannot moisturize your hair like coconut oil, but it will seal in the moisture you've provided from your leave in conditioner. It provides great shine to your hair, especially if you've applied it before a twist-out or braid-out.


So which should you use? You should use both! You can use coconut oil in the warmer months and use the Africa's Best oil during the rest of the year. Some people also use coconut oil and then apply sealer oils like Africa's Best.

For the purpose of treating a dry scalp and moisturizing the hair, coconut oil wins. For sealing in moisture and for hot oil treatments, Africa's Best wins. But you can get the full benefits by using both in your regimen.

 

Pros of both
A little goes a long way
Moisturizes well

Cons of both
May be too thick for fine hair

Both have so much in common, so which one is better? To be honest, it depends on what you look for in a leave in conditioner.

If you feel more inclined to use raw products, then using raw shea butter could work out well for you. People tend to use raw shea butter to seal in moisture but depending on your hair type, it could work as a moisturizer.

Hairveda's Whipped Crème would be great for those looking for everyday moisture for their hair. It's lighter than raw shea butter and moisturizes very well.
I have used raw shea butter one week and Hairveda the next week. My hair loves them both, it's just that Hairveda is easier to apply.

It's also worth noting that no matter which one you choose, your money would be going towards a Black business. Hairveda was started by a Black woman. You can buy your shea butter from a local vendor (I get mine from a small African shop).

Bottom Line:

It's a tie in my eyes.

Pros of both
Maximum Hold
Great value
No flaking (in my hair)
Nice, light smell

Cons of both
Can leave the hair feeling hard

So what's the difference between these two gels? Well the ingredients list is exactly the same except for the oils so there's no dramatic difference between the two. In my hair, both gels work just fine for sleek ponytails and curl definition.

In other comparisons, there's strong claims that one gel holds better than the other, but obviously this is something that simply depends on your hair. What may hold better for one person may not be sufficient for the next person. There's also a few who say that the argan oil gel flakes less compared to the olive oil gel.

I personally think the olive oil gel holds just a little better but overall they're the same. I have not experienced flaking with either gel.

Bottom Line:

It's a tie, but depending on your hair one may hold a little better than the other.

Finger Detangling Pros
A lot gentler than using a comb

Finger Detangling Cons
Couldn't get all shed hair out
Hair doesn't stay detangled while working other sections
Takes too long


Wide Toothed Comb Pros
Gets most of the shed hairs out
Easier and quicker than finger detangling

Wide Toothed Comb Cons
Greater possibility of breakage


I tried finger detangling my hair after my big chop. I can honestly say that it's not for me. My hair is too dense and I wasn't able to get all of the shed hairs that were stuck in my fro. It was too time consuming for me for poor results. I've also made my hair even more tangled once.

For my hair it's a lot better to use a wide toothed comb and just be gentle with it. The amount of shed hair I remove from my hair each week is just too much to try to do with my fingers. I've also found that my hair is a lot sleeker and my curls are more defined when I use a comb.

Vo5 Pros
Nice fruity smell
Cheap
Cleans my scalp in one application

Vo5 Cons
Extremely drying

Vo5 Shampoo was my go-to shampoo for a while during my transition to natural hair. As a broke college student it was affordable (sometimes as low as 50 cents on sale) and readily available in the CVS near the campus. At that time, I had no idea what "clarifying" meant and used it every week when I'd wash my hair.
As a clarifier, it works very well; almost too well. For the first time in my life I experienced what it was like to have dry scalp (my scalp is usually oily). I stopped using the shampoo regularly when I educated myself more on shampoo types. I saved it for the times when I really need a deep cleansing. It's effective and I love it, but now I know that I need to be careful.


Giovanni Pros
Great scalp cleanser
Feel-good tingle
Nice clean smell (minty)

Giovanni Cons
Affordable, but more expensive than Vo5
Can be drying to most hair types

I wouldn't consider Giovanni a clarifying shampoo, but some people consider it as such, especially if they have dry scalp. It cleans the scalp really well, but not sufficiently enough for me to consider it a clarifying shampoo for my scalp. However, as a regular shampoo, it does wonders. It's not too drying on my scalp and it feels good. It's definitely more expensive than Vo5, but affordable.

Bottom Line:

If I were judging on the ability to completely clarify the scalp, Vo5 wins. For a good regular cleansing, Giovanni wins.