I’m in week 9 of my transition to natural hair, and I’m noticing that the breakage has started to pick up a bit when washing and detangling my hair.
This is to be expected and I’m aware of how delicate the demarcation line is with our hair. (That’s the place where your natural hair and processed hair meet.)
I noticed on YouTube that a lot of naturals and transitioners use the Giovanni product line, so I went to my local Ulta Beauty store to give them a try.
I bought the Smooth as Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo and the 50:50 Balanced Hydrating-Calming Conditioner.
I was impressed.
First of all, they are sulfate-free. I’ve been reading up on the dangers of using sulfate in your hair so I will make sure all my products are free of this substance from now on.
Second, the conditioner left my hair soft and manageable. And what’s most important, I didn’t have nearly as much breakage as I had before.
So far Giovanni seems to live up to the hype. It’s a bit pricey at $8 for 8 oz. but it did its job. So until I find something I like better, I will stick to this product line.
Update June, 2010: I fell in love with Kinky Curly’s Knot Today Conditioner and will be using that. You can buy it at Whole Foods or online and it’s about $12.
It’s 100% natural and you can use it as a leave-in or wash it out. My favorite thing about it is that it DETANGLES LIKE A DREAM! And that’s going to be very important as I continue to transition.
I will still use the Giovanni products, but I do like the Kinky Curly line better (at least while I transition).
Love Giovanni products! Just wanted to add that vitacost.com sells the products you mentioned for less than $5 each. You can usually get free shipping with a $25 purchase.
Awesome! Thanks for the tip. 🙂
Thanks for your website! I have decided to go natural not for myself but to also have a better understanding on how to care for my daughters hair. She has thick coily curls and I am doing my best to find the right products that will keep her hair healthy. I refuse to put a texturizer in it as many of my family and friends have suggested! Anyways, I just want to thank you for your website and Youtube videos. I was also using the Kinky Curly Custard but thought it left to much of a sticky feel on her hair so I stopped using it. However I have to agree with you on the Knot Today Detangler! That is one product that I use as a leave in conditioner on her hair. Her hair gets very dry and brittle sometimes so we have been using Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Shampoo and conditioner. It works great for my hair as well as hers. Thanks again!