Christmas 2017 Natural Hair Product Picks for 12 days of Gift Giving

To take the guess work out of gift giving for your True Love, we’ve worked up a “12 days of Christmas” gift list featuring our 2017 natural hair product picks, so he won’t have to wonder what to get for you!

On The 1st Day of Christmas My True Love Sent To Me… A Subscription Box that Isn’t Cheesy

Loving the idea of getting something new for your hair every month in the mail? Except as it turns out, you’re getting much of the same stuff on a rotation scheme? Been there. Moving forward! Us natural gals are starting to custom-make our own products. Who’s showing us how? For your next subscription, here’s where to point your true love.

CurlMix Helps You Create

What we love:   With CurlMix, we’re mixing up all-natural versions of products that we didn’t know we could. Their job is to stay on point with what we’re looking for in our natural world. Our job, is to love them for it.

Try it and who knows, maybe one day you’ll wind up being the next Carol’s Daughter.

You should know:  The kits are not $1.99, okay? But if you think of them as basic classes in product making – one from which you take the goodies home – you’ll see the value!

Cost: About $25

Sarenzo Beauty Subscriptions Are Hot

What we love:  Sarenzo Beauty Subscriptions is like getting  handmade products that are very creative! You can even order by the various holidays for lots of delicious surprises.

You should know:  Sarenzo Beauty opens again on December 26. So if you get a toaster or a footstool for Christmas, now you know what you can spend the money on when you return the gift.

Cost: $30

On The 2nd Day of Christmas My True Love Sent to Me…  Heat Protectors

Planning on looping hearts with big, romantic curls for Christmas? Time to heat style! Get ready for the big day with silicone-free heat protectants. If you don’t like doing your own mixing, don’t worry, it’s the last DIY on the list.

DIY Heat Protector  – Avocado

If this blogger says her hair doesn’t get greasy when she whips shea butter with avocado oil and uses it as a heat protectant… believe her. Hint: Grab your mixer before you click for the recipe from Primally Inspired.

What we love:   The principle behind using oils as heat protectors is to only use the ones that have very high smoking points, like avocado oil. It’s smoking point is 520 ℉ . So if you keep your heat tool below 400 ℉ (like you should) things should be okay. Shea butter doesn’t hit its smoking point until 450 ℉.

This whipped butter, used sparingly of course, will slide down your hair and form a thin, non-greasy protective coating. Just keep your blow dryer or flat iron at 400 ℉ or below.

You should know:  The  vast majority of thermal protectors use silicone as the active ingredient, so that when it heats, it forms a barrier on the hair. It’s basically the same science, but silicones form a barrier that can be difficult to completely remove from the hair. With repeated use they can cause severe dryness, as they prevent moisture from entering the hair shaft.

Cost: Less than $10

Alodia Heat Style Kit

If you’d rather trust the pros, try the Aladia Heat Style Kit!

What we love:  Alodia takes you all the way through wash day by layering in heat protection with this kit. (More kits below!)

 

You should know: Besides avocado oil, Alodia appears to use great stuff, based on the components of other products on their site. However, the ingredients of the Heat Style Kit are not mentioned in detail. If it matters to you, shoot them a line.

Cost: $50

On the 3rd Day of Christmas My True Love Sent to Me… Natural Hair Colors That Are On Trend!

Of course, henna is brilliant, and the variations that can be achieved with natural color never go out of style. Copper and red hair colors are in this season, but what about the pastels we’re all dying to try?

Natulique Natural Hair Colours Are IT 

What we love:  The Douce line from Natulique takes its inspiration from the dawn and the seas. It’s 98% natural and has no ammonia or sulfates. Start prepping yourself to be all sass with full color or balayage!

You should know: It looks like Natulique doesn’t want the world to know their proprietary formulas. It’s clear what’s not in their hair colors. But an ingredient list would still be nice.

Cost: These are professional products. Have your salon contact them (then see if you’ll get a nice discount on your color treatment for the hot reference.)

Eluxe Exclusives Hair Colors Are Henna On Hype 

What we love: Prefer color that combines conditioning and strength? Eluxe Exclusives are pure ayurvedic formulas. Their products include combinations of amla, henna, shikakai and other plant powders that yield blonde, copper, red, black and shades of brown.

 

You should know: Like regular hair colors, this product is  only going to give highlights if your natural hair color is darker than the shade you’ve chosen. It covers grey like a charm, though!

Cost: One treatment pack is about $15

On the 4th Day of Christmas My True Love Sent to Me… Some Really Good Hair Growth Oils

So Mr. Romantic loves your teeny-weeny afro. What a sweetheart! But if you’re ready to prove to yourself that black hair does grow long, start 2018 with these:

Habesha’s Handcrafted Hair Growth Oil and Hot Oil Treatment 

What we love: Hair growth formulas are good at what they do which is to stimulate the hair follicles to grow healthier hair! Habesha’s Handcrafted is a new company. Their Hair Growth Oil and Hot Oil Treatment product (scroll down) features the mega growth castor oil. Jojoba and peppermint are in  there, too!

You should know: Hair growth oils are actually for the scalp, so some might find the name misleading and wind up with a very greasy head of hair. It is a thick formula, but it is meant to be massaged into the scalp (in particular) then washed out. You know, like a scalp treatment.

Cost: $13.49 for 4 oz.

Root Recovery Hair and Scalp Treatment 

What we love: Really good hair growth formulas also regenerate hair follicles. That means your hair will grow back thicker and healthier. Root Recovery Hair and Scalp Treatment is one such product.

Cost: $23 for 1 oz., $57 for 4.6oz

On the 5th Day of Christmas My True Love Sent To Me… Deep Conditioning

What happened to the five golden rings you say??

Nevermind, honey, this is about hair. And yours is about to rock.

Unveil My Natural Ayurveda Curl Repair Deep Conditioning Mask 

What we love: Unveil My Natural is an ayurvedic/African mix of some of the best ingredients known to nourish hair. This includes extracts of henna, amla, neem and bhringraj, combined with shea butter and babassu oil and other lovelies.

Cost: $26.99 for 8.5 oz.

Inahsi: The Next Big Thing. Period.

What we love: Inahsi Naturals is an innovative company.We love their Mango Hemp Restorative Deep Conditioner and will be keeping an eye on their products in 2018!

You should know: You might want to order two. Just about everything Inahsi makes sells out quickly, so ordering more than one might be a good idea.

Cost: $16 for 8 oz.

Carmella Marie Argan Rhassoul  Hair Mask 

What we love: Get some Moroccan magic going on with this deep conditioner. You’ll have curls for days with Rhassoul clay and argan oil. Carmella Marie is also new on the block. We’ll be watching their progress!

You should know: Half their products are sold out already! Make sure to get yours.

Cost: $15

Curl Origin Coconut Kukui Double Moisture Overnight Mask

What we love: Curl Origin combines carrot oil and coconut make a lovely moisture blend in this mask. Wake up in the morning to serious hydration.

You should know: The hype around coconut oil is slowly dying out from the natural hair scene. Only because, like shea butter, we just get tired of seeing it in everything – miracle oil or not. Nevertheless, coconut oil is an oldie but goodie!

Cost: $15.99 for 8.5 oz.

On the 6th Day of Christmas My True Love Sent To Me… Pre-Poo Moisturizing Oils

Pre-shampoo or pre-cleansing oils are great to keep your hair conditioned before washing it. If your hair is very dry, you can even make it a habit to pre-poo.  This practice is also known as a hot oil treatment, if you choose to leave a small cup of the oil in a pot of hot water for a few moments before using. Don’t let it get too hot, though!

And for the product junkies: you probably have a ton conditioners and other products in your bathroom cupboard that are just sitting there. Try adding a teaspoon of one of these. They can boost up almost any product.

Darshana Natural Hair Oil 

What we love: Darshana puts ancient formulas to good use on curls for great conditioning and low frizz.

You should know: Indian formulas tend to be heavy. A few drops should do.

Cost: $18 for 2 oz. or $38 for 6 oz.

Koils By Nature Replenishing Hair & Body Oil 

What we love: If you’re looking for excellent products that won’t break the bank, try Koils By Nature. This hair oil is as good, or better than, the more expensive varieties. There are no cheap filler oils in this, either The first ingredient is apricot oil, then grapeseed oil. If you use oils to pre-shampoo, you’re in luck. This comes in a 12 oz. bottle!

You should know: The bottle is heavy (woot!)! So tilt it gently. The bottle can easily dispense more oil than you need..

Cost: $24.99 for 12 oz.

Elaine Hair & Body Pomegranate Mango Mist Spray 

What we love: Protective styling? Elaine Hair & Body has a beautifully fragrant oil that you can spray directly on your scalp to avoid dryness, before and after cleansing. With just grapeseed oil, almond oil and fatty acids, simplicity rules.

You should know: Unless your hair needs something heavier, this oil is perfection. It absorbs directly into the skin and scalp.

Cost: $11.99 for 4 oz.

On the 7th Day of Christmas  My True Love Sent To Me… the Very Best Curl Definers

Curls go straight to the heart. And we’re here to make it easy for yours to shine and define.

While there’s very little difference in formulation between a curl definer and a detangler, the latter are usually lighter products, whereas natural gels are heavy. That’s about it.

They both are made for slip, and slip and that’s what defines your curls. We wouldn’t recommend detangling with gel before cleansing, though! Yet all the detanglers listed here can also be used post-wash.

Soultanicals Slip n Slide Knot Proof Hair Glide 

What we love: Soultanicals’s slip! With all that hydration, watch your coils clump. And it’s chemical-free!

You should know: Some naturals may need to layer a leave-in or oil before or after using this product. Curls don’t like showing up, regardless of what product you use? Curls like water, so try applying Soultanicals Slip-n-Slide Knot Proof Hair Glide to your hair while drenching wet. Then cover with a plastic bag for 20 minutes.

Cost: $16 for 8 oz.

Sienna Naturals Untangled Conditioner 

What we love: Sienna Naturals Untangled Conditioner is also made to penetrate the hair shaft for added strength and minimized breakage during detangling. Plus slip, of course.

You should know: Although this product has a host of conditioning ingredients, it is still lightweight. Curls and coils might need oil applied before or after this detangler, depending on your preference.

Cost: $20 for 8 oz.

Tree Naturals Whipped Curl Creme 

What we love: Beautiful, moisturized definition when applied to wet hair. Have a look!

You should know: Might not give similar results on type 4 hair.

Cost: $14.99 for 6 oz.

Oujoi Aloe Boost Detangling Mist 

What we love: Replete with calming chamomile and aloe, this product makes an excellent dry hair detangler midweek. It’s perfect for those times when you want to bring the curls back but don’t want to drench your hair.

You should know: It’s a very lightweight product.

Cost: $16 for 8.5 oz.

Mielle Organics Honey Ginger Styling Gel 

What we love: Liquid gels are perfect for all hair types. Just apply and rake or smooth it through.

Cost: $11.99 for 13 oz.

Oyin Handmade Shine Define Styling Serum 

What we love: Like Mielle Organics, Oyin Handmade is a classic you must try. This formula uses castor oil, flaxseed extract and xanthan gum to lay or define your curls – depending on how you use it. It’s a nice product to seal with after using one of the light detanglers mentioned here, to make your curls pop.

You should know: This is a thick product, so for type 3 hair it’s great for ‘wash and gos’. On type 4 hair, it’s nice for creating soft curls after a twistout from wet hair.

Cost: $13.99 for 4 oz.

On the 8th Day of Christmas My True Love Sent To Me… Leave In Conditioners

Life is almost impossible without a good leave-in conditioner to keep your hair soft and moisturized. After all, we can’t shampoo, condition, and fly out the door like other folks. At the same time, heavy products and butters don’t work for every natural.

Leave-in, leave-in, leave-in.

Keep one or more of these on hand.

Giovanni Direct Leave-In Weightless Moisture Conditioner 

What we love: Giovanni Cosmetics started off supplying salons, but their natural products are great for everyday use, too.

 

You should know: It’s a beautiful formula, but there are no butters or heavy oils like coconut in it. The lack of richness might not work for some.

Cost: $7.16 for  8.5 oz. at VitaCost

Luvnaturals Love Me & Leave-in Moisturize and Seal 

What we love: Luvnaturals makes perfectly balanced products that provide moisture for all hair types.

Cost: $14 for 8 oz.

Inahsi Naturals Aloe Hibiscus Leave-in Conditioner & Detangler

What we love: Inahsi Naturals is full of surprises. Not because they make a leave-in conditioner… because they add hyaluronic acid to it! Hyaluronic acid is a key ingredient in anti-aging products, as it sparks skin cell renewal. What does it mean for your hair and scalp? It moisturizes the scalp, aids follicles in growing healthy hair and can even plump up your strands over time.

You should know: The bottle is small! But no worries, they have salon sizes, too.

Cost: $14.99 for 8 oz. at The Melanin Shop

Koils By Nature Fragrance-Free Moisturizing Shealoe Leave-In Conditioner 

What we love: Koils By Nature has nice sizes. They don’t skimp on the ingredients, either! This leave-in is replete with hair conditioning and growth essences. Seriously, check out this ingredient list!

Cost: $19.99 for 12 oz.

On the 9th Day of Christmas  My True Love Sent To Me… the Best in Heat and Other Tools

Even though relaxer sales plummeted this year, many naturals still prefer straight styles, loopy curls and waves over afros and defined styles.

Here are some of the best ways to get the looks you crave  – plus other useful goodies!

Conair Curl Secret 

What we love: Conair has really made an effort to show us they know natural hair, and what temperatures and surfaces work best for us. This heat curler keeps your scalp safe from damage. It’s also insulated to maintain a constant temperature that makes every curl consistent. Instead of going for bone straight, try to keep the heat below 400°F, and do use a heat protectant.

 

You should know: We posted the video so you can see it’s a big device. It’s only for longer lengths.

Cost: $119.99

Babyliss Pro Ultrasonic Cool Mist Iron 

What we love: Steam devices help keep our hair hydrated and soft. How about straightening while steaming!? As compared to a normal flat iron, an independent study shows the Babyliss Pro steam iron delivers smoother results, more shine, and of course, far less breakage.

 

You should know: It heats up to 450 ℉ , a bit higher than recommended for natural hair. The steam helps offset this, but it’s still best to use a heat protectant like the ones listed above.

Cost: $148.48 on ebay.com

Tangle Teezer, Thick and Curly 

What we love: Companies outside our communities ignored us forever, and are now flocking to our doors. This says so much about our culture and buying power. The Tangle Teezer for curly hair is an excellent shower detangling tool. It’s a staple now, in many homes. But we’re posting just in case you don’t have one, because it’s that good!

You should know: It’s a great tool, but a brush by any other name is still a brush. Use it gently.

Cost: $16

SSS Hair Stretching Tools 

What we love: Snap…Stretch…Style! This product has flat iron stretching abilities with zero heat! The package comes with plastic, rubber and curler plates.

You should know. Shipping is slow.   We’re not sure where the set is coming from, but their site says 4-6 weeks.

Cost: $54.99

Goody Mosaic Pillow Rollers 

What we love: Leave it to Goody. These rollers aren’t new, but they are such a staple! To maintain your loopy curls (after your hair is stretched), roll them with these and fall fast asleep.

You should know: The satin covering means these rollers are prone to slip right out. Make sure to set them tightly, and tie a hair net securely to keep them in place.

Cost: $16 for $3.84 at Target

On the 10th Day of Christmas My True Love Sent To Me… Innovative Cleansing

Sulfate-free shampoos abound, but we wanted some innovative cleansers to really make an impact on wash day. Found ’em!

Fortifyd Naturals Sage & Black Soap Conditioning Cleanser 

What we love: Fortifyd uses just the right balance of aloe vera juice, shea butter and black soap for detangling, conditioning, shine and deep cleansing. And we’re so in love with its bright, clean scent!

You should know: Black soap makes tons of suds and is deep cleansing. But you don’t want to be rinsing for days. So apply it sparingly, at first, then work your way up in quantity.

Cost: $13.99 for 8 oz.

Camille Rose Naturals Caramel Cowash Cleansing Conditioner 

What we love: Camille Rose Naturals is another classic natural hair brand that we’re not trading in. And this Caramel Cowash Cleansing Conditioner is too delish not to include. If you’re growing your hair out, co-washes help keep you from starting at hydration point zero every wash day. Our hair needs moisture for growth and length retention.

You should know: You’ll get silky soft (and clean) tresses after washing with a good conditioner made for the purpose (cowash). But if you like squeaky clean hair, this isn’t for you. Also make sure to rinse thoroughly to avoid buildup.

Cost: 8 oz. for $12.09 at Sista Wigs

Phytoworx Organic Shampoo 

What we love: Phytoworx is leading edge. They might just be the first company to incorporate plant stem cells into a hair product along with coconut oil, ginger and green tea extract. Stems cells are the building blocks of health and healing, so the other ingredients are icing on the cake  in this formula. Hair growth? Phytoworx means business.

You should know: This shampoo is sulfate-free, but like most sulfate-free shampoos, it uses a different set of sudsing agents that aren’t exactly gentle. They do, however, make a great effort to offset that fact by using humectants like glycerine and healing agents like cocoa butter.

Oh! And the cost…

Cost: $56.98 for 8 oz. on Amazon.com

On the 11th Day of Christmas My True Love Sent To Me… Pomades and Styling Butters

These can be great sealers for all hair types. They also define when used on wet hair for twist and braid outs.

Obia Naturals Twist Whip Butter 

What we love: Obia Naturals is getting it right with their Twist Whip Butter. The reviews are glowing. It’s not surprising, with the blend of butters and plant essences. They also incorporate palm oil, which has a high melting point (hold, hold, hold).

You should know: Use sparingly, or it will weigh down your hair.

Cost: $17.99 for 8 oz.

Luv Naturals Shea I’m Natural Hair and Body Butter 

What we love: Need something to take care of the tips of your hair. Luv Naturals Shea I’m Natural Hair and Body Butter has a lovely spicy orange fragrance, that definitely beats the smell of raw shea butter. Argan and jojoba also come together in this formula for maximum moisture.   Luv Naturals is a new company.

You should know: It is thick. Good for ashy feet and legs, too.

Cost: $14 for 4 oz.

Form. Polish.

What we love: Form. Polish. is taking the curl world by storm. A lightweight pomade that gives shine and moisture. If used on wet hair, it also seals.

 

You should know: It’s expensive.

Cost: $26 for 4 oz.

On the 12th Day of Christmas My True Love Sent To Me… New Regimen Kits Just For Me!

Single products are nice. But the kits, oh, the kits! They are pure excitement.

Loba Mane Color Vibrante Gift Set 

What we love: Festive and beautiful, the Loba Mane Color Vibrante Gift Set is a complete regimen to protect your new color from fading and frizz.

Cost: $62.95

Naturalicious 20 Minute Regimen Kits (All Hair Types) 

What we love: About tired of a 59-step wash day? Naturalicious is headed straight into 2018 with a quick and easy regimen featuring Rhassoul clay. There are three different kits: a separate set for each of the wavy, curly and coily hair types. How to use it? Check their video.

You should know: If you’re already using clay or clay products to define your curls, you already know that clay cleanses, conditions and defines. Naturalicious won’t be that new to you. However, it does have an excellent system of locking in the definition and moisture clay provides, without the long dry times of most gels.

Cost: $56

Tailored Beauty LOC Package 

What we love: This kit is affordable! And the ingredient list for the Tailored Beauty LOC Package is shocking. The ingredients are beautifully simple! If you’re looking for a low-chemical LOC kit, this is it. The only one there is perfume. This LOC kit is perfect for midweek curl moisture. Owner Inez Moore shows how to use it on her little girl. Warning: cuteness ensues!

 

Everyone’s curls are over the top with Tailored Beauty.

Cost: $32

Peeking into 2018, trends show we’ve got our styles down and are ready to move into secure regimens that work. If you’ve discovered a new styler this year that’s worked wonders for your hair, try using that product line to firm up your regimen.

And so, from your sisters at Black Hair Spot we wish you a Merry Christmas!  This 2017 product review is our gift  to you.

What was your new favorite styler or product for 2017? Let us know… and why in the comments!