Reader D.S. posed the following question on my Facebook page:
“I notice that you use a lot of different products. How do you know what works and what doesn’t? Thanks!”
I have used numerous products over the course of my hair journey (almost 8 years now), but now I pretty much have my staple products because I know what works for me. However, I do try new products every few months to keep abreast of what’s new and might benefit my readers.
Knowing what works can be as simple as having a great experience on the first use, like when I used aloe vera juice as a detangler. Knowing what doesn’t work can be as obvious as just not liking how your hair feels the first time you use a product. This was the case when I tried Oyin Hair Dew. Alternatively, it can take several weeks to realize that your are having a bad reaction to a product, which happened when I tried Mane n’ Tail Detangler.
Here are some tips for figuring out what works and doesn’t work:
- Only incorporate one new product into your regimen at a time. This will help you figure out whether it works for you.
- Pay attention to how your hair feels and “behaves” after you use it (i.e. softness, tangles, shine/sheen, etc.)
- Always do a strand test.
As always, recognize that everything doesn’t work the same for everyone. So just because a product works for me doesn’t mean it will work for you. But take heart, after you kiss a few “frog” products you will eventually find your “prince” (so to speak).