As I Am CoWash Review

Hey Curldivas!

My mentee and sister talked me into trying this co-wash. Everyone I know seems to rave about this particular brand, even the lady at the beauty store oohed and ahhed over it. I had tried and was okay with using Eden Bodyworks co-wash between workouts and swimming; it doesn't have a lot of slip but it did manage to aid in helping get out chlorine and sweat. I had heard that As I Am has amazing slip. When I saw it on sale at Sally Beauty Supply, I decided to try it.

Initially, I like the fact that is was super moisturizing and had good slip. My hair was springy, but did NOT feel clean at all. My hair felt coated. Three days later, I noticed sores on my scalp and a terrible itch. My hair was frizzy too. I did a conditioner rinse a few days later to relieve my scalp. A week later my hair shed a little more than usual and I found more sores. The following weekend I cleansed my hair with Kinky-Curly and used a V05 conditioner. After rinsing the V05 out I added a little bit of aloe vera gel to my Ecostyler pudding and finished my hair with my oil blend and then the pudding. Those sores were gone within 48 hours.

Here is my take on it; I have very sensitive skin, so everything doesn't work for me. I have used the same soap for almost a decade because so many things break me out. This product has great benefits if you are not sensitive. It has great slip, smells amazing, and moisturizes; so it could be a great conditioner. It does not clean though, and for the cost I wouldn't incorporate into my routine if it did work for me. My curls were not nearly as defined as it is when I cleanse with a sulfate free shampoo. Yet, another reason why co-washing does not work for my lifestyle. On the bright side, sensitivity prevents me from being a product junkie ;).

Ecostyler Pudding DIY

When I am not cooking my own flaxseed gel, I am amping up my ecostyler gel. This is imperative for me because Ecostyler tends to leave my hair dry, despite the fact that it is alcohol free. People who have protein sensitivity can probably attest to the dry hair dilemma. Our hair is often dry without dying, blow drying, or using gel with alcohol. Ecostyler now offers a pudding called Eco Natural Curling Cocktail, but it's twice the price of the gel and is less than half the size. The ingredients include: Water (Aqua), Emulsifying Wax, PVP, Glycerin, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Oil, Collagen Amino Acids, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Ricinodendron Rautanenii (Mongongo) Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Carbomer, Fragrance (Parfum), Aminomethyl propanol, Tetrasodium EDTA Ingredient Attributes: moisture, no silicones, The only difference between the gel and the cocktail is the additional oils, soy protein instead of wheat, and emulsifying wax.

My solution is to take the gel either Pink Curl and Wave or Olive Oil and amp it up. My hair loves grapeseed oil and monoi oil.  I prefer to use these two oils along with my almond oil to create a homemade cocktail. The cost is cheaper and I have my oils and gels way longer than I would have that small jar of cocktail. My hair is fluffy and has body and a great hold. The above picture is may washngo with my homemade Ecostyler Olive Oil Pudding.

Which ingredients have you used to create your you-tailored Eco Cocktail?