Maple Holistics Silk18 Natural Hair Conditioner Review

Hi Sparkers!

Long time no chat.  I apologize for the absence but life got very busy this year.  Between the wedding, extra responsibilities with my day job, and the peaks and valleys of 2017, this year has been quite the journey for Mrs. Sparkles.  I was motivated to get back into the swing of things by an amazing opportunity provided to me by the company Maple Holistics!  They were kind enough to send me their Silk 18 Natural Hair Conditioner* in exchange for my review.  As usual, I'm always upfront with all of you when I get these types of opportunities and I am allowed to express my true opinion of this product!  The Maple Holistics representative I worked with was kind and professional.  They really stand behind their product and are a wonderful company as you will see if you continue to read this post. 

Nutshell Review:  I love this product and this company.  I will repurchase this conditioner and try other products.

 






There are a lot of reasons why I'm a new superfan of this product and I look forward to trying many more.  Let just start with the obvious: it works! 

Performance
I was initially skeptical because the formula felt thin and more watery than my go-to all natural conditioner Shea Moisture: Superfruit Complex 10-In 1 Renewal System Hair Masque.  I was worried that it would not be moisturizing or leave my hair in better condition--it is beached platinum from naturally black, so I need all the help I can get.  But never to fear, after waiting about 10 minutes with this in my hair during my latest "destress from life bath," my hair was silkier than it has been in ages.  Per Maple Holistics's website:

"Silk 18 gets its name from the 18 Silk Amino Acids found in its formula. No matter your hair type, our blend of essential oils and silk amino acids will smooth and soften your locks to shiny perfection. The natural vanilla scent of Silk18 is delicious and calming. Our products are free of sulfate and other harmful ingredients and Silk18 is no exception!"

Another benefit to this conditioner over my go-to, is that it really would work for all hair types.  If you have extremely fine hair, Shea Moisture products tend to be very heavy.  I'd say that even the finest hair would end up silky AF using this stuff.   

There are no directions on the bottle but I shampooed with my favorite shampoo then left this in my hair for about 10 minutes in the bath.  I would work the same if you put it in while showering, then washed your body and maybe shaved.  I do think it is light enough to also use as a daily conditioner if you like to rock a sleek and smooth look most of the time.

Ingredients:
You cannot beat simplicity of ingredients here for your health and the environment.  This is labeled non-toxic so I'd say this is safe to use for kids as well.  If kids can eat crayons, they can definitely accidentally swallow a bit of this without issue.

Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Argan Oil, Shea Butter, Certified Organic Pomegranate, Hibiscus, Green Tea and Sea Buckthorn, Silk Amino Acids, Jojoba Oil, Natural Vanilla Fragrance

Price:
You would expect a premium ingredient product like this to be the list price of $30, but on their website, it is only $9 for 8oz!  I know this isn't a ton of product but I also know I used way too much initially.  I thought that because it was more watery than I am used to that I needed to keep adding more.  That isn't true.  I think about one tablespoon (or two if you have extremely long/thick hair) is more than sufficient.  This product is a great price for the quality and results.  If you are still on the fence, Maple Holistics will send you a free sample so you can try their stuff for yourself!  They have 16 products for you to choose from so you can pick the sample that is the most applicable to your needs. 

Bonuses:
I was not asked to talk about these things, but I felt I just had to!

Not only is the company, the product, and the ingredients used wonderful, but Maple Holistics is proud to support The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. For every bottle of Silk18 sold, Maple Holistics will donate $1 to NCADV.  How amazing is that?!

There is also a cool Maple Holistics Subscription Box that will send you a surprise:  shampoo, conditioner, essential oil, and bonus product every month for just $40!  It is a great savings and fun way to try new Maple Holistics products.

Conclusion:
I am very impressed with this brand and product.  I hope you sparklers will give it a try, and with the opportunity to get a free sample, why not?

It's good to post again Sparklers, I missed you!

As usual,

Shine & Sparkle!


*I did receive this product for free from the company mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.

Platinum Blonde At Last! New Updated Hair Care Routine Post

Sorry to be gone so long everyone!

I see from our Facebook Page that we have a lot of new Sparklers out there!  A warm welcome to all and I do apologize for neglecting things.  Life has been crazy with wedding planning and life in general.  But I am back!  It has been requested that I do a post on my updated hair care routine since the last time I posted about my last hair lightening experience was all the way back in 2014!  If you follow me on Instagram you will probably have seen that I have finally made it to platinum!

As you can see in the picture below, I have a new amazing hair guru--her name is Iva and works in the Bay Area in Northern California.  Send me an email if you are serious about going to see her!  Hopefully I will have more internet details for you to get a hold of her soon.  I will provide that information as soon as possible. She uses advanced lightening techniques that use no heat and bond rebuilding products that mean I got this light in just 2 applications (in one sitting) with NO damage.  It is truly incredible work!  Mini Tip: If you want to go platinum quickly, make sure you have a stylist that uses Olaplex or B3 Bond Builder, these are the best bond repairing formulas on the market!  There is no reason why you should not be getting this hair-saving product in your color other than the stylist doesn't want to keep up with the most current technologies that are best for your hair.  Going platinum is tricky business and you want the best if you are going this light!  Also, I do not suggest going platinum yourself.  It is too hard to prevent overlapping of the bleach when you DIY this, which causes bands of damage that will cause major problems and breakage in the long run!  I had Iva used a balayage techniques to apply the bleach and  put a ash brown shadow root on my blonde hair because it think it makes it look more pretty and natural.  If you want a similar look, ask for that! 

You know where you can see my hair as it becomes blonder in all sorts of lighting contexts? twitter! You should follow me! We can be digital buddies, whoo!  Also, you can get sneak peeks into what reviews/reports are coming next.  You can even tweet me ideas for what to do next.  You can also follow me on other social media like facebook page; or an instagram; or a bloglovin; or a google+

Wash and Condition:
This is pretty much the same as my last post, I only wash my hair fully about 2-3 times a week. I've found that dry shampoo really seems to irritate my scalp these days so I'm washing a bit more often (or embracing braids and other styles that look good with oiler hair).  Side note, I do SHOWER every day still, I just don't worry about washing my hair every day--shower caps are my BFF.   I've gotten super sweaty at the gym but I'm not supposed to wash my hair, I still conditioner wash my hair (see my conditioner washing post).  The products I use have changed significantly with my new platinum look.

• Joico: Color Endure Violet Sulfate-Free Shampoo and Conditioner- My NEW go-to shampoo and conditioner duo.  I use it pretty much every time I wash my hair now.  I try to leave the shampoo in for at least 2-3 minutes and the conditioner in 3-4.  I love how moisturizing both products are and it really is formulated perfectly and gently for us bottle blondes.  I do still shampoo twice, but the first time I only use a tiny bit of shampoo.  I fully lather and wait on the second wash.  I condition once.
• Paul Mitchell: Tea Tree Special Shampoo and Conditioner-  Still use this once a week to clarify my hair of silicones and product build up.  It also really helps treat any scalp issues I may be having with dandruff or itchy-ness.  I also still use the conditioner to co-wash.
• Shea Moisture: Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque or Superfruit Complex 10-In 1 Renewal System Hair Masque - I will replace the Joico Shampoo with this once a week or so to deep condition. I'm still in love with these masques but I do need to leave them in longer to see benefits.  I will apply them then get out of the shower with my conditioner laden hair in a cheap plastic shower cap and wait a good 20 minutes (or longer if possible) before rinsing it out.  I do make sure that moisture is my issue before doing this using a strand test. To strand test for moisture, I take a clean and wet piece of hair that has fallen out after I shampoo and pull it until it breaks. If I pull it and it snaps really quickly, I know it is time for a moisture deep treatment! 
• Aphogee: Keratin-2-minute-reconstructor- I still use this product but much differently.  I only use this when a strand test feels like I need a dose of protein.  To strand test for protein, I take a clean and wet piece of hair that has fallen out after I shampoo and pull it until it breaks. If I pull it and it stretches a lot (kind of like a rubber band) I know it is time for Apogee!  I leave it in for about 2-10 minutes depending on how stretchy the strand test is.
• Macadamia Professional: Deep Repair Masque- I will still replace my other conditioners with this all over my head if my hair is in a huge funk and I have no idea what to do.  Works every time.  I leave it in as long as possible. I'll try to get out of the shower and let it sit for 30 minutes if I can.  Otherwise, 5-10 minutes works ok as well.

After Shower Care and Styling:

This is also the same other than the products I am using.  I let my hair dry in a micro-fiber hair towel while I do my skin care routine.  Then I gently detangle using a wide tooth comb or my Tangle Teezer (no I didn't make up the terrible product name).  I have also used The Wet Brush, but I find the wet brush to actually just be a better replacement for a normal paddle brush to be used only on dry hair.  I'd stick with a wide tooth comb or Tangle Teezer when it is wet.  Then I will towel dry for a few more minutes before applying leave in treatment if I'm using heat then serum (which I always use).

• Shea Moisture: Black Caster Oil Strengthen, Grow, Restore, Leave In Conditioner with Shea Butter, Peppermint, & Keratin-  This is my step right after towel drying my hair every single time with my platinum hair. Also, who thought of that ridiculously long name?! I probably use at least a tablespoon of this stuff from my mid lengths to ends and put any remaining in the top part of my hair and massage my scalp.  My hair and scalp drink this up now. 
  

• Paul Mitchell: Super Skinny Serum- As my hair gets more damaged from the lightening process,  I use this but when I know I'll be using my Paul Mitchell Tea Tree shampoo with sulfates to wash it out soon because this is a heavy silicone and I don't want to damage my hair long term.  (see my post on silicones in hair products). If my hair seems to need even extra TLC, I will still mix 3 drops of pure Argan Oil into 1.5 pumps of my Super Skinny Serum and rub the mix beween my palms before applying it below my ears and focusing on the ends.  Any remaining residue (maybe a few drops total of the mixture) I scruch/smooth into the upper part of my hair.  
• Wella Professionals: Oil Reflections Smoothing Oil-  This is a new product to me.  I am LOVING it though.  It smells AMAZING to start with.  Then it works in place of my super skinny serum when I don't want those hard to dissolve silicones and means I can air dry my hair and still have it be very nice and smooth.

• Silk Elements: Mega Sile Olive Heat Protection Spray-  I have changed heat protectants!  I got this as a sample and with my new platinum hair, this makes any heat styling into silky perfection.  It makes your hair seem very oily when you first apply it, but after you heat style it leaves your hair PERFECTION!  Just be sure as you are blow drying that you keep the drier far enough away that the product doesn't smoke.  If your hair is already dry, apply this product and let it sit on the hair a few minutes before curling or straightening to make sure it doesn't smoke as well.  I'm not sure if the smoking is bad for your hair but it seems like not a good thing right?  If you have more information on this product smoking, please comment below!
• Sebastian: Shaper Plus Hairspray-  I rarely use heat to curl, but when I do, find this to be best to hold my curls and not make them crunchy.  No white residue either.  You can brush through the curls and there will be no icky flakes.  My curls can last days though! Hooray!

WOW! I think you are fully updated now.  All my hair posts are available if you click the "hair posts" tab above or follow one of the tag link!

Thank you for reading and as always,

Shine & Sparkle!

SheaMoisture: Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Leave-In Conditioner Review (Asian Hair Perspective)

Howdy Shine and Sparkle Report Readers,

Sorry for the late post Sparklers! I obviously love SheaMoisture's brand even though I don't have "ethnic" hair (but I have an ethnicity so that term deeply bothers me...getting off my soapbox now) but dear lord they have the longest product titles!  I mean seriously, I reviewed SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque and most recently I gave my opinion on the Superfruit Complex 10-In 1 Renewal System Hair Masque.  If those aren't long enough, then how about the "Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Leave-In Conditioner"?!  Long enough for you!  That's right, I think it is the longest product title in Shine and Sparkle report history. *applause for irrelevant benchmarks*.

Ok, I admit I was a bit scared to try this. There are a lot of potentially heavy oils that might weigh down my hair.  But it was buy 1 SheaMoisture product get one 1/2 off at Ulta, so I went for it with blind faith on one of my favorite brands.  And retailing at $10.99USD for 16oz this is a steal.  16oz is so much leave-in conditioner for me.  Maybe if you have even drier, thicker, more damaged hair than I do you will go through more of it.  But this amount is enough for over a year for me.

SheaMoisture Claims: 
A reparative leave-in conditioner that softens and detangles hair. Nourishes, moisturizes and supports elasticity so hair resists breakage when detangling. Conditioners provide a protective layer that improves the appearance of split ends. Peppermint oil stimulates the scalp for an invigorating experience.

Pretty much free of the big bad stuff.  It has no: No sulfates. No parabens. No phthalates. No paraffin. No gluten. No propylene glycol. No mineral oil. No synthetic fragrance. No PABA. No synthetic color. No DEA. No animal testing.

This Conditioner Features:

• Organic Shea Butter - Deeply moisturizes while conditioning hair and scalp.
• Jamaican Black Castor Oil - Loaded with repartive (Note: SheaMoisture made up this word, not me) omegas that promote healthy hair growth.
• Peppermint -Stimulates the scalp for an invigorating experience

How SheaMoisture Says To Use It:
Apply to clean, towel-dried hair. Work a generous amount of product into hair from root to ends. Com through for even distribution. Do not rinse. Apply more to longer hair at the end of problem areas. Can also be used as a rinse-out conditioner.

How Ms. Sparkles Uses It:
In the third person.  Gawd I'm funny right? Anyway, I haven't used it as a rinse-out conditioner because I'm totally stuck on the Superfruit Complex etc... deep masque.  But if you follow me on twitter, I promise to give you a yay or nay on it's use as a rinse out conditioner.  As far as my usage, I find that "generous amount" should really mean "not very much".  I tap 4 fingers on the surface of pot.  I rub what sticks to my fingers between my two hands and apply it to damp hair.  I concentrate on my ends and then whatever is left I apply to my roots.  I do this before combing out my hair with a wide-toothed comb to take advantage of the detangling effects.  I find that this does not leave my hair greasy, but really nice and moisturized.  If I repeat this process to add a bit more product, it gives me some nice texture and helps to define the layers in my hair cut.  Since I don't wash my hair every day, I find that the ends can feel a bit dry on day 2 and 3.  A 2 finger tap into the pot gives me plenty of product to rehydrate my dry ends between washes (also without being greasy).  Because this is so healthy for your hair, I don't notice any build up--just more good hair days.

• Deep Frying Hair Warning:  Do not use heat after using products with a lot of pure oils and no silicone!  In my silicone 101 post, I talk more in detail about how silicones help protect your hair from heat.  Without using silicones, you just have a lot of oil in your hair.  You apply a straightener/curing wand/hot blowdryer and you are essentially cooking/frying your hair in oil...eek!  You are being super nice to your hair with great oils, lay off the hotools.  If you must, make sure to apply a silicone based heat protectant before using heat.   

As usual,

Shine & Sparkle!

*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.

Updated Lighted Asian Hair + Updated Hair Care Routine

Hi Everyone!

It has been requested that I do a post on my updated hair care routine since I posted about my hair lightening experience not just once, but I posted about it twice!  As a result, the contents of my last hair care routine update are out of date.  I'm using a few more hefty products to keep my hair healthy despite all the lightening with bleach.  I also don't wash my hair as much because it is drier and more prone to damage.  This means dry shampoo (which I talk about in my dry shampoo post) is my best friend more than ever!

For those who want a THIRD before and after more hair highlighting, here it is.  Again, Krystin at Groove Hair Salon is the best!  This much lighter is after 2-3 more highlighting sessions.  More blonding to come!

You know where you can see my hair as it becomes blonder in all sorts of lighting contexts? twitter! You should follow me! We can be digital buddies, whoo!  Also, you can get sneak peeks into what reviews/reports are coming next.  You can even tweet me ideas for what to do next.  You can also follow me on other social media like facebook page; or an instagram; or a bloglovin; or a google+

Side note: My after picture is at the end of a textured "beachy" hair day.  It's still quite smooth and strong like in the "before" picture.  Now that I've given you a lot of links to past hair posts, lets get started with the hair care routine:

Wash and Condition:
I know you are going to be thinking "Jeebus Ms. Sparkles, when do you have time to do all of this?!" The truth is, since dry shampoo is such a good friend, I only wash my hair fully about 2 times a week.  Yes, it sounds gross, but I do SHOWER every day.  I just don't worry about washing my hair every day.  On days inbetween wash days (when I've gotten super sweaty at the gym or something like that) I conditioner wash my hair (see my conditioner washing post).

• TheBalm: Moisturize My Hair" Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner- My go-to shampoo and conditioner duo.  Use these at least once a week.  I use it when I wash my hair more than 2 times a week for whatever reason. 2 tbs of the shampoo works great and lathers even though it is sulfate free.  I'm also a "wash twice" person.  I don't know why washing once doesn't feel clean enough or something.
• Paul Mitchell: Tea Tree Special Shampoo and Conditioner- I only use this once a week to clarify my hair of silicones and product build up.  It also really helps treat any scalp issues I may be having with dandruff or itchy-ness.  I also use the conditioner to co-wash.
• Shea Moisture: Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque or Superfruit Complex 10-In 1 Renewal System Hair Masque - I will replace my TheBalm conditioner with this when I feel it needs oils and my scalp is very dry. Leave it in for 5-10 minutes if possible.
• CHI: Deep Brilliance Moisture Shine Treatment- I will replace my TheBalm conditioner with this just from my ears down, focusing on the ends when the length of my hair is very dry. Leave it in for 5-10 minutes if possible.
• Aphogee: Keratin-2-minute-reconstructor- I will replace my TheBalm conditioner withthis just on my color treated hair (from wherever the dye starts if my roots are grown out), focusing on the ends when the length of my hair is very brittle.  I tend to leave it in for 3-5 minutes for best results.
• Macadamia Professional: Deep Repair Masque- I will replace my TheBalm conditioner with this all over my head if my hair is in a huge funk and I have no idea what to do.  Works every time.  I leave it in as long as possible. I'll try to get out of the shower and let it sit for 30 minutes if I can.  Otherwise, 5-10 minutes works ok as well.

After Shower Care and Styling:

I let my hair dry in a micro-fiber hair towel while I do my skin care routine.  Then I gently detangle using a wide tooth comb or my Tangle Teezer (no I didn't make up the terrible product name).  I have also used The Wet Brush, but I find the wet brush to actually just be a better replacement for a normal paddle brush to be used only on dry hair.  I'd stick with a wide tooth comb or Tangle Teezer when it is wet.  Then I will towel dry for a few more minutes before applying leave in treatment if I'm using heat then serum (which I always use).  

• Paul Mitchell: Super Skinny Serum- As my hair gets more damaged from the lightening process, my Suave Professionals-Moroccan Infusion Moroccan Argan Styling Oil is not quite enough to get the smooth, tangle free air dry that I do most often. If my hair seems to need even extra TLC, I will mix 3 drops of pure Argan Oil into 1.5 pumps of my Super Skinny Serum and rub the mix beween my palms before applying it below my ears and focusing on the ends.  Any remaining residue (maybe a few drops total of the mixture) I scruch/smooth into the upper part of my hair.  I'm in love with this stuff.
• Macadamia Professional: Nourishing Leave-In Cream- Love to use this before my heat protectant if I'm going to blow dry/curl my hair.  It gives a little extra body, protection and softness. 
• TRESemme: Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray-  Still my go-to for heat protection.  Cost effective, smells great, and never weights down hair.  It doesn't even feel like another layer of product.
• Sebastian: Shaper Plus Hairspray-  I find this to be best to hold my curls and not make them crunchy.  No white residue either.  You can brush through the curls and there will be no icky flakes.  My curls can last days though! Hooray!

I think this just about covers it as of the date of this post.  I'm always experimenting and trying new things, so new products are always being tried.

Thank you for reading and as always,

Shine & Sparkle!

Shea Moisture: Superfruit Complex 10-In 1 Renewal System Hair Masque Review (An Asian Hair Perspective)

WAZZAP Shine and Sparkle Report Readers?! (Oh yeah, I totally just used early 2000's internet slang.  I'm so hip...)

Anyway, as you know, I totally love my SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque even though the brand is marketed at coarse, super curly hair.  Even though I have coarse, straight, bleached, and dry Asian hair, I love this product for all the healthy ingredients and smoothing/shining results.  No surprise, I jumped on this equally as long named mask "Superfruit Complex 10-In 1 Renewal System Hair Masque"*.

You might have seen this picture on my twitter! You should follow me! We can be digital buddies, whoo!  Also, you can get sneak peeks into what reviews/reports are coming next.  You can even tweet me ideas for what to do next.  Social media is so cool right?  What was that? Do I have a facebook page; or an instagram; or a bloglovin; or a google+?  Of course.  #shamelessplug #IPromiseToNotOverDoHashtagsLikeThisOneUnlessIFindThemAmusingThenYouAreStuckWithIt

Like it's predecessor, I found this product to be a cheaper and healthier alternative to very expensive deep conditioners.  Found easily at Ulta or on Shea Moisture's Website, this 12oz tub retails for $12.99USD, but often can be found in a buy one, get one 1/2 off deal.

SheaMoisture Claims:
This intensive antioxidant-rich treatment helps to perfect and renew vibrancy to brittle, lackluster hair. When used weekly in our 10-IN-1 RENEWAL SYSTEM, it treats damaged hair while providing anti-aging benefits, color protection, hydration, nourishment, rejuvenation, strength, anti-stress, deep conditioning, softness and shine. Counteract signs of aging by nourishing the scalp with our SuperFruit Complex and infusing hair with ultra-moisturizing Marula Oil and Biotin. Ten Benefits Specific to our HAIR MASQUE : Age-Defy Nourish Anti-Stress Revive Body Color Protect Shine Deep Condition Strengthen Hydrate Soften.

This Conditioner Has:
No sulfates. No parabens. No phthalates. No paraffin. No gluten. No propylene glycol. No mineral oil. No synthetic fragrance. No PABA. No synthetic color. No DEA. No animal testing.  This is quite amazing and all SheaMoisture products seem committed to eliminating bad stuff ingredients/practices.

This Conditioner Features:

• Superfruit Blend of Red Raspberry, Ketones, Goji, Acai and Guava Extracts rich in anti-aging antioxidants. 
• Marula Oil - Contains natural plant peptides that help support hair's elasticity. 
• Biotin - Nourishes individual strands for thicker, stronger hair. 
• Shea Butter - Deeply moisturizes while conditioning hair and scalp.

How SheaMoisture Says To Use It:
Section clean, wet hair. Apply generously. Use a wide tooth comb to distribute evenly from root to ends. Leave in for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. For deep penetrating treatment, cover hair with plastic cap and apply moderate heat for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. When using hair steamer do not cover, moist heat will add to masque's hydration.

How Ms. Sparkles Uses It:
I use this deep treatment 1-2 times a week.  Sectioning hair takes too much time and is unnecessary for my straight hair.  I gently squeeze (don't be rough with it or it will cause more damage and breakage see my healthy hair care post) out water that might dilute the conditioner then apply generous amounts of product to clean wet hair in the shower from your ears down if you are worried about greasy hair.  Since I have been slowing lightening my hair as seen in my hair lightening post #1 and hair lightening post #2 (part 3 coming soon!) I haven't had to worry about that.  I apply it to my whole head and massage it into my scalp.  Then I either leave it in my hair for as long as possible when I wash my body and shave, or I put it in a shower cap and leave it in my hair for as long as I want (at least 30 minutes), do some house chores, then go rinse it out.  My hair feels instantly protein and moisture balanced.  I love this when I'm not sure if my hair needs more protein or more moisture.  It simply solves everything.

• Deep Frying Hair Warning:  Do not use heat after using products with a lot of pure oils and no silicone!  In my silicone 101 post, I talk more in detail about how silicones help protect your hair from heat.  Without using silicones, you just have a lot of oil in your hair.  You apply a straightener/curing wand/hot blowdryer and you are essentially cooking/frying your hair in oil...eek!  You are being super nice to your hair with a deep treatment mask, lay off the hotools. If you must, make sure to apply a silicone based heat protectant before using heat.   

Overall Thoughts: I found this on to be even more effective than the SheaMoisture Deep Treatment Mask for my hair.   It is a little less heavy on the hair (I'd say suitable for anyone unless you have very thin/fine hair) and produces great smoothing and shining results without it getting greasy quickly.  It is a little more expensive than normal drug store deep conditioners, but it is well worth the price.  It works better than some $30-$50 luxury conditioners and comes with a very generous 12oz of product.   I also ADORE the smell.  All SheaMoisture products I have tried have had an earthy smell that isn't unpleasant but not wonderful.  This smells like fruit and is simply luxurious.  Since this is such a natural product, I don't suggest on stocking up too much because it will probably go bad slightly faster than products with more preservatives.  I'm definitely going to need at least 1 back up though.

Let me know if you are interested in any other SheaMoisture (or any other) hair products for me to review! I love this brand and would love an excuse to try more items!

As usual,

Shine & Sparkle!


*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.

Wen Cucumber Aloe Cleansing Conditioner First Impression Review (A Co-washing Asian Hair Experiment)

Hi Shine and Sparkle Report Readers,

My mom recently re-gifted me a QVC customers choice beauty box.  This thing had a whole bunch of sample products in it.  One of the samples was 2oz of Wen Cucumber Aloe Cleansing Conditioner*.  I thought I'd give you a bit of my first impression on this popular "as seen on TV" product.

What is Co-washing?
This was a process that, I think, started in the African American community as a good way to keep super curly hair looking pretty without using any type of shampoo/detergents on the hair.  As far as I can tell, Chaz Dean--founder of Wen, stole this idea and came out with his "cleansing conditioners" as a way to mass market the idea of co-washing.  So basically, you are paying for Chaz Dean's specific blend of regular conditioner--not necessarily a brand new/revolutionary "cleansing conditioner".

How do you co-wash?
In a nut shell, you use A LOT of conditioner (with no or water soluble silicones--see my silicone in hair care post)  to wash your hair, with no conditioning step necessary.  I think the Wen packet had a very good way to co-wash on the 2oz packet.  The instructions on the were as follows:

"Rinse hair thoroughly, apply half of the WEN Cleansing Conditioner to your palms, and rub together. Apply evenly from your roots to your ends, making sure your hair is completely saturated with Cleansing Conditioner. Add an extra splash of water and thoroughly massage into your scalp and hair for several minutes. Comb through with a wide-tooth comb before rinsing thoroughly and completely.

Repeat the cleansing process, using the other half of the packet to ensure a thorough cleanse. Save a dime-sized amount to be used as leave-in conditioner. Prior to rinsing, clip up and leave the Cleansing Conditioner in your hair for at least three to five minutes. The longer you leave it on, the better the results. Rinse thoroughly and completely. After you have finished rinsing, while your hair is still soaking wet, apply a dime-sized amount of the Cleansing Conditioner to the mid-shaft and ends of your hair as a leave-in conditioner. Style as desired."

How did I feel about my first co-wash?  
The Cons: Holy crap that was a lot of instructions for a packet, even for a beauty blogger such as myself.  This stuff is not meant for low maintenance people at all.  I have waist length, medium-thick, bleach lightened, semi-coarse Asian hair.  I definitely had to use 1 full oz each time I washed.  Considering that 16oz is $30, if I were to repeat the Wen process as instructed on my sample, I'd only get 8 hair washes for $30! Eek!  And you pay $60 for the 32oz, so no savings there.  A lot of reviews (and me) take issue with the price.  Especially since Chaz recommends more than 1oz of product for my length of hair (talk about obvious marketing techniques).  I do think that about 1oz of product was about perfect for my hair though.  Also, many Wen reviews note good initial results, but that the silicone in it builds up (as I have explained in depth in my silicone in hair products post). 

The Pros: The Wen Cucumber Aloe (which is their most astringent formula which should weigh your hair down the least and combat oily scalp)  did leave my hair very luxuriously soft.  It air dried like a dream.  I'm not sure if I would like any of their less astringent formulas, since I feel that this was the perfect amount of control and moisture for me.  I'd be worried that others may weight down my hair.  Other formulas may be better for drier/frizzier/curlier hair.  I also want to note, that Chaz markets the cleansing conditioner as a "one product does all" solution.  I have to agree that my one experience provided great results without any added products or serums.  All I needed was the Wen cleansing conditioner.  Don't get sucked in by his other products! You don't need them.  I did scrape the inside of the packet for the dime sized amount to use as a leave-in conditioner.  It worked great.

What comes next for my hair with co-washing? 
I have decided, as a result of using this Wen product, to investigate more affordable methods of co-washing.  I will keep you all updated on my "Co-washing Asian Hair" experiment.  I will be trying several cheaper conditioners that I think might yield the same results when using the Wen method.  I also think I might not co-wash every time I wash my hair.  I think it's going to depend how "dirty" it is.  I think this is a great way to wash your hair on those days when your hair is pretty clean but you got sweaty at the gym or it's just your scalp that needs cleansing (not the length of your hair.)


Shine & Sparkle


*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions. Also, like all my images, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if someone throws a hissy fit.

Hair Lightening Experience: Part 2 (+ How I Prevent my Lightened Hair from Breaking)

Hi Shine and Sparkle Report Readers!

This post is a little earlier than my normal Wednesday post since I'm going to be traveling for a lot of tomorrow and want to make sure you get your weekly dose of the S+SR.  As you may know from my Instragram, Facebook, or Twitter, I have been in the process of making my naturally black hair blonde-ish.

If you want more info on the first process, click here for Part 1!

Hair Lightening Experience Part 2- 
In the original post I went from a base dark chocolate color to a warm lighter brown by getting a partial set of highlights.  Then about a month later I did a full highlight without documenting it for you all *gasp*.  Then it was on to this current session where I badly needed my roots done and did a partial highlight again.  This is the result compared to the last time I posted about my hair color:

Cool beans right?  Anyway, I'm looking at getting another set of full highlights next, but obviously (based on wanting to maintain the integrity of my hair) it's going to be a while before anyone thinks I'm a fully light brown-ish blonde.  Just like baking a turkey, low and slow is best when using bleach to lighten dark hair.  For example, If you were to cook a turkey fully on a high temperature, it would be edible, but the inside would be really dry and the outside really damaged/burnt.  The same thing when you make hair lighter using a strong bleach and go really light all at once.  I'm also enjoying watching my hair go through a bunch of subtle transformations.  Again, Krystin at Groove Salon* in San Francisco is the miracle worker behind this whole thing.

Can you DIY this?  Can you do this process at home with a low volume developer (think 5 volume, not even 10. Forget 20+ volume developer or you will be a sad burnt turkey), bleach powder, and a toner? It is possible. But honestly, I would really suggest going to a professional if you are interested in going lighter.  Let me tell you, doing highlights on your own head will end in DISASTER! You will look like a 90's bleached zebra, end up with patches not highlights, or be a lovely shade of neon orange that reminds you of a certain powdered drink made for astronauts.  I know it's more expensive, but I have been shocked how great my hair condition is compared to when I DIY-ished myself lighter in my teenage years.  Also, a good hair colorist will make sure you are satisfied with your color and give you realistic expectations for each visit.  P.S.  If the information in this paragraph sounded like I was speaking Elvish or Klingon (aka a foreign language for you non-geeks) then you should 100% have this done by a professional. Ok? Ok.  Mini-Tip: If you are on a very tight budget, my suggestion is look into getting it done at your local beauty school.  The students are overseen by professional instructors so you can get professional quality services cheaper than at a salon. Though it is slightly higher risk, I'd pick this over trying to bleach your hair yourself.  If you are cool with nuking your hair, then by all means, slap on high volume developer and a powder bleach.  Your hair will be lighter and you also may be mistaken for a poodle.

Handing Breakage-
As anyone who has chemically treated their hair through coloring, perming, or relaxing knows, it weakens each individual strand of hair.  This makes the hair much more prone to breaking and snapping.  Here are a few of my main tips and tricks for keeping this to a minimum so you can have chemically treated hair and keep it healthy and long!

1. Handle with care.  Don't roughly do anything to your hair.  It is already weakened by chemical processing.  It is even weaker when it is wet (so washing less using dry shampoo is great!).  Whenever you wash, style, brush, comb, or even just fiddle with your hair, do it very gently.  Would you roughly tug a piece of wet toilet paper when you want to use it to make a great mummy costume?  No! Same with your hair.  Brush/comb it in small sections starting from the bottom up.  Gently squeeze your hair dry (don't rough it up, tug, ring, or aggressively twist).  Hair=delicate fabric, not a doggie tug-o-war toy.  Honestly, if you can avoid touching your hair during the day, do that too.  The skin of your hands will strip moisture from your hair along with add necessary physical stress to your hair.   
2. Condition with the right stuff.  This is one of those things you have to get to know your own hair for, but generally if you are experiencing a lot of breakage you need either a protein or "repairing" conditioner or a moisturizing conditioner.  Is suggest having one of each depending on your hair mood at the time.  As I have mentioned in my regular conditioner post, if you take a wet piece of your hair, pull it from either end, and it keeps stretching like a rubber band, then you need a protein rich or "repairing" conditioner at the moment.  If it just snaps and breaks, you need a moisturizing one. This might be a good time to mention if you use too much protein on your hair, it can actually make it brittle and more prone to breaking.
3. Deep Condition.  If the regular conditioners above aren't cutting it, once or twice a week try using a deep conditioning treatment (protein or moisturizing again, depending on why your hair is breaking...see test in #2 above--or just read this whole report from beginning to end like you are supposed to Mr. Speedreader...) Deep conditioners have more concentrated active ingredients and are made to be left in your hair for longer to allow time for all the goodness to absorb into your hair and help heal it.  Good stuff right?  You can make it work even better by applying generous amounts of deep conditioner to your hair, the putting on a shower cap and leaving it in for longer (be careful doing this with protein shampoos for the reasons you should have read in #2 above *wink*).  If you are even more ambitious you can apply heat to the shower capped hair with a blow drier to open up the hair cuticle and encourage the conditioning process.
4. Silicone.  Keep in mind my report on silicone in hair products.  I'll leave it at that.
5. Oil Hair Treatment.  Oiling your hair has many benefits since it is your body's natural way of keeping your hair healthy and shiny.  If a moisturizing/protein conditioner isn't working, try oiling!  My favorite way is to use coconut oil because it it has the smallest oil particles and really absorbs well into your hair.  I discuss how I do it in my coconut oil post in section #5.  You can also try this with olive oil, caster oil, avocado oil, or almond oil.  You may find one works better for you than others.  Luckily, these oils are all pretty cheap! Hooray!

I hope you enjoyed this report on my hair color and anti-hair breaking tips! 

As Always,

Shine and Sparkle!

*I am not paid or sponsored by any of the products or entities mentioned in this post.  All were payed for with my own money.  These are my personal thoughts/opinions and recounting of events.

Ms. Sparkle's Best Conditioners For Your Hair

Back to regularly scheduled beauty blogging Shine and Sparkle Report readers!

Today, I wanted to let you know my top conditioners for different hair types.  My amazing friend Kethry asked about.  I've been meaning to do a conditioner post for a while but there is a surprising amount of work that goes into it.  I had to really think about the scope of this post to avoid writing a novel or not being an informed blogger. These conditioners are my favorite examples of conditioners that might work for your hair.  It also can serve as a bit of a guide when you go out looking for a new conditioner.  That being said, everyone's hair is different and you might have to experiment a little to find out what works best for your hair.

Scope Of This Sparkle Report:
I limited my suggestions to just what I consider to be "regular" conditioners (or products that perform like regular conditioners) rather than "deep" conditioners/masks to that are used 1-2 times a week.  I pretty much stuck with types of Healthy Hair and Dry/Damaged/Color Treated Hair as the two discussed hair types.  There is a little in there about hair texture, but lets face it, I have the most experience with my own hair texture which has been all of the textures discussed in this post at one time or another.  However, not having much experience with super curly or kinky textures, I think I'm best qualified to give advice within the stated boundaries.  I also know I only touched on the whole "moisture vs. protein" issue and I'm kind of high up there with the pricing.  That being said, in order to get anything written, I just had to go with it.  Since this is a full on report, I tried to keep this intro as short as possible.  Feel free to ask any questions or your suggestions in the comments!

Healthy Hair:
You are very lucky! You do not have damage or increased dryness.  Your hair is the same as it was when it first popped out of your scalp.  Congratulations.  The internet says that currently 75% of American women report having dyed their hair at some point.  So having completely healthy or "virgin" hair puts you  in a position of maintaining the health of your hair.  This also means that conditioners that are very heavy might weigh your hair down because your hair is not absorbing all the extra ingredients that are used to make unhealthy hair look healthy.  Thus, most conditioners will work well for you.  I'd pick either a volumizing, light moisturizing, or smoothing/sleek conditioner depending on how you like to style your hair.  If you like "big hair" pick a volumizing conditioner.  It will weigh your hair down the least.  If like it a bit more sleek, pick a light moisturizing conditioner.  If you have very frizzy hair naturally and you want it very smooth and need the extra weight, go with a smoothing conditioner which has heavier ingredients.  Below are my top picks:

• Volume = Tea-Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner by Paul Mitchell*.  This smells great and is a very light conditioner that will still leave your hair feeling nourished. If you have seen my shower make over post or my healthy hair post, you will know I've been in love with this line forever!

•  Light Moisture= En Root Moisturize My Hair Conditioner by The Balm.  This is my go-to conditioner no matter what your hair type, but I think it works outstandingly on healthy hair that needs a bit of moisture.  I suggest checking it out even if you have damaged hair that needs to be quenched with moisture.

•  Smoothing/Sleek= Sleek.Look Smoothing Conditioner by Matrix.  If you have frizzy or curly hair that you are dying to tame, this is my solution.  You can go full hog and get the 3 step system.  I think it's only really necessary to nab the conditioner.  You get the same results if you use any shampoo before it and a smoothing product/serum afterwards.
  

Dry/Damaged/Color Treated Hair:
Ah, anyone who has picked up a box of hair dye at the drugstore or watched their hair turn colors in a salon chair knows that your hair is never quite "healthy" afterwards.  Having thoroughly stressed out your hair, it tends to get dry, tangled, or frizzy really easily.  It might even be breaking off and you know the split ends are on a rampage.  Trying to tame these problems is an million approximately $49 billion dollar industry and I have written quite few posts about hair products and hair care methods to keep these hair destroying symptoms at bay. However, the battle is completely and utterly lost without a good conditioner.  The following are my favorites to address the top 3 ailments that conditioners need to address for dry/damaged/color treated hair: (1) Extreme Dryness; (2) Protein Loss; (3) Color Fade.  I personally do not count these as "deep" conditioning products based on how much more of a result I see from other deep conditioners. However, I recommend them as regular conditioners for those with very dry/damaged hair leave them on for a shorter amount of time if using regularly.  The times to leave it in your hair will vary depending on your hair.

• Extreme Dryness= K-PAK Intense Hydrator by Joico.  This does some serious hydrating to your damaged locks.  You can use it as part of their Keratin recovery line (after using their protein rich shampoos and conditioners.  However, I find that this works wonders at restoring moisture no matter what you use before hand.  Mini-Tip: You know your hair needs moisture when it's super frizzy and a strand of hair snaps very quickly when wet.  A drug store equivalent for me is the Aussie 3-Minute Miracle Moist, but but if you ask me what my favorite is, this is the one.
  
  

• Protein Loss= Intensive Two Minute Keratin Reconstructor by Aphogee.  This is cheap and very effective at restoring protein to the hair. Mini-Tip: You know your hair needs protein when it's super a strand of hair keeps stretching longer and longer when wet like a rubber band. I can leave this on for longer than 2 minutes without it making my hair too brittle (and needing to use the Joico Hydrator to restore balance), but I would start with a little less time to ensure your don't put too much protein in.
  
    
• Color Fade= Color Depositing Conditioners by John Frieda .  Here are a few quick things you need to know about color fade.  1) Harsh sulfates in shampoo are the main culprits of this phenomenon. 2) Your conditioner can help deposit a bit more color or help keep color in your hair by surrounding it in silicone (see my post of silicone in hair here), but it does not really "strip" color significantly from your hair.  John Frieda has the largest easily accessible color depositing conditioners.  They have ones for red hair, brunettes, and blondes.  They also have a violet shampoo to counteract yellowness in blondes. Are there better color depositing/toning conditioners depending on what color you need? Yes.  Is that a subject for another post? Yes. 

As you can tell this wasn't the easiest report to write but I did my best!  Hope this helped and that you enjoyed the first report-style post in quite a while.  Let me know via any of a gazillion social media outlets if you have any questions or would like more in-depth information on any of the products or concepts in this post. I love to hear from you!

As always,

Shine & Sparkle!

*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions. Also, like all my images, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if someone throws a hissy fit.

SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque Review (An Asian Hair Perspective)

Hi Shine and Sparkle Readers,

Sorry about the crazzzy long title. It's not my fault that "SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque"* is a mouth-full. But I have found a miracle product.  I really wanted to review this because most of the literature out there on this product is not for Asian hair.  However, I think everyone with dry/damaged hair should check this baby out.

 Here is the scoop:

1. Great ingredients (or pleasant lack there of). It has no sulfates. No parabens. No phthalates. No paraffin. No gluten. No propylene glycol. No mineral oil. No synthetic fragrance. No PABA. No synthetic color. No DEA. No animal testing.   All that being said, the first few ingredients are water, shea butter, argan oil, vegetable glycerine, wax, sea kelp.  Amazing! 

2. Replaces oiling my hair.  I have moisturizing conditioners and protein conditioners.  However, sometimes your hair needs oil.  You can use pure oils to deep condition your hair using olive, coconut, castor, almond oil, you name it.  If it is an oil, someone has a youtube video on how they use it to help maintain the health of your hair.  All of these methods involve saturating your hair with TONS of oil and letting it sit 30minutes to over-night.  This is a pain it the butt.  No matter what I do it's messy.  Don't get me started about the mess if I try and sleep with it in my hair.  SheaMoisture Deep Treatment Mask to the rescue!  I get the same results just by following the directions.  What are the directions?  Funny you should ask-- "Section clean, wet hair. Apply generously. Use a wide tooth comb to distribute evenly from root to ends. Leave in for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. For deep penetrating treatment, cover hair with a plastic cap and apply moderate heat for up to 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. When using a hair steamer do not cover hair, moist heat will add to masque's hydration."  Now, I'm too lazy to hold a hair dryer to my hair and I certainly do not own a hair steamer. But if you stick to the 5 minute or 30 minute applications without special devices, this still works wonders!

3. Fun Texture & Natural Scent: Ok, so this shouldn't be a huge deal, but I have to say, this strangely "crisp" texture is almost like a body butter.  It just melts into your hair and scalp and makes everything feel lovely.  The scent is pretty much just the smell of shea butter, which is light and vaguely nutty.  I'm happy with it.  It makes me feel like I'm doing nice things to my hair rather than slathering on chemicals.

4. Price:  Can't be mad at about $10USD a 12 oz tub.  You can sometimes find these on sale (or "on offer" if you are British).  I got them "buy one get one free" recently, but more typically I see them "buy one get one 50% off".

5. The Only Sort of-Cons:  While there are very few things wrong with this product I have a few draw backs:

• The awesome melty-ness texture means that you do end up using a lot of product to really feel like you have saturated your hair.  But trust me, it's kind of fun in a weird way to put something of this texture on your hair, so I don't mind. 
• If you have very fine hair or want to have "big hair" volume after using this product, you might struggle with the weight of it.  That being said, if you are looking to air-dry your thick straight Asian hair, it might work out perfectly to make your hair look like you did way more with it.  I know it does with mine.  I get nicely straight hair with healthy shine after using this product.  Win.
• I find that product works best with time and after using a clarifying/sulfate shampoo.  I have noticed that it really improves the integrity of my hair best when not covered with any silicone products before hand. Check out my Silicone in Hair Products 101 post to learn more.  I apply a silicone serum to my hair after using this product to lock in all the goodness.

 Shine & Sparkle!


*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions. Also, like all my images, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if someone throws a hissy fit.

How To Get Heatless Beachy Waves Quick Tip

Happy Sparkle-Wednesday Shine and Sparkle Report Readers!

Spring/Summer is here (at least in the Bay Area)! This means a lot of girls striving for soft beachy waves. It's that gorgeous "effortless" wave look that seems (to those without naturally wavy hair) to be anything but effortless.  I know my hair doesn't look like "beachy waves" after a day at the beach!  Without committing to a new surfing hobby, consider getting these waves without constant heat damaging.  Plus, it seems silly to bust out a curling iron in order for your hair to have messy/tousled waves.  Since my hair loves to be straight, the way I get hold and piecey beach waves without heat is as follows:

Like all my images, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if whoever owns it throws a hissy fit.  Does anyone know if I have added the image to Squiggles if it counts as a new image so I'm not violating anybody's rights?  Hum...

How To Get Heatless Beach Waves: Start by taking your shower in the evening.  When your hair is barely damp/almost dry, put it up in 2 ballet buns (see someone else explain that because I'm lazy here) on the top of your head. Go to sleep.  In the morning you will have great waves.  To get the beachy texture, spray a bit of sea salt spray, then work the waves around your fingers.  If you are like me and have very stubbornly straight hair, you might want to add an extra spritz of hair spray after the sea salt spray has made your hair perfectly separated and the hair spray will help it hold.  Don't worry if the waves seem pretty extreme at first, they will relax throughout the day.

The sea salt spray I'm currently using is the Healthy Sexy Hair: Soy Renewal Beach Spray* which retails for about $20.  My current Hair Spray love is the Sebastian: Shaper Plus retailing about $17. Both leave your hair soft.  You can still run your fingers through it without getting ugly powdery white flakes, but still have pretty good hold.

Hope this quick tip lets you rock beach waves all spring and summer long.

Shine & Sparkle!

*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.

Silicones in Hair Care 101

Full report this Wednesday Shine & Sparkle Report readers!

After my hair highlighting experience last week, it inspired me to encourage you all to put on your science hats.  Today, we are going to talk about Silicones in hair products*.  Put on your lab coats, grab a beaker (or graduated cylinder) and lets get started learning about silicone!

Like all my images, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if someone throws a hissy fit.

What are Silicones? Silicones are ingredients in many hair care products.This includes shampoos, conditioners, leave-in detanglers, and serums. They are not all bad.  They are considered safe for the human body (breast implants anyone?) They make hair look shiny and soft.  They prevent tangles and protect your hair from the elements and heat styling (all of those fancy kitchen gadgets are made out of silicone for a reason).  I often describe them as "putting plastic wrap around each strand of hair".  Basically they coat each strand and take the brunt of heat damage, repel moisture/humidity that causes friz, and generally make your hair look great!  You can typically determine if one of these super hard to pronounce ingredients is a silicone if it ends in "cone", "col", "conol" or "zane". 


What is bad about Silicones? If you apply silicones before adding moisture to your hair or do not remove the "plastic wrap" every once in a while, it will prevent moisture and oils from getting into the hair.  The silicone can build up and create multiple layers of plastic around the hair which look great as long as you keep adding layers, but once removed, the underlying hair is dried out, brittle and damaged.  So at least weekly removal of silicones and infusion of moisture and oil at this time is important if you want the healthiest hair possible. 


How do you remove Silicones?  It depends if the silicones you are using are water soluable or not.  Not to scare you with basic chemistry, but basically, some silicones will disolve and wash away just with water in the shower.  Others, need sulfates of some kind to break them down.  You do not need to use super harsh clarifying shampoos, just ones that contain some kind of sulfate once a week (most drugstore shampoos unless they say "sulfate-free"--see my first post on sulfate free shampoos and second post involving sulfate-free shampoos). I have heard of apple cider vinegar rinses, baking soda, and other DIY methods for removing silicones once a week, but I find it faster and easier to just expose myself to sulfates once a week.  If you rather go completely chemical free, consider looking into those DIYs.

What are the different types of Silicones?  Different products have different amounts and types of silicones.  Depending on your hair type and condition, different levels and combinations might work better for your hair.  The below lists of silicones can help you find what you are looking for in a product.

These silicones need Sulfates to remove them and are likely to build up on your hair:

1. Dimethicone (probably the most commonly seen are versions of Dimethicone)
2. Cetyl Dimethicone
3. Cetearyl Methicone
4. Dimethiconol
5. Stearyl Dimethicone

Also, there are some silicones that slow down the build-up process and mean you have to use a sulfate containing shampoo less often:

1. Trimethylsilylamodimethicone
2. Amodimethicone
3. Cyclopentasiloxane
4. Cyclomethicone

Lastly, there are a few totally water soluble silicones:

1. Stearoxy Dimethicone 
2. Behenoxy Dimethicone
3. Also, if "PPG" or "PEG" is in front of the silicone, this means that it was specially developed to be water-soluble and will not leave a build-up like other silicones.

Final Gripe/Warning: Do NOT use pure oils as a heat protectant!  If your product has oils AND silicones, that is fine.  The silicone is protecting from heat while the oil is absorbed into your hair.  But a pure oil alone (like coconut, 100% argan, almond, etc..) will basically deep fry your hair.  Eek!  Think about it, would you stick your hair in a vat of oil heated to 450 degrees?!  I don't think you would.  That is essentially what using pure oil then flat ironing/curling your hair is.  Heat + Silicone is your friend!  That is the end of my public service announcement.  Deep fry your hair at your own risk.

 Shine & Sparkle! (without deep fried hair)


*Special shout out to CurlyNikki's Blog for compiling a lot (but not all) of the information seen in this post!